Hitec RDX2 Mini Instruction Manual
AC DUAL
BALANCE CHARGER
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
WARNING: THE CHARGING OF RC HOBBY BATTERIES CAN BE DANGEROUS. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE
INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS IN THIS MANUAL MAY RESULT IN PROPERTY DAMAGE AND/OR LOSS OF LIFE.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents:
Introduction...................................................................................................................................03
Warning and Safety Notes......................................................................................................04
Product Layout.............................................................................................................................07
Input Functions.............................................................................................................................08
Spec cations | Features...........................................................................................................09
Charger Connections................................................................................................................11
Program Flow Chart...................................................................................................................12
Charger Operations...................................................................................................................13
Memory Set and Call - Out......................................................................................................16
Battery Resistance Meter.........................................................................................................18
Warning and Error Messages.................................................................................................19
System Setting.............................................................................................................................20
Commonly Used Terms............................................................................................................22
Conformity Declarations........................................................................................................24
Disposal and Prop 65 Warning............................................................................................25
Warranty and Service...............................................................................................................27
2
Introduction
Congratulations on your choice of the RDX2 Mini charger from Hitec RCD. The RDX2 Mini is a highperformance, microprocessor-controlled charger with battery management capabilities that are suitable
for use with most popular battery types. The RDX2 Mini also features integrated balancing for two-four
cell, Lithium-Polymer (LiPo), Lithium-Ferrite (LiFe) and Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion), as well as the latest high
voltage Lithium-Polymer (LiHV) batteries. Although simple to operate, the RDX2 Mini does require some
background knowledge for successful and safe operation.
Please read this entire operating manual before using the RDX2 Mini Charger. If you are unsure
of its proper operation after reading the manual, please seek advice from an experienced
hobbyist or someone familiar with proper battery charging procedures.
THE CHARGING AND DISCHARGING OF RC HOBBY BATTERIES CAN BE DANGEROUS. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE
EXPLICIT WARNINGS CAN RESULT IN PROPERTY DAMAGE AND/OR LOSS OF LIFE.
Warning
A NEVER LEAVE YOUR CHARGER UNATTENDED WHILE IN OPERATION.
A NEVER CHARGE ON OR AROUND COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS.
A NEVER CHARGE A DAMAGED BATTERY PACK.
A LOW COST, NO-NAME BATTERY PACKS POSE THE MOST DANGER. WE RECOMMEND YOU ONLY USE BATTERY
PACKS THAT ARE SOLD AND WARRANTIED BY A REPUTABLE COMPANY.
A IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU UTILIZE A SAFETY DEVICE SUCH AS A STEEL CASE OR LIPO SACK™
WHILE CHARGING LITHIUM CHEMISTRY BATTERIES.
A IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU KEEP AN OPERABLE “CLASS A” FIRE EXTINGUISHER IN THE
CHARGING AREA.
FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE WARNINGS CAN BE CONSIDERED NEGLIGENCE BY THE OPERATOR AND MAY
NEGATE ANY CLAIMS FOR DAMAGES INCURRED.
Hitec RCD will not be held responsible for any damages or injuries that may occur by persons who fail to
follow these warnings or who fail to properly follow the instructions in this manual.
Warning: Be sure to read this section for your own safety.
Caution: Be sure to read this section to prevent accidents and damage to your charger.
Note
Tip
Tip: This section will help you maximize the performance of your charger.
Note: This section will provide more detailed explanations.
Caution
Warning
These warnings and safety notes are of the utmost importance. You must follow these instructions for maximum safety.
Failure to do so can damage the charger and the battery and in the worst cases, may cause a re.
3
Warning and Safety Notes
NEVER LEAVE THE CHARGER UNATTENDED WHILE IT IS CONNECTED TO ITS POWER
SOURCE. IF ANY MALFUNCTION IS FOUND, TERMINATE THE PROCESS AT ONCE AND
REFER TO THE OPERATION MANUAL.
Warning
A The allowable AC input voltage is 100-240V AC.
A Keep the charger away from dust, damp, rain, heat, direct sunlight and excessive vibration.
A If the charger is dropped or su ers any type of impact, it should be inspected by an
authorized service station before using it again.
A This charger and the battery should be put on a heat-resistant, non- ammable and non-
conductive surface.
A Never place a charger on a car seat, carpet or similar surface. Keep all ammable, volatile
materials away from the operating area.
A Make sure you know the speci cations of the battery to be charged to ensure it meets the
requirements of this charger. If the program is set up incorrectly, the battery and charger
can be damaged.
A Fire or explosion can occur due to overcharging.
A To avoid a short circuit between the charge lead, always connect any charge adapters to the
charger rst, then connect the battery. Reverse the sequence when disconnecting.
A Never attempt to charge the following types of batteries:
• A battery tted with an integral charge circuit or a protection circuit
• A battery pack which consists of di erent types of cells (including di erent manufacturer’s
cells)
• A battery that is already fully charged or just slightly discharged and non-rechargeable
batteries (these pose an explosion hazard)
• A faulty or damaged battery
• Batteries installed in a device or which are electrically linked to other components
• Batteries that are not expressly stated by the manufacturer to be suitable for the currents
the charger delivers during the charge process
4
Warning and Safety Notes Continued
PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THE FOLLOWING POINTS BEFORE YOU
COMMENCE CHARGING:
• Did you select the appropriate program suitable for the type of battery you are charging?
• Did you set up the adequate current for charging?
• Have you checked the battery voltage? Lithium battery packs can be wired in parallel and/or in
series, i.e. a 2-cell pack can be 3.7V (in parallel) or 7.4V (in series).
• Have you checked that all connections are rm and secure?
• Make sure there are no intermittent contacts at any point in the circuit.
Standard Battery Parameters
Nominal
Voltage
Max. Charge
Voltage
Storage
Voltage
Allowable Fast
Charge
Min. Cell
Voltage
Warning
LiPo LiPo HV LiIon LiFe NiCd NiMH Pb
3.7V/cell 3.8V/cell 3.6V/cell 3.3V/cell 1.2V/cell 1.2V/cell 2.0V/cell
4.2V/cell 4.35V/cell 4.1V/cell 3.6V/cell 1.5V/cell 1.5V/cell 2.46V/cell
3.8V/cell 3.85V/cell 3.7V/cell 3.3V/cell n/a n/a n/a
≤ 1C ≤ 1C ≤ 1C ≤ 4C 1C-2C 1C-2C ≤ 0.4C
3.0-3.3V/cell 3.1-3.4V/cell 2.9-3.2V/cell 2.6-2.9V/cell 0.1-1.1V/cell 0.1-1.1V/cell 1.8V/cell
WHEN ADJUSTING YOUR RDX2 MINI CHARGING PARAMETERS, BE SURE YOU
SELECT THE PROPER BATTERY TYPE AND CELL VOLTAGE FOR THE TYPE OF CELL YOU
ARE CHARGING. CHARGING BATTERIES WITH THE WRONG SETTINGS MAY CAUSE
THE CELLS TO BURST, CATCH FIRE OR EXPLODE.
5
Warning and Safety Notes Continued
Charging
Before charging your batteries, it is critical that you determine the maximum allowable charge rate for
your batteries. The RDX2 Mini is capable of charging at high rates that may not be suitable or safe for your
particular batteries. For example, Lithium cells are typically safe to charge at 1C, or the total mAh÷1000.
A 1200mAh battery would have a 1C charge rate of 1.2 amps. A 4200mAh battery would have a 1C charge
rate of 4.2 amps. Some manufacturers are o ering Lithium cells that can be charged at greater than 1C but
this should ALWAYS be veri ed before charging a Lithium battery at rates higher than 1C.
Voltage is just as critical as the charging amperage rate and this is determined by the number of cells
in series, or “S”. For example, a 3S LiPo is rated at 11.1 volts (“S” multiplied by a single LiPo cell with a
nominal voltage of 3.7 volts DC. 3 cells x 3.7 volts each equals 11.1 volts DC).
Connect the battery’s main leads to the charger output: red is positive and black is negative. Keep in
mind that the gauge or thickness of your charging leads from the RDX2 Mini to your battery must be of
an acceptable current rating to handle the applied charge current. For maximum safety and charging
e ectiveness, always match or exceed the main battery lead rating when assembling or selecting your
charging leads. If you charge a battery at a high current rate (amperage) with a charging lead not rated for
the chosen amperage, the wire could get hot, catch re, short out and/or potentially destroy your battery
and the charger.
When in doubt, always use a higher gauge wire (lower AWG number). It is common
to see charging leads constructed of 14AWG, 16AWG or 18AWG wire. Always refer to
recommendations from your battery manufacturer for your speci c battery type and size
before initiating a charge or discharge process.
Do not attempt to disassemble or modify Lithium or Lead-Acid battery packs.
6
BATT. Type | Stop Button
DEC. (Decrease) Button
Product Layout
1. RDX 2 Mini Charger
2. AC Cord
LCD Display
BATT. Type | Stop Button
DEC. (Decrease) Button
Balance Lead Socket
Battery Connector XT60 Female
INC. (Increase) Button
1
3. T-Type Connector
4. T-Type Connector
Start / Enter Button
Channel A to B or
2
LED Indicator
Switch From
Vice Versa
3
AC Input (100-240V)
4
Ventilation
Fan
7
Input Functions
BATT. Type/Stop Button
Stop the progress of
the current action
or cycle back to the
previous step / screen.
DEC. Button
Scroll through
available menus
or decrease
parameter
values.
CHANNEL button
It is used to
switch from
Channel A to B
or vice versa.
INC. Button
Scroll through
available menus
or increase
parameter values.
Enter/Start Button
Used to enter parameter
or store parameter on
screen & start charging.
BATT PROG / STOP Button:
Stop a func tion in-progress or to go back to previous step/screen.
DEC Button:
Scroll through menus or decrease the parameter value.
INC Button:
Scroll through the menus or increase the parameter value.
ENTER/ START Button:
Used to enter parameter or store parameter on screen & start charging.
CHANNEL Button:
It is used to switch from Channel A to B or vice versa.
When changing a parameter value in the program, press the START/ENTER button to make it blink, then
change the value by pressing the DEC and INC button. The value will be stored by repressing the START/
ENTER button. If there is a second parameter to edit on the same screen, it will begin blinking after you
con rm the rst parameter value. When starting the charge process, press and hold the START/ENTER
button for 3 seconds. When stopping the charge process or go back to previous step/screen, press the
BATT PROG/STOP button once.
When you rst power the charger on, it displays the last parameters used. From here you can change
the battery type or press enter to change the charge parameters, charge current rate and/or battery cell
count. If you are charging a battery identical to the last one used, then simply press and HOLD the start
button for 3 seconds to begin that process.
8
Speci cations | Features
AC Input Voltage 100 - 240V
Charge Power 50W x 2
Charge Current Range 0.1-5.0A
Balancing Port Current Drain 300mA/CELL
Trickling Charging Current 50mA-300mA & OFF
NiCd/NiMH Battery Cell Count 6-8 Cells
LiPo/LiHV/LiFe/LiIon Cell Count 2-4 Cells
Pb Battery Voltage 6/12V
Net Weight 500g
Dimensions 100 x 90 x 127mm
Battery Memory (Data Store/Load):
The RDX2 Mini is capable of storing up to 10 di erent charge pro les for your convenience. Users can keep
the data pertaining to any program setting for any battery to facilitate seamless charging. Saved pro les
can be accessed and recalled as necessary.
Terminal Voltage Control(TVC):
For experienced users ONLY, the charger’s end voltage can be reset.
Default setting is recommended. ONLY change in a controlled environment
ALWAYS monitor the battery during charge process.
Warning
Twin-Channel Charger:
Hitec’s RDX2 Mini allows you to plug two batteries into the charger simultaneously. The batteries being
charged do not need to have the same con guration. You can connect di erent battery chemistries (NiMH/
NiCd/LiPo/LiFe/Lilon/LiHV/Pb) into any of the charging ports.
AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) Mode (PB only):
Use this mode to charge your AGM batteries.
Cold Charge Mode (PB only):
Use this mode for charging your standard PB battery in cold conditions.
Battery Icon & Percentage of Charge Display:
The battery charge percentage is displayed in real time.
9
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