Torn between two chargers
 

I really want to upgrade to lipo batteries in the near future since I have never tried them and have heard so many great things about them, I can't take it anymore, lol. So, I need to buy a new charger, but one that is still capable to charge over 16 cells incase I use lipo and nimh batteries. These are the two I found that suited my needs:
1) MRC Superbrain 989 ($140.00us)
2) Hyperion EOS1210i Charger ($170.00us)

http://www.rc-monster.com/proddetail...MRC_989&cat=19

http://www.maxamps.com/index.html?lmd=39101.487662

I will be building a monster truck soon, that will be running the Mamba Monster Max, but am not sure how many lipo cells it will take. I was wondering if it really is worth the extra money to buy the hyperion charger and to be able to charge up to 12 lipo cells? Also, if I am running two 4s batteries - 8s in all, will it give me a lot more speed and run times compared to running 16 cells instead of just reducing the weight?

Thanks

I would probably go with the 989 to be honest...Most people never run over 6S LiPo.

The 989 seems like a real "user friendly" charger.
I've owned several MRC Superbrain chargers and loved them all.

Great, thanks for the help guys. Will 8s give me a lot more speed and run time compared to running 16 nimh cells besides for just reducing the weight?

16 nimh is more like 5s. 8s will be a ton more power, but similar runtime.

i like the ice but since that is not on the list of chioces i will go with the superbrain.

I am thinking about getting the Hyperion EOS1210i. Looks like a great charger and I like that its AC/DC.

From the looks of it, they are both great chargers and both AC/DC. I wasn't sure if it was worth the extra money to buy one that'll charge 12s lipo. I haven't even heard of anyone running 12s except for maybe 1 person. As of rigth now, I'll be going with the MRC Superbrain 989, and hopefully make my purchase within the next week. :027:

Does anyone know if 8s give me a lot more speed and run time compared to running 16 nimh cells besides for just reducing the weight?

It will give more watts which is more power. It will be noticably faster, but if your trying to get around the 16cell area than 5s would be veery close to it.

I love my 989. Very user friendly and charges very well without any issues.

Remind me........

Does the 989 handle 5 & 6s?

The 989 does up to 8s, so 5 and 6s should be fine.

Thanks!

I do my 5s with no probs. good upto 8s 10amps

Looks like that will be my next charger. I like the built in power supply. I hate lugging around a 5-10 pound supply!

The power supply is one of the many reasons i got the 989.. it feels as if its less than 1 lb!

Now I need a buyer for my Duratrax Intellipeak Digital! LOL!

LOL! Mine went for 45 Cdn currency.

im not shure i might just stick my present charger but i dont know if ill need the 989. but it id need it, it would be first on my list.

I'm putting my current charger up on ebay within the next couple days, so lets just hope that sells.

Can you use a balancer on the 989?

If not, and you dislike fires and explosions, go with the hyperion. :027:

I wasn't planning on buying a balancer since I only bash, and don't need my batteries in top notch condition, although I still like to keep them in fairly decent shape and take care of them in the proper ways.

Should I still buy one?

The 989 works very good with the LBA10 balancer.

***RC*** : if your using lipo, id highly reccomend a balancer, it will lengthen their life and will give better performance.

Is this it: http://www.rc-monster.com/proddetail...alancer&cat=19

Also, what do they mean when they say this: "2-6 cell smart balancer Network 2 units together for 2-12 cell balancing"? Will I be able to balance two seperate 6s packs at the same time? Or can I only do 2-6 cells?

Sorry for all the questions, I am very clueless (lol:005: ) when it comes to lipo's. Thanks again for all the help.

Yes. When they say that, it means you can put two balancers and charge 7-12s lipo at the same time.

So for the $50 it says, will I recieve 2 balancers or 1?

You will receive 1 for $50. If you will not be charging/balancing over 6s than you are fine with one.

I think I now know what i need.

Thanks so much for the help.

Anytime. Asking questions is what gets you where you wanna be!

Balancers should be mandatory.

Does the hyperion charger have a balancer built in? or are there any other chargers with built in balancers that still have high cell capabilites?

I'll probably still go with the superbrain and the balancer that was mentioned earlier, I was just wondering if there are any others.

The Hyperion charger doesn't have a balancer built in. However, you can connect the Hyperion LBA10 balancer to the Hyperion 1210i charger, and monitor the individual cell voltages on the display screen of the 1210i.

If you want a charger that has a built in balancer, you're going to have to shell out $200+ if you want something that will do more than 3amps.

Oh, okay, thanks.

Then, I hope I will be making my purchase fairly soon. :027:

Why get the most expensive Hyperion? Why not go with the EOS5i for half the price? It charges 5s at 5a. Balancer works well with it, waaay better that the 989. There is even a ac/dc version as well.

I was actually really looking at that charger closely, but the biggest downfall to it was that since it only charges 14 nimh cells or 5s lipo, I couldn't charge two batteries at the same time.

If I run nimh, I will be running 16 cells, and with a Y harness, I can charge two batts at the same time. With lipo, I would run 3s or 4s on each battery tray so it would be 6s or 8s in all. Then again, I would be able to charge both at the same time.

This was my main reasoning.

Just found another charger, but too expensive for my needs, however, it looks really nice with a 8s lipo balancer built in. :004:

http://www.bantam301.20m.com/BC%2D8.htm

Not quite... It will only do 50watts output. For 5s Lipo at 4v/cell it can only put out 2.5amps. It also can't connect to the Hyperion balancers.

That is actually the charger I was referring to in my last post ($200+).

Oh, forgot about that one. Oops.

Looks like the 989 it is, and I'll probably buy the balancer a little later once my e-revo gets underway.

i think im going to get the same chrager rc

if i do it NEEDS some cf stickers, or be dyed black LOL i hate that color, looks old and cheap imo....

I have one here and it does. Next time I charge I will post picture. The balancer works perfectly with it.


As far as charging 2 packs at once, its not recomended at all. You can buy 2 of the cheaper ones and be miles ahead.