Several places sell this 4 bank charger, rebranded. It is only 50 watts, so it wouldn't charge packs for giant scale.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...i_Charger.html


For smaller planes it is really handy to charge more than one at a time. It is also very handy for fuel planes. You could charge two Li-Fe rx packs while charging a nmh ignition battery and a nicad glow driver, for example

HK's nanotech batteries are pretty light for their capacity, and reasonably priced. You might try the same capacity (mah) at a higher discharge rating (higher c rating).

I would get battery connectors from a LHS or Tower or Horizon, though.

A lipo voltage alarm is also nice for electrics. Basically it plugs into the balance plug, and beeps loudly when any cell drops below a voltage you set.

Better than using a timer, because sometimes you fly gently, and sometimes you hammer it a lot. With a beeper, you can land the plane consistently with about 20% battery left, which seems to help them past longer.