Hi, I am looking into buying a new battery charger. I am looking for something that will trickle charge, quick charge, cycle, discharge, charge nicds, nimhs, and up to 4s Li-pos. Does anyone know of a good charger that will do all of that? I would also like one that has a li-po ballancing port. I am aiming for the $50-100 range, but I understand that I may have to spend a little more.

Thanks,

LT-40

A Triton will do most of that. I think you could get one for close to that.

You are asking for a lot, given the price range.

BUT...it only does one....at....a...time.

Check out the Hobbico Accu-Cycle Elite for $129. I jsu bought one and it seems great. Remember to get thye cable connector set to match your system.


http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXEYD4&P=ML

I bought the MRC Super Brain 989. It's an amazingly flexible charger that can handle NiCd, NiMH, LiPo and 12v gel cel. It can charge a single NiMH cell in a glow ignitor, or charge an 8S LiPo pack at up to 10A.

The auto-cycling is terrific for receiver and transmitter packs; you can program the charger to cycle the battery multiple times, and when completed it will give you the average discharge capacity for all of the cycles.

One reason I picked the Super Brain 989 over the Triton II/Triton JR is the 989 comes with a 10A AC power supply so you can use it on the bench or out at the field. The power supply is external and can stay home if you're going to run the charger off your field box battery or car battery.

For charging balanced LiPos, I simply add my GP Electrifly Equinox balancer to it. The Equinox can balance 2S to 5S LiPo cells and works well not only with my Electrifly batteries, but also with the balanced packs I bought from United Hobbies.

The problem with buying a charger with a built in balance jack is that not all battery manufacturers use the same interface for balance connectors. You're either going to have to use an external balancer anyway, or be prepared to buy a lot of chargers unless you want to stick to only one brand of battery.

There are lots of good chargers out there. The Accu Cycle Elite and Triton II/Triton Jr are all good choices. You'd have to add the Equinox balancer to any of those as well (or whatever balancer type would go with your particular batteries).

Good luck and good shopping!

All the suggested choices above are good ones. The only chargers I've seen that are set up for cell balancing from the factory are lithium only, unless you spend several hundred dollars. Your best bet is to buy one of the above chargers and an Astro "Blinky" balancer, which includes directions on how to configure your lipo taps for balancing--adapters are available if needed.

For that price range the trition Jr comes the closest, but it does not have the balancing port.

To get the balaning you will have to add the balancer.

Me, I got the Bantam charger because it had the balancer built in, but the price is over your budget at $130.

With the Triton Jr and an external balancer, you will still be at the $130 dollar amount though.

Thanks for the suggestions guys,

I think that I am leaning more toward the Triton Jr. with a balancer. The Jr. is only $75 with about $25 for the balancer so that is about my price range. I also like that it can charge up to 4 cell li-pos. I did take a long look at the accu cycle, but it only can charge 3 cell lipos. I only wish that it could charge more than one battery at a time.

Thanks,

LT-40

[link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXMAH9&P=ML]Triton Jr.[/link]
[link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXMGS7&P=M]Balancer[/link]