xwing

I am consider buying the Turbo 35 GFX to replace my old APEX charger. My question is how long the technology of this charger can last before I have to purchase another one? I cant afford to shelf out the $$$ for something that will go obsolete quick.

Many Thanks

KenSmith

iTrader: (2)

I just ordered a GFX over the weekend. A few thoughts regarding your question:

The good news is that the GFX is CE's latest charger platform, and it is likely that you will be able to enjoy much life out of this investment, look at how long others have lasted:
CE TurboThirty
CE Turbo30 Flex
CE Turbo35
CE Turbo35BL
CE Turbo35BL Stealth
.....and if you don't like it after a while...these chargers hold their value like no others so you can resell with little loss.

There are a few chargers that are designed for upgradability:
-CE (I have had 3)
-Pro-Trak
-Victor (still regretting selling mine)
-Tekin
and they seem to pass the test of time. Just have a look at selling price of used units from the above list. They all can be upgraded to incorporate latest charging/cycling features. Bad news is that 2 of the 4 are out of buisiness so repaires, upgrades will be limited or have halted. CE and Pro-Trak (primarily UK) are still going strong.
There are other chargers that are of high quality (GM Commander comes to mind) that are upgradable, but service is limited in states and dealing with Germany is difficult (from what I have heard).
And still others that offer great features at very reasonable prices:
-Integy (I have had 3 of these)
-LRP
-Reedy
-Novak (I have had 2 of these)
-FMC Supernova (had one of these)
These usually come out with newer version (ie. 16x5 charger, then 16x5v6) that don't offer an upgrade path...you must trade in (or sell) and get the newer charger.

And still others:
-MRC
-Duratrax
-Hobbico (had one of these)
...etc
these are cheap enough that you don't worry about upgrade path. they tend to be good solid performers, but limited on features (no cycling,etc).

Don't want to start a charger war here, they are all good chargers, and you can't go wrong with any of them...but you get what you pay for. The high end chargers will hold value better, last longer, and will be more upgradable.

MHO.
Ken

xwing

Hey Ken,

Thanks for all the details. If CE is upgradable, I feel safe to get it. I have considered other chargers like Robotronic, Yokomo, and etc, but I think CE has more to play with and more to learn from.

futureal

I wouldn't worry at all about the GFX becoming outdated.

I mention a bit about that in the review of the GFX I did here on R/C Tech (you'll find it on the main site).