AC Lipo Charger

AC Lipo Charger
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AC Lipo Charger - 6/14/2008 12:24:49 AM

Posts: 28
Joined: 8/19/2007
From: New York, NY, USA
Status: offline

Hey you guys.
Well, I've been flying and charging my typhoon 2 3d using my car battery for a while.
Lately instead of getting the 12.6V reading I used to get, I'm getting stuff between 12.3 to 11.8V.
I don't think all my 3 packs had gone old at the same time, and they are pretty well balanced.

So I think, its either the car battery, or the charger.
Even if it is the car battery, thats a sign for me to switch to a "non-car-charging" which means something to do with AC.
A husky jump start could work, but way not get a good AC charger and forget all about the Parkzone charger?

I used to use a friend's Ultra vision (?), but I'm looking for something cheaper. Do you have any other suggestions?

Thanks.

RE: AC Lipo Charger - 6/14/2008 9:58:36 PM

Posts: 482
Joined: 3/15/2007
From: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Status: offline

iMax B5 Hobby-Lobby ~
http://www.hobby-lobby.com/chargers_lipoly.htm
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=783164
http://www.hobby-lobby.com/powersupply.htm

Lipo Cell Monitor for Field Use (checking bounce back, and amount of cell imbalance) ~
http://www.commonsenserc.com/product_info.php?cPath=45&products_id=548
Balance Pro-Lipo Cell Balancer and Voltage Tester
http://www.commonsenserc.com/product_info.php?cPath=45&products_id=549

< Message edited by Swift427 -- 6/14/2008 10:56:09 PM >

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(in reply to gil_mor)

RE: AC Lipo Charger - 6/14/2008 11:13:23 PM

Posts: 28
Joined: 8/19/2007
From: New York, NY, USA
Status: offline

Thanks! these are all nice and good, but can they plug to an AC power source (i.e charge at home)?

(in reply to Swift427)

RE: AC Lipo Charger - 6/15/2008 1:55:37 AM

Posts: 482
Joined: 3/15/2007
From: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Status: offline

Your car alternator should put out 14-15 amps when charging your car's 12v battery.
Do you have a multimeter(voltmeter) to check your car battery voltage.

You need to buy a DC power supply (preferrably at least 15 amp) to adapt these chargers to 110v AC.
http://www.hobby-lobby.com/powersupply.htm

This works good for monitoring each cell's charge/discharge voltage and bounce back voltage in the field, car or home.
http://www.commonsenserc.com/product_info.php?cPath=45&products_id=548

This works good for Lipos with the Vision Peak Charger and others that don't incorporate a balancer.
http://www.commonsenserc.com/product_info.php?cPath=45&products_id=549

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Never Give Up, Never Slow Down, Never Grow Old, and Never Ever Die Young

(in reply to gil_mor)

RE: AC Lipo Charger - 6/15/2008 2:35:09 AM

Posts: 28
Joined: 8/19/2007
From: New York, NY, USA
Status: offline

Thanks Swift427.
I'm not going to buy an AC-DC thing, either I'll find a good AC charger, or I'll get myself a 12V battery.
Will check the car soon.

Nobody know a good AC charger?! Am I posting in the wrong form?

(in reply to Swift427)

RE: AC Lipo Charger - 6/15/2008 11:16:40 PM

Posts: 1240
Joined: 12/7/2004
From: Napoleon, OH, USA
Status: offline

You might have better luck in the E-Flight Power Sources forum.

On the other hand, there aren't a great number of AC-powered chargers around. For charging at home, most of us use a 12V charger powered with a suitable power supply. A good power supply will provide power for your present charger and any future 12V chargers you might own.

- Jeff

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My other hobby: www.AstronomyBoy.com

(in reply to gil_mor)

RE: AC Lipo Charger - 6/16/2008 5:12:08 PM

Leo L

Posts: 728
Joined: 10/12/2005
From: Flushing, NY, USA
Status: offline

Although the Vision Peak Ultra is a bit pricy, if you intend to stay with this hobby its a great investment.
http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=DYN4053

(in reply to jdetray)

RE: AC Lipo Charger - 6/16/2008 6:26:28 PM

-pkh-

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Joined: 5/28/2004
From: Emmaus, PA, USA
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: gil_mor

Thanks Swift427.
I'm not going to buy an AC-DC thing, either I'll find a good AC charger, or I'll get myself a 12V battery.
Will check the car soon.

Nobody know a good AC charger?! Am I posting in the wrong form?

You'll almost certainly have to buy an "AC-DC thing", since all chargers require DC, and they will all require an AC to DC converter or power supply to plug them into the wall. All the good chargers I've seen (especially LiPo compatible chargers) have a separate AC/DC power supply from the main charger unit. Some will actually come with a 5-7amp power supply (still separate from the charger unit), but most don't, and require you to buy one separately.

The only chargers I've seen that integrate the AC/DC power supply with the charger are NiMH/NiCd chargers meant for charging car battery packs. What sucks about this type of integrated unit is you have to lug the heavy built-in supply around inside the charger, even when you just want to bring it out to the track/field to charge your packs off of your car battery. With a separate AC/DC supply, you can leave the supply at home and just bring the charger with you for field charging.

Another benefit of having a separate power supply is the ability to use multiple chargers on a single power supply. Invest in one good quality switching power supply, and you can run several chargers off of it at one time (assuming it puts out enough current for the charge rates that you have set).

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(in reply to gil_mor)

RE: AC Lipo Charger - 6/17/2008 5:58:05 AM

Posts: 28
Joined: 8/19/2007
From: New York, NY, USA
Status: offline

Thanks for the replays.
I used to use a computer power supply, and it was nice.
I think that will have to be my next (10 minutes) project, once I'll find a computer no one needs.

I'm not going to pay $90 for the Vision Peak Ultra, I used to use it, and it didn't fully charge my TP packs, all other chargers did...

My car battery shows 12.5V so i think the problem is with the Park-zone charger...

(in reply to -pkh-)

RE: AC Lipo Charger - 6/23/2008 3:10:47 PM

Posts: 177
Joined: 12/21/2006
From: FLINT, MI, USA
Status: online

I have the Vision Peak Ultra and have a Eflite CX2 with the 7.4v 800 mah Li-Po. The Ultra does NOT balance the Li-Po's!!! I have read on another post this is a problem and was advised to get a Li-Po balancer. I have two of the batteries and have noticed a significant decrease in power on one of em. I am thinking I have damaged it by using my Ultra to charge it??? Wish I would have bought a charger that balanced Li-Po's, not thrilled about shelling out more money. Thought I had every battery covered when I bought it...

(in reply to Leo L)

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