Lipo Charger

[Ericke1]

I need to get a LIPO charger to charge 4S1P 5000mah, 3s1p 11.1vs and the MAxamps 8000 HV for the Erevo. The chargers here in America are too expensive, I have found these with power supply, can someone tell me which looks the best:?

http://www.rcmart.com/catalog/rc-ch...-12v20a-combo-cb0043-p-26118.html?cPath=52_53

http://www.aero-nuts.com/product_info.php?cPath=64_65&products_id=533

http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/...uct_Name=IMAX_B8_Charger/Discharger_1-8_Cells

 

[Brushlessboy]

Well the one from hobby city looks like a great charger but will only run 12v, so can only be used mobile or with a voltage converter.
The one from aero-nuts is a REALLY good charger, my LHS has 3 of them sitting on the floor for shop use, and being close to the owners I will guarantee the quality.

 

[Ericke1]

Do I need a power supply with the Aero Nuts one or does it come with it, I can't tell

How is the rcmart one?

WIth the hobbycity one, can't i pick this up and it will work fine?
http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=6256

 

[Brushlessboy]

With the Aero Nuts one you will need connectors for the battery. I suggest the Octopus from A main or Towers. It has 7 connectors and a spare wire for putting on one of your choice. Other than that its fine.
I dont think so.... You need to have enough amperage to run the charger and the needed number isn't too clear to me.

 

[SMaxxin]

Any of them will charge a battery BUT!!!! None of them will charge your batteries as they should. From the list of batteries you listed you will want a charger than can charge at least 8 amps and none of the ones you list will do that. Also that power supply you listed only puts out 5a.

You spent a good amount on batteries don't ruin them by going cheap on the charger.There is a reason the good ones cost more......You get what you pay for!!!!!

 

[robmob]

You spent a good amount on batteries don't ruin them by going cheap on the charger. There is a reason the good ones cost more......You get what you pay for!!!!!

I have nothing to add since SMaxxin said it all

 

[CharliesTheMan]

Rob and Pete are exactly right. If you want to know why it's important to not use a cheap charger, take a look at my kaboom thread in the electric section. That was a NIMH battery, if it had been a LiPo, my hooby room would have caught fires, several RC's would have burnt up, the house would be runined, and I the worst part would be that Mom would bring it up occasionally for the rest of my life whenever she needed to remind me how dumb I was lol.

No one is trying to insult you, sound stuck up, etc... We just want you to use a decent charger because of the safety issue, and also it will allow you to get the full lifetime and amount of power out of your batteries. For what it's going to cost you to buy the charger and a power supply (you have to have at least 10 amps for a LiPo charger to run properly), you could buy a really nice charger. I use a Hyperion, because it was reccomended to me buy several serious electric racers when I got into RC's. Now that I've used it, and I've also tested 9 other LiPo chargers to use as reference, I haven't found anything that compares to the Hyperion. Also, it's an AC/DC fan, (opps, I mean charger, cheesy joke) so you wont have to buy a power supply or anything else. Just get the charger and the right adapters for your charger and you'll be good to go.

Hyperion
http://www.maxamps.com/EOS0606i-AC-DC.htm

 

[robmob]

The ICE offers the best bang for the buck and it's a quality unit.

$130 shipped when you use the $10 off coupon code.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXHDJ1&P=ML

 

[CharliesTheMan]

Oh yea, that reminds me. Something that I really like about maxamps.com is their reward program. They have a wonderful incentive program that REALLY saves me a lot of money. They keep track of every dime that you spend with them and keep up with the total. I'm psychic, so I have a feeling that Rob will post under me and tell you the exact numbers for the program.

 

[robmob]

Your numbers are slightly off regarding their incentive program. Still a great program and incentive for repeat business. They have great batt and customer service as well.

>>>>>>>

You begin the program at the "Basic" level. That means you get 5% off of everything on the website.

Once you spend $100.00 with MaxAmps.com then you hit the "Bronze" level. At this level you will get 10% off everything on the website.

Once you spend $500.00 with MaxAmps.com then you hit the "Silver" level. At this level you will get 15% off everything on the website.

Once you spend $2500.00 or more with MaxAmps.com then you hit the "Gold" level. At this level you will get 20% off everything on the website.

How long do I stay at my level?

The levels are based on your last 12 months purchases, so as long as you continue to purchase the minimum for your level with the past 12 months, you will stay at that level.

 

[Ericke1]

Any of them will charge a battery BUT!!!! None of them will charge your batteries as they should. From the list of batteries you listed you will want a charger than can charge at least 8 amps and none of the ones you list will do that. Also that power supply you listed only puts out 5a.

You spent a good amount on batteries don't ruin them by going cheap on the charger.There is a reason the good ones cost more......You get what you pay for!!!!!

Thank you all of you, I was just trying to get something reasonable, I put all this money in a superbrain and now they say dont use it for LIPOs, serves me right for not looking into it. So in the end, I want a package of the charger and power supply (I want something dual voltage if possible). The Hyperion is great but then do I really have to spend another 100 dollars on a power supply?

ICE looks like a good deal but am not sure if you all concur to get that one plus I have bad experience with duratrash.

 

[robmob]

Duratrax does not make the ICE. It's just branded with their name.

It's made by the same company that makes the Triton and Checkpoint chargers.

All are top quality units.

 

[abadk9420]

I have the Ice charger and have been pleased with its performance. I have charged lipo, nimh, and nicd batteries with it with no problems, but even with Ice charger you will need a good 10 amp or better psu...

 

[SMaxxin]

The Ice charger also needs a power supply. If your handy there are a few "how to" on taking a pc power supply and setting it up for a charger.

 

[CharliesTheMan]

Rob, thanks for correcting that. I was meaning to type a note at the end of the post that these numbers were just examples because I didn't know the exact numbers, but I was at work and something came up so I just clicked submit. Thanks for clearing it up though. I'm glad to see those numbers as well, I haven't been able to find the exact ones on maxamps' site since I got enrolled.

Thank you all of you, I was just trying to get something reasonable, I put all this money in a superbrain and now they say dont use it for LIPOs, serves me right for not looking into it. So in the end, I want a package of the charger and power supply (I want something dual voltage if possible). The Hyperion is great but then do I really have to spend another 100 dollars on a power supply?

ICE looks like a good deal but am not sure if you all concur to get that one plus I have bad experience with duratrash.

The hyperion is an AC/DC charger, you DO NOT need a power supply.

 

[robmob]

I also have a Hyperion and it is a great charger than can't get any easier to use.

 

[Ericke1]

Rob and Pete are exactly right. If you want to know why it's important to not use a cheap charger, take a look at my kaboom thread in the electric section. That was a NIMH battery, if it had been a LiPo, my hooby room would have caught fires, several RC's would have burnt up, the house would be runined, and I the worst part would be that Mom would bring it up occasionally for the rest of my life whenever she needed to remind me how dumb I was lol.

No one is trying to insult you, sound stuck up, etc... We just want you to use a decent charger because of the safety issue, and also it will allow you to get the full lifetime and amount of power out of your batteries. For what it's going to cost you to buy the charger and a power supply (you have to have at least 10 amps for a LiPo charger to run properly), you could buy a really nice charger. I use a Hyperion, because it was reccomended to me buy several serious electric racers when I got into RC's. Now that I've used it, and I've also tested 9 other LiPo chargers to use as reference, I haven't found anything that compares to the Hyperion. Also, it's an AC/DC fan, (opps, I mean charger, cheesy joke) so you wont have to buy a power supply or anything else. Just get the charger and the right adapters for your charger and you'll be good to go.

Hyperion
http://www.maxamps.com/EOS0606i-AC-DC.htm

This listing on Maxamps says:

50 watt max(not great for high-capacity 4S-6S packs)

Is that going to be a problem for the 8000 packs? Also it says it doesn't include an ac adaptor for 240v, can you guys check the unit and make sure it says 110-240 v?

 

[SMaxxin]

This listing on Maxamps says:

50 watt max(not great for high-capacity 4S-6S packs)

Is that going to be a problem for the 8000 packs? Also it says it doesn't include an ac adaptor for 240v, can you guys check the unit and make sure it says 110-240 v?

The charger Charlie linked will charge with the 8000 pack but it will take a long time. On the box it does say AC input 100v~240v but there is no adapter included.

You should be looking at a charger that charges at a minimum of 8 amps, the cheapest I can think of is the Ice and your going to need a power supply that can put out 13-15 amps continuous.

 

[sweetdiesel]

The charger Charlie linked will charge with the 8000 pack but it will take a long time. On the box it does say AC input 100v~240v but there is no adapter included.

You should be looking at a charger that charges at a minimum of 8 amps, the cheapest I can think of is the Ice and your going to need a power supply that can put out 13-15 amps continuous.

How many watts output is the ICE rated for? If it's the same as the Hyperion they will both charge a 8000mah 2S pack in the same amount of time. I highly doubt the ICE has significantly higher output than the Hyperion.

Let's forget about the 8000mah pack for a second, the real issue is charging that 4S1P 5000mah pack. The OP is going to need a charger than can output at least 84 watts to charge that pack in the fastest time. I doubt you can find a charger that can do 4S @ 85 watts for less than $150 including power supply.

Also just to clarify "long" charge times...the time difference between charging the fully depleted 8000mah 2S pack @ 50 watts and 67 watts(1C) is about 20 minutes. If you consider that a fully depleted 8000mah pack takes about 2 hours to charge, 20 minutes doesn't seem that much longer.

 

[Ericke1]

How many watts output is the ICE rated for? If it's the same as the Hyperion they will both charge a 8000mah 2S pack in the same amount of time. I highly doubt the ICE has significantly higher output than the Hyperion.

Let's forget about the 8000mah pack for a second, the real issue is charging that 4S1P 5000mah pack. The OP is going to need a charger than can output at least 84 watts to charge that pack in the fastest time. I doubt you can find a charger that can do 4S @ 85 watts for less than $150 including power supply.

Also just to clarify "long" charge times...the time difference between charging the fully depleted 8000mah 2S pack @ 50 watts and 67 watts(1C) is about 20 minutes. If you consider that a fully depleted 8000mah pack takes about 2 hours to charge, 20 minutes doesn't seem that much longer.

End of the day I have to spend the money it looks like, I was hoping those HK chargers would work but doesn't sound like it, so can you tell me what charger in the I should get? I want a dual voltage one if possible-Ill just suck it up and buy it But I want it to be very easy to use, plug and play and it will do the rest.