DTS96 charging probs...

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Mike Alpha
Posts: 672
Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2008 8:22 pm

DTS96 charging probs...

Post by Mike Alpha » Sun Aug 08, 2010 1:07 pm

Any other DTS96/Pro96 owners have overheating problems when charging the batts?

I've found that with both my DTS96s, if the DC plug is not inserted correctly in the socket during charge, the charge circuit is somehow by-passed and the batts cop the full current causing them to overheat.

This happened today when I noticed a smell of electrical burning. Because of previous incidents, I went straight to the DTS96 which was on charge and low and behold, it was hot around the battery compartment. I removed the battery holder and found the 2000mAH NiMh batts were burning, too hot to touch. The plugpack was burning hot too. The scanner had been on charge all night with no problems, but I think the missus must have bumped the unit while vacuuming this morning and that moved the plug slightly.

I've measured the current going through the batteries during this faulty mode and it hits 1 amp, putting the plugpack in overload. I've opened the scanner with nothing obviously wrong around the DC socket - a schematic would be nice!. I'm using a regulated 500mAH multi-voltage charger and as far as I know, the plug is the correct size for the socket. Downward pressure on the plug seems to put it in this faulty mode. I've learnt to loop the cable over the top of the scanner to relieve any downward force on the plug.

All I can think of is the plug must be the wrong size for the socket, either too thin or too short :? - but I can't find anything else to suit. Any ideas anyone??

It's scary to think I was about to leave the house and leave it charging :shock:

Mike

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rustynswrail
Posts: 646
Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2010 10:18 pm
Location: Blue Mountains

Re: DTS96 charging probs...

Post by rustynswrail » Sun Aug 08, 2010 1:24 pm

Mike Alpha wrote:Any other DTS96/Pro96 owners have overheating problems when charging the batts?

I've found that with both my DTS96s, if the DC plug is not inserted correctly in the socket during charge, the charge circuit is somehow by-passed and the batts cop the full current causing them to overheat.

This happened today when I noticed a smell of electrical burning. Because of previous incidents, I went straight to the DTS96 which was on charge and low and behold, it was hot around the battery compartment. I removed the battery holder and found the 2000mAH NiMh batts were burning, too hot to touch. The plugpack was burning hot too. The scanner had been on charge all night with no problems, but I think the missus must have bumped the unit while vacuuming this morning and that moved the plug slightly.

I've measured the current going through the batteries during this faulty mode and it hits 1 amp, putting the plugpack in overload. I've opened the scanner with nothing obviously wrong around the DC socket - a schematic would be nice!. I'm using a regulated 500mAH multi-voltage charger and as far as I know, the plug is the correct size for the socket. Downward pressure on the plug seems to put it in this faulty mode. I've learnt to loop the cable over the top of the scanner to relieve any downward force on the plug.

All I can think of is the plug must be the wrong size for the socket, either too thin or too short :? - but I can't find anything else to suit. Any ideas anyone??

It's scary to think I was about to leave the house and leave it charging :shock:

Mike
Mike,

I found using a 6 volt charger is far more successful

Russell
Amateur Radio, when all other cures for insomnia fail!

Mike Alpha
Posts: 672
Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2008 8:22 pm

Re: DTS96 charging probs...

Post by Mike Alpha » Sun Aug 08, 2010 2:46 pm

rustynswrail wrote: Mike,

I found using a 6 volt charger is far more successful

Russell
I'll give that a try Russell.

Mike

Longreach
Posts: 1085
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2008 7:38 pm
Location: Goulburn NSW

Re: DTS96 charging probs...

Post by Longreach » Sun Aug 08, 2010 11:11 pm

HI Mike, from a personal and a radio refernce point of view, i never and the consensus on RR is NEVER charge batteries in the 96/500 or any in that series.
personally i have my first PSR500 to show for it, i was charging some batteries in it on a trip to Canberra (a 50min trip), the batteries were not flat but i was going to pull them at my destination. about 35 min into the trip i noticed a plastic buning smell, i thought it was the car in front i overtook and continued. bout 5 min later i reached down to the 500 and couldnt touch it, the back had melted the batteries were leaking. needless to say the unit was dead. i did a quick fix using the outside of the ant cable as a neg and running it to the neg of the batt and now its not sensitive at all, but alive(1.5mv to start recieving, its now the stream scanner).
the charger in them is not intelligent as it only goes off time you preset(in the 500's case anyway) and the charge current is about 170-200ma.
im not going against anyone here but after nearly killing a great scanner i'd prefer to pull the batteries and charge them externally, the charger is that slow internally, you can buy a chrger for about 30 bucks that charges a 2500mah batt (X4) in 2 hours.
reading posts on RR seem to give much the same experences as whats happened to me.
cheers
Matt
VK2MRC

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