Balancers for TrueRC and Others

[GorillaMaxx360]

I have been charging my TrueRC batterys a couple of times (less than 10) and i realized it is time for me to buy a balancer before i get much more charges on them. I am using an ice currently but plan to upgrade to a duo in 2 to 4 months. What balancers works with the true rc packs. i also own a common sense battery and plan to get a flight power pack. is there any balancer that will work with all of these or do i need individual balancers for each. thanks (links are appreciated)

[Finnster]

An Astro Blinky balancer is the most universal and useful balancer out there IMO, it works with any pack I've ever had. Only $25 also. I use this one by far the most

[GorillaMaxx360]

so does it come with different tabs to fit different types of batteries.

[sleebus.jones]

I use a hyperion LBA6+. Great choice if you want to use a hyperion charger in the future, and one balancer does both lipo and A123

[GorillaMaxx360]

so with the blinky you do not balance while it is charging so before you charge. how long does it take to balance and how does it compare to the balancers that conect through the charger.

[tc3_racer_001]

the only point of a balancer IMO is to balance WHILE charging. before its useless, and afterwards youve already done the damage... so get one which you can use while charging (inbuilt ones in the hyperion ones rock)

If you're going to get the Duo with it's builtin balancers, whatever you buy now will be obselete when the Duo arrives, so I'd keep it as cheap as possible and still be functional. Astro Blinky sounds like way to go. If you have a dvm might check and see how far out of balance they actually are, you may be lucky and find they are not that bad.

Balancing after charging is not a good as doing it together - after you lose some capacity as balancer evens voltages out.

Originally Posted by sleebus.jones

I use a hyperion LBA6+. Great choice if you want to use a hyperion charger in the future, and one balancer does both lipo and A123

the Hyperion adapters you can buy now wont work for the LBa6 they went to a different size with the LB10 which is what they have as the builtin balancer in the Duo

[GorillaMaxx360]

what is a dvm i am guesing some type of "D" Volt Meter. just a guess.

[BrianG]

Digital Volt Meter. The other type is an analog one (the kind with a needle)...

[GorillaMaxx360]

how do i check with the digital volt meter becuase i have a few of them. what do i set it to and so on i am not too familiar with the other setting on the volt meter other than total voltage.

[KaztheMinotaur]

I also use the Blinky and I like it. You can balance before, during, or after charging.

[Finnster]

You can balance anytime you want, and unless your cells are severely out of balance, your not going to damage them by balancing after a charge. If you are worried about that I would balance 1st, charge, then balance again. I also only charge to 95% most of the time as well, so even less of an issue.

Now if I'm at a race and leaving the batt unattended, I will use my TP 205 balancer with my TP 1010C charger just in case. Otherwise doesn't really matter.

The blinky just has pins that you plug into. No adapters or anything needed. There is one adapter for Thunderpower taps, otherwise I have yet to find a tap that doesn't plug in.

I use a lba6 and the great plains version of it with my ice chargers. I balance charge my 3 cell lipos everytime. My cheepo 2400mh heli packs and my 2200mh transmitter packs always seem to get out of balance when used. The higher quality the pack the more they stay in balance. Just get an adapter for your ice.

Here's the great planes version. It comes with a few adapters
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXMGS7&P=7