What charger do you like using
#17
Protek Prodigy 625 Duo Touch AC/DC charger. It's my first higher end charger and I wish I would have bought one a long time ago. 25 amps / 200 watts per channel, LiHV charging, USB output, easy to use touch screens and tons of power and other features. Sells for $249.99 and is as powerful as many DC only chargers, but needs no separate power supply. I bought a bunch of Protek LiHV batteries last month to go with my new cars and needed a charger for them. All in all I couldnt be happier with both the charger and batteries...
#18

Last month I bought a Hota d6 dual pro ac/dc charger, also sold under the hobbymate brand. It is basically a rebranded ISDT D2 but with an added DC input. It is really small, has a 200watt power supply and pretty cheap. With an external power supply it can do 650 watts. It has been really good so far. Only thing I dont like is that the rotary button is quite sensitive.
How has it been holding up, and other than the scroll wheel how is everything else, such as the Connections for the connectors and the Balance Lead etc.
#19
Tech Master
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,416
From: Deep South Texas
I am still using the Turbo 30. yes its OLD.. just like me.
#21
Tech Regular
iTrader: (2)
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 270
I was just looking at this, as SMC is selling their version of this at 20$ less than on Amazon. Looking for a Charger for my Son.
How has it been holding up, and other than the scroll wheel how is everything else, such as the Connections for the connectors and the Balance Lead etc.
How has it been holding up, and other than the scroll wheel how is everything else, such as the Connections for the connectors and the Balance Lead etc.
1) I can't seem to gt an internal resistance measurement. The manual points out this is only available after ~3 minutes into a balance charge cycle, but even then, simply scrolling only shows me two screens, and neither shows internal resistance.
2) I can only discharge at 0.7A. Based on the spec of
Discharge Power Internal discharge: 15Wx2 (balance port 10W)
External discharge: 325W × 2(650W)
I expect to be able to discharge at ~15W/7.8V ~ 2A using only the internal discharge function. I am only using 2S LiPo batteries, and so far only have a single cable, so this is only using one channel at a time, not that this should be a factor based on the specs.
If anyone has this charger and can help I'd really appreciate it!
#23
Ive got the ProTek Prodigy 625 Duo. Great setup for a great price. Built-in AC so no need to buy a power supply and one of the few AC Chargers on the market that can charge at nearly full speed on AC power. Most AC chargers require a power supply to get full charging current and only get half the charging current on AC.
A perfect example of this limitation is my old Hitec X2 AC/DC Charger. Its rated for 200 W and 10Amps per channel simultaneously, but when plugged into an outlet VIA the built-in AC cable, I can only charge my two SMC Racing 7400mAH 2S 90C batteries at a maximum of ~5.2 Amps and 50 Watts per channel.
This means that on my old charger, charging took forever. 0.7C max charging rate is pretty pathetic. Modern Lipos can take up to a 3.0C charge with no issues, but staying under 2C is highly recommended. 1.0C or less is recommended for those with extreme paranoia who are afraid they might wreck their batteries, or newbies.
Now with my ProTek 625, I am able to get the 10.0A charge rate I have always wanted on my batts, charging two simultaneously, and the charger doesnt even break a sweat. This ~1.3C charge rate is far faster and still more than safe for the batteries. Charge time has gone down from 75 Minutes to just over 40 Minutes, and the batteries dont even get warm.
It is also the perfect charge rate because I can charge two while running two and thanks to the 7400mAH capacity, my batteries get done charging before the ones I am using even hit LVC. Therefore, using this charger and a second pair of batteries means I have unlimited, endless runtime overall. Its quite nice really
I havent tested my 625 to this extent but according to what I have read, the 625 Duo will actually do a full 25A/200W charge off of AC power all on its own, making it the bargain of the century for high-end chargers.
A perfect example of this limitation is my old Hitec X2 AC/DC Charger. Its rated for 200 W and 10Amps per channel simultaneously, but when plugged into an outlet VIA the built-in AC cable, I can only charge my two SMC Racing 7400mAH 2S 90C batteries at a maximum of ~5.2 Amps and 50 Watts per channel.
This means that on my old charger, charging took forever. 0.7C max charging rate is pretty pathetic. Modern Lipos can take up to a 3.0C charge with no issues, but staying under 2C is highly recommended. 1.0C or less is recommended for those with extreme paranoia who are afraid they might wreck their batteries, or newbies.
Now with my ProTek 625, I am able to get the 10.0A charge rate I have always wanted on my batts, charging two simultaneously, and the charger doesnt even break a sweat. This ~1.3C charge rate is far faster and still more than safe for the batteries. Charge time has gone down from 75 Minutes to just over 40 Minutes, and the batteries dont even get warm.
It is also the perfect charge rate because I can charge two while running two and thanks to the 7400mAH capacity, my batteries get done charging before the ones I am using even hit LVC. Therefore, using this charger and a second pair of batteries means I have unlimited, endless runtime overall. Its quite nice really

I havent tested my 625 to this extent but according to what I have read, the 625 Duo will actually do a full 25A/200W charge off of AC power all on its own, making it the bargain of the century for high-end chargers.
Last edited by wallacengineeri; 12-07-2018 at 12:34 PM.
#25
Tech Regular
iTrader: (2)
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 270
I just picked up the Hobbymate version of this. So far, it charges fine, but there's a couple of things I can't figure out:
1) I can't seem to gt an internal resistance measurement. The manual points out this is only available after ~3 minutes into a balance charge cycle, but even then, simply scrolling only shows me two screens, and neither shows internal resistance.
2) I can only discharge at 0.7A. Based on the spec of
Discharge Power Internal discharge: 15Wx2 (balance port 10W)
External discharge: 325W × 2(650W)
I expect to be able to discharge at ~15W/7.8V ~ 2A using only the internal discharge function. I am only using 2S LiPo batteries, and so far only have a single cable, so this is only using one channel at a time, not that this should be a factor based on the specs.
If anyone has this charger and can help I'd really appreciate it!
1) I can't seem to gt an internal resistance measurement. The manual points out this is only available after ~3 minutes into a balance charge cycle, but even then, simply scrolling only shows me two screens, and neither shows internal resistance.
2) I can only discharge at 0.7A. Based on the spec of
Discharge Power Internal discharge: 15Wx2 (balance port 10W)
External discharge: 325W × 2(650W)
I expect to be able to discharge at ~15W/7.8V ~ 2A using only the internal discharge function. I am only using 2S LiPo batteries, and so far only have a single cable, so this is only using one channel at a time, not that this should be a factor based on the specs.
If anyone has this charger and can help I'd really appreciate it!
Still can't figure the low discharge current out though....
#26
#27
I picked up a muchmore hybrid touch duo used a while back for a great price and while it's not a powerful as the ichargers I can charge on 15a on both channels on ac and 20a on each on dc. The 25w discharge power and programmable charge profiles make it really great
#28
Ive got the ProTek Prodigy 625 Duo. Great setup for a great price. Built-in AC so no need to buy a power supply and one of the few AC Chargers on the market that can charge at nearly full speed on AC power. Most AC chargers require a power supply to get full charging current and only get half the charging current on AC.
A perfect example of this limitation is my old Hitec X2 AC/DC Charger. Its rated for 200 W and 10Amps per channel simultaneously, but when plugged into an outlet VIA the built-in AC cable, I can only charge my two SMC Racing 7400mAH 2S 90C batteries at a maximum of ~5.2 Amps and 50 Watts per channel.
This means that on my old charger, charging took forever. 0.7C max charging rate is pretty pathetic. Modern Lipos can take up to a 3.0C charge with no issues, but staying under 2C is highly recommended. 1.0C or less is recommended for those with extreme paranoia who are afraid they might wreck their batteries, or newbies.
Now with my ProTek 625, I am able to get the 10.0A charge rate I have always wanted on my batts, charging two simultaneously, and the charger doesnt even break a sweat. This ~1.3C charge rate is far faster and still more than safe for the batteries. Charge time has gone down from 75 Minutes to just over 40 Minutes, and the batteries dont even get warm.
It is also the perfect charge rate because I can charge two while running two and thanks to the 7400mAH capacity, my batteries get done charging before the ones I am using even hit LVC. Therefore, using this charger and a second pair of batteries means I have unlimited, endless runtime overall. Its quite nice really
I havent tested my 625 to this extent but according to what I have read, the 625 Duo will actually do a full 25A/200W charge off of AC power all on its own, making it the bargain of the century for high-end chargers.
A perfect example of this limitation is my old Hitec X2 AC/DC Charger. Its rated for 200 W and 10Amps per channel simultaneously, but when plugged into an outlet VIA the built-in AC cable, I can only charge my two SMC Racing 7400mAH 2S 90C batteries at a maximum of ~5.2 Amps and 50 Watts per channel.
This means that on my old charger, charging took forever. 0.7C max charging rate is pretty pathetic. Modern Lipos can take up to a 3.0C charge with no issues, but staying under 2C is highly recommended. 1.0C or less is recommended for those with extreme paranoia who are afraid they might wreck their batteries, or newbies.
Now with my ProTek 625, I am able to get the 10.0A charge rate I have always wanted on my batts, charging two simultaneously, and the charger doesnt even break a sweat. This ~1.3C charge rate is far faster and still more than safe for the batteries. Charge time has gone down from 75 Minutes to just over 40 Minutes, and the batteries dont even get warm.
It is also the perfect charge rate because I can charge two while running two and thanks to the 7400mAH capacity, my batteries get done charging before the ones I am using even hit LVC. Therefore, using this charger and a second pair of batteries means I have unlimited, endless runtime overall. Its quite nice really

I havent tested my 625 to this extent but according to what I have read, the 625 Duo will actually do a full 25A/200W charge off of AC power all on its own, making it the bargain of the century for high-end chargers.
#30
So, I obviously own the Hitec X2-400 dual charger. Love it. Bought a inexpensive Turnigy Reactor 250 to use while the Hitec was in for repair. Actually really like the Turnigy. Very small, decent power, and charges almost any battery type. I typically pack the Turnigy when heading to the track unless I anticipate needing to charge multiple packs at once. Not in any way knocking the iChargers, I'm just not smart enough to use one, lol, and have no need for any "advanced" features. Just charging 2s or 3s lipos for my crawlers anymore. I do still have a couple Duratrax Ice chargers that stay on my worktable at home and still charge just fine, with an external balancer of course.



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