Hytron troubles

[signal 13]

Anyone had any problems with their Hytrons not holding a charge and running out after a few minutes with the light on?

BTW....it's a hytron 120 about 12 months old.

[Lensmith]

What wattage is the bulb you are using?

[Run&Gun]

Have you been "short charging" it? You know, not running it all the way down before you charge it. One of my 120's that's about 14 months old doesn't last as long as it should(even with having some age on it), but I didn't have the DDM installed in my charger until a month or so ago and I'm guilty of not running it down all the way at times like I should. Not discharging a battery all the way is a good way to cut your run time. A DDM(diagnostic/discharge module) is a good investment if your charger doesn't already have one built in, that way you can see the vitals of the battery and maybe spot problems.

From A/B manual:
DDM (DIAGNOSTIC/DISCHARGE MODULE)
(standard on Model DUAL 2702 and QUAD 2702)
The DDM is a modular addition which will upgrade any InterActive 2000
PowerCharger to a complete battery management system. A standard feature with the
DUAL 2702 and QUAD 2702, the DDM can be easily added to any model
PowerCharger, at any time. With this module installed, the PowerCharger becomes a
complete battery management system, capable of testing battery capacity and
identifying battery anomalies before they appear in the field.
The DDM will perform a standard or a 24 hour test. The standard test is a full
charge-discharge-full charge routine, which will identify the capacity of the battery
and indicate any performance issues, such as low battery voltage indicating a shorted
cell. The 24 hour test is a full charge-wait 24 hours-discharge-full charge routine
which will identify any excessive self-discharge or serious cell imbalance condition.
Test time will vary with battery condition. The standard test will require a minimum of
6 hours to a maximum of about 12 hours. The 24 hour test will require an additional 24
hours as the battery undergoes a 24 hour rest time to identify self-discharge anomalies.
It is recommended that the 24 hour test be performed only on weekends or when the
battery is not scheduled to be used for 2-3 days.

The standard test is adequate for virtually all conditions to verify the capacity of the
battery before taking it into the field. The 24 hour test need only be performed on a
battery, typically an older one (2 years or more), which may have exhibited
questionable performance.
Note: The DDM test mode should be used sparingly. Remember that a cycle
performed in test is part of the battery’s overall life. Anton/Bauer
suggests that a typical management routine for your batteries might be to
test them once every 90 days during the first two years and every 60 days
thereafter. If a record is kept of the battery’s performance on test, any
anomaly will become apparent from the record. It is not necessary to
fully discharge an Anton/Bauer battery before recharging. The
PowerCharger’s charging routines and the high voltage design of the
Anton/Bauer batteries precludes the problems which old 12 volt batteries
had in the past. Don’t waste battery life on unnecessary testing.
“AUTOCAL” Feature
When a DDM is installed in the PowerCharger, a special InterActive mode is
automatically enabled for DIGITAL batteries placed on the PowerCharger at any
time. The PowerCharger will interrogate the status of the DIGITAL battery to
determine whether the battery has received a “learning” cycle or “calibrate” cycle
within certain parameters. This “learning” typically occurs in normal equipment
operation, however, if the battery has not been fully charged and discharged in some
time, a “double arrow” or “calibrate” indication will appear on the battery. The
DIGITAL battery will continue to function normally with this indication. It is a
request by the battery to fully charge and discharge the battery to the “EOD” point at
the next opportune time so that the battery can verify its capacity. See DIGITAL
battery Owner’s Manual for complete description of this indication.

The PowerCharger with DDM will detect a request from the DIGITAL battery and
automatically enter an AUTOCAL mode when the battery is placed on the charger.
This mode is indicated by the PowerCharger with an audible alert and a message in
the LCD advising that the AUTOCAL routine has been called. This mode can be
canceled, for example, if time constraints do not allow for the test to be completed.
The mode is identical to the charge-discharge-charge previously described.
The AUTOCAL mode can be canceled by following the prompts appearing in the
LCD, using the TEST button to cancel the test. If the test is not canceled, it will
commence automatically.
When the AUTOCAL operation is complete, the battery will be fully charged and
ready for use.

[ February 13, 2005, 07:15 PM: Message edited by: Run&Gun ]

[Baltimore Shooter]

I thought it was only the Ni-Cads that have a memory issue.

Warren

[desertrat]

I occassionally have this problem. I usually charge the batteries off of my Titan 70. When the battery acts up, I reset the battery and run it through a full charge cycle. That always fixes the problem and I'm good for four or five months.

[Sportsguy]

I use a 2702 charger, and have never had a problem in the 2 years that I've had my Hytron 100's. They do from time to time run themselves through the AUTOCAL feature...

[<senior citizen cameraman>]

take a voltage meter to it and see how much juice the voltage meter reads as compared to the camera. Any difference?

also, you can try throwing it in the freezer to 'shock' it.

Running them all the way - NiCad's, Li-Ion's whatever - is what I do. Just become I am very supersitious. I know technically you don't have to with my IDX's - but I do it anyway.

Helps an old man like me sleep better at night.

[signal 13]

Thanks for the help guys.

I'd say it's probablly a 25 watt bulb in the batt light. Definitely not a 50.

I ran it down last night all the way. The 120 powered the camera for about 8-9 minutes and then totally shut off. It was fully charged.

I ran my Hytron 100 down as well. It powered the camera with the light on for about 20 minutes...then the alarm came on....and then I still got about 20 more minutes of use before it totally shut the camera down.

My 100 is a much better battery. The weird thing is that I just got my 120 back from the anton bauer shop and they say everything is fine??? I think there is still an issue.

[Sportsguy]

Maybe the problem you're having is from the Titan 70 charger? Have you charged them on a regular charger at all?

What's your camera's wattage?

[ February 14, 2005, 09:22 AM: Message edited by: Sportsguy ]