Radio Shack Racing Battery Pack AC/DC Charger User manual

Cat. No. 23-411
OWNER’S MANUAL
Please read before using this equipment.
Racing Battery Pack AC/DC Charger
for 4.8V/6V/7.2V/9.6V Ni-Cd Battery Packs
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2
FEATURES
Your RadioShack Racing Battery Pack
AC/DC Charger is perfect for charging
your radio-controlled racing cars’ battery
packs. It connects to standard AC power
or your vehicle’s cigarette-lighter socket,
and can fully charge 4.8V, 6V, 7.2V and
9.6V nickel-cadmium Racing Battery
Packs in as little as 15 minutes! (High-
capacity 7.2V, 1700 mAh and 9.6V, 900
mAh battery packs require more time to
fully charge.)
Your charger also includes these fea-
tures:
DC Reverse-Polarit
y
Input Protection
— prevents damage to the charger, the
battery pack, and your vehicle’s electri-
cal system.
Char
g
in
g
Indicator — lights when the
battery pack is charging and automati-
cally turns off when charging is finished.
Two Char
g
in
g
Power Sources — lets
you use your vehicle’s battery or stan-
dard AC power to charge a battery pack.
Start Button — makes battery-pack
charging simple.
Thermal Sensor — stops charging au-
tomatically if the battery becomes too
hot.
This symbol is intended to alert you to
the presence of uninsulated danger-
ous voltage within the product’s enclo-
sure that might be of sufficient
magnitude to constitute a risk of elec-
tric shock. Do not open the product’s
case.
This symbol is intended to inform you
that important operating and mainte-
nance instructions are included in the
literature accompanying this product.
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK.
DO NOT OPEN.
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF
ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE
COVER OR BACK. NO USER-SERVICE-
ABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVIC-
ING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of
fire or shock hazard, do not ex-
pose this product to rain or mois-
ture.
!
!
©1998 Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
RadioShack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation.
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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
1. SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS —
This manual contains important
safety instructions for battery
charger Cat. No. 23-411.
2. Before using the battery charger,
read all instructions and cautionary
markings on the battery charger, the
battery, and the product using the
battery.
3. CAUTION — To reduce risk of
injury, charge only Ni-Cd type
rechargeable batteries. Other types
of batteries may burst, causing per-
sonal injury and damage.
4. Charge only one battery pack at a
time.
5. Be sure that the battery pack is
rated at 4.8, 6, 7.2, or 9.6 volts.
6. Avoid charging fully-charged bat-
tery packs. Doing so can damage
the battery pack or cause it to lose
some of its storage capacity.
7. Charge battery packs only at room
temperature (65–80°F). Charging a
battery pack in a hot area can per-
manently reduce the battery pack’s
power capacity.
8. Do not expose the charger to rain or
excessive moisture.
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OPERATION
This table shows the estimated typical
fast-charging time for battery packs of
different capacities:
Note: If you are charging
high-capacity
7.2-volt, 1700 mAh, and 9.6-volt, 900
mAh battery packs, you must run them
for two charging cycles to fully charge
them.
Before you charge a battery pack, use it
until it no longer provides the necessary
power.
Warnin
g
s:
• To reduce the risk of injury, charge
only rechargeable nickel-cadmium
battery packs with this charger. Try-
ing to charge other types of battery
packs could cause the packs to leak
or become very hot and explode,
causing injury to bystanders or dam-
age to your charger.
• Do not charge a battery pack that is
damaged or leaking.
• Do not cover the vents on the top
and back of the charger while charg-
ing a battery pack.
CONNECTING TO AC
POWER
Plug the charger’s power cord into a
standard AC outlet. The POWER indica-
tor lights.
Capacity Charging Current
(mA)
Charging
Time
(minutes)
4.8V/6V
(600 mAh) 2500 15
7.2V
(1200 mAh) 4500 16
7.2V
(1700 mAh) 4500 23
9.6V
(600 mAh) 2500 15
9.6V
(900 mAh) 2500 22
ILLUSTRATION
of power cord
w/AC outlet
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CONNECTING TO A
VEHICLE’S CIGARETTE-
LIGHTER SOCKET
Plug the DC cord into your vehicle’s cig-
arette-lighter socket.
Note: If the charger does not operate
when it is connected to the cigarette-
lighter socket, remove the DC adapter
from the cigarette-lighter socket and
check the socket for debris. Also check
the fuse in the adapter and your vehi-
cle’s fuse block.
CHARGING BATTERY
PACKS
1. To charge a 6V battery pack, simply
insert it into the compartment on the
charger, then skip to Step 3.
To charge a 7.2V or 9.6V battery
pack, slide its connector into the
CHARGING JACK socket. If the con-
nector does not fit, turn it over and
try again. Do not force it.
To charge a 4.8V battery pack, plug
the small end of the supplied
adapter cord fully into the battery
pack’s connector. Then plug the
adapter cord’s large end fully into
the
CHARGING JACK socket.
ILLUSTRATION
of DC cord
connection ILLUSTRATION
of 6V battery
connection
ILLUSTRATION
of 7.2 V battery pack
connection
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6
2. Insert the battery pack into the com-
partment on the battery charger.
3. Insert THERMAL SENSOR into SEN-
SOR HOLDER.
4. Press START to start charging. The
CHARGE indicator lights.
Notes:
• If the battery pack becomes too
hot, the thermal sensor makes
charging stop automatically.
• If the charging time and battery
pack’s life are both very short, the
battery pack might be damaged.
5. When charging is complete, the
charger and indicator automatically
turn off. Disconnect and remove the
battery pack from the charger, then
unplug the charger’s power cord.
ILLUSTRATION
of 4.8 V battery
pack connection
ILLUSTRATION
of THERMAL SENSOR
in sensor socket
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REPLACING THE FUSE
The charger’s fuse blows if you connect
the DC cord’s clamps to the wrong bat-
tery terminals. This protects the charger,
the battery pack, and your vehicle’s
electrical system. We recommend that
you keep some spare 5-amp, 11/4-inch
slow blow fuses (such as Cat. No. 270-
1027) with your charger, in case the
fuse blows.
Caution: Do not use a fuse with ratings
other than those specified here. Doing
so might damage your charger.
If the CHARGE indicator does not light
or the charger does not operate when
you turn it on, follow these steps to
check and replace the fuse.
1. Disconnect and remove the battery
pack from the charger.
2. Unplug the AC power cord or
remove the DC power cord from
your vehicle’s cigarette-lighter
socket.
3. Twist off the fuse holder’s black cap
and carefully remove the inner tip,
the spring, and the outer tip. If the
fuse is blown, replace it with an
identically rated 5-amp fuse.
Note: Blown fuses usually are dis-
colored or have a broken center
wire.
4. Replace the outer tip, the spring, the
inner tip, and the black cap. Tighten
the cap securely.
ILLUSTRATION
of battery pack
disconnection
ILLUSTRATION
of open fuse holder
w/fuse
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CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Your Racing Battery Pack AC/DC Charger for 4.8V/6V/7.2V/9.6V Ni-Cd Battery
Packs is an example of superior design and craftsmanship. The following sugges-
tions will help you care for your charger so you can enjoy it for years.
Keep the charger dry. If it gets wet, wipe it dry immediately. Liquids can
contain minerals that corrode electronic circuits.
Use and store the charger only in normal temperature environments.
Temperature extremes can shorten the life of electronic devices, dam-
age batteries, and distort or melt plastic parts.
Handle the charger gently and carefully. Dropping it can damage circuit
boards and cases and can cause the charger to work improperly.
Keep the charger away from dust and dirt, which can cause premature
wear of parts.
Wipe the charger with a damp cloth occasionally to keep it looking new.
Do not use harsh chemicals, cleaning solvents, or strong detergents to
clean your charger.
Modifying or tampering with the charger’s internal components can cause a malfunc-
tion and invalidate your charger’s warranty. If your charger is not performing as it
should, take it to your local RadioShack store for assistance.
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SPECIFICATIONS
Charging Current .......................................... 2.5 Amps for 4.8V, 6V and 9.6V battery
4.5 Amps for 7.2 battery
AC Supply Voltage ............................................................................. AC 120V 60 Hz
DC Supply Voltage .................................................................................... DC 11–16V
Charging Times: (Fully Discharged Battery Pack)
Minimum Charging Time ............................................................................ 15 Minutes
Maximum Charging Time ........................................................................... 23 Minutes
Average Charging Time ............................................................................. 18 Minutes
Specifications are typical; individual units might vary. Specifications are subject to
change and improvement without notice.
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NOTES
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