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.
(illus)
(illus)
(illus)
(illus)
(illus)
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6
6. To secure the battery pack, push
down on the battery stopper’s
tab and slide it inward until it
touches the battery pack.
7. Place the temperature sensor on
the battery pack. The tempera-
ture sensor’s magnet keeps the
sensor fixed on the battery pack.
If the battery pack’s temperature
gets too high after a long
charge, the temperature sensor
detects it and the conditioner/
charger stops charging the bat-
tery pack.
End Contact Battery Packs
Some rechargeable battery packs
have charging contacts located on
the top and bottom ends, such as the
Hitachi camcorder rechargeable bat-
tery pack.
Follow these steps to connect this
type of battery pack to the condition-
er/charger using the supplied alliga-
tor clip adapter.
1. Clip the red alligator clip around
the battery pack’s positive (+)
terminal, and the black alligator
clip around the battery pack’s
negative (–) terminal.
Note: To use the alligator clips,
press open the jaws then slowly
release the jaws around the ter-
minal. When removing the clips,
press open the jaws. Do not pull
on the wires.
2. Insert the adapter’s plug into the
rectangular socket on the end of
the conditioner/charger.
Warnin
g
: Never leave the
adapter plugged into the condi-
tioner/charger when a battery
pack is mounted on the
charger’s contacts because they
might touch. This could short the
battery pack, damage it or the
charger, and cause a fire.
3. Place the temperature sensor on
the battery pack. The tempera-
ture sensor’s magnet keeps the
sensor fixed on the battery pack.
(illus)
(illus)
(illus)
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7
If the battery pack’s temperature
gets too high after a long
charge, the temperature sensor
detects it and the conditioner/
charger stops charging the bat-
tery pack.
Connector Type Battery
Packs
Some rechargeable battery packs
have a connector, such as 6- to 12-
volt rechargeable battery packs for
radio-controlled vehicles or cordless
telephones.
Connect this type of battery pack to
the conditioner/charger by plugging
the battery pack’s connector into the
conditioner/charger’s rectangular
socket (on the end).
Place the temperature sensor on the
battery pack. The temperature sen-
sor’s magnet keeps the sensor fixed
on the battery pack.
If the battery pack’s temperature gets
too high after a long charge, the tem-
perature sensor detects it and the
conditioner/charger stops charging
the battery pack.
CONNECTING POWER
Caution: Never connect AC or DC
power to the conditioner/charger
when no battery pack is connected.
Using Standard AC Power
Follow these steps to power the con-
ditioner/charger from a standard AC
outlet using the supplied AC adapter.
1. Connect the AC adapter’s barrel
plug to the conditioner/charger’s
12-18V DC jack.
2. Plug the adapter into a standard
AC outlet.
Cautions:
• The supplied AC adapter sup-
plies 18 volts DC and delivers up
to 800 milliamps. Its plug prop-
erly fits the conditioner/charger’s
12-18V DC jack and it has a posi-
tive center pin. Using an adapter
that does not meet these specifi-
cations could damage the bat-
tery pack conditioner/charger or
the adapter.
(illus)
(illus)
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8
• Always plug the AC adapter into
the conditioner/charger before
you plug it into a standard AC
outlet, and always unplug it from
the outlet before you unplug it
from the conditioner/charger.
Using Your Vehicle’s Battery
Power
Follow these steps to power the con-
ditioner/charger from your vehicle’s
battery using the supplied DC adapt-
er.
Note: When using vehicle battery
power, you cannot charge 12-volt re-
chargeable battery packs.
1. Connect the DC adapter’s small
barrel plug to the conditioner/
charger’s
12-18V DC jack.
Caution: Before plugging the
DC adapter’s cigarette-lighter
plug into the cigarette-lighter’s
socket, make sure the tip is
securely attached to the plug.
2. Plug the adapter’s cigarette
lighter plug into your vehicle’s
cigarette-lighter socket.
Note: You can remove the cover
from the adapter’s back so you
can connect another device to
your vehicle’s battery power.
Cautions:
• The supplied DC cord sup-
plies 12 volts, its small barrel
plug properly fits the condi-
tioner/charger’s 12-18V DC
jack and it has a positive cen-
ter pin. Using a DC cord that
does not meet these specifi-
cations could damage the bat-
tery pack conditioner/charger
or the adapter.
• Always plug the DC cord into
the conditioner/charger before
you plug it into your vehicle’s
cigarette-lighter socket, and
always unplug it from the cig-
arette-lighter socket before
you unplug it from the condi-
tioner/charger.
(illus)
(illus)
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9
RECHARGING/
CONDITIONING A
RECHARGEABLE
BATTERY PACK
Charging a Rechargeable
Battery Pack
After you mount/connect the battery
pack to the conditioner/charger,
place the temperature sensor on the
battery, and connect the conditioner/
charger to power, the following se-
quence occurs automatically.
1. The conditioner/charger sounds
one long beep to verify power is
on.
Note: The beep sounds continu-
ously if you install a battery pack
with the wrong polarity or if the
output terminals are shorted.
• If this happens with a 6V or
7.2V battery pack, set the
polarity switch to the other
position.
When you change the polarity
switch position with power on,
the conditioner/charger beeps
once and the green CHARGE
indicator lights.
• If this happens with a 9.6V or
12V battery pack, you must
remove and properly reinstall
the battery pack.
2. The auto sensor checks the bat-
tery pack voltage and the red
CHARGE indicator flashes a
specific number of times that
corresponds to the battery
pack’s maximum voltage.
Note: This indication is accu-
rate only when there is a good
connection between the charger
and the battery pack. If the bat-
tery pack is not properly
mounted, the battery’s voltage
might not be correctly identified.
(illus)
Flashes Voltage
2
3
4
5
6.0 V
7.2 V
9.6 V
12.0 V
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10
If you feel the battery’s voltage is
not correctly identified:
• Remove the battery pack from
the charger and make sure
both the battery pack’s and
the charger’s contacts are
clean.
• Mount the battery pack again
and re-adjust the charger’s
contacts (if necessary) to
make sure there is a good
connection between the
charger and the battery pack.
Repeat this procedure until the
charger properly identifies the
battery pack.
3. While the battery pack is charg-
ing, the CHARGE indicators light
steadily to indicate the corre-
sponding battery pack’s charge.
Note: When the battery pack’s
voltage is too low or the battery
pack is damaged, the condi-
tioner/charger could incorrectly
indicate the battery pack’s initial
condition. For this reason, let the
battery pack recharge for about
10 minutes before reading the
CHARGE indicators.
4. When the battery pack is fully
charged (the red indicator lights
steadily), the conditioner/
charger beeps three times (two
short and one long beep).
After you finish charging a recharge-
able battery pack, disconnect the
power cord from the power source
first, then dismount the battery pack
from the conditioner/charger.
Conditioning a Battery Pack
To prevent your battery pack from
losing its ability to fully recharge, you
must condition it (by completely dis-
charging it) about once every 10
times you recharge it.
Note: You do not need to condition a
Lead-Acid or Nickel Metal-Hydride
rechargeable battery pack.
1. Mount/connect the battery pack
on the conditioner/charger.
2. Connect power. The conditioner/
charger sounds one short and
one long beep.
Indicator Voltage
Green
Yellow
Red
Low
Medium
Fully Char
g
ed
(illus)
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