Lipo Charger Question
 

Hey Guys,

So my 1/8th scale brushless buggy build (XTM X-Terminator conversion w/ MMM combo) is finally almost complete, Im just waiting on the motor mount. I know I want to venture to Lipo with this rig and have been doing some research on the wonderful world of lipo.

I am thinking of running a 4s zippy lipo in the build, but now I need to start thinking about a charger. In my searching I have found a bunch of recommendations for chargers including:

Hyperion E0s060i
Hyperion E0s0610i
ICE
MRC Superbrain 989

I am mainly looking for a decent charger that is easy to use and preferably has a balancer built in. I will be charging the 4s for the buggy, and eventually probably a mini pack (3s) for my Rc18MT.

Theses chargers are a bit above my budget as I was thinking more in the under $100 range. Are there any good chargers that im missing that are a bit cheaper but will get the job done? If splurging for a nice charger like the one above is the best bang for the buck and worth it, then maybe ill go for it. Just thought id get some professional opinions before I invest.

I appreciate the help in advance!

Cheers,

Cobra198

Well, the hyperion are the best charger with built in balancer. The ice and mrc require an external balancer. A good charger is a good investment, get something that is 6s capable and charges at a decent rate, like 5amps.

There are cheaper chargers that have built in balancers, but I am not too familiar with them. I own a few hyperions, 2 ice and 2 mrc 989. All are good chargers. The ice is my favorite, but only charges up to 4s, wish it did 6s...

I use a 0610duo, it will charge 2 packs at 1C rate. It is a bit pricey but well worth the investment

I would get a Hyperion ( make sure it has an out put of at least 100 watts) this would eliminate the 0606i. I own the 0610i which I love

My next question is: do u need a separate power supply with the hyperion chargers like you do with the ICE? If so, thats gonna really put me over the budget..

Yes, pretty much all chargers need a separate power supply. Not all though. There is one of the 6s hyperions that doesn't IIRC.

Theres the Triton2 which I have, its similar to the ICE except it handles 5s and more watts.

hobby lobby has a line of good cheap PSs...ranging in price between $40-$100

You can also use a computer powersupply. Thats how I do it. I spent 15 bucks on mine and it will charge my 5s battery at 4 amps.

Cobra- tons of info in the "hyperion duo" thread, just a few threads down. It is an expensive investment- but if you spend the $ now you won't need to later.

I ended up spending $320 on a duo + the HobbyLobby 30 amp PS, charger/PS is the most important part of the hobby as you ain't going anywhere without them.... and packs of course.

If you can't afford to do it all now, then save and wait- it's worth it.

i personally use the turnigy accucell 6 cell lipo charger. software is fairly easy to use, and it was only 40 bucks... it charges and balances at up to 5 amps, provided your power supply can put it out. i charge my rcm lipos with it, and when i test with a volt meter all cells are perfectly balanced after its done charging. I use a computer power supply, it is fairly easy to make and all you really need is the correct end(or alligator clips) and you're done. just take your supply, cut off the big plug at the end. for your adapter, use yellow wire as positive and black as negative. then to turn on simple touch the green wire to any black, or solder it to a switch if u really wanna be fancy. viola

Cool! Didnt know you could do that! Do you happen to have a link?

Yeah, I was checkin out that thread earlier... Just cant be dropping that much on a charger and another 120 on a power supply at the moment. I realize that its a great investment but i just may need to upgrade if need be later. Im still thinkin it over though so we will see what happens. Thanks for the input!

Now thats what im talkin about! I looked at some reviews of that charger on the net, and people seem to agree that its a great charger and an awesome deal. I may have to seriously consider it.

My only question has to do with the fact that its only 50w output. In my research people have recommended going with at least 100w. If I end up going with the 50w unit, im guessing it will just take a bit longer to charge a larger pack?

Upon further inspection I noticed they now make a 150w Turingy Accucel-8 charger for about 80 bucks. Maybe it would be worth the upgrade to this charger?

yes...it doesnt sound bad now but it will get irratating later on.....

If you want to go that route, I can talk you through it. You will need 2 female banana plugs (radio shack is a good place to get them)

You will also need to be ok with soldering and taking apart the PS.

What types of batteries will you be charging? Voltage and mah. Also what charger. That all makes a difference to how powerful of a PSU you need.

This would be a good starting point. I have one of this brand, but lower wattage.

You want a single rail PSU. the multi rail ones wont work that well.