Battery Chargers....

[godale03]

Hey Guys,

Been doing a bit of research on this forum regarding battery chargers. I have read many posts here on the subject and I think I have narrowed the search down to 2. I am looking at the MRC Super Brain 977, and the Trition 2. The MRC will charge and discharge 2 packs at once, includes a power supply but has no memory functions . It also has the Tamiya type plugs for input. As far as I can tell the Triton does not have the Tamiya inputs and I need to purchase a power supply for it. It also looks like it will only charge or discharge one battery at a time. Which one is the better buy? I am only a novice and need something intuitive, and easy to use, and I am only club racing a bashing. I was hoping on some input from the forum to help make up my mind. Thanks guys.

Tom

 

[SVORay]

Personaly I look for the ablility to charge multipal packs at one time. Thus why I own a 977 and a intellipeak charger. I can plug my Revo's RX pack and starter pack up to the 977 while I'm charging up a set of 7.2s on the other charger. It takes me around an hour to charge five 7.2 packs and one RX pack. It's right at an hour to charge six 7.2 packs if all we're driving is the Emaxx. As for the connectors...you can simply swap in some deans on the charger or make some adaptors. I simply made some adaptors to keep my options open.

 

[godale03]

Do you find the 977 easy to use? I have a 959 now. The trition2 is nice, but once you buy a power supply for it you have spent almost 200 bucks! I am not a racer, and do not charge lipo and do not have any matched packs. So I guess you could say I am just a hobby level guy and the Triton 2 may just be a bit much for me. Plus I am not sure which type of connector it comes with to connect your batteries.

Tom

 

[SVORay]

Yes the 977 is pretty simple to use...I'm an idiot when it comes to some of this stuff. You got an A and B port to charge packs....clearly marked on the charger. Then you just press the select button to indicate which port you want to charge and press start. I'm also a hobbiest type and have yet to use the cycling/discharge features. That is another reason I bought the intellipeak charger. You don't even have to press start. Just selcet the amp you want to charge with and plug in the packs.

 

[robmob]

I am a hobby level guy as well and have a 969 as well as a 989. The 969 is the older model of the 977 and is very simple to use. I like the 2 pack feature. The 989 is even easier to use. Unfortunately, it will only charge one pack at a time. It does have a memory feature for up to 10 different packs.

For the type of battery charging I require, both of them suit my needs.

 

[FastEddy]

Will either of them charge 2 4200 7 cell packs at one time?

 

[Tarant]

I have a question, The Triton2 can handle up to 24 cells, and 28 volts. Couldnt you just make a adapter that goes from two 7 cell packs or what not and charge it as one battery.

Or is there somthing really wrong with my thought.

As for the main question, I dont think it really matters. They are both great chargers and simple to use.

 

[godale03]

Will either of them charge 2 4200 7 cell packs at one time?

Hey Ed,

I called MRC and they said the 977 will charge two 4200 packs at once. However it will only discharge one pack at a time. The 989 will only charge one pack, but it will discharge up the 10 amps. The 977 will only discharge at up to 4 amps. After doing some more reading, and research both over the web, and at the LHS it sounds like the 977 would struggle to charge two 4200 6 or 7 cell packs. It will do it, but it is pushing the limits of the charger. Now this is the information my LHS was providing me. MRC said it should handle it no problem. There have been a few guys that have bought the 977 at my local LHS and have complained about them. My LHS recomended the 989 or the Triton 2, and even the 960 which is the replacement for the 959, over the 977. So I guess I will need to do some more research. I have no first hand knowledge to work with. I don't necessarily need to charge two at once, I could always use my 959 in conjuntion with another one...... This is turning into a tough decision.

Tom

 

[SVORay]

I have a question, The Triton2 can handle up to 24 cells, and 28 volts. Couldnt you just make a adapter that goes from two 7 cell packs or what not and charge it as one battery.

Or is there somthing really wrong with my thought.

I've never done this but have heard of people doing it.

 

[robmob]

Will either of them charge 2 4200 7 cell packs at one time?

My 969 charges (2) 3800 7 cell packs just fine. I see no reason why it could not do (2) 4200 7 cell packs as well. It would just take a little longer.

 

[godale03]

My 969 charges (2) 3800 7 cell packs just fine. I see no reason why it could not do (2) 4200 7 cell packs as well. It would just take a little longer.

And that is basically what I have read so far. The charger should be able to do it. Like you said, it would just take a bit longer. It is a great feature though. With the power supply you can send up to 5 amps per battery.

Tom