Multiplex charging

[Klippy]

Hi all, anybody have any ideas as to the pin designations on the combined charger/ buddy connector on the Royal Evo series. My sister bought one second hand, without charger, and removing the battery to charge it is becoming a bit of a pain!

[Peter Beeney]

 

   Tony,    Hopefully here are the MPX battery charger connections. Looking at the DIN socket on the back of the transmitter, with the polarising indent at the bottom, then you should see a 7 pin circular array. Starting at the bottom left, number 1, and going clockwise, then number 2 is the battery positive and number 6 is the battery negative. A standard 3 pin DIN plug, Maplins,HH 25C, 19 pence, is what you need for connection. If you are not completely confident here then looking into the 3 pin plug from the front, and again with the polarising peg at the bottom, connect your positive charger wire to the RIGHT HAND pin. The top centre pin is not connected.          All Multiplex radios have this standard arrangement.

    I hope this is what you were looking for.       PB
             

 

[Klippy]

Thanks a mil Peter, I didn't realise that a 3 pin will fit, so bought a full house 7 pin one, you've given me exactly what I need and saved me an hour or so pulling the Tx apart.

Edited By Tony Prince on 04/06/2009 09:38:06

[Peter Beeney]

    Tony -  A pleasure!   These connectors can be confusing, there may well be up to 15 configurations of DIN. Plus all the countless other types, and their many variations.

    Just out of interest, and if it’s not an impertinent question, can I enquire please, what you are using as a charger to charge the battery?     PB

[Klippy]

Hi Peter, just ask away. Up to now I've been using a Hyperion Eos 5i dp whatever all those numbers mean! I cut the Mpx battery lead and put a Deans plug in it. Then I could use the same charging cords as my Lipos etc. I've been charging the battery at 1C (1500mA) but I see Mpx don't recomend this when charging through the charge plug, they say .1C max. I haven't hooked up yet (tomorrow) I may have a problem if the charger can't detect a battery voltage, it's finicky that way!

[Peter Beeney]

  Hello Tony, -  Thanks for that. I only asked because I thought that if you were using a plug-in-the-wall-socket type you might run into some small difficulties perhaps. With the charger. But then again, maybe not.
    I’m afraid I know nothing about the Hyperion, but I think I would be a bit suspicious about the battery voltage detect problem. Sounds as though that may need a light coat of looking at.
    I’m not quite sure why MPX only recommend 150mA charge current through the plug.   I’ve owned a 4000 for years, I bought it in the Netherlands, before you could get one in GB, plus a Schulze 936g charger, at round about the same time. All a bit expensive, but I think worth it. I’ve also got some other useful kit, ex my working life, because I’ve been kicking batteries about and all sorts of other electrical bits and bobs for fellow modellers for as long as I can remember.
    I charge my tx at a fixed 2A, because it has a 2A fuse in the charge circuit. It has a 3Ah, home made nickel hydride battery, about 9 years old. Still in perfect nick. The DIN plug configuration is exactly the same as the EVO, although the battery wiring could be marginally heavier on the 4000, but I don’t know. Maybe it’s just MPX being cautious. I think I would personally be tempted to bump up that 150mA rate, at least a little tiny bit. Or even a tiny little bit more than a little tiny bit!  
    Another point of interest perhaps, I’ve checked out tx and rx packs on a safety basis for many years, using my own fairly tight spec. Very recently I had a date with a JR tx. I’ve hammered it before, but it’s always passed. This time it failed to reach the standard, and it’s also got the first signs of a little dollop of the black wire blues. It’s the original Yuasa nicad pack, and it’s now 33 years old. The owner has said that, up until now, the whole caboodle has never given him a moments concern. They just don’t make ‘em like they use to!

    Please let us know how you get on.  Good Luck.   PB

    PS. A very quick look at MPX site says EVO can be fast charged.  That’s with a new 2100 mAh batt. And that must be via the DIN, surely?  

[Klippy]

Hi Peter, thanks for that. A re-read of the instructions, chapter 8, does indicate that 1C charge is permissible. The 0.1C rate is a forming charge recommended for a new pack. Thanks for pointing that out. This Evo is 35meg, do you know if Mpx are releasing a 2.4gig mod for the series?

[Peter Beeney]

     Tony -  Yes, there is a 2.4 coming, it’s called M - Link. Very tasty, amongst other things some of the receivers have Telemetry - Feedback with up to 16 sensors. Plus dual-receiver operation if required, I believe. Also, I understand, you can convert your tx, at the field, from 2.4 back to 35 in less than a minute. Or the other way, of course. I don’t know when it’s coming, but I suspect (hope!) any time shortly. In fact, I’ve been contemplating recently that I should be getting in touch with Germany to try and get up to date. It uses FHSS, Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum technology, if that means anything. Also I’m guessing here too, but I reckon the binding process will be absolute bullet proof!
    The cons. -  It will be expensive, of that I’m sure. However, once you’ve got your hands on it, it will instantly work, and still be working ok ten years later. If it’s anything like my previous kit, that is. And, as they say, life’s almost too short for carp fishing and dealing with Multiplex. You do have to be tenacious.
    As an example of this, I’ve already tried to make some enquiries, locally, but I’ve not had any replies. But, if I do get a result in the near future, I’ll let you know.          PB  

[Klippy]

Hi Peter, thanks for the update, I have a Futaba 6EX in 2.4gig, it's fine but I like the Mpx Tx much better.

[Klippy]

Hi Peter, just an update, charging is fine, using your pin designations. It seems that the charger (much more intelligent than me) checks for a current flow when you start to charge, for any of the battery types that use current sensing as a fully charged parameter. It doen't bother for Lead Acid types.

[Peter Beeney]

    Hello Tony, thanks for your post. Not altogether sure about your charger intelligence statement, will it organise luncheon? Maybe it’s cooking your batteries to perfection, though? But, if it ever gets too upstroppilus you can always disconnect it!
    Charging nickel batteries is the most difficult of the charging regimes to get right, with lead-acid being relatively more simple and lithium chemistry the easiest of all. My charger spends it’s life in the back of the car, connected to a 12v battery, charging or discharging someone’s packs. It has many variations of programs to choose from but when set to Auto you just tell it what type cell you are connecting and the charger then gets on with it. Up to 36 nickel cells, if you want. It also has a graphical output display, voltage against time, which is invaluable for fault finding. However, even this (super intelligent?,’cos it’s got a fair old microprocessor in it!), thing is sometimes thrown off course, particularly by nickel cells, see above, it thinks that it’s looking at one thing, when in fact it’s something completely different. The manufacturers are the first to admit this can happen, but as I’ve got well used to it over many years that does help to keep it on the straight and narrow. I’ve drawn a few conclusions about batteries, and many other modelling items, over time, and perhaps not all of them are by no means entirely satisfactory.
    I’ve not had much luck on the Multiplex 2.4 front as yet. I’m still waiting for yet another bell which, like before, I’m beginning to conclude is not going to come. ’Twas ever thus. Still, I look on it as a challenge, perhaps MPX wish to know their customers will go through hell and high water to get their hands on the products. I shall not be disheartened or defeated! Although maybe a consultation with a trick-cyclist might be the cheaper and easier option!
    Pleased to know you are in action ok, now we just need to order up a long, but not too hot, summer!                  PB    

[Tim Mackey]

How refreshing to see someone else extolling the virtues of the simple Lipo cell.

Amongst all the stupid utube videos, scaremongering and other untruths about them being lethal self combusting incendiaries, 'tis a great pity that many folk have missed the fact that they are the simplest and most straightforward of things to charge !

Apart form their other many advantages over nickel stuff, this simple charging regime is a prime reason for me to have got rid of every other type of cell in my hangar - bar 1 x 4 cell NiMH flat pack in a slim sloper wing - and its life is severely limited - and the rather good "Instants" in the DX6i.

[Klippy]

Hi Timbo, couldn't agree more, I looked seriously at changing from the 6 Nimhs' to a 2 Cell Lipo, unfortuneately the charging control for the Multiplex Evo is onboard, and software controlled, so the 'time left' function and the 'charge left', and the upper cutoff voltage would be wrong. I doubt that the software is 'open source' and having disassembled other peoples software in the past I know how long it can take! I do suspect that Multiplex will see the light and change to Lipos in the future, then I'll download the upgrade and make the change.

As an aside, I wonder how many follows of this wonderful obsession are currently in their sheds, working away , within arms reach of the odd discarded fuel tank, the odd model still with a bit of fuel in the tank, a half full plastic container of Glow fuel and a gas heater keeping the temperature up? And they call Lipos dangerous?