Which LiPo Charger? (Full Version)

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Chumpy1 -> Which LiPo Charger? (9/10/2006 8:56:05 PM)

Hi
Which charger should I buy for charging and balancing the LiPo's for my TRex??

Thanks



scottsr -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/10/2006 11:48:55 PM)

I think the best all around charger is the schulze isl 6-330d . It will charge up to 11 cell LiPo 30 cell Ni-Cd or NI-MH all at and up to 5 amps . This is one that you won't grow out of . The balancer , just get the one that fits your battery type . Hope this Helps . Happy Flying . [:D][:D]



Nankin Hobby -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/11/2006 5:07:34 AM)

the schulze is a great charger....but not many can afford the price.

Id like to see the $900 charger beat my 25 min charge times on the TP1010C charger. I can do three batteries in the time it takes all other chargers at 1C. Not bad when you are in a hurry ;)



Chumpy1 -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/11/2006 9:32:42 AM)

Thanks for the replies.

Are these chargers much better than the Align Lipo charger / balancer?? (sorry if thats a dumb question)

Also, can you add a balancer to any charger??

Thanks

quote:

ORIGINAL: Nankin Hobby

the schulze is a great charger....but not many can afford the price.

Id like to see the $900 charger beat my 25 min charge times on the TP1010C charger. I can do three batteries in the time it takes all other chargers at 1C. Not bad when you are in a hurry ;)




scottsr -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/11/2006 3:25:54 PM)

Man where did you get that it cost $900.00 for the isl6-330-d it's under $200.00 where do live your looking at that top of the line one that's not the one I was talking about . At least get it right before you bash it down .[:D]



scottsr -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/11/2006 3:28:42 PM)

Also how many cells lipo can that 1010 charge and at what amp ? [8D]



scottsr -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/11/2006 3:39:53 PM)

I may have to concede this one . I went and looked at the specs for the 1010 they both cost the same they both charge @ the same , I don't know how easy the 1010 is to program the 6-330 is a bit hard to get used to . So I would have to lean to the 1010 I don't want to put you on a difficult charger so if that 1010 is easy to program or at least any you don't have a 35 page instruction book go with the 1010 . that is a better charger .[:)]



Nankin Hobby -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/11/2006 6:31:22 PM)

I know the one you were talking about was 200ish....i was making a joke at their rediculous 900 model that they have that all the top companies in the industry love to use. The 1010C is a piece of cake to program. I havent even taken the manual out of the box. Its simple....straight forward and works great. Like i said....i dont know of another setup to do lipos in under 30 mins. (as long as the lipo is under 3400 MAH)



tnd2000 -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/11/2006 6:46:38 PM)

You do not need the top end chargers unless it is your intention to charge the lipos at greater then 1C.
Since your Trex's lipo is in the 2000mA range, any lipo balancing charger at 2000mA will do just fine.
Any charger rated less then the mA rating of your lipo will work too. But if you get a charger at 1/2C then it will take 2 hours to charge which means you'll be waiting 2 hours between flights while you're at the field.



scottsr -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/11/2006 8:01:40 PM)

I don't quite get what your saying but if I had to wait 2 hours between packs that's kinda long don't you think . The schulze will basically charge any in a hour . it will charge at 5 amps or 5c what ever is the difference . but it will charge the big packs fairly quick . Maybe I was quick to change my opinion ? [8|]



zackesch -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/11/2006 8:32:07 PM)

i have the multiplex multi charge and i never had any issues with it. the triton jr is a knock off of it.



tnd2000 -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/12/2006 5:57:11 PM)

What I mean is you should buy a charge that can charge at 1C not more and not less since lipo should not be charged at more then 1C. If you get a charger that charges at 1/2C then it will take 2 hours to charge.

So I'm at the field with my lipo and 1C charger. I fly my 15 minutes and then have to charge wait 1 hour for my battery to charge before I can fly again. If it was a 1/2C charger, I'd have to wait 2 hours.

Please note this is not relavent if you are using NiCads since it's quite safe to charge them at 4C or higher.



credence -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/12/2006 7:03:45 PM)

I think what we're talking about here is the difference in the amperage a charger is able to put out when charging lithium packs. Most standard lithium chargers for park flyers have a maximum output of 2.5 amps for lithium batteries. Which means that in order to get 1 hour charge times, the largest capacity battery you could charge is a 2500 mAh pack. If, for example, you want to charge a 5000 mAh pack, it would take 2 hours instead of 1 since the maximum rate your charger will allow you to charge that lithium pack at is 2.5 amps (exactly 1/2C in this case of 5000 mAh or 5 Amps).

A more capable charger would let you increase your amperage to match the batteries output (in this case 5000 mAh, or 5 amps). So now you can get a 1 hour charge rate on your 5000 mAh battery charging at 5 amps, rather than being limited to 2 hours at 2.5 amps.


Unless you plan on flying large scale electric models that require high capacity packs, a 2.5 amp output will serve you just fine.

quote:

You do not need the top end chargers unless it is your intention to charge the lipos at greater then 1C.
Since your Trex's lipo is in the 2000mA range, any lipo balancing charger at 2000mA will do just fine.


I don't understand what it is you're saying here. How is a better charger going to allow you to raise the C rating the battery can be charged at? Lithium batteries should NEVER be charged at more than a 1C rating as a restriction of their composition. Charging at high rates results in thermal runaway on most packs.
The only lithium cells I know of that CAN be charged at higher than 1C are the emoli cells, but they aren't typical lithium cells to begin with.



scottsr -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/12/2006 8:43:57 PM)

I don't know what you fly but I have 4S4P that I don't want to wait 2 hours for at 2.5 I will set it at 4amps amps go .



credence -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/12/2006 9:10:19 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: scottsr

I don't know what you fly but I have 4S4P that I don't want to wait 2 hours for at 2.5 I will set it at 4amps amps go .


I was referring to tnd2000's post and the context of this original post. If the t-rex is the largest model you fly, then a regular charger like the triton or similar would be just fine.


If you fly larger models and require larger capacity batteries, then get something more capable to keep your charge times down.



scottsr -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/12/2006 9:20:01 PM)

OK I see what you were getting at . But why still wouldn't you get a bigger one so if you go bigger you have the stuff to already instead of having to dish for another charger the bigger like the 1010 can't be that much more . Just saying [:D]



Chumpy1 -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/12/2006 9:32:09 PM)

Thanks to everyone that has replied.

I'm leaning towards the Triton. I think it looks pretty cool, has a good spec, and seems to do everything I need to do now.

Does it cut me off, from expanding to a larger elec model later?? (ie. what won't it do, which I may need on a larger model?)

Thanks


quote:

ORIGINAL: credence

quote:

ORIGINAL: scottsr

I don't know what you fly but I have 4S4P that I don't want to wait 2 hours for at 2.5 I will set it at 4amps amps go .


I was referring to tnd2000's post and the context of this original post. If the t-rex is the largest model you fly, then a regular charger like the triton or similar would be just fine.


If you fly larger models and require larger capacity batteries, then get something more capable to keep your charge times down.




credence -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/12/2006 9:33:17 PM)

Yup, you're right, if you've got the money, it's a good idea to dish out for something more capable so you don't need to purchase multiple chargers.

But alot of guys like to stick to smaller models, so a big expensive charger is not nescesary. Just comes down to personal preference :).

The Triton won't restrict you in any way aside from charge times and, of course, cell count. The triton will only do a 4 cell lipo. If you fly very large models (like 60 or 90 size nitro to electric converts that operate on 10 or 12 cells) you need a dedicated charger for that.

Alot of guys stick with their smaller chargers and use packs in series for their bigger models. I fly a t-rex 600 with two 3S2P 4400 mAh batteries connected in series to create 6S4P. Most bigger electric models are designed with this kind of setup in mind (room to mount two packs on the frame are usually available) so the triton in most cases is adequate.

I'm limited to 2.5 amps of course, so my 4400 mAh batteries take a bit longer to charge than i'd like, but it doesn't bug me at all. Choose whatever you think will suit your needs best.

If you think you'll be moving to bigger models, it would be more cost effective for you to get something more capable right off the start. If you're gonna stick with smaller birds like the t-rex, or even move up a bit bigger to .30 size birds, the triton is more than adequate, as are most other lithium chargers. If you're going to go to setups that will require 8 cells or more, get something better.



Nankin Hobby -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/12/2006 9:59:06 PM)

Heck if you are going to lean to a triton.....get the Ice by duratrax. Same price....and is 10x easier to program......and has more features..... Ive had both and used them both at the shop. I went with the ice for the past year plus and its been flawless. GO with the ICE over the trition...u will thank yourself



Chumpy1 -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/12/2006 11:11:18 PM)

Thanks for the reply.

I'm taking a look at the ICE, having never heard of it before.
It looks a nice product.
Has anyone very favoured an ICE above the Triton before?? Anyone recommend something else??

Also, can anyone recommend a balancer for use?

Thanks

quote:

ORIGINAL: Nankin Hobby

Heck if you are going to lean to a triton.....get the Ice by duratrax. Same price....and is 10x easier to program......and has more features..... Ive had both and used them both at the shop. I went with the ice for the past year plus and its been flawless. GO with the ICE over the trition...u will thank yourself




Nankin Hobby -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/13/2006 1:55:44 AM)

I favor the ICE over the trition....and so does dozens of customers.

Use Thunderpower Cells with thier 205/210 balancer. Proven combination for me for over two years.



dryker -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/13/2006 8:08:26 AM)

I have a Triton and love it. Haven't used an ICE, but it sounds nice as well.

I am planning to buy the Equinox balancer.

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXMGS7&P=ML

Dale



Chumpy1 -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/13/2006 8:46:56 AM)

Thanks for the info.

Is there something the ICE will do that the Triton won't?? or vice versa??
Or is it purely a matter of choice based on how they look?

Thanks


quote:

ORIGINAL: Nankin Hobby

I favor the ICE over the trition....and so does dozens of customers.

Use Thunderpower Cells with thier 205/210 balancer. Proven combination for me for over two years.




Nankin Hobby -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/13/2006 5:59:53 PM)

ICE

The ice charges at a higher rate than the Ice. It has up to an 8 amp charge rate. So if you are doing larger lithiums , ect you wont be there all day. It has a motor run feature so you can check amp draw....break in motors...run comm lathes....and much more...ect. It has a higher discharge rate (up to 10 amps) the slower discharge on the trition can be bad. Too slow is not good for many types of cells. It has 4 different charge modes....that top the tritons one.

The triton does more cells 1-24 as opposed to the ice's 1-10. Also the triton charges lead acid batteries. As long as you not doing either one of those.....its not worth getting. Its harder to program for inexperienced users



ultraviolet -> RE: Which LiPo Charger? (9/13/2006 7:28:39 PM)

I thought the ICE was geared toward the RC car guys with NiCad batteries.

I am running 2 FMA Direct Cellpro 4S chargers ( $70 ea ). The Cellpro is
a true active balancing charger that can charge up to 4 lipo cells at 3 amps.
This baby will autocharge a typical 2100mah rex lipo at 1.4C. Charge time
is 40min. Autocharge can also be set for 1C charge rate. The Cellpro balances
my lipo's perfectly, every time.

http://www.fmadirect.com/Detail.htm?item=2116§ion=45

Form, Function, and darn good price.

[8D]



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