Does a 200W charger charge your battery twice as fast as a 100W charger?

[Flyboy666]

I'm relatively new to R/C planes, and I am using this 100 W charger for my Spektrum G2 batteries:
https://www.spektrumrc.com/product/s1100-g2-1x100w-ac-smart-charger/SPMXC2080.html

It works fine, but I wouldn't mind something that was a bit faster (it takes about 30 - 35 minutes to charge my 3S batteries from discharge voltage to full voltage), since I usually need to charge 4 batteries before going to the field.

So, would this 200 W charger work twice as fast? I'm not an expert on whether charging times are linear, logarithmic, or something else.
https://www.spektrumrc.com/product/s1200-g2-ac-1x200w-smart-charger/SPMXC2020.html

They're both the same charger, except for wattage. Just trying to determine if upgrading will significantly reduce my charging time, or just reduce it slightly.

Thanks

 

[9x19]

Among the same brands, it probably will.

For me, the best budget charger, with the fastest charging, is the Hota D6 Pro.

 

[tudordewolf]

I'm relatively new to R/C planes, and I am using this 100 W charger for my Spektrum G2 batteries:
https://www.spektrumrc.com/product/s1100-g2-1x100w-ac-smart-charger/SPMXC2080.html

It works fine, but I wouldn't mind something that was a bit faster (it takes about 30 - 35 minutes to charge my 3S batteries from discharge voltage to full voltage), since I usually need to charge 4 batteries before going to the field.

So, would this 200 W charger work twice as fast? I'm not an expert on whether charging times are linear, logarithmic, or something else.
https://www.spektrumrc.com/product/s1200-g2-ac-1x200w-smart-charger/SPMXC2020.html

They're both the same charger, except for wattage. Just trying to determine if upgrading will significantly reduce my charging time, or just reduce it slightly.

Thanks

It wouldn't shorten charging times unless you were running higher cell counts and large capacity (5000+mah) cells.

Spektrum's default/automatic smart battery charging rate is 1C, which would make sense for a 30-35 minute charge from storage voltage of 3.85V, which is a bit over 50% capacity.

For a 3S battery, 100 watts is 7-8 amps of current, so unless you've got 8000mah batteries, you wouldn't get any more throughput from the 200W charger. A 2-channel charger would be more useful to you, so you could charge your batteries in 2 batches instead of one after the other. (2 chargers will do that for you too)

You could go into settings and up it to a 2 or 3C charging rate (I find 2 is plenty), and shorten the charging time to 20-25 minutes.

 

[Flyboy666]

It wouldn't shorten charging times unless you were running higher cell counts and large capacity (5000+mah) cells.

Spektrum's default/automatic smart battery charging rate is 1C, which would make sense for a 30-35 minute charge from storage voltage of 3.85V, which is a bit over 50% capacity.

For a 3S battery, 100 watts is 7-8 amps of current, so unless you've got 8000mah batteries, you wouldn't get any more throughput from the 200W charger. A 2-channel charger would be more useful to you, so you could charge your batteries in 2 batches instead of one after the other. (2 chargers will do that for you too)

You could go into settings and up it to a 2 or 3C charging rate (I find 2 is plenty), and shorten the charging time to 20-25 minutes.

Thanks, good to know. So basically, what you are saying is that if I want to reduce my charge time, simply buy another 100W charger so I will have two chargers. Or, buy a 2-port 100W charger. But jumping up from 100W to 200W, in and of itself, will accomplish nothing in terms of reducing charge time for my 3s 2200 mah batteries.

Correct?

 

[tudordewolf]

Thanks, good to know. So basically, what you are saying is that if I want to reduce my charge time, simply buy another 100W charger so I will have two chargers. Or, buy a 2-port 100W charger. But jumping up from 100W to 200W, in and of itself, will accomplish nothing in terms of reducing charge time for my 3s 2200 mah batteries.

Correct?

Precisely

 

[WickedFog]

Watch this

And this

 

[Greywolf74]

The higher amperage you can charge at, the faster your charge will be throughout the constant current portion of the charge. Once the LiPo goes into the constant voltage portion of the charge, (the portion where it starts charging at less than the amperage you selected), the higher the balance current is, the faster that portion of the charge will go. Id look for a charge that has at least 1.5A balance current but 2A or more is better. I know some of the current model iChargers use a 2A balance current. When I have to replace my Hitec x2 700 LiPo charger, I'll be grabbing this iCharger DX6 or the iCharger 456 Duo if I want to spend the extra for higher charger rates. 45A vs 32A. They also have 8S and 12S versions of those chargers if you need that.

 

[tntpoof]

I have many types of chargers in my collection.from the bc6 to a custom Schultze charger that will charger A battery at 50 amps and has an Adjustable balance charger I can pick amperage from 1/110 amp to 10 amps( ordered it when I got the notice they were closing and I could or any charger to be built to close to my Chosen specs)..I also have a charger that can charge only thru a balance plug up to 10 amps..I will never charge at that High of A amperage thru those tiny wires ..usually 1 C is max. I find no real difference in time of charge from start to Beep in minutes maybe 3 or 4 max....
You dont have a balance plug like Iam talking about on a spektrum battery its built in to the ID plug..I have many batteries in my rigs from 1 cell to 4 cells..all under 8400 mah.Just my 5 cents worth of information.

 

[Flyboy666]

Watch this

And this

Thanks, that was a very interesting and informative video. I looked at some of the Spektrum chargers. None of their specs list "balance charge rates," but they do have a spec called "discharge," which I think is the same thing. For all the chargers I am considering, they all say 0.1 - 1.5A, although there is a wattage number in parentheses after those numbers that can vary by charger.

Here is my current 100W charger specs, then the 200W charger I was considering. (But I am not considering it anymore based on Tudorwolf's reply). You can see that the "Discharge" specs are the same for both chargers, except for the wattage number in parentheses. I checked some other Spektrum chargers in the 100 - 200W range, and the Discharge specs are the same.

https://www.spektrumrc.com/product/s1100-g2-1x100w-ac-smart-charger/SPMXC2080.html

https://www.spektrumrc.com/product/s1200-g2-ac-1x200w-smart-charger/SPMXC2020.html

So for me, if I am understanding everything correctly, probably the best bet is to go from my 1 x 100W charger to a 2 x 100 charger, so I can charge two batteries at once. I am not a nerd or fanatic about chargers; I just want to speed up my charging time a bit. And my preference is to stay in the Spektrum environment, for simplicity's sake.

Thanks to all for your responses and information.

 

[WickedFog]

Sorry to say, but the smart chargers and batteries are a gimmick at best. They overcharge you for their mediocre batteries and chargers. And I don't think they even display the internal resistance of your battery cells, which is one of the most important features of a charger. I could be wrong here, but I think someone here mentioned that the Spektrum chargers don't read IR before.

If it were me, I wouldn't dump another dime into them. Stick with what you have and make do as best you can would be my advice. If you continue to accumulate RC's and batteries, you will save money in the long run by buying a regular LiPo charger like the Hota suggested here, and buy batteries from CNHL, Liperior, or SMC.

I can't recommend you buy another Spektrum charger, because I just can't tell someone to buy one, no matter what the circumstances are.

And for the money that 100w charger costs, you can almost buy the Hota which has way more power than both those chargers put together, and it can charge two batteries at the same time.

 

[RustyUs]

I've charged cells at 1C rates for years when I first got into using LiPo batteries. I now charge my LiPo packs at 2C rates most days simply for the time factor. 20~30 minutes from storage voltage... we're done... up and runnin'.

I never, in my wildest dreams, thought I'd be buying 2S LiPo packs ≥ 8,000mAh capacities, but heavy SCT platforms need lots of power. Having a charger with enough watts and amps to speed things up is crucial. One of chargers (that I use exclusively for my 2S packs) has plenty of wattage to get the job done, but the 15 amp limitation is an oversight nowadays for my one 8200mAh pack that I want to do 2C charge rates on. There are sites out there that can help figure out your charger power requirement needs...

Or, do the math yourself. I'm not sure on what your largest capacity 3S is, but the above pic/info is based on certain mAh pack and one charger port power requirement.

 

[tntpoof]

sure you can cut your charge time down.By using more amps to charge your batteries.but what will it do to the lifespan.?I've also seen guys charge batteries at higher voltages than stated on pack. and I've seen both sets have short life batteries and pit fires...also hurd a static charge make battery go thermal.

 

[Greywolf74]

I have many types of chargers in my collection.from the bc6 to a custom Schultze charger that will charger A battery at 50 amps and has an Adjustable balance charger I can pick amperage from 1/110 amp to 10 amps( ordered it when I got the notice they were closing and I could or any charger to be built to close to my Chosen specs)..I also have a charger that can charge only thru a balance plug up to 10 amps..I will never charge at that High of A amperage thru those tiny wires ..usually 1 C is max. I find no real difference in time of charge from start to Beep in minutes maybe 3 or 4 max....
You dont have a balance plug like Iam talking about on a spektrum battery its built in to the ID plug..I have many batteries in my rigs from 1 cell to 4 cells..all under 8400 mah.Just my 5 cents worth of information.

Once again, no one has a clue what you were trying to say here.

sure you can cut your charge time down.By using more amps to charge your batteries.but what will it do to the lifespan.?I've also seen guys charge batteries at higher voltages than stated on pack. and I've seen both sets have short life batteries and pit fires...also hurd a static charge make battery go thermal.

I've been charging at 2C rates for 4 or 5 years now, and I haven't noticed any real difference in my packs. If it's shorting the life span, it's not by enough to worry about.

Thanks, that was a very interesting and informative video. I looked at some of the Spektrum chargers. None of their specs list "balance charge rates," but they do have a spec called "discharge," which I think is the same thing. For all the chargers I am considering, they all say 0.1 - 1.5A, although there is a wattage number in parentheses after those numbers that can vary by charger.

Here is my current 100W charger specs, then the 200W charger I was considering. (But I am not considering it anymore based on Tudorwolf's reply). You can see that the "Discharge" specs are the same for both chargers, except for the wattage number in parentheses. I checked some other Spektrum chargers in the 100 - 200W range, and the Discharge specs are the same.

https://www.spektrumrc.com/product/s1100-g2-1x100w-ac-smart-charger/SPMXC2080.html

https://www.spektrumrc.com/product/s1200-g2-ac-1x200w-smart-charger/SPMXC2020.html

So for me, if I am understanding everything correctly, probably the best bet is to go from my 1 x 100W charger to a 2 x 100 charger, so I can charge two batteries at once. I am not a nerd or fanatic about chargers; I just want to speed up my charging time a bit. And my preference is to stay in the Spektrum environment, for simplicity's sake.

Thanks to all for your responses and information.

Please don't buy a crappy Spektrum charger. Buy a HOTA D6 Pro. It's like $32 less than that 200W Spektrum charger, and it's 10 times the charger. If you're cool with waiting for shipping from China, you can get it even cheaper. You can order the HOTA D6 Pro from AliExpress for as little as $82.30.

Oh, and generally "discharge" is not the same thing as "Balance current". I'd be afraid that charger has a 1.5A max discharge rate, which will be slow as hell.

*UPDATE:*
I downloaded the manual for the S1100 and the S1200 and both the discharge rate and the balance current are 1.5A. That's ok for the balance current, but its slow AF for discharging in general. If you have to discharge your lipo to get it to storage charge, It's going to take 4–5 hours.

 

[WickedFog]

Once again, no one has a clue what you were trying to say here.


I've been charging at 2C rates for 4 or 5 years now, and I haven't noticed any real difference in my packs. If it's shorting the life span, it's not by enough to worry about.


Please don't buy a crappy Spektrum charger. Buy a HOTA D6 Pro. It's like $32 less than that 200W Spektrum charger, and it's 10 times the charger. If you're cool with waiting for shipping from China, you can get it even cheaper. You can order the HOTA D6 Pro from AliExpress for as little as $82.30.

Oh, and generally "discharge" is not the same thing as "Balance current". I'd be afraid that charger has a 1.5A max discharge rate, which will be slow as hell.

*UPDATE:*
I downloaded the manual for the S1100 and the S1200 and both the discharge rate and the balance current are 1.5A. That's ok for the balance current, but its slow AF for discharging in general. If you have to discharge your lipo to get it to storage charge, It's going to take 4–5 hours.

Yeah, neither of those chargers are worth $40. Terrible specs on those.

 

[Flyboy666]

Once again, no one has a clue what you were trying to say here.


I've been charging at 2C rates for 4 or 5 years now, and I haven't noticed any real difference in my packs. If it's shorting the life span, it's not by enough to worry about.


Please don't buy a crappy Spektrum charger. Buy a HOTA D6 Pro. It's like $32 less than that 200W Spektrum charger, and it's 10 times the charger. If you're cool with waiting for shipping from China, you can get it even cheaper. You can order the HOTA D6 Pro from AliExpress for as little as $82.30.

Oh, and generally "discharge" is not the same thing as "Balance current". I'd be afraid that charger has a 1.5A max discharge rate, which will be slow as hell.

*UPDATE:*
I downloaded the manual for the S1100 and the S1200 and both the discharge rate and the balance current are 1.5A. That's ok for the balance current, but its slow AF for discharging in general. If you have to discharge your lipo to get it to storage charge, It's going to take 4–5 hours.

The Hota says it's 200W AC. Is that 200W total for both batteries being charged, or 200W for each battery being charged? So, is it 100x2 or 200x2?

PS - Beware of ordering from AliExpress, Temu (which I did once myself), or any of those Chinese ecommerce platforms. You are giving your info, including your cc number, directly to the Chinese government. Not worth the cost savings. But we will leave that for another day. Let's stay on point with the chargers.

 

[WickedFog]

The Hota says it's 200W AC. Is that 200W total for both batteries being charged, or 200W for each battery being charged? So, is it 100x2 or 200x2?

PS - Beware of ordering from AliExpress, Temu (which I did once myself), or any of those Chinese ecommerce platforms. You are giving your info, including your cc number, directly to the Chinese government. Not worth the cost savings. But we will leave that for another day. Let's stay on point with the chargers.

I order from aliexpress all the time. Use PayPal. If you have any problems whatsoever, they fix it. I have never had a single problem that wasn't fixed that way, and I've used it for many years. If you don't have a PayPal account, get one. It's free, and is just another bank account. But it allows you to buy just about anywhere, hassle free, with exceptional buyer protection.

This guy goes over the specs of the Hota D6 Pro.

I didn't watch the whole vid, but just in case he didn't mention it, the Hota has a setting where you can turn the charger into a power supply. So lets say you need to power a servo testor. Or even power up a Rx to test a radio system. You no longer need to have a battery or separate power supply to do that. The Hota can power it for you. I believe it goes up to 30v. Not many chargers out there can do that, and none in this price range that I know of have that feature.

You don't need to research it. You won't find a better charger unless you spend more money. And the next best one for more money is another Hota

 

[RustyUs]

The Hota says it's 200W AC. Is that 200W total for both batteries being charged, or 200W for each battery being charged? So, is it 100x2 or 200x2?

PS - Beware of ordering from AliExpress, Temu (which I did once myself), or any of those Chinese ecommerce platforms. You are giving your info, including your cc number, directly to the Chinese government. Not worth the cost savings. But we will leave that for another day. Let's stay on point with the chargers.

The power distribution feature should allow you to split up the maximum 200 watts between the two channels, or divert all 200 watts to one channel. If you would want more wattage from a D6 Pro, you would need a separate DC power supply. To get maximum power (325w per channel) out of the charger you would need a DC 24v power supply... a DC 12v power supply would only boost the charger's power to 165~168w per channel.

 

[Flyboy666]

Thanks, but this Hota charger won't work with my Spektrum G2 batteries. See this fact sheet
https://www.horizonhobby.com/on/dem.../Manuals/Smart_G2_Battery_and_Charger_FAQ.pdf

I have no intention of leaving the Spektrum G2 system at this point. I've bought four of the G2 batteries, and they work fine for my purposes. I got into this hobby to fly planes. The battery technology stuff isn't that important to me, as long as they power the plane. Not saying there is anything wrong with delving into the battery stuff, but it's just not the focus of the hobby for me. The Spektrum system does the work for me. It charges the batteries within a reasonable time, it balances the cells, and it self-discharges if need be. And so far, I haven't had any battery failures or mishaps. That's good enough for me at this point.

Nevertheless, this was excellent information to learn, so thanks for that.

My original question has been answered, so I am good for now.

Thanks again to all for your input.

 

[Greywolf74]

You can lead a horse to water...

 

[WickedFog]

Thanks, but this Hota charger won't work with my Spektrum G2 batteries. See this fact sheet
https://www.horizonhobby.com/on/dem.../Manuals/Smart_G2_Battery_and_Charger_FAQ.pdf

I have no intention of leaving the Spektrum G2 system at this point. I've bought four of the G2 batteries, and they work fine for my purposes. I got into this hobby to fly planes. The battery technology stuff isn't that important to me, as long as they power the plane. Not saying there is anything wrong with delving into the battery stuff, but it's just not the focus of the hobby for me. The Spektrum system does the work for me. It charges the batteries within a reasonable time, it balances the cells, and it self-discharges if need be. And so far, I haven't had any battery failures or mishaps. That's good enough for me at this point.

Nevertheless, this was excellent information to learn, so thanks for that.

My original question has been answered, so I am good for now.

Thanks again to all for your input.

That's what happens. They get you to buy their RC's, then sell you a crappy charger and really overpriced LiPo batteries, and you feel stuck buying more of their crap to keep going. They know what they'redoing, and itsruining the hobby. Sorry, I just hate to see more victims of the smart LiPo tech scam entering the hobby.