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   It is important to recharge NiMH batteries immediately 

prior to use, as they have a high self discharge rate.

   The charger will automatically apply a trickle charge to 

the battery when peak charge ends.

   “AAA”, “AA” and “A” size radio batteries can safely 

be peak charged at currents up to 1.5C to 2C (battery 
capacity 

 1.5 or 2.0). High charge currents can over-

heat batteries and thus reduce service life, especially 
for smaller size cells.

BATTERY CONNECTION

 1.   After determining which battery type is to be charged, 

what connector is being used and all appropriate 

programming is completed, the correct adapter will 
need to be installed prior to charging. If an adapter 
other than what is included is needed, please refer 
to the ‘CONTROLS AND CONNECTIONS’ section on 
page 4 for a list of adapters that are sold separately.

 2.  For 

NiCd/NiMH

: Plug the adapter into the charger 

FIRST. Then connect the battery to the adapter ONLY 
after it has been connected to the charger. Proceed to 
the ‘Starting Charge’ section. 

 3.  For

 LiPo, LiIon OR LiFe

: Lithium batteries for R/C are 

commonly available in two different assembly/wiring 
confi gurations: wired for balancing, and non-balanced. 
It’s important to know which confi guration you have 
before proceeding. 

Consult your battery supplier if 

you are unsure if your battery is wired for balancing, 

if it’s not wired for balancing but has a built-in 
safety circuit, or neither.

WARNING! DO NOT charge a LiPo battery 
which is not wired for balancing, or which 

does not have a built-in protection circuit! 

Such types of LiPo batteries have NO means to 
protect the equipment or the user from damage that 
could result from an overcharge condition of any 
single cell in the pack.

     

Packs wired for 

BALANCING

 

have a unique connector which 
has more than two wires going 
to the pack itself (like shown at 
right.) Each wire is connected to 
an individual cell inside the pack, 
by which the charger monitors 
the condition of the individual cell and controls whether 
it should be charged. Such packs MUST be charged 

with a LiPo charger that is capable of balancing, such 

as the Onyx 255.

     NON-BALANCED 

packs are wired so the charger 

can only detect the voltage of the entire pack (not 
individual cells), so there is only one charge lead. 
It’s highly recommended to ONLY use such types 
of LiPo packs if they have a built-in charge safety 
circuit which prevents any single cell in the pack 
from being overcharged. Follow the battery’s charge 
instructions for proper charging procedure.

Balancing Connector

Summary of Contents for ONYX 260

Page 1: ...e manner as other battery types NEVER LEAVE LITHIUM BATTERIES UNATTENDED WHILE BEING CHARGED ALWAYS charge lithium based batteries in a fireproof location Failure to follow all care and handling instructions contained in this manual could result in quick severe permanent damage to the batteries and all surroundings Follow all safety precautions when using such batteries as listed on page 6 of this...

Page 2: ... use a charge current rate which exceeds the safe level of the battery Do not place the charger or battery on flammable surfaces or near combustible materials while in use such as carpet cluttered workbench paper plastic vinyl leather and wood inside an R C model or full sized automobile Do not connect the charger to AC and DC inputs at the same time Allow the charger and battery to cool down betw...

Page 3: ...tery s C rating A battery s 1C current is the same number as the battery s rated capacity number but noted in mA or amps A 600mAh battery has a 1C current value of 600mA and a 3C current value of 3 600mA 1800mA or 1 8A The 1C current value for a 3200mAh battery would be 3200mA 3 2A etc SPECIFICATIONS GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS AC input 110V AC 60Hz DC input 12 17 V DC Safety protection devices Solid s...

Page 4: ...harge adapters at your local retailer Item Number Charge Lead Description DTXC2220 Charge Lead banana plugs to standard DTXC2223 Charge Lead banana plugs to mini plug DTXC2224 Charge Lead banana plugs to XT90 DTXC2225 Charge Balance Lead 4mm Bullet Always connect the charge lead to the charger first Then connect the battery to the charge lead Always match polarities on the battery wires charge lea...

Page 5: ...vice life of the charger and allow it to function more accurately and efficiently The fan only functions while a battery is being charged CAUTION Place the charger on a flat surface Do not block the vent holes for the cooling fan on the bottom of the charger Failure to do so could cause the charger to overheat and possibly cause permanent damage DETERMINING BATTERY TYPE SPECIFICATIONS IMPORTANT Wh...

Page 6: ...dling instructions can quickly result in severe permanent damage to the batteries and their surroundings and even start a FIRE ALWAYS charge lithium batteries in a fireproof lo cation which could be a container made of metal or ceramic tile Monitor the area with a smoke or fire alarm and have a lithium approved fire extinguisher available at all times NEVER attempt to use the charger s NiCd and Ni...

Page 7: ...Po LiIon or LiFe batteries away from children Always use a LiPo charge bag such as the ElectriFly SafeCharge LiPo battery charge bag when charging LiPo batteries This bag is intend ed to reduce the effects that might occur if a LiPo battery experienc es a failure while being charged If a LiPo battery suffers damage while being charged inside the SafeCharge LiPo charge bag the high temperature ma t...

Page 8: ... balanced It s important to know which configuration you have before proceeding Consult your battery supplier if you are unsure if your battery is wired for balancing if it s not wired for balancing but has a built in safety circuit or neither WARNING DO NOT charge a LiPo battery which is not wired for balancing or which does not have a built in protection circuit Such types of LiPo batteries have...

Page 9: ...apter connected to the charger s banana jacks note proper polarity shown above right The Onyx 260 will not charge ANY lithium pack if the balance AND main lead are not connected MAIN MENU 1 3 2 4 5 6 7 8 1 Selects charger output 2 DATA Displays real time charging information 3 GRAPH Displays charging data in graphical format 4 BALANCE Balances lithium packs without charging 5 CHARGE Begins charge ...

Page 10: ... in an overcharge condition which could result in an intense FIRE BALANCE Displays individual lithium cell voltages as text or bar graph form in real time during the charge process Also balances lithium packs without charging To balance a pack without charging connect the battery s balance and main battery lead to charger The equalizer will balance the individual cells by discharging the high cell...

Page 11: ...y during charge VOLTAGE Displays battery voltage CURRENT Amount of current being delivered to battery INPUT VOLT Input voltage to charger PEAK VOLTAGE Highest battery voltage measured during charge process GRAPH Displays live charging information in graph form Stop Charge Graph Voltage Scale Scale changes depending on connected battery voltage Graph Time Scale Will update automatically during char...

Page 12: ...charge process Charge Time Battery Current delivered to battery charge proc Back to Main M Press RETURN to return to MAIN MENU Once returned to Main Menu the charge process will continue Additional charging information can be viewed by pressing DATA GRAPH or BALANCE USER Sets system wide parameters including sounds colors and backlight Adjustment in SETUP for CH1 carries over to CH2 Back to Main M...

Page 13: ...tion to program 2 Then touch BACK to return to MAIN MENU 3 Next touch the BATTERY ICON and 4 program battery settings as shown on page 10 of this manual The battery settings are stored automatically in selected memory Repeat process for programming additional memory positions WARNING NEVER set the BATTERY TYPE screen with settings that do not match your battery For example accidentally charging a ...

Page 14: ...R Lithium pack balance lead is not connected Connect lithium pack balance lead and retry charge process Check charge settings and be sure they match battery specifications 4 OPEN CIRCUIT Main battery charge lead is not connected Connect battery to charge 5 WRONG OR OPEN Battery is connected backwards to the charger s output Reverse the connection and retry charge process 6 OUTPUT NO BAT NiCd NiMH ...

Page 15: ...This warranty gives you specific rights You may also have other rights which vary from state to state For service on your Duratrax product warranty or non war ranty send it post paid and insured to HOBBY SERVICES 217 398 0007 3002 N Apollo Drive Suite 1 Champaign IL 61822 www hobbyservices hobbico com For warranty and service information if purchased outside the USA or Canada see the additional wa...

Page 16: ...DTXP4261 ...

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