C) AC Charging from a household current (BC5A only): The BC5A
has a built-in 6.5 amp AC power supply which will charge 6-7 Ni-
Cad cells to a full peak at up to 6.5 amps. The BC5A uses linear
charge output. 4 or 5 cells can be charged at up to 6.5 amps. 8
cells can be charged at up to 3 amps. To use, plug the AC power
cord from the charger into any suitable outlet. The standard volt-
age is 120 volts for the USA. Be sure to keep soldering irons and
sharp objects away from the power cord.
WARNING: This appliance is not a toy! Improper use of this or any
other AC powered device can be hazardous. Do not operate or
plug in the unit near water or moisture. For indoor use only, except
under controlled outdoor conditions. Always unplug the charger
when not in use. A charger on which the AC power cord has
become frayed, worn, burned, or damaged in any way, should be
immediately unplugged safely from the AC outlet and not used
until it can be properly serviced. Do not attempt to open or repair
the charger yourself. Never insert objects into the cooling vents on
the charger.
FUSE
If an overload occurs or improper connection is made, the fuse
will blow. In this case, disconnect the power and remove the fuse
by pulling it straight out. Then replace it with a 15 - 20 amp auto-
motive plug-in fuse. Do not use a fuse rated higher than 20 amps,
or damage to the charger could result.
INDICATOR LIGHT
The LED indicator light will glow brightly during a fast charge.
When fast charge is done, the light will go out.
TRICKLE ON/OFF SWITCH
Turns Trickle or Slow Charge ON or OFF. The trickle charge
current adjusts in proportion to the fast charge current, from about
10 - 200MA. If the cells have not recently been fully discharged
(with a discharge resistor or other device) then turn Trickle mode
ON to equalize, top off, and balance the battery pack. Trickle
mode is also useful to achieve maximum run time, but with some
power loss.
If you fully discharged the batter recently, turn the trickle
switch to “OFF” for maximum power, and use a re-peak process to
top off the battery pack.
The light does not blink while trickle charging. You may verify
trickle charge operation by turning the trickle charge switch to off,
then back on. When the switch is first turned to on, the light will come
on momentarily if everything is hooked up and working correctly.
If you are fast charging and you wish to go to trickle charge,
you may do so by unplugging the battery pack for about 5 sec-
onds, then plugging it back in.
CONNECTING THE NI-CAD BATTERY PACK
The charger comes equipped with Tamiya / JST style plugs,
which fit most battery packs. An alligator clip adapter is also includ-
ed. If you use other than JST plugs, you may wish to make an
adapter. If you use the alligator clips, you should solder some stub
wire leads onto the battery pack and clip onto them. The alligator
clips should be clipped onto soft, multi-strand wire to assure good
connections are made. A poor connection can cause the charger to
“false peak” and turn off before the charge is completed.
SELECTING THE CHARGE AMPERAGE
A) Charge Capacity: Most Ni-Cad batteries can be fast charged at
2 to 3 times their rated hourly capacity without adverse effects.
Charging Ni-Cads at more than 3 times the rated capacity with the
BC5A or BC-11-L is NOT recommended, unless you are just
momentarily peaking the batteries.
Ni-Cad batteries are usually rated for capacity in milliamp
hours (MAh). A milliamp is 1/1000th of an amp. A 1700 MAh bat-
tery should be charged at 3400 (1700 x 2) to 5100 (1700 x 3) mil-
liamps, which is equal to 3.4 to 5.1 amps. A 1200 MAh cell would
be charged at 2.4 - 3.6 amps. Charging at the higher end of the
range will give the most dependable peak detection.
The lowest capacity cell that the BC110L can charge is 100
milliamp hours. Do not fast charge 50 MAh micro packs, these
require a Tekin digital type charger set to .2 amps.
Championship Electronics
BC110L
BC5A
OPERATION MANUAL
FEATURES
• .5-10 AMP adjustable linear output current. (.5-6.5 amps on BC5A)
• High performance linear current output.
• Fully automatic Peak Detection operation.
• Works with a variety of power supplies.
• Compact, lightweight construction.
• Precision components and calibrated dial for accurate current
adjustments.
• External Volt/Ammeter jacks.
• New 33Khz digital switching circuitry for cool operation and high
performance.
• Easy one-button operation.
POWER SUPPLY
A) DC Charging 4-8 cell packs: Best results are obtained by using
a 12 volt automotive battery or a regulated supply as the power
source. A 4-10 amp automotive battery charger may also be used,
but may sometimes cause unsatisfactory results due to voltage
spikes and dropouts. When using a 12 volt battery while it is
installed in an automobile, be very careful not to let the metal
panel on the charger touch any grounded metal parts on the vehi-
cle. This will cause a short to occur and will blow the fuse. If you
are using a regulated power supply, it should have a current rating
of at least the amount of amps at which you wish to charge.
CAUTION: If you use a lead-acid (automotive) battery as the
power source, make sure you have good ventilation. Lead-acid
batteries give off explosive hydrogen gas when they are being
charged. Lead-acid batteries should not be charged while a Tekin
charger is also connected to them.
B) Connection: Once you have selected a suitable power source,
connect the large RED Positive (+) clip of the charger to the POS
(+) terminal of the power source, and the BLACK Negative (-) clip
to the NEG (-) terminal of the power source.
BLACK (-)
RED (+)
TO CHARGER
JST/TAMIYA
RED (+)
BLACK (-)
TO BATTERY
PACK
BLACK (-)
RED (+)
FROM 12
VOLT SUPPLY
RED (+)
BLACK (-)
FROM CHARGER
AMP
— FIGURE 1 —
CONNECTOR CONFIGURATION
Fuse
Output
wires
to
Ni-Cad
Charge
indicator light
External meter
jacks
Start button
Amps adjust
Trickle on/off
