6
West Mountain Radio
Operating Manual
oxygen in the air. It does not need any other source of ignition, or fuel to start,
and burns almost explosively.
These batteries must be used in a manner that precludes ancillary fire. The
following is recommended:
•
Store, and charge
(discharge)
,
in a fireproof container
; never in your
model.
•
Charge
(discharge)
, in a protected area devoid of combustibles. Always
stand watch over the charging
(discharging)
, process.
Never leave the
charging process unattended.
•
In the event of damage from crashes, etc, carefully remove to a safe place
for at least a half hour to observe. Physically damaged cells could erupt
into flame, and, after sufficient time to ensure safety, should be discarded
in accordance with the instructions which came with the batteries.
Never
attempt to charge
(discharge)
a cell with physical damage, regardless
of how slight.
• Always use chargers designed for the specific purpose, preferably having a
fixed setting for your particular pack. Many fires occur in using selectable/
adjustable chargers improperly set. Never attempt to charge Lithium cells
with a charger which is not specifically designed for charging Lithium cells.
Never use chargers designed for Nickel Cadmium batteries.
•
Use charging systems that monitor and control the charge state of each cell
in the pack. Unbalanced cells can lead to disaster if it permits overcharge
of a single cell in the pack. If the batteries show
any sign of swelling
,
discontinue charging, and
remove them to a safe place outside
as they
could erupt into flames.
•
Most important:
NEVER PLUG IN A BATTERY AND LEAVE IT TO CHARGE
(DISCHARGE)
, UNATTENDED OVERNIGHT.
Serious fires have resulted
from this practice.
•
Do not attempt to make your own battery packs from individual cells. These
batteries CANNOT be handled and charged casually such as has been the
practice for years with other types of batteries. The consequence of this
practice can be very serious resulting in major property damage and/ or
personal harm.
The CBA is been supplied with a 25 amp fuse installed to give better protection
from an inadvertent reverse polarity connection, shorting the heat sink to the
battery or having external connections that cause ground loop shorts. A fuse is
partial protection, as the 25 amp fuse usually blows before damaging the internal
electronics. It depends on the voltage and source impedance but ultimately
time. Included is a spare 25 amp fuse packed separately.
The CBA V can be used with a 40 amp fuse for larger discharges in accordance
with the specifications. Do not use the 40 Amp fuse unless planning to test a
battery in excess of 25 amps discharge. At higher voltages 25 amp is the most
the CBA can handle. It can handle up to a 40 amp discharge at 1.5 volts.
