Anyone familiar with the Super Brain 959 charger. [link]http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXAVN1&P=ML[/link] Just wondering if it is a good home / field charger before I go out and get one. THanks

Excellent charger, but it has a few limitations. It will only charge one battery at a time. It doesn't discharge. It won't do Li-Po's. The description claims it will charge one cell (glow driver) but you need an in-line resister that doesn't come with the charger, (supplied by MRC at no cost if you call them). Although twice the cost, you may want to consider the MRC Super Brain 969. It does all of the above and will charge two packs at the same time. I own both of them.

I agree with Stick Jammer. I bought the 959 thinking I would never move beyond Ni Cad and NIMH batteries. Wrong!! I ended up getting a LI-poly and that was that. I got the Hobbico MK II charger that will charge two packs, including the Li poly batteries, as well as charging a singe cell glow starter battery.

The 959 has plenty of monitoring info in the LCD screen, is both DC and AC powered. For basic charging, it does a great job. I'm going to keep mine for at-home charging of NiCad's and use the MK II for the Li Poly and field charging.

yea AWESOME charger iv never had a problem with mine and still use it today (year old)

no doubt about it one of the best chargers for a lower price

Thanks for the replies. I just ordered the 969 from Tower hobbies.

I hope you aren't planning to get into lithium polymer batteries. If you are, you will need to buy another charger in order to use them safely. Unless MRC has installed a firmware upgrade, the 969 cannot "safely" charge lithium batteries. That said, I have a 959 I have used for a few years now, and for nimh/nicd, it's great.

Not true. Mine charges them just fine but you have to set the values correctly and supervise it. IMO you shouldn't charge any Li-Po unattended no matter what brand of charger you are using.

I have had my superbrain 959 for 4 years now. It charges nicads and nimh's just fine!!! Good charger if you only charge 7 or 8 cells since the voltage limit is 9.6 volts.

Dave...

Stick Jammer, no disrespect intended, perhaps you're braver than most, but you're the only person I've come across who is comfortable using the 969 for Li-Pos. I never charge mine unattended either (nimh/nicd shouldn't be left unattended while charging either). Check these links:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_17...tm.htm#1789170
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_16...tm.htm#1658727
and especially this one:
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_11...tm.htm#1179123

All I can say is that I've had no problem charging a 1320 mAh 3-cell Li-Po with mine. I do a slow charge at .5 or .6 amps and monitor the voltage, the pack never warms past room temperature and the charging amp rate will start to drop as the pack gets full. I think the problem some are having with the 969 for Li-Po's comes from setting the charge rate too high and/or not watching the voltage. Maybe it's not as foolproof as some of the other Li-Po chargers but I wouldn't completely trust any charger for Li-Po's enough to leave it unattended. Charging a Li-Po anywhere it can start a fire (like under the hood of your car ) isn't a good idea. Charging them while in the plane isn't either. I think this is another area of the hobby that some might take for granted and you simply can't do that with Li-Po's.

Well, At this point all I'm going to be using it for is charging Nicads and Nimh batteries.

All those links seem to point to is a bunch of people who are recycling information from other people. Much heresay, very little fact.

Have it your way. I'm not going to waste my time arguing with you. If you spend the time to read the FAQs about batteries in general and the peculiarities of working with each battery chemistry you will find that the 969 does not charge lithium batteries in the manner they were designed for. Read the manual for the 969 (I have done so in the LHS) and read up on the charging method for lithium type batteries and tell me you come up with a different conclusion. Regardless, if the user doesn't intend to charge lithium batteries with the 969, it's a moot point.

The fact is you are arguing. I did not even say which side of the argument I was on. What I said is the links you provided are little more than "so and so said such and such about the 969...". Your statement "the 969 cannot "safely" charge lithium batteries" appears to be largely based on the recycled information you cited. People who are looking for the plug and play simplicity they are used to with nicads or nimh batteries should not buy lithium. They require more knowledge and much more monitoring.

At least one person has told you how he uses this charger to "safely" charge lithium batteries. While it may not be ideal, and others can do a better job, with conservative settings, and a good understanding of how to charge lithium batteries, it does fine.

Have you read the manual? As I said above, I have. The method described will at best result in undercharged batteries, and at worst result in a fire. The simple fact is, everyone, including hobby shop owners, is pushing lithium batteries on hobbyists without fully understanding them. So, a charger using a guess and hope method of charging should not be advertised. most hobby shop owners don't know enough to recommend new flyers to stay away from these batteries, and many flyers tell newbies to go straight to lithium batteries. Anyway, this was not the intended subject of this thread, so I will say no more on the matter.

Well, the manual recommends charging Li-Po's at no more than the 1/2C rate which is correct for this charger. It also states that a capacity charge should be applied. If you follow those two rules it would be next to impossible to create a hazardous situation with an undamaged battery. If you fly the battery until it's obviously nearly drained, a capacity charge is easy to do at the 1/2C rate. You can also discharge the pack first if there's any doubt as to how much you should put back in. As I said before, I can only go by what I have experienced with the 969 and it has worked and continues to work for me.

Yes Matt, I have read the manual. Several times. I downloaded it from the MRC site a while ago so I could decide which charger I wanted. This gave me plenty of time to study it. Much more time than someone just glancing at it in a hobby shop. If you think about how these batteries are used, as power for motors rather than receivers, you would realize that MOST of they time they will be in a discharged state before they are recharged.

The problem of a lack of information given by hobby shops to people who are new to lipos is not a problem with the charger, it's a problem with the hobby shop. It seems you have misplaced blame.

This may not have been the original topic of this thread. Someone suggested that an advantage the 969 has over the 959 is that it would charge lithium. That was a good addition because it helps people think about what they might do in the future. You jumped in and contradicted that statement. Now you've got yourself all worked up because people disagree with you.

As a note - The latest copies of the instructions and warnings included with all Thunder Power LiPo batteries specifically state: DO NOT USE the Super Brain 969 charger.

I used to run the service center for Thunder Power (Ive since moved to marketing and promotions). When the 969 first came out, we received dozens of packs ruined due to overcharge by the falsely advertised ability of this charger to safely charge LiPo packs. After further evaluation, it was found that the Super Brain does not feature a "constant current / constant voltage" method for charging LiPos. It expects the user to "guess" how much capacity is left in their packs, then charge what they "think" the pack needs. If at any time the person was to guess wrong, the pack would typically swell from overcharge. Worse yet however, the pack could vent and cause fires.

Capacity charging is one of the most unsafe ways to charge a LiPo pack. Regardless of whether you monitor the charge like a hawk or not, the damage is already being done. I would suggest anyone using the 969 to charge their LiPos, even if it has appeared to work fine, purchases a proper LiPo capable charger.

The safety of yourself and your family is at risk, and its simply not worth it.

If anyone would like to read more on this topic, here is another source as well:

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...hreadid=156352

Use of the MRC 969 for lithium is asking for trouble, sooner or later you are going to get into trouble using a charger with absolutely no charge control in the lithium mode. You will be called away to the phone, someone rings your door bell, you fall asleep watching the voltage, . . . YOU WILL GET BITTEN! Now if you chose to ignore this, you could have saved a lot of money and used what ever charger you may have including your wall warts to charge lithium as long as you are going to monitor the voltage - you will get essentially the same results eventually.

BANG

BURN

I did a complete review of this charger and posted the original warning. I have never encountered another charger that was out and out just dangerous to use as this one is - by a beginner or an "expert". True, you can create an ugly incident with most any lithium charger, but you have to work a little to do it. The MRC 969 will do it automatically for you.

Well, I for one don't ever to use the LiPoly batteries for anything but can say that for charging my NiCad batteries it has exceeded my expectations. VERY NICE!

Like I said regarding the 959 in post #6, for nicad and nimh, it's great! After all the debate, the important thing is that you are satisfied with your purchase. My intent in participating in this thread was to help you out, not to be attacked or accused of being "all worked up" over a disagreement--as long as you're informed and happy, I'm happy. I'm glad to see this has a happy ending.

Everyone has waded through the pros and cons of the MRC 969. Here is the review done on it at the Battery Clinic. Take it for what its worth.

Model Rectifier Super Brain 969
Reviewer: C. Scholefield – Red’s R/C Battery Clinic.

This charger has an ability to deliver 4.5 amps per channel* when using DC input. The Supplied AC adapter does not have the capability of charging at these rates.
*See operating manual for limits.
You can charge two batteries of different voltages or types simultaneously, or charge one battery while discharging another. The 969 has a variety of charge settings.
· AC/DC delta peak charger. With AC Adapter combine charge current cannot be greater than 5 amps.
· Dual independent outputs for added versatility. Discharge on channel A only.
· LCD screen shows: battery voltage, charge rate, peak threshold, capacity, number of cells in pack & elapsed time. Screen may be toggled between channels.
· Charges NiCd, NiMH, Li & Pb batteries. WARNING – Lithium charging is uncontrolled constant current – NO VOLTAGE LIMIT – Unattended charging of lithium battery can result in explosion and/or fire!
·Lead Acid charging is also constant current with no voltage clamp. Charging rates must be no greater than C/20 if the charger is operated unattended or the battery can suffer considerable damage.
· For 1~8 cells (Ni-Cd & Ni-MH) Note: Per the instruction manual; to charge 7 or 8 cells a higher voltage than the 12 Volt DC input is required as there is no up converter capability in the charger. The upper voltage limit for charging 7 & 8 cell packs is not specified.
· Selectable charge rate with 0.1 amp increments
· Selectable delta peak voltage thresholds in 5mV increments.
· Selectable maximum Charge Input. Default 1700 mAh – must be reset each time charger is connected to power source if different charge inputs are desired.· Selectable maximum Charge Time. Default 40 minutes – must be reset each time charger is connected to power source if different charge times are desired.
· Cooling fan – automatic.
· 12-bit Analog-to-Digital converter.
· Digital Signal Processing.
· Accuracy of voltage/current settings is adequate for this type of device.

Price $119.95 Discounted to $99.99 includes AC adapter.
The unit appears well constructed in a black metal case. Connections to the power source are via a non standard connector to the charger and alligator clips for connecting to a DC source other than the supplied AC adapter. Connections to the battery are provided by banana jacks for channel A and a pig tail with Tamia type connector for channel B. Note: The unit received for test from an independent source may have had this added.

One must unplug the unit to reset the charge or discharge parameters. The unit defaults to 3.0 amp charge/discharge and must be reset if other rates are desired.

Discharge display is lost if stop button is pressed.

AC Power adapter provided seems to go inactive if it is plugged into the unit at the same time a battery is connected. It resets after some time. The unit also works from a 12-volt DC source.

Other annoying feature is that the defaults that must be reset each time by first disconnecting the power source as well as the battery under test. It terminates charge after 1700 mAh are input or upon peak, whichever occurs first. Likewise it terminates charge after 40 minutes or upon detecting a peak, again which ever occurs first. When the charge current is set to a lower rate the time and charge input must also be changed to accommodate this.

If the power to the MRC 969 is disconnected (or happens to go off when using the AC adapter) the unit puts a load on any battery connected to it such that it discharges the battery and possibly reversing some cells if allowed to continue.
After reading the Safety Cautions and Warnings provided in the front of the Manual one has to ask if this charger is a viable product for the modeler.

SAFETY CAUTIONS & WARNINGS

1. Never leave the charger unattended when in use.

2. Do not connect the unit to the DC power supply while there is a
battery attached to the unit. You should disconnect the battery first
and then connect the unit to DC power supply.

3. Do not leave the battery inside any product while charging.

4. Place the charger and battery on a solid uncarpeted surface with
good ventilation.

5. Do not charge the battery inside the full-size automobile as
damage to interior can result.
6. Battery damage can occur if the charge current (Amps) rate is set
too high. Different capacity batteries may require a higher or lower
charge rate. Follow the “Notes on Charging Batteries” in addition to
battery manufacturer’s instructions.

7. If the battery or the charger becomes extremely hot, immediately
disconnect the charger from the power source and allow the
battery and charger to cool.

8. The charger is designed to charge 1~8 cells nickel cadmium or
nickel metal hydride batteries. It will also charge Lithium, lead-acid/
gel cell batteries. Because of the volatile nature of Lithium
batteries, great care must be taken when charging these cells. If
improperly or over charged, there is the risk that the battery will
explode or catch fire. Please follow instructions/recommendations
from battery manufacturer when selecting proper charge rate.

9. Discontinue use if charger casing becomes damaged or cracked.

10. Do not use the DC power source of a running full-size automobile
engine. This is the first charger the reviewer has seen that cannot be used to charge batteries on the way to the flying site.
11. Always disconnect charger from the power source and any battery
when not in use.

12. Adult supervision is recommended for ages 12 and under.

13. If at any time the cooling fan should fail, discontinue use and
return for service.

Instruction manual may be seen at: http://www.modelrec.com/resources/ba...69_manual2.pdf

The reviewer cannot recommend this charger for modeling use.

I have a 959 Super Brain PRO and love it. It will charge two batteries at once (different voltages,too) or charge one and discharge another at the same time. It will charge NiCd, NiMH, Li Ion, or Li Poly batteries (never leave LiPoly's unattended-- characteristics of the battery, not the charger). You can select your charge voltage, or charge time, or do capacity charges (select what mAh you want the battery charged to). It comes with a 120V AC converter and a cord with banana plugs so you can use it on household current or hook up to your 12V field battery. It detects how many cells are in the pack when you hook it to the battery pack. It takes a little while to get used to setting up because it can do so much, but if you're at the field, all you have to do is hook it up and hit charge to fast charge your packs. It takes about 5 minutes to charge a Rx 4.8V pack from 4.8 to 5.6V, and about 8 or 9 min to do a Tx pack. It beeps to tell you the battery is ready, and automatically goes to a trickle charge. This is a delta peak charger, which meas it detects the slight dropoff in voltage when the battery reaches full charge, and then shuts down the quick charge and starts a trickle charge until you turn it off or disconnect your battery pack(s)

The only thing I thought could have been better was the connector cables. It has the above mentioned ones for its power supply, but mine came with a connector for race car style batteries, so I had to make my own connectors for airplane style. I'd still buy one tomorrow even if I knew that. Everyone at my flying field who has tried it really likes it. It is definitely worth the money-- I gave about $110 for mine right after MRC came out with it. I really don't see anything to not like about it. It's also fairly small and fits well in a field box.