# FYI: Saftey RECALL on REEDY Charger



## Tres (May 10, 1999)

*Product Safety Recall Notice:
#611 Reedy Quasar Pro Charger*​









Due to potential safety concerns, Associated Electrics is planning a voluntary recall of the Reedy #611 Quasar Pro Charger to begin on May 10, 2004

Two problems, a defective fuse and some program errors, make the charger unsafe to use, particularly in dry weather and with high capacity NiMH cells. Corrections for this problem have been developed, but until these corrections are applied the charger should not be used. If you have this charger, it is important that you *discontinue its use immediately.*

Please do not call Associated Electrics or your dealer. Plans for the recall have not been completed, so no one can assist you at this time. By the end of next week we will have toll-free numbers installed for this recall, and full instructions for returning your charger for correction will be posted here.

Associated Electrics, Inc.


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## baih (Sep 26, 2001)

thanks tres


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## OvalmanPA (Mar 21, 2000)

Hmmm........interested to know exactly what the problems with it are.  I've had one for about two years now with no problems. Wonder if this is a more recent problem? Guess we'll have to wait and see.


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## Fl Flash (May 1, 2003)

Thanks,
Appreciate the info on the reedy Pro charger situation. I bought one new last year used it several times charging nicads with no problem first time I attempted to charge Nimhs it smoked out! Cost me $90 plus $22.00 shipping for Reedy to repair it. And guess what soon as I used it Smoke City again! Its now sitting on a shelf in its box. Maybe if they are recalled I can get it repaired/replaced at no further cost? Keep us informend please!
 Lee
[email protected]


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## [email protected] (Dec 3, 2003)

Thanks for the info. I have had problems with blowing fuses, etc. Hopefully this will help. I have passed the info on to my manager to help spread the word.
Mike


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## patcollins (Sep 29, 2001)

Since it said dry climates I suspect it has something to do with static discharge.


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## Fl Flash (May 1, 2003)

Dry climates? That would also include using indoors when air conditioned? AC = cool air and low humidity


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## elbowcreek (Apr 25, 2004)

Funny, Mine started on fire last month and melted all the solder off the circuit board inside, so they WILL be getting it back, and for what they charge for a charger of this level it should last a guy the rest of his life if used correctly. Needless to say I was a little upset when I saw smoke coming from mine being it was only about 1 1/2 years old and only used indoors for carpet racing.


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## RCMits (Jan 1, 1970)

DOH


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## 22Racer (Nov 18, 2001)

I wonder if Integy will be recalling the 16x7?


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## tfrahm (Nov 14, 1998)

22Racer said:


> I wonder if Integy will be recalling the 16x7?


I asked (over on the Integy site) if there was any similar problems with the Integy line and so far, I've been ignored...

http://www.integy.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000527.html


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## tfrahm (Nov 14, 1998)

I tried emailing "Arthur" at Integy about this issue, but the email "bounced" because his inbox: *"is not accepting e-mail from an unknown sender"*.

Kinda limits communication with your customers, but...?


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## tfrahm (Nov 14, 1998)

The "bounced" message to Integy contained a recommendation that I try:

[email protected]

as an alternative email address...

That email "bounced" too...

GREAT communications... :drunk:


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## elbowcreek (Apr 25, 2004)

Go figure , when you want to find out info they close you out, Thats good business practice


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## tfrahm (Nov 14, 1998)

Hey! -- I got a response from Integy:



> Thank you for your e-mail inquiry. The Reedy charger has completely different design even though the operating menu looks similar. Our chargers have not caused any battery explosion, no report of that at all. Our units have a redesigned circuit board, a better fan placement (that's why the fans on our charger doesn't go out like the Reedy and doesn't require the user to standup the unit for extra cooling) The FETs are different and our unit can discharge up to 30A rate. The LCD display is different, ours has backlit and the Reedy doesn't. According to one of the buyer at a major distributor and our friends at one of the local hobby shop, the defective rate of INDI charger is at least 10 times lower than the Reedy chargers. They already discontinued the Reedy line of charger for a while and now selling our chargers exclusively to replace the Reedy charger. The overcharging condition is still possible when any charger malfunction but we did mention it on our instruction and warn the users. The Reedy charger instruction missed a lot of the precuation, warnings and with the unusally high defective rate...they have to deal with what they have to deal with now.
> Best Regards,
> Tech Support


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## hankster (Jan 1, 1998)

Attached is a picture of what GP3300 cells look like once they have been overcharged... I understand they sounded like a shotgun going off!


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## eviltone (Jul 17, 2003)

hankster said:


> Attached is a picture of what GP3300 cells look like once they have been overcharged... I understand they sounded like a shotgun going off!


that looks sooo cool..... i've always wondered what was in them batteries! 
i would haaaaate to have been there to hear it tho.... i'm almost deaf as it is! 
i wonder what reedy is gonna do about it... i guess we'll just have to wait till the 10th!

-Tone


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## hankster (Jan 1, 1998)

Just another note: Those cells were not being charged on a Reedy charger... let's just say it was a charging experement that had gone array!


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## eviltone (Jul 17, 2003)

hankster said:


> ....experement that had gone array!


.... awry.... it went awry..... 
Main Entry: *awry* javascript:popWin('/cgi-bin/audio.pl?awry0001.wav=awry')
Function: _adverb or adjective_
*1* *:* in a turned or twisted position or direction *: ASKEW*
*2* *:* off the correct or expected course *: AMISS* 

:tongue: :lol: 

those grid things are wrapped/rolled in the battery cylinders, yes? 
i have a few p0pped cells that have not fully burst.... and i was gonna cut it... but i guess now i dont.... i wonder if this recall will be like the spy Lithium ion battery and charger incident by NOVAK.....

-Tone


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## hankster (Jan 1, 1998)

awry... array... arguray... gray... all the same to me... and to answer... yes!


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## GAM Racing (Nov 23, 2002)

Has been a phone listed for info on the recall?????


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## Alpha (Sep 19, 2002)

I can verify that if the cells blow It sounds like a shot gun & stuff goes flying everywhere. As a precaution with any cells or charger it is recommended to always check the charge time & temperature to prevent overcharging.


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## elbowcreek (Apr 25, 2004)

I just sent mine in on tuesday for the recall burnt up and all, They are offering a new motor for the trouble of sending it in. ONly cost 10.00 shipping to send it off....


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## OvalmanPA (Mar 21, 2000)

You'll have to check www.teamassociated.com for the numbers but they also have the proper form to print out to send with your charger, either HTML or PDF. They are offering a free motor, 10pr brushes (729 or 766), $15 cert. for DIRECT ordering, or you can request paid shipping and pickup at your residence/business to offset the cost of you shipping the charger to them. I have one of my own and a brand new one in our shop to send off and get the upgrade.


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## losi b (Jul 31, 2004)

i was at mikes hobby shop when the 3 gp cells popped and yes it sounded like a grenade.
the first cell popped with the racer having his hand on the car and it literally exploded the blood vessels on THE BACK OF HIS HAND.
it shreaded his car.
the next one popped while mike was throwing the car away from people for safety.
the third popped while sitting on the track, maybe 3 or 4 minutes later.


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## OvalmanPA (Mar 21, 2000)

I sent mine in for the upgrade. The new software changed a few things that I wasn't so keen on. You can now only adjust the cutoff to 10mv a cell with 4-6 cells (before it was 20mv) and it is a lower cutoff for 7-8, it will not let you go to even 10mv. There was something else too but it's skipped my mind right now. Now today when I was discharging packs after a race, the charger gives me an error message of "reverse voltage or no battery". I looked and the voltage sensing leads were both broken off of the alligator clips. It does occur to me that the charger will now not charge if these leads are broken off (something that wasn't the case earlier) but I had had this charger for TWO years before sending it in for the upgrade and used it for two weeks since the upgrade and NOW the leads break off?  One of the items checked off on the paper you get with the upgraded charger is "voltage readout leads checked". Now am I to believe after two years of no problems these are going to just suddenly fall off or had they done something to them they shouldn't have? I'm almost regretting sending the charger in for the upgrade now because it NEVER gave me any problems before now.  I'm still using a 112C/DIS350 combo for my main charger and it works like a top!!


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## elbowcreek (Apr 25, 2004)

I had sent mine in for the upgrade and got it back working great until last weekend when I put a 3300 pack on to charge and went out and ran one of my gas classes heats and when I returned the charger was really hot and no LCD's were on in the screen, I unplugged it and let it cool down and now I get nothing to work on it. THEY will be getting this back again to fix what ever is wrong with it....Pisses me off that it doesn't work this soon after I get it back from being fixed and I was only charging at 4 amps so it is not like I was over doing it or anything....


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