Radio Shack Universal Battery Pack Conditioner/Charger User manual

Cat. No. 23-250
OWNER’S MANUAL
Please read before using this equipment.
Universal Batter
y
Pack
Conditioner/Char
g
er
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2
FEATURES
© 1996 Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
Radio Shack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation.
Your Radio Shack Universal Battery
Pack Conditioner/Charger uses ad-
vanced technology to condition and
recharge 6- to 12-volt rechargeable
battery packs from camcorders, cel-
lular phones, radio-controlled vehi-
cles, and more.
To prevent your rechargeable battery
pack from losing its ability to fully re-
charge, you must completely dis-
charge it (condition it) about once
every 10 times you recharge it. Nor-
mal battery chargers can only re-
charge a battery pack. Your Radio
Shack universal battery pack condi-
tioner/charger lets you both dis-
charge and recharge it, increasing
your battery pack’s efficiency and du-
rability.
Its features include:
Multiple Char
g
in
g
Contacts — let
you condition various types of re-
chargeable battery packs.
Built-In Dischar
g
er — lets you con-
dition your rechargeable battery pack
for the longest life and best perfor-
mance.
Reversible Polarit
y
Switch — lets
you quickly reverse the charging po-
larity of an incorrectly positioned bat-
tery pack.
Automatic Switchin
g
— automati-
cally switches to the charging mode
when discharging is complete.
Automatic Volta
g
e Sensor — auto-
matically determines the maximum
voltage a connected battery pack will
be charged to.
LED Char
g
in
g
Li
g
hts — show you
the battery pack’s charging condi-
tion.
Temperature Sensor — protects
battery packs from over-heating dur-
ing charging.
Batter
y
Pack Versatilit
y
— lets you
recharge Nickel-Cadmium, Nickel-
Metal Hydride, and Lead-Acid re-
chargeable battery packs.
Two Optional Power Sources — let
you power the conditioner/charger
using either standard AC power or
your vehicle’s battery power.
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3
CONTENTS
Operation ........................................................................................................ 4
Mounting/Connecting a Rechargeable Battery Pack ................................. 4
Bottom Contact Battery Packs ............................................................ 4
End Contact Battery Packs ................................................................. 6
Connector Type Battery Packs ............................................................ 7
Connecting Power ..................................................................................... 7
Using Standard AC Power .................................................................. 7
Using Your Vehicle’s Battery Power .................................................... 8
Recharging/Conditioning A Rechargeable Battery Pack ........................... 9
Charging a Rechargeable Battery Pack .............................................. 9
Conditioning a Battery Pack .............................................................. 10
Care and Maintenance ................................................................................. 12
Specifications ............................................................................................... 13
Warnin
g
: To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose this product to rain or
moisture.
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.
CAUTION !!This symbol is intended to alert you to
the presence of uninsulated dangerous
voltage within the product’s enclosure
that might be of sufficient magnitude to
constitute a risk of electric 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. !
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4
OPERATION
To prevent your rechargeable battery
pack from losing its ability to fully re-
charge, you must condition it (by
completely discharging it) about
once every 10 times you recharge it.
To charge or condition a recharge-
able battery pack, you must:
1. Properly mount or connect the
battery pack to the conditioner/
charger
2. Apply AC or DC power to the
conditioner/charger
3. Recharge or condition the bat-
tery pack.
These steps are explained in the fol-
lowing sections.
MOUNTING/
CONNECTING A
RECHARGEABLE
BATTERY PACK
You can mount/connect battery
packs with bottom or end contacts, or
with connectors.
Warnin
g
s:
•
Non
-rechargeable battery packs
do not fit into the conditioner/
charger’s charging contacts. Do
not try to connect a non-
rechargeable battery pack
because it might damage the
conditioner/charger.
• Do not try to charge non-
rechargeable battery packs
because they could explode.
• Use only one set of the battery
contacts at one time or you
might short the conditioner/
charger or the battery pack.
Notes:
• A rechargeable battery pack can
be properly charged only when
its contacts correctly match the
conditioner/charger’s contacts.
• Not all battery packs look like
the ones shown here. Look for
the battery pack’s + and – con-
tacts to make the connections.
• Your local Radio Shack store
sells replacement battery packs.
Bottom Contact Battery
Packs
Some rechargeable battery packs
have charging contacts located on
the bottom, such as:
Camcorder batteries: Sharp, Sony,
Panasonic, JVC, Canon, etc.
Cellular phone batteries: Motorola,
Ericsson, Nokia, etc.Charging Contacts
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5
Follow these steps to mount this type
of battery pack on the conditioner/
charger.
1. Pull the battery stopper’s latch
on the right front of the condi-
tioner/charger, then pull open
the stopper.
2. To mount a wide battery pack on
the conditioner/charger, position
the attached battery guide so its
edge faces out.
To mount a narrow battery pack,
position the battery guide so its
edge faces in.
3. Place the battery pack on the
conditioner/charger so its con-
tacts overhang, then move the
battery contacts (A and B) up or
down, left or right until they
touch the battery pack’s con-
tacts.
4. Push down on the battery stop-
per’s tab and slide it outward
until it stops (about 3/4inch) to
make room for the battery pack.
5. Close the battery stopper and
make sure the latch locks into
place.
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