Recommended LiPo charger
 

I have good electronics but a crap charger, which doesn't seem to charge my packs to a full 8.4v. Does anyone have an recommendations on good chargers out there? I like Orion gear so could be temped on one from that range.

Cheers
Simon

Have a look at this......ive not long got one and love it...

http://www.insidelinemodels.com/insi...x100w-dc-10a-p

Silly question but on balance charge is it that one cell is 4.19v while the other is 4.20v?

Anyway it looks like a cracking charger!!!

Have you got a set budget and how many do you plan to charge and how much use, will it have.

Thanks that does look cool, dual charge too which is something I'd like.

Hi,

Not a silly question at all. In balance mode the charger reports 4.2v on each cell, but running a volt meter over the pack reads around 8.33v - 8.34v.

I don't care about price. I sometimes will charge 10 packs in 1 race meeting if I decide to race both 2wd and 4wd - this would be the most number of charges. Most of the time I will charge about 5 times/packs per meeting. I race once a month if I am lucky.

Cheers
Simon

Intresting... I assume the volt meter is connected while pack is still charging. I'm going to check mine. I might be looking for a new changer too!

Power supply
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SKYRC-eFUE...item54108805f0
Power supply option two
http://www.hobbyking.co.uk/hobbyking...8v_30amp_.html

Charger 1
This looks like a icharger so this
http://www.hobbyking.co.uk/hobbyking...e_Charger.html
charger 2
http://www.hobbyking.co.uk/hobbyking...e_Charger.html

I use one of these which hit 8.39v or 8.4v on the brca volt meter at the f3,4,5's every time.

http://www.dms-racing.com/index.php?...ategory_id=528

you can also buy a power
http://www.dms-racing.com/index.php?...ategory_id=175

if you want to run it off the mains.


I run mine straight off 12v and it seems very efficient on power consumption

Accurate chargers!
 

Be careful about indicated and measured voltages, some chargers do not accurately indicate the on charge voltage, it all depends on how well they have been calibrated.
Similar can be said of commercial volt meters, there are good and bad when we are talking two or even three decimal places, good ones like the Fluke range can be very expensive depending on their intended application as the calibration standard will vary.
I once watched a video of a guy recalibrating a Thunder Power twin port charger to the third decimal place against a laboratory standard voltmeter and this did indicate the amount of error that can be present, even in a 'quality' charger!

I've been pleasantly surprised by my Turnigy Reaktor 300W/20A charger (with turnigy PSU) gives the 4s batteries a good charging!

I've also found the SkyRC RS16 (with eFuel PSU) to be rather nice, integrated and compact, just sits on the corner of the pit mat taking up virtually no room doing its job (most of my lipo sacks are bigger!)

One is more than twice the price of the other, they both work well.

One gets warrantied if it fails, the other gets chucked in the bin............

(personally speaking, i'd avoid twin/dual chargers, if one circuit fails, you are stuffed for charging, with two identical chargers/one big PSU, you can replace any part individually)

Hi,

Thanks but I think I will avoid Hobbyking electronics as it tends to be cheap low quality. I already have a hobbyking charger hence the problem. All my other electronics is high-end Orion gear which I am really happy with. I bought my charger before I thought I would get into racing when I bought a Losi mini 8ight, for bashing mostly.

elangers seem to be pretty good: http://www.elangears.com/

http://www.zen-racing.co.uk/catalog/...-charger-p-630

Got me one of these. Great charger both in looks and functionality.

That looks like a nice tidy charger thanks Jon.

I had the same problem with some cheap Imax B6 clones.

I have recently upgraded my charges to the turnigy reaktor 250W went for this as its made by junsi who make the Ichargers.

I run this and its perfect

http://www.hobbyking.co.uk/hobbyking...i_Charger.html

Yeah, some of it is, a lot of it is almost identical to much more expensive kit, the difficulty arises when you can't tell if its cheap and nasty, cheap and nasty and designed to look identical or identical in every way. I've been lucky so far, only blown a 40 dollar ESC and 25 dollars worth of chargers. Everything i have now is spot on.

If you like the look of the Elan Gears stuff, try the SkyRc Rs16. I'd not be in the slightest bit surprised to find out that they are one and the same company somewhere along the line.......