Just wondering how and/or how often folks use the base recharger. Many including myself are, or have been leery of the amount of heat generated in the base and cab-2 when using the built-in charger. This has prompted some to use a separate charger altogether. When the display icon shows 1 bar, I use the built-in charger till I get solid green indicators and switch the base charger off. I haven't seen much on this recently, so presumably the considerable heat is not an issue?

Stack

Since I have received my Legacy I shut off my charging switch on bottom of base unit and used regular alkaline batteries. They have lasted a long time and with battery indicatioin on Cab-2 screen, I can tell when batteries get low and have to change. I go to Costco and buy batteries in bulk and they are cheap. I check the voltage of battery and they have more voltage than the re-chargable ones that come with Legacy or over the counter ones.


Steve

Texas on the West Coast........

One of the perks of live TV...they replace the AA batteries after every rehersal and right before air. Less than 1/2 hour on some.

I charge the handheld in the base when I'm down to one bar, but I do not keep the handheld in the base once it is charged. I try to take the handheld out of the base once I get the steady green lights. The handheld is warm to the touch when I remove it from the base, but it is not hot. So far no problems.

The first thing I noticed when I opened my Legacy package was the Gold Peak 2500 batts. Gold Peak (GP) is my favorite rechargeable battery - I own about 50 - 60 GP AA batts for 4 years now and I have only thrown away one bad battery! I was able to buy them at a good discount, and use them sucessfully in most things and buy very few AA batts now (rechargeable doesn't work well in everything). I have a Gold Peak fast charger that I have used with no problems. I ALWAYS use a fan on the recharger and transformer to keep them cool (learned this from RC truck batts).

So I was REAL happy to see that Lionel included the BEST rechargeable battery that money can buy (in my opinion)!

I have turned off the charger on the Lionel base and just use my GP charger for recharging. But I have noticed that there is still a lot of heat buildup in the base and remote after it has been on for a long time (several days). Hey, with those cool lights, I just kinda like keeping it plugged in! But maybe the heat is from the lights??

I even switched off the charger at one point and don't think I toggled the switch all the way off, and it was still charging, and KINDA HOT!! After turning off completely, the unit still seemed hot, but like I asked, maybe it is from the lights?!?

With expenses like they are right now, I have gone around the house and unplugged as many things as I can, and the cool lights had to go ...

THANKS, LIONEL, FOR THE QUALITY BATTERIES!!!

I had the remote sitting in the base on charge for several weeks in the double green situation. When I picked up the remote and turned it on it was dead. I put in some alkaline batteries and the remote was OK. I then put the original batteries back in and put the remote in the base and the recharge cycle kicked off. Later picked it up and it was working fine.

I have gone to alkaline batteries as well. The rechargeables just don't seem to last as long.

It sure seems wierd that these batteries are not lasting long. I have not operated the Legacy system enough to tell how they last.

The batteries Lionel shipped are 2500 mAh. The older ones that I have are only 2000 mAh and they last a long, long time in items such as tv/stereo remotes, wireless keyboard and mouse, 2-way radios, RC controllers, etc. They do not work well in motorized toys where high output is needed.

I would think the Legacy remote is like most of what I have mentioned above and it does not have a high power draw, but I do not know for sure.

... makes me think it is the charging system and not the batteries. My charger is a Gold Peak smart charger, and when I charged the 2500 mAh batts for the first time, they seemed to charge for a long time, but then again, they have a 20% higher capacity than what I am used to charging. They charged long enough that it made me wonder if the Lionel charger ever peaked the batteries properly.

I made up a recepticale box with a one hour timer and a switch to bypass the timer if I want to run longer than an hour, when I shut the system down I turn off the main switch and crank up the timer for an hour to recharge the batteries and it shuts itself off.

I've really been puzzled over this issue, my charger will go through the recharge sequence, but ALWAYS ends up in the "overheat" mode. (Both red lights flashing) My assumption is that this could lead to a bad situation. Either, melt something in the base, or even the remote. Or, am I unnecessarily concerned?? What would you do?

I thought the Lionel charging base blinked red while charging and solid green after it was charged.

All rechargable batteries that I have used (R/C cars, etc) get pretty hot while charging. Heat shortens the life of the battery and is a bad thing. This is why I put a fan on the charger and batteries while charging. Plus, keeping them cool allows them to accept a little more charge at the end of the cycle (from what I have been told).

Short of something melting, I think heat buildup is normal on these chargers, and I still think the lights are adding heat to the situation as well.

quote:

Short of something melting, I think heat buildup is normal on these chargers, and I still think the lights are adding heat to the situation as well.

LEDs add little to no heat. Mine never really get HOT but warm.

My concern is the Red Flashing, not alternating, both flash simultaneously. They sure make me nervous

If I read the manuel correctly, the lionel charger is a smart charger, with first a slow charge and then at a certain voltage a fast charge and then when both green lights go on a trickle charge. I;m I wrong in this asumption???

I went to use my Legacy remote last night and the batterys were dead. So I put the remote back into the base charging unit with the power on and checked them 24 hours later. Batterys still dead. um

I have not used my Legacy system for about a month, with the power off on the unit. The batterys are the ones that came with the system.

I put the batterys in my other charging unit that I have, and the batterys are still dead, will not charge.

Short life on these batterys that came with Legacy.

Is it because I did not use the system for over a month, that is why the batterys are no good anymore??

Nickle Metal Hydride and Nickle Cadmium batteries lose a little of there charge every day they sit idle with no charger attached. The best thing is to use them as often as possible as when idle they can get to a point that they will not charge any more. If you aren't going to use your Legacy unit for a while take the batteries out and use them in something else that uses the same size batteries or let them trickle charge in a special charger if they are Nickle Metal Hydride as these don't develop a memory like NiCads do. When used all the time these batteries will take hundreds of charges before they die. If you don't use the remote very often use regular batteries in it and take them out between uses. Be sure and turn off the charger.
Ron

John CN,

I had 4 of these batteries that were left in a Christmas ornament and were packed away for a year. I was sure that they had reversed polarity and were no good. I charged them up and they work fine, after not being charged for a year! Now I marked these 4 'cause I was worried about them and 1 of the 4 did begin to sizzle while charging so it was taken to the recycling facility the next time I was dropping off recyclables.

Of the 50 - 60 of these Gold Peak AA batts. that I have, this is the only battery that has died in 4 years!! (see my above posts) And that was due to being used improperly (not being charged for a year).

I do not think that 1 month w/out recharging would affect anything. Many of the Gold Peak batteries that I have routinely go for a month or so without recharge and they work fine.

I put regular batterys in the remote, and they work fine. I will take the batterys out of the remote, when I don't use the remote for awhile. And yes I turned the switch to off under the base, so the regular batterys don't try to charge. Thanks.

I plan to use these:

http://www.amazon.com/Sanyo-Eneloop-Pre-Charged-Recharg...teries/dp/B000LNI5VC

They're a tad expensive, but I've had excellent experiences with them in my camera equipment. They're NiMH batteries with extremely slow shelf discharge rates... the marketing literature claims that after a year on the shelf, they'll only lose 15% of their charge. Rated for 2000 mAh... not the highest, but they've been fantastic for both my photo gear and just household items like flashlights and remotes, since I don't have to worry about charging something up again before using it.

My charger also always goes into the "overheat" mode after charging. Both red lights flashing simultaneously. About 6 weeks ago I shipped my first Legacy to Lionel, with this problem, and they shipped me a new one. It charged ok for a couple weeks then it started going into the overheat mode, as had my original unit.

quote:

I went to use my Legacy remote last night and the batterys were dead. So I put the remote back into the base charging unit with the power on and checked them 24 hours later. Batterys still dead. um

I have not used my Legacy system for about a month, with the power off on the unit. The batterys are the ones that came with the system.

I put the batterys in my other charging unit that I have, and the batterys are still dead, will not charge.

Short life on these batterys that came with Legacy.

Is it because I did not use the system for over a month, that is why the batterys are no good anymore??

If you have an external charger, try using an external charger for about 1/2 houtr and then put the batteries back in the remoye and continue with the remotes charger.

You might want to also call Lionel about the dead remote