Checking Remote Battery Strength

Not through the remote itself.  One can always remove the battery cover and, with remote turned on, use a voltmeter to check output voltage under load of each or all batteries.  Of course, this is wear & tear on the cover.

My suggestion is to buy 8 NiMH batteries, and a charger.  When the remote says BAT, pop out the old and put in the other freshly-charged foursome.  Especially if you use the screen light, in the long run it's cheaper than buying alkalines.

RJR - thanx for the info - my remote just now read "BAT" on its screen so I replaced them.  I do have  a charger and NiMH batteries but haven't used them - the reason I asked this question is because on a recent post I saw someone showing their remote with a battery reading along with the odometer reading - when I used a soft key and checked odometer reading that's all that came up - no battery indication.

Thank you for your help

Paul

Paul,

To see odometer, chronometer and engine battery status all on one screen, press: Menu/Advanced/Info.

Everything that you need to know about DCS is all in MTH’s “The DCS Companion 3rd Edition!" This book is available from many fine OGR advertisers and forum sponsors, or as an eBook or a printed book at MTH's web store!

Thanx, Barry - that's what I'm looking for

Regards,

Paul

Barry, doesn't that show the state of the battery in the locomotive, not the remotes batteries? 

Dave - yes, that reading measures the battery strength in the engine not the remote - I mistakingly thought it measured the remotes battery

I have made a device that tests your batteries in the remote.  You just plug it in the bottom of the remote, turn on your remote and get your readings.

That is nice Marty. It would be great to see Dotty selling these along with her shirts. It looks like it will also plug into locos too. I didn't realize two of the connections in the phone cord connect to the batteries. Is it possible to charge rechargeable's through those wires if we use them and is the bulb used to put a load on the battery being tested? 

How exactly does that work Marty, looks like a slick tool.   Looks like a universal tool to check the engine and remote batteries, right?  How exactly does it test the remote batteries?  Are they wired to the tether connector?

This looks like a great project for forum members that may be able to also include the TIU signal tester within that housing if there is room.

I think we need a bigger box!

GRJ, Here's a link to something Marty posted a while back about building the battery tester. I saved the link. But the first post Marty made is kind of got messed up with a picture. And IIRC, I think he posted more pictures too? Seems like he posted more details as well, maybe there is another thread that I didn't save? It's in my 'gotta have one of these someday saves'. Cool tool!

John, just plug the connector into the bottom of the remote.  Turn on your remote and get your reading on the batteries in your remote.  You can also check the battery in your locomotive.  On the front of the box you can plug in your plugs to use the probes to get to a hard to get battery you do not want to remove.  You will see a toggle switch that allows you to put a load on any battery tested.

Davez, I have put a battery inside with connectors on the rear.  Now I can put out voltage for testing fan motors plus I have a third port for a resistor to test and power LEDs.

Marty, which pins on the telephone jack have the voltage of the batteries in the remote?

I believe the center 2.   I built this a few years ago.

Thanks Marty, another project to add to the pile.

Thanks Marty. I hope to build one. What a great tool.

Given that the purpose of the port at the bottom of the remote is to permit tethering to a TIU, I wonder why remote battery voltage would be part of the circuit?????

I have not come across any NiMH chargers for 4 batteries (as opposed to the many that can handle 2 pairs of batteries),  If I could find one, then it would be a simple matter to hook it up to a phone plug and charge the batteries in the remote.  Now whether the heat generated in charging batteries could be enough to damage internal remote components, that's another question.

RJR posted:

Given that the purpose of the port at the bottom of the remote is to permit tethering to a TIU, I wonder why remote battery voltage would be part of the circuit?????

I have not come across any NiMH chargers for 4 batteries (as opposed to the many that can handle 2 pairs of batteries),  If I could find one, then it would be a simple matter to hook it up to a phone plug and charge the batteries in the remote.  Now whether the heat generated in charging batteries could be enough to damage internal remote components, that's another question.

Most any of these 4 button chargers will do nimh in series. I use one for my lipos and nimh batteries in rc transmitters. Both of my DCS remotes have charging jacks w/ panasonic eneloops installed.

RJR posted:

Given that the purpose of the port at the bottom of the remote is to permit tethering to a TIU, I wonder why remote battery voltage would be part of the circuit?????

I have not come across any NiMH chargers for 4 batteries (as opposed to the many that can handle 2 pairs of batteries),  If I could find one, then it would be a simple matter to hook it up to a phone plug and charge the batteries in the remote.  Now whether the heat generated in charging batteries could be enough to damage internal remote components, that's another question.

It's been done years ago, no flaming remotes yet.

DCS remote charging jack installed with photos

gunrunnerjohn posted:

RJR posted:

Given that the purpose of the port at the bottom of the remote is to permit tethering to a TIU, I wonder why remote battery voltage would be part of the circuit?????

I have not come across any NiMH chargers for 4 batteries (as opposed to the many that can handle 2 pairs of batteries),  If I could find one, then it would be a simple matter to hook it up to a phone plug and charge the batteries in the remote.  Now whether the heat generated in charging batteries could be enough to damage internal remote components, that's another question.

It's been done years ago, no flaming remotes yet.

DCS remote charging jack installed with photos

Thanks GRJ..the only change i made was the jack from the audio one pictured in above post.

Jacks installed are 1.7 x 4mm. Nimh's in the remotes still going strong 3 years plus.

The chargers that do 4 batteries, that I have come across, are set to do one or two pairs of batteries.  It appears that each pair is on a different circuit, charging a total of 2.4 volts of batteries.  Thus, one could not not use the extreme + & - terminals to charge 4.8 volts of battery.