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Battery Charging
Warning:
The battery pack and charger, if improperly used, may constitute a fire and
explosion hazard.
The following applies to the NiMh standard battery pack.
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Do not charge
a battery that has not been completely discharged. If this is the first time
the battery is to be charged, refer to section below on how to condition New
Battery Pack. If the helicopter seems to have some of power left after
landing, run it at half throttle or slightly less until the motor cuts out.
This is how to discharging the battery fully or buy a battery discharger
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First, let
the battery cool down (about 10-30 min) before charging. The battery must be
close to room temperature. Cooling before charge will increase the power by
up to 10-20%.
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The charger
that comes with the Dragonfly has no automatic cut-off and will continue to
charge as long as there is power. Do not leave the charger unattended! The
battery will overheat and burst if heavily overcharged. Disconnect the
battery from the charger as soon as the battery becomes about skin-warm (about
25-30C).
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Plug the
charger into the power point. Connect the battery to the charger.
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Note the
time. A fully discharged battery should attain full charge within 1 hrs. Do
not leave the battery unattended - especially if this is the first charge.
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Check the
battery every 10-15 minutes. If the battery becomes skin-warm, disconnect the
battery and remove the charger from the socket.
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Let the
battery cool down for about 10 minutes before use.
Battery Conditioning/Motor Break-in
Peak performance from the Walkera Dragonfly 4 can be obtained by breaking-in the
motor and battery pack. The Dragonfly is equipped with a brand-new motor.
Unfortunately, this means it has brand-new carbon brushes which are flat and not
properly matched to the motor's commutators which are round. This results in
a small area through which the current can pass. In an electric motor, the
lower the current, the lower the power the motor can deliver.
The 7-cell Ni-Mh battery pack is also brand new never been used. This means
that the individual cells are in different states of charge ¡§C some cells may be
fully charged, some less charged, and some even possibly empty. The effect is
that full power cannot be maintained for the maximum length of time.
Breaking-in or conditioning the battery means repeatedly fully charging and
fully discharging the pack until the cells are in a uniformly charged level.
Here is how to condition the brand new battery and also new motor break-in
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Charge the
battery fully (see the section above on Battery Charging).
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Make sure the
transmitter has good batteries.
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Secure the
helicopter to a heavy (over 2 Kg) object - like a large book by tying down
the skids with string or tape.
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Put it down
on a level surface away from gusts of wind and well away from any objects
which could hit the rotors. The floor is best - do not place on a table where
it may fall.
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Unfold the
main and tails rotors.
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Turn the
transmitter on.
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Move the
throttle to lowest position.
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Attach the
battery pack to the heli.
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Connect the
battery plug.
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Connect the
motor plug.
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Now move the
throttle up slowly until the rotors are slowly turning ¡§C about 1/4th
throttle. This would be about 2 revolutions per second. Do not spin the
motor faster than this!
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Let the
battery wind down - this may take up to 1 hour.
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When the
motor quits, disconnect all plugs and let the battery cool for about 10
minutes.
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Recharge the
battery pack and repeat procedures number 7 to 13, two more times.
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