Can Anyone Recommend A Source For A Tamtech Battery Charger?

[cmykhps 0]

Hi all,

I am a new member, not sure if you have an Introductions part to the board, if I find it I will put a bit more info about myself ...

But for now I have a bit of a problem, I've been building a 1/10 TamTech GT-01 Porsche 934 that I found on ebay for 50 (bargain) and have been sourcing all the extras, servo, ESC, radio gear and so on. It was all taking way too long and I finally found a seller in Hong Kong with a complete Expec system, so I bought that, and it came yesterday. Finally! I have everything I needed!

I finished building the car last night (did the body and stickers while waiting for bits to come from ebay), but in my hurry I think I might have broken the battery charger ... it's the 2-prong style US type, and I thought all I needed to do was plug it into a shaver adapter and I'd be charging my battery. When I came back to it 2 minutes later the red LED had gone out - and that's not supposed to happen.

Have I blown something? There was no smoke, nothing was hot, no bad smells ... and I'm now power-less with a shelf-queen 934.

Any advice on this is really appreciated, after all the cost and effort I'd hate to see it stuck on a shelf and then get sold at a loss. If I need a new charger, where can I get a UK type one? I really don't want another foreign one going toes-up on me.

Geoff

[c_a_r_t_e_r 0]

Hey nice find - I bought one of those myself at the same price recently, thought I was the only one to get lucky!

I'm presuming that you don't have a "normal" battery charger to use instead? The one included in the Expec is just a very low power trickle charger?

Perhaps your shaver socket isn't rated high enough to power the charger, it's only supposed to be used for shavers and toothbrush, etc. I've got a 2 prong shaver to standard UK plug converter that I use for other things, better to try one of these? Or just cut the plug off the end of the charger and wire on a UK plug?

Incidentally - does anyone know if you really need the Expec receiver to run the Tamtech cars? I was hoping just to pick up the servo, speed controller and battery - then use all my existing kit to get it running. The kit migth have been cheap, but the radio gear certainly isn't!

Cheers,

Tim

[cmykhps 0]

I don't think sticking a UK plug on it will do it any good - its a 110v charger (unless I've read what you meant wrongly - I'm at work and have to do things fast!)

The trickle charger was plugged into a shaver adapter and then plugged into the wall - a 3 pin UK standard plug. When I first plugged it in, the red LED came on and it seemed OK, so I don't know - I'd have expected it to have blown immediately, or have a load of smoke pour out of it, not just decide to die without a fight.

I still have the TSU-02 servo, 102BK ESC and a transmitter left over, which I was planning on selling on ebay. Would they be of help to you?

I just got tired of waiting for bits to start appearing on ebay and went for the Expec complete pack, so I've got those parts left.

[Lemming 48]

Don't know if it helps, but US spec is 110v and UK is 240v - don't know about other countries...

Possibility that you put too much voltage through the unit...?

[cmykhps 0]

Don't know if it helps, but US spec is 110v and UK is 240v - don't know about other countries...

Possibility that you put too much voltage through the unit...?

That's what I thought, but I expected it to at least have smoked or something - unless it had some sort of breaker, and I can't see a fuse.

So I guess I'm left with recommendations on where to get another UK voltage charger for my battery. Anyone, please?

[taliesin 260]

Honestly, buy a regular battery charger and the mini style adaptor for the tamtech battery plugs. Just use the 1 amp setting and you'll be much better off. something like the Dynamite Prophet is about $40 US and I know they make those for the UK.

It will cost you a packet to buy the Tamtech charger and it isn't worth it.

[cmykhps 0]

Honestly, buy a regular battery charger and the mini style adaptor for the tamtech battery plugs. Just use the 1 amp setting and you'll be much better off. something like the Dynamite Prophet is about $40 US and I know they make those for the UK.

It will cost you a packet to buy the Tamtech charger and it isn't worth it.

I didn't even know it was possible to get Tamtech adapter plugs ... A lot of the places I've tried just can't get hold of Tamtech gear, I've even been told the Tamtech batteries had been "discontinued across the board" !! So I think adapters will be even harder to find ... I need to do a bit of digging on the internet for international sellers who can supply me with stuff, the local shops don't seem to have a clue

Thanks taliesin for the suggestions

PS - There was just enough power in the battery last night to power the LED light unit I've installed - I love it, haha

[cmykhps 0]

Well here's a funny thing.

15 minutes after my last post I got a call from the shop who told me there were no more TamTech batteries available ... "Hello, we have your Tamtech battery here it's been in stock for two weeks, are you collecting it any time soon?" Me = "Erm, sorry but you told me there were none available, and I stood in the shop while you searched in the delivery box and checked the computer and told me that." Them = "Oh no, that can't be right, we'd never say that."

Me = silence ... wth?

Anyway I called in, and they had one in stock, even had a slow charger and adapter lead to go with it, all for 20, so I am now finally powered up and ready!

When I've painted my 934 wheels I'll put a couple of pictures up, with the light unit installed it scares my two kittens

Thanks for all the suggestions and help on this.

Geoff

[taliesin 260]

Lots of people make adaptors so a battery with a mini style connector can be charged with a standard charger.

Like these, they work great: http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti00...=LXUUR8&P=7

[cmykhps 0]

Yep that's the adapter lead that came with the battery, does the trick great.

I had the car in the back garden at midnight checking the tracking on a very narrow path that went through the lawn... Those LED units are super bright! I've had to hold them in place with putty to stop any back-glow lighting showing inside the car, very please with this project so far.

PS - c_a_r_t_e_r - I thought 50 was cheap for my original kit. Last night I found one in USA for $46 ... about 27 O.O ... even with $65 postage that works out to around 60 all in! With the spare radio gear I have I could have that up and running, woo hoo!

Thinking of using a Jagermeister body and sticker set though, build up a family of Porkers

[c_a_r_t_e_r 0]

Hi there.

Sorry, just got back to this thread. Sounds like you're planning another build, so good idea to hang onto that remaining radio gear.

With the price of the mini-servo, I'm actually wondering whether I can justify even keeping mine. I don't really have the space to use it, but it'll need a servo to be a shelf-queen - I like to imagine that I can actually pick up my shelfers and run them if I want to!

Hmm, I might regret selling it though as it was such a bargain, and it just looks so good... decisions, decisions!

[cmykhps 0]

Same here, it was such a bargain I don't want to let it go.

What I think I'll do, is get a Jagermeister body and decal set, then build myself a family of 934s ... All shelf queens!

Just need to find out what code orange to get for the body paint and I'll be happy