开云体育

ctrl + shift + ? for shortcuts
© 2025 开云体育
  1. Yaesu-FT-60
  2. Topics

Desktop charger

 

Hi folks,

I am returning to the FT-60 after many years.
A few years ago, I bought and successfully used an FT-60R, then I gave it to my dad (it is still working like champ for him) and now I bought my own.
(Ordered used one on eBay yesterday)

I would like to check with you here > is it safe to use the Chinese copy NC-77C like this in the link from eBay?


I do not want to hurt the radio shortly after arrival...

Thanks,

Petr, OK1RP
 

I would not trust a $15 charger.
--
Clint Bradford K6LCS
http//www.work-sat.com
 

I recommend you get a Yaesu charger if you can still order one. A lot of chepo stuff is that way for a reason. Lack of voltage regulation, cheap parts, etc

73 Richard W4MCD?
 

Use only a genuine Yaesu charging dock and not any Third party charging solutions.
NiMh battery chemistry is quite tricky to charge properly, it requires the correct charge termination method and cheap chargers cannot do this.
It is quite easy to overcharge a NiMh battery which will drastically reduce its longevity.

Even charging the battery through the radio using the DC in jack can be risky as it could be overcharged due to it having an extremely basic charging circuitry and having no cut off, to do that safely without reducing the lifetime of the battery you would need to know how much charge is in the battery and time how long you need to charge it for,

I use a Yaesu CD-47 drop in cradle for my FT-60 and VX-170, these should be still available.?
 

Hi Petr,
I think your chance of success is high.? The Yaesu-branded ones are more expensive because they can be.? NiMH batteries are not necessarily complicated to charge, but sellers of expensive chargers will try to obfuscate that to gain market share.? The part that is complicated is the lights that tell you if it's fully charged.? They have to light up when the charge current is low or zero and the battery is at its maximum charge voltage.? Some might sense that the rate of voltage increase with charge current rises.? That requires a circuit or a 1-USD computer chip.? If you don't need those lights, or can read a voltmeter, you can save some money.? Just make sure that the charge rate is not too high and that the end-of-charge voltage is correct.? Measure these the first time you use the charger.? If it's not right, then substitute a voltage regulated, constant current power supply for the wallwart power supply that came with your charger.? PCB buck converters with such limiting and regulation are available on the internet for a few USDs.
Cheers,
Halden VE7UTS
 

Very little of Halden's post is accurate.
--
Clint Bradford K6LCS
http//www.work-sat.com
 

Halden,

Measuring current draw and voltage increase are not how you terminate a charge cycle?on a NiMH battery!

On Thu, 2 Mar 2023 at 18:39, HF via <incorridge=[email protected]> wrote:
Hi Petr,
I think your chance of success is high.? The Yaesu-branded ones are more expensive because they can be.? NiMH batteries are not necessarily complicated to charge, but sellers of expensive chargers will try to obfuscate that to gain market share.? The part that is complicated is the lights that tell you if it's fully charged.? They have to light up when the charge current is low or zero and the battery is at its maximum charge voltage.? Some might sense that the rate of voltage increase with charge current rises.? That requires a circuit or a 1-USD computer chip.? If you don't need those lights, or can read a voltmeter, you can save some money.? Just make sure that the charge rate is not too high and that the end-of-charge voltage is correct.? Measure these the first time you use the charger.? If it's not right, then substitute a voltage regulated, constant current power supply for the wallwart power supply that came with your charger.? PCB buck converters with such limiting and regulation are available on the internet for a few USDs.
Cheers,
Halden VE7UTS

 

I recently purchased a NOS drop in FT-60 charger off ebay and am very happy with it. Part numbers are correct and with shipping it was about $25.?
 

Why don't you get the real stuff???

I got one myself and works a treat.
 

Hi Dale,
I agree, I certainly don't do it that way.? But some sales material for "smart chargers" describe this method.? I just use a power supply regulated to not exceed 1.35 or 1.4V per cell and a current limit at about C/10 or C/5.? I include a small resistor between the supply and the battery so that it doesn't apply full current all the way to the end voltage. This doesn't give the fastest charge, but it works and avoids battery damage.
Cheers,
Halden
Sriracha Jonas
 

I changed to Li-ion cells so I don't need the original Yaesu charger. I'll sell it for $30 + postage from Japan. JS6TMW
 

Why did you change to Li-ion?

Not for longevity: NiMH will last 2-3 times as many discharge-charge cycles as Li-ion.

Do you live in extreme cold areas? Li-ion does perform better in frigid cold compared to NiMH.

The only other real benefit of Li-ion is that it will homd its charge a little longer than NiMH. Personally, though, Indon't charge up HTs and then not use them for six
months.


--
Clint Bradford K6LCS
http//www.work-sat.com
 

Hi,

thanks to all for all replies and effort to help. Thanks to Peter, OM4AEI I ordered the genuine SBH-13 cradle so it should be ok to charging it together with proper and trusty wall adapter or PSU.?


Now I am thinking if there is chance to charge the battery in radio using the DC-IN socket directly ( to avoid often removing radio from leather case cos of charging) as it is possible in EU models (FT-60E).

I know that it was re-designed after years in US models to make it impossible …but is there some known mod??No big issue just investigating around.

Best regards,
73 - Petr, OK1RP
 

Both of my FT-60E charge the battery via the DC-In socket however I do not use it. The internal charger circuit is rather very rudimental. There is no end of charge termination implemented. It is basically a constant current source and unlike FT817 there is no timer to stop charging.
 

Six 14500 LiIon (3P2S) would be double the mAh of the 1500 standard NiMH pack. ?1250mAh 3A cells are available ~$3ea in low qty.
Charging could be faster below like 70%. ?No heating up when topping off to 100% before going out the door.
Easier to tell what % charge the pack is, though without a % meter you'd need a table of voltage to SoC. ?Possibly lighter: lighter than ~2500mAh NiMH, only 10% less than 1500mAh.
The feature I'd really want is to have a USB jack ON THE PACK for charging, but the easiest hobby way to do that (4x14500) would be 2/3 the NiMH capacity. ?Commercial LiPo could be better.
I hate cradles, and, like has been said, even if the radio would charge the pack, you'd be stuck with a C/10 type charge. ?Doesn't HAVE to be the case, but they didn't put a dV or dT charger in this radio.

Lotta reasons to go Li. ?More reasons to go LSD like Eneloops. ?But I think we got stuck with 1500 NiMH so they wouldn't die a quick death charged C/10 with no termination.
Sadly, the commercial or even OEM pack is a tight squeeze to fit on the thing, so modifying the pack isn't something I'm personally going to try. ?I don't hate 1500 or the cradle _that_ much.
 

I understood the last paragraph.?


On Sun, Mar 5, 2023 at 2:06 AM, radellaf
<radellaf@...> wrote:
Six 14500 LiIon (3P2S) would be double the mAh of the 1500 standard NiMH pack. ?1250mAh 3A cells are available ~$3ea in low qty.
Charging could be faster below like 70%. ?No heating up when topping off to 100% before going out the door.
Easier to tell what % charge the pack is, though without a % meter you'd need a table of voltage to SoC. ?Possibly lighter: lighter than ~2500mAh NiMH, only 10% less than 1500mAh.
The feature I'd really want is to have a USB jack ON THE PACK for charging, but the easiest hobby way to do that (4x14500) would be 2/3 the NiMH capacity. ?Commercial LiPo could be better.
I hate cradles, and, like has been said, even if the radio would charge the pack, you'd be stuck with a C/10 type charge. ?Doesn't HAVE to be the case, but they didn't put a dV or dT charger in this radio.

Lotta reasons to go Li. ?More reasons to go LSD like Eneloops. ?But I think we got stuck with 1500 NiMH so they wouldn't die a quick death charged C/10 with no termination.
Sadly, the commercial or even OEM pack is a tight squeeze to fit on the thing, so modifying the pack isn't something I'm personally going to try. ?I don't hate 1500 or the cradle _that_ much.

1 - 16 of 16