Controls & Operation:
power
The power switch turns the audio amplifier(s) on/off.
The Helium will continue to charge if plugged in, independent of the power switch. Charge
time is between five and six minutes. The supercapacitors in the Helium can stay fully
charged indefinitely without damage – they are rated for 10 years at full charge. So,
you can
leave your system plugged in whenever you want
. Additionally, the longer the system
remains fully charged before operating on stored power, the longer it will hold a charge.
Supercapacitors self-discharge over time, but holding them at a steady voltage will decrease
their self-discharge rate for up to 72 hours.
Helium is pre-configured to charge at 2.5A current, so it needs an adapter that can source
that amount of power. Using a low-voltage source, the Helium will charge up to that voltage
level, whatever it may be – you will not get a full charge, but may be able to operate your
system. The Helium Mono's capacitor bank is limited to 15.3V, Helium Stereo is limited to
22.5V, even if a higher voltage adapter is used.
The blue LED charge indicator shows how much of the
usable range
of the speaker is
available,
between 7V and full charge
. It will light multiple LEDs when plugged into a valid
adapter, and a single LED when running on capacitor power (to conserve energy).
When all the indicator lights are off, your speaker may continue to operate for some time. It's
like that extra 30-40 miles you can drive after your car's fuel gauge hits E.
The Helium contains a 4A fuse, which limits input current. The Helium Stereo contains a
second 4A fuse, which limits current to/from the capacitor bank. If your speaker suddenly
quits working, it may have blown a fuse, which is an easy fix.
If you plug in a center-negative DC source, the fuse will blow, hopefully protecting the rest of
the circuitry from damage.
ONLY USE THE PROVIDED ADAPTER TO PREVENT THIS
PROBLEM!