New Super Turbo vs Super Nova 250S
01-23-2002, 12:54 AM
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New Super Turbo vs Super Nova 250S
I have both chargers and did a comparison of the 2 using a 5 cell 2700 nimh battery. For nicd use, I found the chargers to be very similiar.
Background:
I took a new 5 cell nimh 2700 battery and charged it on a C/10 charge on my Alpha 4 and the cycled it at 1 amp on my Alpha 4 and the battery cycled to 3113. The battery was again charged on the Alpha 4 with a C/10 charge.
I then cycled the battery on the Super Turbo with a 1 amp discharge and the pack cycled to 2750. It was then peak charged at 1 amp on the Super Turbo which put 2900 back into the battery.
I then discharged the battery some and recharged on the Alpha 4 at a C/10 charge.
I then cycled the battery on the Super Nova 250S with a 1 amp discharge which cycled to 2600. The battery was peak charged on the Super Nova which put 2650 pack into the battery.
Variances:
Possible explanations are that the cut off voltages for the 3 chargers are different. The lower the cut off voltage the deeper the cycle. The Alpha 4 is being used as my constant and has been 100% reliable.
The Super Turbo has a user adjustable Millivolt cut off setting for nicd and nimh batteries. This will allow the charger to better peak charge the batteries by controlling the cut off. I attribute this to the better charge the Super Turbo did on the battery over the Super Nova.
Conclusion:
The Super Nova 250S is a great charger and even at $128.00 I find it a great value in what you get. The Super Turbo is the 2nd generation of the charger and has been refined. I also found the Super Turbo easier to program and more flexible overall. At a price of $106.00, $22.00 less than the Super Nova, it makes a great value into a great bargain.
Background:
I took a new 5 cell nimh 2700 battery and charged it on a C/10 charge on my Alpha 4 and the cycled it at 1 amp on my Alpha 4 and the battery cycled to 3113. The battery was again charged on the Alpha 4 with a C/10 charge.
I then cycled the battery on the Super Turbo with a 1 amp discharge and the pack cycled to 2750. It was then peak charged at 1 amp on the Super Turbo which put 2900 back into the battery.
I then discharged the battery some and recharged on the Alpha 4 at a C/10 charge.
I then cycled the battery on the Super Nova 250S with a 1 amp discharge which cycled to 2600. The battery was peak charged on the Super Nova which put 2650 pack into the battery.
Variances:
Possible explanations are that the cut off voltages for the 3 chargers are different. The lower the cut off voltage the deeper the cycle. The Alpha 4 is being used as my constant and has been 100% reliable.
The Super Turbo has a user adjustable Millivolt cut off setting for nicd and nimh batteries. This will allow the charger to better peak charge the batteries by controlling the cut off. I attribute this to the better charge the Super Turbo did on the battery over the Super Nova.
Conclusion:
The Super Nova 250S is a great charger and even at $128.00 I find it a great value in what you get. The Super Turbo is the 2nd generation of the charger and has been refined. I also found the Super Turbo easier to program and more flexible overall. At a price of $106.00, $22.00 less than the Super Nova, it makes a great value into a great bargain.
01-23-2002, 07:12 AM
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chargers
I do not have the Turbo but currently using the 250s, Does the Turbo have a all aluminium heat sink case like the 250s? does it have a profile for Lead acid ? Thanks for the Help .
01-24-2002, 05:36 AM
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New Super Turbo vs Super Nova 250S
Also the case is just bent aluminum which might or might not sit level, vs. the nice heavy duty case of the SuperNova.
Despite saying it has 10 programmable slots it really only has 9, one is dedicated to auto charging.
While the ability to change the peak detection change is nice, personally I think it is just one more thing that is going to cause people problems.
There has also been at least one report where trying to program M9 results in the software hanging and the buttons becoming inoperative. You can check the thread at EZone.
I received one Super Turbo with warped case and stuck buttons. The replacement with a bent case.
Also I personally prefer being able to tell the machine the # of cells in the pack, or if it gets it wrong to be able to correct it (like the Orbit V6). I also have a personal preference to being able to tell the machine and have displayed the pack capacity and # of cells, like the SuperNova does as it is certainly easier to pick out vs. M1, M2, M3, etc.
That having been said, the charger does work and certainly has an attractive price. For me though I kept the SuperNova and got the Orbit V6 after returning the Super Turbo.
Despite saying it has 10 programmable slots it really only has 9, one is dedicated to auto charging.
While the ability to change the peak detection change is nice, personally I think it is just one more thing that is going to cause people problems.
There has also been at least one report where trying to program M9 results in the software hanging and the buttons becoming inoperative. You can check the thread at EZone.
I received one Super Turbo with warped case and stuck buttons. The replacement with a bent case.
Also I personally prefer being able to tell the machine the # of cells in the pack, or if it gets it wrong to be able to correct it (like the Orbit V6). I also have a personal preference to being able to tell the machine and have displayed the pack capacity and # of cells, like the SuperNova does as it is certainly easier to pick out vs. M1, M2, M3, etc.
That having been said, the charger does work and certainly has an attractive price. For me though I kept the SuperNova and got the Orbit V6 after returning the Super Turbo.
01-24-2002, 02:33 PM
#5
New Super Turbo vs Super Nova 250S
GBR2,
It sounds like you got damaged case superturbo's. Never the less I think the turbo outshines the nova as a charger. Some of your comments about the turbo seem a little strange. I have certainly not found that to be the case.
"Also I personally prefer being able to tell the machine the # of cells in the pack, or if it gets it wrong to be able to correct it (like the Orbit V6). I also have a personal preference to being able to tell the machine and have displayed the pack capacity and # of cells, like the SuperNova does as it is certainly easier to pick out vs. M1, M2, M3, etc."
Along with M1, M2, M3 etc, the turbo tells you, the type of cells your charging (NiHMS,Nicads) The charge rate, the discharge rate, the max charge allowed (ie, the size or your pack + 10%). The only thing it doesn't tell you is the useless information like the number of cells, & the pack capacity. I already know the size and number of cells my packs have. The ability to set the number of cells is as much a bad thing as a good thing. If the turbo measured 3-cells on a 4-cell pack, for instance, I would be much more inclined to believe I have a bad cell, and would not fly the pack. If you selected 4 cells and charged this pack, I would hope the pack is for an RC car.
It sounds like you got damaged case superturbo's. Never the less I think the turbo outshines the nova as a charger. Some of your comments about the turbo seem a little strange. I have certainly not found that to be the case.
"Also I personally prefer being able to tell the machine the # of cells in the pack, or if it gets it wrong to be able to correct it (like the Orbit V6). I also have a personal preference to being able to tell the machine and have displayed the pack capacity and # of cells, like the SuperNova does as it is certainly easier to pick out vs. M1, M2, M3, etc."
Along with M1, M2, M3 etc, the turbo tells you, the type of cells your charging (NiHMS,Nicads) The charge rate, the discharge rate, the max charge allowed (ie, the size or your pack + 10%). The only thing it doesn't tell you is the useless information like the number of cells, & the pack capacity. I already know the size and number of cells my packs have. The ability to set the number of cells is as much a bad thing as a good thing. If the turbo measured 3-cells on a 4-cell pack, for instance, I would be much more inclined to believe I have a bad cell, and would not fly the pack. If you selected 4 cells and charged this pack, I would hope the pack is for an RC car.
01-25-2002, 05:28 AM
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New Super Turbo vs Super Nova 250S
SuperNova does tell you if it is Nicad or NimH, does tell you the charge rate, does tell you the discharge rate but no it doesn't tell you the max charge allowed as it does not have that feature.
However, displaying the number of cells and the pack capacity I don't consider useless information. Lets say you have 6 packs that you programmed into the Super Turbo, you either have to label all the packs M1, M2 or write up a chart of which is which or keep it all in your head. None of this is particularly difficult but I find it much easier to just go down the list with a button till you get to the listing that displays the # of cells and pack capacity which matches the pack you want to charge/discharge. I also did say it was personal preference.
As to automatically detecting the number of cells. If you hook a 4 cell pack with one bad cell, it doesn't mean the charger will say "Whoa, bad pack" it might just think it is a 3 cell pack and charge/discharge accordingly. With the Orbit V6 for instance, the charger can also automatically determine and display the number of cells but sometime, just sometimes it gets it wrong. You have the option to stop and see if there is something wrong with the pack or if you know the pack is good and the machine just got it wrong, then you can manually adjust the number of cells displayed to the correct number.
Basically the Turbo works fine, I just find some of its displays to be less user friendly than the SuperNova or the equivalent one that Dymond had. Again personal preference.
There is also the possible programming bug with M9 as reported on EZone. When programming it, the programming buttons became inoperable. Again this was just a report by one person but it happened to 2 separate units he got. So that is something else to consider when deciding whether to purchase this charger or not.
Lots of people have been happy with the charger and that's fine, but it has limitations like any other product. Whether to accept the limitations is once again an individuals choice.
However, displaying the number of cells and the pack capacity I don't consider useless information. Lets say you have 6 packs that you programmed into the Super Turbo, you either have to label all the packs M1, M2 or write up a chart of which is which or keep it all in your head. None of this is particularly difficult but I find it much easier to just go down the list with a button till you get to the listing that displays the # of cells and pack capacity which matches the pack you want to charge/discharge. I also did say it was personal preference.
As to automatically detecting the number of cells. If you hook a 4 cell pack with one bad cell, it doesn't mean the charger will say "Whoa, bad pack" it might just think it is a 3 cell pack and charge/discharge accordingly. With the Orbit V6 for instance, the charger can also automatically determine and display the number of cells but sometime, just sometimes it gets it wrong. You have the option to stop and see if there is something wrong with the pack or if you know the pack is good and the machine just got it wrong, then you can manually adjust the number of cells displayed to the correct number.
Basically the Turbo works fine, I just find some of its displays to be less user friendly than the SuperNova or the equivalent one that Dymond had. Again personal preference.
There is also the possible programming bug with M9 as reported on EZone. When programming it, the programming buttons became inoperable. Again this was just a report by one person but it happened to 2 separate units he got. So that is something else to consider when deciding whether to purchase this charger or not.
Lots of people have been happy with the charger and that's fine, but it has limitations like any other product. Whether to accept the limitations is once again an individuals choice.
