I am in the market for a new charger ?

motomanpat · 02-10-2008, 04:23 PM

Hello all,

I am currently in the market for a new charger and I am not sure exactly what I want to buy. I currently don't run Lipo but would like to in the future so I would want something that is capable of charging Lipo. I also would like to get a charger and a power supply for a reasonable price! I have read a fair amount of threads but still not sure what to do. I have read that the ICE is the stuff and I have been looking for one used. I also have been looking into the Triton 2 . Some say the 989 is a good charger but I don't know the price is good and comes with a power supply which would really help. Currently I have a Hobbico POS and you all know what that stands for. It is easy and it works but I am never sure if my batteries are getting a full charge as there is no display,when the light blinks it is done I guess plus it won't charge Lipo. Any tips or information would be greatly appreciated. I am a Nitro guy but I know you electric guys know your stuff.

ray3619 · 02-10-2008, 04:31 PM

i use the triton 2s , work great and there back lit , ray

d16dcoe45 · 02-10-2008, 05:51 PM

If you are looking at a 989 or in that price range I would without a doubt get an LRP Pulsar 3--very reliable, 10 amp discharge, up to 10 amp charge. The most feature packed for the money is the Checkpoint TC1030--but I can't in good conscience recommend it--they keep blowing FETs during 10, 20 or 30 amp discharge--I myself just had one go during 20 amp discharge. The Pulsar can do almost everything the Checkpoint can do (except graphing and 20 and 30 amp discharge) but since it doesn't blow up during discharge it winds up being the better value/charger. I am not a huge fan of MRC chargers.
The only advantage of the 989 is that it comes with a power supply--but if you got 2 chargers (like many guys do) they would each have to run off their own supply (since its only 10 amp I believe) which winds up just being more stuff to carry around--while if you got a Pulsar or Checkpoint and a 15 or 20 amp power supply you could run 2 chargers off of that one supply.
The ICE has the exact same internals and FETs as the Checkpoint--and they both have the same internals as the Triton. So the ICE would seem to be just as suseptible as the Checkpoint to breakdown--the only reason you don't see more broken ICEs as it can only do a 10 amp max discharge compared to 30 max of the Checkpoint.

d16dcoe45 · 02-10-2008, 05:54 PM

So many Checkpoints have blown that they even made a note of it on their website giving charging and discharging recomendations, raise the charger off the table, point an external fan at it and only discharge in a cool environment. They only claim they have seen problems with 30 amp discharges--but the fact is 10 and 20 amp are problems for the Checkpoint as well. Even with a fan pointed at it, mine went after 4 months of 20 amp discharges.

sght4 · 02-10-2008, 06:03 PM

I have 3 ice chargers and love them, I dont use them for discharging as I have a 30 amp discharger for that purpose.

not home · 02-11-2008, 04:32 PM

ice charger is realy nice, everybody at my track has one, more like 50% of the people do lol

devin4444 · 02-11-2008, 07:47 PM

ice charger, at the track i go at a lot of people have ice chargers.

RB FIVE · 02-11-2008, 08:20 PM

Pulsar 3's all day. Simple and Sweet to navigate and use.

playboy · 02-11-2008, 08:26 PM

i have the pulsar 3 and i love it but i heared a lot of good stuff about the new orion charger

tboned_2002 · 02-11-2008, 08:43 PM

Pular 3, do youself a favor and buy it. You wont be disappointed.

wevie · 02-11-2008, 11:57 PM

I am also in the market for a new charger. I had planned on ordering the 989 based upon specs, cost, research. Now some people here recommend the Pulsar over the 989. With the added features of the 989, can someone convince me why the Pulsar is better?

(I've read about MRC having a bad rep on an older version of a different model charger, but that is supposedly rectified)

jgroenhof · 02-12-2008, 08:34 AM

If you exclusivly into brushless it doesn't matter, but I really like the motor run in feature, and the ability to run a comm lathe with my Orion. Features I use more than you would think.

I beleive the ICE, Pulsar, and Checkpoint chargers all have those features.
Duratrax has a 5 year warrantee, to consider.

RB FIVE · 02-12-2008, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wevie

I am also in the market for a new charger. I had planned on ordering the 989 based upon specs, cost, research. Now some people here recommend the Pulsar over the 989. With the added features of the 989, can someone convince me why the Pulsar is better?

(I've read about MRC having a bad rep on an older version of a different model charger, but that is supposedly rectified)

I read in the past that the mrc chargers had issues with lipos, Orion says on there lipos not to use mrc chargers cause of this. I had a brain charger once and it crapped out on me. i have had 4 pulsars though and i love them, i suppose its all preference, I love simplicity of the pulsar. I have used the ice and used to have the orion advantage and didnt like the noise it made and the menus..

SQC049 · 02-12-2008, 08:59 AM

Another vote for the Pulsar 3. I still have an original Pulsar from over 5 years ago that works perfectly. They are very easy to use and work flawlessly.