Tres

iTrader: (14)

Shook:

rocketron

iTrader: (16)

you may want to wait a couple weeks for the NEW charger from Orion - Avantage. Not exactly ure of the specifications but has linear, and step charge, motor run functions, discharge, some other stuff. apparently its available in europe and should be here very soon.

Capone_GR

I don't think that I will wait because if I wait for this in a few weeks there will be a new onw, and a new one etc... and i will never buy one!

rocketron

iTrader: (16)

i believe they Orion in Europe are already selling these you may want to check into it??

Capone_GR

Do you know any URL for Europe?
The bad thing is that in Europe it is usually more expensive to buy than the USA.

rocketron

iTrader: (16)

sorry i don't but have read a thread on here some place that people have just recently purchased? with the dollar and the exchange rate it probly does make sense to purchase from here.

Capone_GR

Today I ordered a new ESC Novak GTX for 168.68$ including airmail to Greece.
But still searching for a charger.

(I must make my order till 8th of February as at that day my credit card ''changes month''.So everything i buy from 9th will be charged to be paid end of March. I want to devide the $$$$, you know too much to pay......)

Now, my thoughts for the chargers:
- LRP does it all, i think in a general way.
- Duratrax, about the same with some added functions and low quality of external plastics.
- APS nice, with motor dyno. I was wondering if this dyno is worth it using it (is it reliable???), or better to buy one seperate later ( motor dyno, on its own)

About the discharger, i think I will buy one seperate.
The costs of the three above for me is about the same.
Still thinking....

Cole Trickle

If you dont need data for discharged packs, then it's an advantage to have separate discharger and charger. Because you can do both same time AND if the bad luck is out and one go to service, you still have the other

I suggest you check out the LRP Pulsar Sport alias Nosram Sirius. It's a straight forward no-nonsense feature charger. Easy to use and reliable (I have yet to experience a false peak).

Here you can get the Sirius for 137 eur. No taxes since it's within europe The site is in Danish though.

I know the Pulsar Sport can be found for 99$ in the US.

Then combine with an Integy Reactor 20 or 30 and you're fast

ChrisP

iTrader: (11)

I didn't have any problems with the external plastics n the Ice...actually the charger is of remarkably high quality witht he construction based on aluminum sxtrustion that also serves as a heatsink in the rear...I was no huge fan of Duratrax until I got this charger..and it has made a eliever outof me...the build quality is nothing like their other chargers.

I stayed away from the Pulsars because of issues several other racers were having with static shock scrambling the unit, and the APS charger was simply an unknown entity when I bought my charger..it was coming..butno one had one yet.

The biggest drawback wtihthe Ice is that the display is at a bad angle and ot backlit. You need to be looking almost straight at the display to ready all of the information.

The APS is a backlitreverse LCD display that is highly visible. Several racers were using them at a race a couple weeks ago in Toronto with high praise for the charger.

I know others that are using the Pulsar 2's and have yet to experience the scrambling issue mentioned earlier...I just felt it wasn't worth the risk....some will say that Static shock can scramble your electronics period...to them I ask then how from our club 2 of the Pulsars have went down (1 at our track and 1 while the racer was at the US Indoor Champs) out of less than 10 Pulsars that are used at our club on a weekly basis...

To me that looks like potentially a 20% failure rate....which is why I stayed away until the issue is acknowledged and adressed.

Mr. Shookie

iTrader: (9)

OK let me explain about the APS Dyno-Charge it has a dyno but is more a motor tester, great for testing your motors to pick the best one and also to help with tuning. OK let me run through what I did yesterday.
1) Took all my motors run them through the dyno.
2) Recorded all the data i.e. RMP and AMP draw.
3) Took each motor and cleaned them thouroughly.
4) Cut the Comms and put in new brushes.
5) Used the motor break in funtion on the APS.
6) Re-Dyno'd all the motors again and recorded all the data again.
7) Tried diferent brush combos to get the most out of each motor.
8) Tried all the spring combos to get the most out of each motor.
9) Put all the motors back in there case with a little note under each with all the data i.e. with which brush spring combo gives more AMP draw for torque and which gives the best RPM.
Yes it was dawnting but worth it. Now I know which motor is best with what brush and spring Combo....Now do you know which is best??????
Now for the charger porsion of the Dyno-charge.
1) The temp prob keeps it from false peeking
2) It can charge up to 8 cells
3) It can charge at up to 8AMPs (which is more than enough)
4) It has five programs that you can set for which battery you are charging i.e. I can put it on setup 1 for my 3300 matched packs at 6Amps and a temp cutoff of 118*. Then I can change to setup for my 3600 packs....setup 3 for my 1100 race packs for my 18T..bla bla bla..You get the point.
So the charger is great too.
OOPS I forgot it also can save your motor data in the charger at 5 different saving locations.
SO Do I like this charger.
Yes Why?
Because it is small (5"x5"X2.5")
Because it charges with the best of those available
Because it can dyno on the spot with a small little stand it comes with it.
Becasue it does it all except Discharge and Cycle which is OK Cause I can do that with my other chargers or with the Dean discharger if need be.
Hope all this helps
Stephen <><
Sorry I slept well and am feeling long winded today...LOL

Capone_GR

I am so so so so confused now!!!
The only good thing is that I am now between Ice and APS....

Mr. Shookie

iTrader: (9)

This should help.
Do you need more of a cycle style charger or more of all in one charger. See I have both and I love what each does for me. I think the APS is the best @ the track charger ever. It is there if I want to see if a spring combe will give me the desired results quickly. Now at home I have the Integy 16X5 which cycles and conditions my cell which I realy don't have a need for at the track.
The only reason why I bought the APS is becasue I wanted to have the Lastest and greatest and also to have a compact all in one for the track. Hope this helps you more.
Stephen <><

ChrisP

iTrader: (11)

Ahhh...but as an all-in-one the APS will not be able to let you know howmuch runtime you had left on your pack at the end of a race...

you can still test amp draw and break in motors with the Ice, you just can't see the RPM number.you can still however hear the difference in pitch between a slower and a faster motor....

I don't really need the discharge feature due to the charger/discharger setup that I have, but theIce seemed tohave the extra options for the future with the Li-Po capabilities....

however the APS has a MUCH EASIER toread (albeit smaller) display...

I really don't think you can go wrong with either one.

Capone_GR

My last and first race was about 8 years ago when I had a Tamiya TA02 chassis running with 1700mAh gold pack battery pack and black acto power motor!!!!!!!!
So you can easily understand that I heve missed a lot and reading and reading.
Now I think that I might buy the Ice and buy one Dyno second hand.....

ChrisP

iTrader: (11)

Hoe much motor tweakign will you be doing considering that you're relatively new? Look at the features taht you will be using and figure out what is important to you..
base you deceisin on that...

extra features if left unused don't do you much good at all