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Operating The Charger - GRAUPNER ULTRAMAT 5 Manual

Automatic rapid charger for 4 ... 7 (8) nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal-hydride batteries

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The unit is designed for charging the following battery types:
NiCd batteries (e.g.: AE, AEL, AR, CUP, DRL, KR, RC, RS, RSE, RSH, SC, SCE, SCR) and NiMH batteries
(e.g.: CS) with a capacity of 0.5 to 4 Ah. Sealed, gastight nickel-cadmium batteries have proved excellent for
all purposes in RC modelling. The number before the letter states the number of cells, which in turn indicates
the battery voltage (single cell 1.2 V), and the following number(s) indicates the capacity in Ah (or mAh.
Example: 6N-1800 SCR
Note
It is important to note and observe the charging information provided by the battery manufacturer, and to
keep to the recommended charge current and time limits. Do not attempt to rapid-charge any battery unless
it is expressly stated to be suitable for the high currents which this charger produces.
Please remember that new packs do not reach their full capacity until they have undergone several charge
/ discharge cycles, and the charge process may also be terminated prematurely with new batteries. We
recommend that you carry out several test charges until you are confident that the automatic termination
circuit works correctly, and that the unit charges your battery fully.
Charge adaptors
Connect the charge adaptor supplied to the screw clamps on one side of the charger. Be sure to maintain
correct polarity: red = positive terminal (OUT +), black = negative terminal (OUT -).
If the connector on the charge adaptor does not match the one on the battery to be charged, you can easily
make your own adaptor from any Graupner charge lead by cutting it down to a length of no more than 80 cm.
The following types are suitable: Order No. 3011 (G2 plug), Order No. 2984 (G2.5 plug), Order No. 3036 (G4
plug), Order No. 3049 (MG6 plug), Order No. 3619 (AMP plug), Order No. 3037 (BEC plug), Order No. 3021
(JR plug) and Order No. 3022 (JR transmitter plug). Be sure to use the correct size and type of connector.
Polarité
Prise 12V
Japonaise
G2 (AMP/G2,5)
allume-cigare
Order-No. 3371
Order-No. 3011
Connecting the charger to a car cigar lighter socket
Before you connect the charger to a cigar lighter socket check carefully that the socket is wired with the
correct polarity, and can supply currents of up to 8 A. You will find this information in the instruction manual
supplied with your car.

Operating the charger:

To avoid damage, never place the charger and the pack to be charged directly on the car seat or other part
of the car. Always set them up on a non-inflammable, heat-resistant surface. Switch off the car engine!
1. Connect the charger directly to the 12 V car cigar lighter socket, using the original connector. The orange
monitor lamp (NiCd) will now light up to show that the charger is ready for use.
2. If necessary, press the START button briefly to select the battery type (NiCd for nickel-cadmium, NiMH for
nickel-metal-hydride packs). Every time you press the button the monitor lamp switches to the other
battery type.
3. Connect the discharged pack to the charge adaptor. The corresponding monitor lamp now switches
colour from orange to green to confirm that it has detected the presence of the battery.
4. Now press the START button briefly to initiate the rapid charge process. The monitor lamp switches from
green to red. As soon as the battery is fully charged, the rapid charge process is interrupted, the monitor
lamp flashes green, and a brief audible alarm signal sounds. From this point on the charger provides a low
trickle charge (pulsed current) to keep the NC pack topped up.
5. Disconnect the battery from the charger.
6. After use always disconnect the charger from the cigar lighter socket / car battery.
Voltage: 6 x 1.2 V = 7.2 V, capacity 1.8 Ah
BEC
JR
JR-transmitter
Order-No. 3037
Order-No. 3021
Order-No. 3022
Error displays
The charger features several functions which inform and warn you of particular problems. Simply eliminate
the problem and press the START button.
NiCd battery
Power supply problem (car battery)
red
Reverse polarity
red
Poor contact
Safety timer triggered
green
Charger fault
= lamp off
= lamp flashes
Safety timer
The charger features a safety timer which is designed to prevent the pack being overcharged to a dangerous
extent if, for any reason, the unit fails to detect the "battery full" condition. The timer switches off the charge
after 60 minutes with a NiCd pack, and 90 minutes with a NiMH pack. These times have been chosen to
ensure that a battery in good condition will be fully charged within this period. If the timer switches off the
charge after the pre-set period, please check for faults or poor contact in your battery pack, charge adaptor,
and car battery. Only if all these parts are all in good condition should you seek the fault in the battery charger
itself.
Charging 8-cell packs
Packs consisting of 8 cells can also be charged using the Ultramat 5, but the unit's maximum charge
performance varies according to the state of charge of the car battery. If the car battery is already considerably
discharged, i.e. its voltage is below about 12.9 V, the charge current may fall to such a low value that a high-
capacity pack cannot be fully charged within the period set by the safety timer. In such a case, if the timer
cuts off the charge process, first allow the battery to cool off, then start a second charge process.
Charging 8-cell transmitter batteries
Transmitter batteries can also be recharged provided that you observe the following points:
Use only genuine Graupner charge leads (Order No. 3022) for charging a transmitter battery. To prevent
excessive charge currents the charge lead must be at least 80 cm long.
Most RC system transmitters are equipped with a protective diode which prevents damage to the circuitry
if the charge lead should be shorted or reversed. This diode must be by-passed if the charger is to work
correctly. Please consult the instructions supplied with your transmitter for details of how to do this.
We recommend that you remove the battery from the transmitter to avoid the possibility of damage due to
overheating.
Trickle charging
The charger automatically calculates the charged-in capacity (C) during the rapid-charge process, and
determines from this an appropriate trickle charge current to suit the pack. With nickel-cadmium batteries
the rate is around 1/20C, and with nickel-metal-hydride packs about 1/60C. The trickle charge takes the form
of a pulsed current.
Liability exclusion
We at GRAUPNER have no control over the way you install, use and maintain this battery charger, nor can
we check that you keep to the operating instructions. For this reason GRAUPNER accepts no liability
whatever for injury, damage to property or financial loss which result from the incorrect or improper use of
this charger, or are connected with it in any way.
Specification
Charge current source
: 12 V car battery, capacity at least 20 Ah
Maximum current drain approx.
: 8 A
Charge current range
: 0.1 .. 5 A (automatic)
Trickle charge current approx.
: NiCd 1/20C, NiMH 1/60C (automatic)
Charge voltage range
: 4 - 7 (8) cells (4.8 V - 8.4 V (9.6 V)*)
Weight approx.
: 165 g
Dimensions
: 107 x 65 x 25 mm
Chargeable NC pack size
: 500 - 4000 mAh
* With 8 cells the charge current is reduced
GRAUPNER GmbH & Co. KG D-73230 KIRCHHEIM-TECK GERMANY
Liability for printing errors excluded. We reserve the right to introduce modifications.
NiMH battery
Problem
red
Car battery flat
red
red
red
Reverse polarity at battery
red
Intermittent battery contact
green
Charge time exceeded
red
red
Charger may overheated
01/00

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