Repairs for iCharger 308Duo

[spectral]

Hi,

I was trying to plug in the positive output port to my iCharger 308Duo, while it was already connected to some 6s Lipos (stupid I know), and I must have gotten too close to the temperature port (right next to the output port) because it arc'ed to the temp port, immediately melting a pin. Now this port consistently complains 'temperature limit exceeded' and is no longer usable.

I know this was stupid, and I definitely learned my (expensive) lesson, but now I am wondering if there is any hope in getting the charger repaired. I have searched around for iCharger repairs but wasn't able to find much... It seems like Jun-Si is the manufacturer of these things, should I try to contact them?

Any help/advice would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

[Slyster]

Where did you buy it?

[spectral]

I bought it from Helidirect, and they are very generously offering me a discount on a replacement, especially considering this was my fault, but they do not have repair services. I will replace it if I have to, but I'd rather have it repaired as it isn't exactly cheap

[Slyster]

Is it simply shorted in there? Can you remove the temp port? I haven't really heard of anyone using it myself.

[spectral]

I don't have a temp gauge in the port, but it still says "temperature limit exceeded". I'm pretty sure the short ripped through the internal temp gauge circuitry and fried something causing this problem...

Disabling the temperature limit for the port would maybe do the trick but I haven't been able to find a way to do so, and I would be kind of paranoid to keep using it after some unknown internal damage has occurred anyway...

[RedOctobyr]

I'd talk to ProgressiveRC and see what they might do for repair costs. BuddyRC as well.

Helidirect only fairly-recently started carrying iChargers, I think. The other two have a much longer history with them.

Are the pins shorted together? If shorted together, perhaps disconnecting them from each other might get rid of the message?

If you are low on other options, you might open it up and look for internal damage. You'd have another temperature sensor chip you could inspect, if you could get a part # off it, perhaps you could buy a replacement for the damaged chip?

[spectral]

Hey,

Just a quick update here, I talked to ProgressiveRC, and even though I didn't buy it from them, they provided me instructions to fix the thing myself! And it worked! Really impressed with their service...

I will forward along the info they gave me in case anyone else runs into this problem:

If you are comfortable soldering, this is something you can fix yourself.
Please refer to the attached document from the manufacturer. You can check for continuity and if there isn’t any you can use a small gauge wire to jumper the connection from the temp port to the capacitor as shown. You would have to be comfortable with soldering onto a circuit board for this.
If taking the charger apart and soldering isn’t something you feel up for, the charger will have to be sent in for service.

See the attachment for the rest of the info!

[Bladecpnitro]

So the jumper wire worked? Or did you find something that could simply be soldered back?

[RedOctobyr]

That's great, spectral. And thanks for sharing what they sent. Hopefully it can help someone else.

[spectral]

The jumper worked, as described in that doc. I was a little surprised actually but I suppose there was a break somewhere in the ground line, and this bridged the disconnected half back to ground. However it worked, I'm happy

[Bladecpnitro]

Its always great to get a vital part back in working order.