Anyone own a MRC Super Brain 959 battery charger?

[kdogg]

Another day, another question

To go along with my M4 S-System upgrades some of you might have seen me asking about in that other thread, I needed some 9.6 volt high output batteries. My current charger only supported 7.2 and 8.4 volts so I bought one of these, the MRC Super Brain 959 w/ LCD:

www.airsoftgi.com/product_info.php?cPath=27_74&products_id=560

I hooked up a 9.6 volt 1100mah battery and let it run its test and it started the charge cycle. LCD says 10.82 volts. I assume this is not normal. I tried adjusting the amps, the m-volts, and nothing I do lowers the voltage.

Maybe I misunderstand how this thing works. I don't suppose anyone owns one of these that can tell me how the hell to use it do they

Yes I read the instructions twice. I'm wondering if it's just broken. Sucker hums like whoa. Slap it on the side a couple times lightly and the hum goes away until you move it of bang up against it again.

[Zorak]

I don't use a 959, but my TLP-15 fuzzy logic charger routinely charges at somewhat above the battery's rated discharge voltage. I believe it's normal. Is the hum coming from a fan or from some internal part? Lots of noise from solid-state components is not ideal, but noise from a fan is fine.

[MayhemXXXFrosty (AndrewMp5k)]

Mine charges all my batteries higher then what they rate at, I think Enkidu said it should.

ptbarnum7 said:

I'm not familiar enough with the SuperBrain to answer that first one definitively. Based on my experience, the voltage indicator displayed while charging is the voltage being delivered to the battery pack by the charger. It should be between 1 and 4 volts higher than the pack's rating, otherwise it won't gain effective charge (this century). It is possible the LCD readout has a separate reading for voltage.

[Enkidu]

10.82 volts is actually a bit low, if you're charging a 9.6 volt battery. My Pirhana Digital usually charges a 9.6v pack at over 13 volts. So there's nothing to worry about there.

That hum is either the transformer or some kind of coil/toroid, or as Zorak said, a fan. Again, probably not much to worry about. It should hum or buzz - especially when it's laboring to charge something over specs, but it should not rattle. If you feel significant vibration coming from the charger, that's when it's a problem.

[kdogg]

Then I guess I wont worry about what the voltage display says then.

This thing has no fans that I can see. This is an electrical hum, not a fan

Reminds me of those over head lights some people have in there garages. You know the ones with the long tube type bulbs? Ever turned one on in cold weather and it hums loud until it warms up. Sounds just like that. I guess another way to discribe it would be to say, you ever degaused your monitor? That hum it makes quickly well degausing, that sound repeatedly until I slap it. Will make this noise even when NOT charging. Just has to be plugged in.

Guess I'll use it until it burns the house down. Thanks.

[Enkidu]

Yep, from what you've described it's the transformer. The transformer is miniaturized and cheap, so it makes a lot of noise. It's absolutely nothing to worry about. Keep it unplugged when you're not using it and you'll be fine.

[kdogg]

Well that makes me feel a bit better then. Thanks for the info guys

[MayhemXXXFrosty (AndrewMp5k)]

Mine does the same as well. I know when I have a battery charging because of the noise.

[Gestapo]

andrewmp5k2004 said:

Mine does the same as well. I know when I have a battery charging because of the noise.

Same, I have a Piranha peak power charger.

[kdogg]

Maybe its something these cheaper chargers do I know back when I was younger and had my Team Losi R/C trucks, my $200 dollar Tekin AC/DC peak charger never made any noise at all.

Owell, I guess you get whatca pay for. $49 dollar Super Brain, $200 dollar Tekin

Wish I had kept that thing now.

Well thanks for making me feel a bit better about the whole thing. Guess I won't worry about burning the house down now