Battery Charging

Battery Charging and Storage Mode for IF1200 Batteries

The IF1200A kit includes a Tattu TA3000 battery charger 60A/3000W (Fig. 1) or a TA1200 for charging the flight batteries. The Tattu charger can charge two batteries simultaneously, looking at the top of the charger, you can see that both sides of the charger have Charging and Balance Ports (A and B).

Tattu TA3000 Battery Charger

NOTE: Please read the Tattu TA3000 Product Manual thoroughly before using the charger regarding important safety information.

• DO NOT charge the battery above 4.2 volts per cell.

• DO NOT exceed 1.5C charge rate.

IFT programs Tattu batteries with customized CAN data / firmware. Batteries purchased from outside sources will NOT communicate properly with IFT aircraft.

Figure 1a: TA3000 Orientation

Figure 1b: TA3000 Orientation

NOTE: Balancing Cells

The flight batteries used in the IF1200A contain multiple cells. Differences in the voltages between cells can degrade the performance of the batteries and shorten its life. The Tattu battery charger has a function for balancing the voltages of the cells. Read the included manual to implement this function.

TA3000 Battery Charging Instructions

STEP	ACTION
1	Connect thecable to the Balance Interface port and the AC power cable into the AC input connector on the back of the charger.
2	Connect the other end of the AC power cable to a power source (100V–240 VAC, A.K.A. wall outlet).
3	The TA3000 does not have a power ON/OFF button. Connecting to an active power source will turn ON the unit. The internal fans begin spinning, and the LCD displays on top of the charger will illuminate.

Figure 2: TA3000 Display

BUTTON	TYPE	FUNCTION
Storage/CH/Back	Long Press	Start Storage Mode
	Short Press	Switch Channel, Return
Stop/Enter/Setting	Long Press	Enter the settings when in standby, stop the current task when not in standby.
	Short Press	Confirm
Up/Fast	Long Press	Start Fast Charging
	Short Press	Up
Down/Standard	Long Press	Start Standard Charging
	Short Press	Down

4	Choose the Charge Mode. There are three charging modes: Standard, Fast, and Storage.
NOTE: The balance cable for the IF1200A is different from the balance cable for IF1200.	Locate the Balance Interface cable in the Aircraft Kit (Fig. 4 below).

Charging Modes

Charge Mode	When to Use	How long will it take to charge?
Storage	Use Storage mode to lower voltage levels to a safe state and as a way to correct battery cell imbalance issues.	varies
Standard	Normal charging	1 hr +/-
Fast	Typically used in the field	45 min +/-

NOTE: Faster charging rates shorten the battery’s lifespan.

5	Once connected, the battery enters a 10 second pre-charge countdown, then begins charging. (TA1200 only) For TA3000 chargers, Long Press the Down/Standard button to initiate charging.

Figure 3: TA3000 Split Screen Display

Figure 4: IF1200A Balance Cable

NOTE:

The white connector on the balance cable is not used during charging.

NOTE: Skip Pre-Charge Countdown

Hold the ‘Charge’ button for 2 seconds, this will skip the 10 second countdown and automatically begin charging. (TA1200 only)

NOTE: Checking Cell Voltage and Battery Levels

Cell voltages and battery levels are displayed on the LCD screen.

When the batteries are fully charged, each cell voltage should be about 4.20 Volts, and the charger will display ‘Fully Charged’, 'Done', or 'Idle'.

IMPORTANT! Unplugging Batteries Before Reaching Full Charge

If you can’t wait for the batteries to fully charge, press the 'Charge' button (TA1200), 'Stop' button (TA3000), to discontinue the charging process BEFORE unplugging the batteries.

WARNING! Disconnecting

DO NOT disconnect the battery cable from the charger while the battery is charging. Doing so may result in electrical arcing, causing severe burns to the operator.

TA1200 Battery Charger

The IF1200A kit includes a Tattu TA1200 battery charger (see below) for charging the flight batteries. The Tattu charger can charge two batteries simultaneously. Looking at the top of the charger, you can see that both sides of the charger have the same controls, outputs, and displays.

NOTE: Please read the Tattu TA1200 Product Manual thoroughly before using the charger.

Figure 1: TA1200 Charger Orientation

IMPORTANT! Read the accompanying charger manual thoroughly before connecting power and batteries to the charger. It contains important safety information.

NOTE: Balancing Cells

The flight batteries used in the IF1200A contain multiple cells. Differences in the voltages between cells can degrade the performance of the batteries and shorten its life. The Tattu battery charger has a function for balancing the voltages of the cells. Read the included manual to implement this function.

TA1200 Charging Instructions

STEP	ACTION
1	Connect the included AC power cable into the AC input connector on the charger.
2	Connect the other end of the AC power cable to a power source (100V–240 VAC).
3	Press the power button on the side of the battery charger (see below) to power on the unit. The internal fans begin spinning, and the LCD displays on top of the charger illuminate.
4	Rotate the Charge Mode dial (see below) to select the charge mode. There are three charging modes: Trickle: The slowest charging rate. Use Trickle mode, when possible, to extend the battery life. Standard: A compromise between Trickle and Fast Fast: Typically used in the field NOTE: Faster charging rates shorten the battery’s lifespan.
5	Uncap the battery cable and plug it into the Power Interface port on the charger (see below). NOTE: The battery cable and Power Interface port on the charger are designed to prevent incorrect mating of the two.
6	Locate the Balance Cable in the aircraft kit (see Figure 8, below). NOTE: The balance cable for the IF1200A aircraft's battery is different from the balance cable for IF1200 aircraft's battery.
7	Connect one end of the Balance Cable to the Balance Interface on the charger (see Figure 7), and the other end to the Balance port on the battery. NOTE: The white connector on the balance cable is not used during charging.
8	Once connected, the battery goes through a precharge countdown for 10 seconds, then begins charging automatically. NOTE: To skip the precharge countdown, hold the ‘Charge’ button for 2 seconds.
9	Cell voltages and battery levels are displayed on the LCD screen. When the batteries are fully charged, each cell voltage should be about 4.20 Volts, and the charger will display ‘Fully Charged’.

NOTE: If you can’t wait for the batteries to fully charge, press the 'Charge' button to discontinue the charging process BEFORE unplugging the batteries.

WARNING! DO NOT disconnect the battery cable from the charger while the battery is charging. Doing so may result in electrical arcing, causing severe burns to the operator.

Battery LED Light Indicators Explained

Battery LED indicator light chart