[JBoyd]

as I have said in another thread, I recently purchased an RTF trainer to get started in the wonderful world of RC flying. The RTf comes with an E-flite 3S balancing Lipo charger, but I would like to get something else that may be better suited for growth.

I have looked at quite a lot of hobby sites and the vast amount of chargers and clones confuse me as I have no knowledge on what separates them from each other or which one would be best suited for my needs.. which is why I am posting here

For ease of use I feel that I would prefer one with a built in AC adapter, but am not opposed to DC only if I know what else I would need to get (which currently I don't, might explain why I am leaning more towards AC currently)

I have looked at the Imax B6AC on HobbyKing, as well as the Imax B6AC+ on other sites. I know they are clones and budget level chargers but I am also trying not to break the bank here.

Someone also mentioned the ThunderPower 610c AC/DC which I can get for $119 from HobbyWholesale w/ free shipping and PST portion of HST paid.

GreatHobbies has the Great Planes Triton EQ AC/DC for $129

Both of those chargers are pushing the limits of how much I would like to spend currently, and the more I spend on a charger reduces the amount I can spend on other things, such as batteries. I do plan on ordering a couple of batteries from HobbyKing (Turnigy, Rhino, or Zippy) and don't think that as a newbie I would be able to utilize the improvements in the Turnigy nano-tech's to make the price difference worthwhile.

Keep in mind that the batteries I currently plan on using are 3S in the 3000-4000mAh range and 20C (the battery that comes with the RTF is 15C though)

Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks to all who reply in advance

[Redbaron]

Hi there, welcome to RCC & our great hobby. Dollar for dollar I think the best mid range charger is the Thunder Power TP610 AC-DC charger. It gives one the ability to charge at home or at the field without having to buy a power supply. Thunder Power makes only TOP SHELF equipment super quailty IMHO. Good luck in your new hobby & enjoy, PS Great Hobbies carry these & they are in stock now & they will match Hobby Wholesales price plus a few % lower.

[Max]

IMO, The best value for money is the accuel6 charger. At 50W, It will handle most "average" modelers needs.

It will charge LiPo, NiCad, Nimh, Lipo, PB batteries. It is an "intelligent" charger, so it can be programmed for charge rate and charge type. It will also act as a battery cycler so it it can keep your batteries memory fresh

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...idProduct=7028



It comes with battery leads since it is made primarily to be used at the field.

If you want to use it at home, you will need a separate power supply.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...dProduct=11758

[philipa_240sx]

IMHO, your battery charger and radio are items you shouldn't skimp on. Buy the best you can afford as good ones will last you a lifetime in this hobby!

One thing you didn't mention is the type of planes you wish to fly. Larger planes (>2lb) and heli's take big battery packs to fly them and the small 50W chargers won't cut it.

With that in mind, here is one of the best values in the 50W class of charger: The Revolectrix Cellpro Multi4. IMHO this is a far superior charger to the Accucell series and is well priced:

http://www.store.revolectrix.com/Pro...2VDC-PSU-Combo

You also need a balance adapter:

http://www.store.revolectrix.com/Pro...-Kokam-Adapter

If you prefer buying from a CDN vendor, then look at the Hyperion 606iAD with a built in power supply. SNHobbies offers free shipping (over $100) too:

http://www.snhobbies.com/product_inf...4374d9ac952d49

Getting back to HobbyKing...

I would look at the iCharger 106b+. A very good 250W charger, no PS though:

http://hobbycity.com/hobbyking/store...idProduct=6792

Good luck!

[Ramz]

Picking a charger is very difficult becuase their are sooo many great chargers on the market. If you are looking for a charger for growth i would recommend the following....

I would tend to agree that the Accucel 6 by Hobby King is a great charger...especially for 23$. I had 3 triton's up until last summer however a flying buddy had one of these and he really liked it: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...dProduct=10327 I bought one and I can tell you that the Triton's are 100% garbage when compared to the Quattro/Accucel6 (the quattro is just 4 of the Accucel's stuck together). After using my Quattro I practically gave my Triton's away.

I have had it for a while now and I wouldn't trade it for any over priced name brand charger or any other charger. You can charge at around 5 amps on each port (that's the highest I had mine if memory serves) if your power supply will handle it. I know you are just starting out and you don't want to break the bank but if you plan on getting into electrics or if you plan on owning more than 1 aircraft, the extra cash spent will be worth it. I love it becuase I can charge my transmitter battery, my ignition battery and both my receiver batteries on my 40% all at the same time. Cuts my charging time from about 4 hrs to 1hr. You will need a power supply as it is a 12v only charger but you can also charge at the field from your car battery. It will balance charge...fast charge...slow charge...discharge...it does everything you will ever need. Mine has never false peaked or malfunctioned in any way.

[JBoyd]

Originally Posted by philipa_240sx

IMHO, your battery charger and radio are items you shouldn't skimp on. Buy the best you can afford as good ones will last you a lifetime in this hobby!

One thing you didn't mention is the type of planes you wish to fly. Larger planes (>2lb) and heli's take big battery packs to fly them and the small 50W chargers won't cut it.

With that in mind, here is one of the best values in the 50W class of charger: The Revolectrix Cellpro Multi4. IMHO this is a far superior charger to the Accucell series and is well priced:

http://www.store.revolectrix.com/Pro...2VDC-PSU-Combo

You also need a balance adapter:

http://www.store.revolectrix.com/Pro...-Kokam-Adapter

If you prefer buying from a CDN vendor, then look at the Hyperion 606iAD with a built in power supply. SNHobbies offers free shipping (over $100) too:

http://www.snhobbies.com/product_inf...4374d9ac952d49

Getting back to HobbyKing...

I would look at the iCharger 106b+. A very good 250W charger, no PS though:

http://hobbycity.com/hobbyking/store...idProduct=6792

Good luck!

Sorry, didn't know that the weight/size of the planes would factor in. The plane I am getting is 5lbs and has a 55" wingspan. I plan on staying with the larger size planes for the most part. The next plane I plan on having will eventually by an ARF or a balsa build and I am drawn to the larger warbirds.

The Thunder Power 610C AC/DC is 80W charging power, is that suitable?

The Hyperion 606iAD looks nice but as you said, 50W wouldn't be enough for the large weight models? The product page on SNHobbies doesn't say whether or not it has a temp probe port, or if it's firmware is updateable.

[philipa_240sx]

Originally Posted by JBoyd

Sorry, didn't know that the weight/size of the planes would factor in. The plane I am getting is 5lbs and has a 55" wingspan.

Forget everything I mentioned above. You are easily looking at +5000mAh packs. Yes, you could make do with a smaller charger. But this will become frustrating very quickly when it takes +1hr to charge a pack. Most packs will charge at 2C (30min charge). You will need at least 120-150W charger to keep up with a 5000mAh pack.

If you get into the 'nano-tech' lipos with 5C charge rates, your charger requirements will skyrocket even further!

IMHO, you should be looking at a minimum 250W charger, that's going to cost some $$$.

- Hyperion 720iNet3AD: 300W, internal 150W power supply (120VAC). Probably the cheapest all-in-one charger you will find in this power class. However to get full power will require an external PS or deep cycle battery.

http://www.snhobbies.com/product_inf...d213c0d6a97ec8

- iCharger 206b, requires external power supply:

http://www.greathobbies.com/producti...od_id=TGHE206B

If you prefer to order from HobbyCity, the only charger I would recommend is the iCharger 206B:

http://hobbycity.com/hobbyking/store...dProduct=10382

Finally, the dirt cheap option:

Some just purchase multiple cheap chargers (like the Accucell 8, 150W), and keep all of them on the boil. This is another option if you want to stay cheap but it really isn't the same class of charger as Hyperion or iCharger. Don't forget that you still need a good +300W power supply... Roughly $80. It adds up very quickly!

http://hobbycity.com/hobbyking/store...idProduct=7523

[JBoyd]

Originally Posted by philipa_240sx

Forget everything I mentioned above. You are easily looking at +5000mAh packs. Yes, you could make do with a smaller charger. But this will become frustrating very quickly when it takes +1hr to charge a pack. Most packs will charge at 2C (30min charge). You will need at least 120-150W charger to keep up with a 5000mAh pack.

If you get into the 'nano-tech' lipos with 5C charge rates, your charger requirements will skyrocket even further!

IMHO, you should be looking at a minimum 250W charger, that's going to cost some $$$.

- Hyperion 720iNet3AD: 300W, internal 150W power supply (120VAC). Probably the cheapest all-in-one charger you will find in this power class. However to get full power will require an external PS or deep cycle battery.

http://www.snhobbies.com/product_inf...d213c0d6a97ec8

- iCharger 206b, requires external power supply:

http://www.greathobbies.com/producti...od_id=TGHE206B

If you prefer to order from HobbyCity, the only charger I would recommend is the iCharger 206B:

http://hobbycity.com/hobbyking/store...dProduct=10382

Finally, the dirt cheap option:

Some just purchase multiple cheap chargers (like the Accucell 8, 150W), and keep all of them on the boil. This is another option if you want to stay cheap but it really isn't the same class of charger as Hyperion or iCharger. Don't forget that you still need a good +300W power supply... Roughly $80. It adds up very quickly!

http://hobbycity.com/hobbyking/store...idProduct=7523

Ok, so it looks like I would be better suited off for the long run to get a 150W+ charger. I like the look of the iCharger and the Hyperion, bit high of a price but I might be able to switch the budgeting around. WOuld much rather get something that will last with decent customer support, then go cheap and end up paying more in the end.

After looking around on HobbyKing I found these iChargers as well, would any of these suit my needs? and why is the 206B the only one from HobbyKing that you would recommend? (other then the fact that it is the only iCharger in stock)

iCharger 106B+
http://hobbycity.com/hobbyking/store...idProduct=6792

iCharger 208B
http://hobbycity.com/hobbyking/store...idProduct=9005

iCharger 1010B+
http://hobbycity.com/hobbyking/store...idProduct=6609

SNHobbies also has this 150W charger, the G.T. Power RC A8
http://www.snhobbies.com/product_inf...4374d9ac952d49

Also, if I go the route of the Hyperion or a DC only charger what would be a good PS to get? I have read that you can convert an old computer power supply into a RC charger power supply, or would a 12v or higher Pb battery be better suited? If so, can those be charged as well?

Sorry for the laundry list of questions.

Edit: after breifly searching Tower Hobbies I found these two DC PS's, are these what I would be looking for?
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXWGU7&P=7
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXWGU8&P=0

also found this 200W charger
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXAGTS&P=7

[philipa_240sx]

Originally Posted by JBoyd

After looking around on HobbyKing I found these iChargers as well, would any of these suit my needs? and why is the 206B the only one from HobbyKing that you would recommend? (other then the fact that it is the only iCharger in stock)

I recommended the 206B because of the 20A charge rate.... and it was in stock. The 106b would be 'ok', but the 10A charge current isn't very high. You would be maxed out with a 5000mAh pack at 2C (10A) charge rate.

SNHobbies also has this 150W charger, the G.T. Power RC A8

That's just another rebranded charger similar to the Turnigy Accucell 8, Imax series, Battman, etc... there are dozens of them out there. IMHO, it's another inexpensive charger. They work well for most, but a few have had issues... the quality is just 'average'.

Also, if I go the route of the Hyperion or a DC only charger what would be a good PS to get? I have read that you can convert an old computer power supply into a RC charger power supply, or would a 12v or higher Pb battery be better suited? If so, can those be charged as well?

You can convert PC power supplies. There are many threads here on RCCanada and other forums on how to do this.

Edit: after breifly searching Tower Hobbies I found these two DC PS's, are these what I would be looking for?

I use Meanwell switching power supplies that I purchase from Sure Electronics on eBay. I recently got a 24V 350W for about $50 shipped. You do need to supply & wire your own extension cord though. Check them out:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/MW-24V-DC14-6A-35...item3a61e28e35

The choice of charger is all up to you. Companies like iCharger, Revolectrix, Hyperion, Thunderpower and other well known brands provide support for their products. The other brands are basically disposable... have an issue? Charger dead? It's cheaper to buy a new one than send it back!

IMHO a quality charger is well worth the investment. There is no bigger headache than dealing with poor quality equipment that cuts into your flying time!

[Max]

I agree with philipa- the bigger packs you will be needing for the large electrics will make anything under 100W useless. 150W and up is what I would use for your batteries.

FYI- Watts is volts x Amps. So the 12V12A power supply you show in the tower links in your thread outputs 144W. As a safety margin, I wouldn't operate the power supply at its max, so in that particular case,you can see how your usable power may only be 120W. In that case, a 25A power supply may be better suited to your need. Yes they are pricey, but given the planes you fly, it will be needed.

Be advised that you would not be charging your planes at the field using these larger chargers unless you are using a portable generator or large portable battery. If you hook this up to your car and charge a few packs, you may not be able to start your car later in the day