Red...any thoughts on the MRC Superbrain 959?  
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All Forums >> Radios, Batteries, Clubhouse and more >> Batteries & Chargers >> Red...any thoughts on the MRC Superbrain 959?
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Red...any thoughts on the MRC Superbrain 959? - 1/29/2002 10:11:24 PM   
Blair



Posts: 63
Joined: 12/3/2001
From: Victoria, BC, CANADA
Status: offline 		Hi guys,

Does anyone have any thoughts on this unit?

I'm looking for a quick and dirty (read cheap) unit for field charging
8 cell Zagi packs from my car.

http://www.modelrec.com/catalog/mrc/index.jsp?cat=147

I know it was reviewed in RCM, I'm just looking for
another opinion.

I love my Alpha 4 but it's too slow for power packs.

Blair
       Post #: 1

Re MRC Superbrain 959 - 2/13/2002 6:43:09 AM   
Daryl Martel



Posts: 595
Joined: 2/10/2002
From: WinnipegManitoba, CANADA
Status: offline 		I just bought one recently. It is truly plug 'n play operation and is very slick in operation. I particularly like the bar graph showing charging progress and the default LED voltage indication. I say default because you can change the screen display to display current output desired, etc. The nice thing about this charger is it has both 120V AC and 12 V DC input, can charge 1 to 8 cells and can also charge the new nickel metal hydride cells (not that I have any, but will probably buy some now).

_____________________________

Spending my daughters inheritance one plane at a time...

(in reply to Blair)
       Post #: 2

Super Brain 959 - 2/13/2002 7:28:42 AM   
Blair



Posts: 63
Joined: 12/3/2001
From: Victoria, BC, CANADA
Status: offline 		Hi Daryl,

Where did you buy it?

Great Hobbies? McCrindle's?

Blair

(in reply to Blair)
       Post #: 3

MRC Superbrain 959 Purchase - 2/13/2002 8:47:41 AM   
Daryl Martel



Posts: 595
Joined: 2/10/2002
From: WinnipegManitoba, CANADA
Status: offline 		Hi Blair - yup, Great Hobbies. $80.00 Canadian, so less than $50.00 U.S. Great price for a great charger. I just can't understand why people are paying so much more for some of these other fancy chargers that don't really offer much more in the way of features or technical merit. MRC lists the introductory suggested retail price on their website as $69.98. I'll be willing to bet that if the product becomes well known, gets a good rep and demand increases that they'll jack the price up. Blair, when I phoned to order mine a few weeks ago they still had a few left. Better hurry! :^) Cheers

_____________________________

Spending my daughters inheritance one plane at a time...

(in reply to Blair)
       Post #: 4

You might take a look at this post. - 2/13/2002 10:44:19 PM   
zero244


 

Posts: 176
Joined: 1/19/2002
From: Mcminnville, OR, USA
Status: offline 		If the price is too good to believe..........

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/Forum3/HTML/000540.html

Im looking for a fast charger myself........im leaning toward a super nova because it will discharge as well as fast charge.


_____________________________

Happy Thermaling !!!

(in reply to Blair)
       Post #: 5

Red...any thoughts on the MRC Superbrain 959? - 2/14/2002 12:16:21 AM   
Blair



Posts: 63
Joined: 12/3/2001
From: Victoria, BC, CANADA
Status: offline 		Thanks for the link Zero!

Looks like I'll be sticking with my Alpha4
for a while longer.

Blair

(in reply to Blair)
       Post #: 6

Red...any thoughts on the MRC Superbrain 959? - 3/31/2002 7:43:05 PM   
jfw432


 

Posts: 5
Joined: 3/26/2002
From: Columbia, SC
Status: offline 		A lot of people seem to think that this charger overheats all the time and people complain that it goes up in smoke on them. I've also heard of people trying to break open the entire unit just to put a mini fan on the inside. Since I don't have a lot of money and I didn't want this charger to screw up, I went out and bought a cheap $5 five inch fan (you know the ones that clip on to the edge of a table). When I turn the charger on, I turn the fan on both the charger and the battery so that they both stay cool and both stay stone cold during the charge (even at a rate of 4.5).

(in reply to Blair)
       Post #: 7

MRC Superbrain 959 - 3/31/2002 9:40:27 PM   
Daryl Martel



Posts: 595
Joined: 2/10/2002
From: WinnipegManitoba, CANADA
Status: offline 		I'm still using mine without any problems. I'm not charging huge packs such as used in electric powered cars and planes, just TX & RX packs from 500 to 1100 mah. I still think this is a heck of a deal for someone looking for a NiCad & Nickel Metal Hydride compatible fast field charger which can also be used at home in the shop. I still slow charge and cycle my batteries once in awhile using an ACE Digipace, but I like to have the ability to fast charge off 110V. It's nice not to have to keep a big 12V battery around for the purpose, or to buy a 12V power supply. Seems like an additional savings to me. I guess it's a heck of a deal only if it doesn't meltdown. I have to wonder, out of the many sold, how many have fried - this is what really matters.

_____________________________

Spending my daughters inheritance one plane at a time...

(in reply to Blair)
       Post #: 8

Re: MRC Superbrain 959 - 4/1/2002 12:51:12 PM   
KeithB



Posts: 533
Joined: 1/6/2002
From: Garland, TX, USA
Status: online 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by Daryl Martel
I have to wonder, out of the many sold, how many have fried - this is what really matters. [/QUOTE]

I also would like to know how many people have had troubles with this charger.

I have had a Super Brain 959 for about three months; I've not used it a great deal, only one to two charges once or twice a week.

It has always been a bit temperamental, but over the last month or so it has become more and more flaky.

Here is what happens. I set the amp setting, 1.0 or 1.5 amps depending on how much of a hurry I'm in, place my battery pack on it (8-cell NiMH, 720 ma), and start the charge process. The problem is that 80% of the time it abruptly ends the charge and the red charging light just goes off. Sometimes this occurs after the battery analysis finishes (initial blinking), sometimes while the analysis is taking place. Sometimes it seems to work fine for several minutes and then just stops charging. When this occurs I re-check the charging amp setting and occasionally it has changed back to 3.0 amps.

At this point it has gotten so bad that I can hardly get a battery to charge at all.

I'll be sending this unit back, but was wondering if anyone else has had similar problems.

Thanks,
Keith

(in reply to Blair)
       Post #: 9

MRC 959 I love it - 4/1/2002 4:39:13 PM   
David Root


 

Posts: 22
Joined: 3/6/2002
From: West Buy Golly Shelby NY
Status: offline 		I have had one for a couple of months. It is awesome. No problems. I have read that they heat up, so I glued a 3" fan to the front of it. It needs the fan when running on 110v charging at 4.5 amps. I have charged 4 3,000 Mah packs in a row then 4 2,000 packs. It doesn't get hot now.

For the problem some people have with undercharging, set the cutoff manually to what ever you need for the pack, and it won't false peak.

I have charged 600 man Nimh up to 3,000 Nimh without any problems. Nicads work great on it too.

I now have an Integy 16 X 5. It has a discharge function. If I set the superbrain right, it charges the batts the same as the 16 X 5.


the plug and play feature is good, but a little over protective of your batts. I charge them at C, with a 10 or 20 Mv setting for Nimh, and a 50 mv setting for nicads. When it sayd the default of 40mv, it is in plug and play mode. If you want 40Mv, you have to change it then go back to 40mv.

The output is about 25% less (amps) than what it says on the charger when hooked up to a 12v power source.

David Root

(in reply to Blair)
       Post #: 10

Red...any thoughts on the MRC Superbrain 959? - 4/1/2002 5:42:17 PM   
bkf



Posts: 1508
Joined: 1/5/2002
From: Rochester, NY, USA
Status: offline 		"They heat up, so I glued a 3" fan to the front of it. It needs the fan when running on 110v
charging at 4.5 amps."

Sounds kind of shakey if YOU have to attach a fan.
Sound design?

"I'll be sending this unit back, but was wondering if anyone else has had similar problems."

"if the product becomes well known, gets a good rep and demand increases that they'll jack the price up."

So much for the good rep and jacking the price up.

(in reply to Blair)
       Post #: 11

959 - 4/1/2002 8:49:33 PM   
David Root


 

Posts: 22
Joined: 3/6/2002
From: West Buy Golly Shelby NY
Status: offline 		Whaddyawant for fifty bucks?

I doubt you can find another that will do as much for the same.

I just like mine, YMMV

Only MY opinion

D. Root

(in reply to Blair)
       Post #: 12

Re: Red...any thoughts on the MRC Superbrain 959? - 4/1/2002 10:02:59 PM   
f2racer



Posts: 1167
Joined: 12/7/2001
From: Bedford, MA, USA
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by Blair
I'm looking for a quick and dirty (read cheap) unit for field charging
8 cell Zagi packs from my car.
[/QUOTE]

I've heard that this charger does very well when operating from DC. I've heard that there are some heat issues if operated using AC. Since you plan on using it as a field charger, I don't think you'll run into any problems.

(in reply to Blair)
       Post #: 13

Bad Rap !!!! - 4/2/2002 10:22:38 AM   
zero244


 

Posts: 176
Joined: 1/19/2002
From: Mcminnville, OR, USA
Status: offline 		I read the article on this charger in RCM mag. The review gave the charger flying colors. When you give someone a piece of equiptment and maybe serveral other items and some money on top of it to do a review.
That review is going to be slanted much of the time.
Ive read many reviews on chargers...........and they are useful for understanding what the item will do.
The review I value most is the one the users give.

Thats why I settled on the Sirius stuff and the Superturbo.

Posts with people having severe problems with a product will turn everyone else away from buying.
You would think the designers would consider this, knowing if the word gets out there product is a piece of junk, its not going sell.

The few short months this charger has been available, it has gotten more bad press than any charger I know of.

Even if they improve it now........I would never risk my batteries or my planes using this charger. It should of been tested and tested and put through the worst it could handle.

The manufacturer knows what the problem is, they just figure they will find enough people who arent aware of the problem to go for the 50 dollar price without a second thought.

These days I figure you have to spend at least 90 plus dollars to get a quality fast charger. The SuperBrain just proved you get what you pay for, and what you paid for with this charger is headaches.

Glueing a fan to a charger is ludicrous, the end user shouldnt have to re-design the product. They should of designed it right to begin with. If your selling a product that has flaws they will surface quickly and come back to haunt you.

Just my 2 cents.


_____________________________

Happy Thermaling !!!

(in reply to Blair)
       Post #: 14

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