Spektrum DX 3.0 Charging options

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Savage 6768

Active Member
Messages
100
Location
New Zealand
Hi all
I have been given a Spektrum DX 3.0. I have been looking on the net for ways of charging the radio rechargeable batteries as didn't come with the wall charger. I know I could get a AA Charger but since I have a charger for my lipos which has the option for charging the AA batteries. I have seen here you can charge the batteries by connecting the charger to the battery holder using a 9 volt battery connecter. My question is any one using this method as was a little worried about the AA batt evenly charging
Cheers
 
I had that radio, or the predecessor, DX3 vs DX3.0 and I used my MRC 960 NiMH/NiCAD charger to charge it. I just charged at .5A. I still use that same charge to charge my heater AA's, my 4 cell transmitter and my receiver packs. If I remember right though, the charge port on the spektrum/JR radio's is wired backwards from normal. The outside is hot and the center pin is ground.

Found my connector I made for mine, I put a receiver female on it so I could plug it into my MRC receiver plug adapter I made to charge my packs and my AA's. I also keep any/all AA holders that come with RC's and use those to charge individual AA's in groups of 4... or 2, as I modified one of those as well so I could charge a pair. Anyway, here's a photo:
2018-0407-SpektrumJR-TransmitterChargePlug.jpg


I'm not 100% sure where I got the end from though that plugs into the radio. But I wouldn't suggest going over .5A charge rate as the transmitter was only designed to be charged with a 150mah wall charger. That may be where I got the end from as I had that charge many many years ago and got tired of it taking so long, then made that adapter to use my main NiMH charger.

I use the same charger still to charge my spektrum DX3C. However, it didn't come with a charge port and it only uses 4AA's. So, I took it apart and put a receiver type plug into the base of it so I could charge it more easily.
 
Found a few adapter plugs, so they are out there:
https://www.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXDGMJ
https://www.amazon.com/Transmitter-charge-Spektrum-Transmitters-Connectors/dp/B01BZLEYCM
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/jr-and-futaba-tx-charging-lead.html
https://www.ebay.com/itm/JR-Transmitter-Charger-Lead-JRPA123/271184726040

Just make sure you check the polarity of the lead to verify that positive is the outside and negative is the inside or you will cook your transmitter, or at the very least, blow a diode in the charge circuit. I think it had a revers polarity diode in it for that, but once it's blown, it's blown and you would have to get it fixed or figure it out.
 
Thanks olds97_lss.
Is there a reason why I have to charge the AA batteries Through the radio ? or could I charge the batteries using the battery case from the DX 3.0 as that comes out and has 9v plug at one end and so I could remove the 9v plug end from a old battery and just solder up some wires and connect to my charger and charge that way?
 
No, you can use the 9v type plug as well. It's just more convenient to use the actual charge jack. Then your not repeatedly taking the battery cover off as those things tend to break after many uses.
 
Couldn't fine a plug to go into the radio from my spares so ended up pulling apart a 9v battery and soldered wires on to plug into my Charger.
Think I will source a plug to go into the radio as well
IMG_1760.JPG IMG_1759.JPG
 
Couldn't fine a plug to go into the radio from my spares so ended up pulling apart a 9v battery and soldered wires on to plug into my Charger.
Think I will source a plug to go into the radio as well
View attachment 4780 View attachment 4781
When radio shack existed, you could find stuff like that more readily. Now you have to order online. That's where I got some of my first AA holders and a 9v connector like you needed. I did the same thing, but my transmitter battery lid broke and I had to tape it on. Untaping it every weekend got old which is why I found the charger to use the actual charge jack. Then eventually cut it and used a good charger vs the 150mah wall charger.

Now if I get a transmitter I don't have a plug for, I take it apart and install a receiver charge plug. I just connect it to the battery tray directly and make sure to not turn the radio one when charging so as to avoid frying the transmitter. Although, with batteries in it, the voltage wouldn't go higher than the batteries anyway, so probably wouldn't hurt anything even if I did turn it on. Would probably cause a false peak and the charger would shut off due to the voltage dip when turning the transmitter on.
 

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