Austin214

What are some good lipo chargers that can also balance for around $80 to $100? I will be charging a 14.8v battery so it needs to be able to to charge and balance that good. I have the new traxxas lipo charger so would it be good enough to charge and balance a trinity 14.8v 90c 5500mah battery good?

jjfo80

iTrader: (1)

Just some advice mate. No matter how much you spend on batteries and anything else in your car please remember that you should spend alot and own the best charger on the market. That is where you get a unit to look after your cheap and ur dear batteries the best. i know budget comes into it but in electric racing there is a couple of things that you can never skimp out on and the first is a charger and the second is the speed control.

You can deal with a cheaper motor and cheaper batteries but you know u have NO limits to when you need to go faster later on with a faster motor and the batteries can be looked after from the cheapest to the dearest battery cause you have the top of the line charger.

Thats is one of the biggest reasons why the cheaper batteries and some of the top of the line batteries FAIL due a crap charger.

Sorry if that sounds very forward but I honestly have seen way to many ppl spend to much money on the wrong things first.

I hope this helps you make a informed choice as a charger u will never upgrade if you have the best

Cheers
Fordy

Austin214

Bump

sdtech58

iTrader: (30)

Hyperion 606i. Should be able to find it for about $100. I charge 2s, 4s, glow plug warmer and NiMH receiver packs with mine. Versatile and easy to use. Also, it is AC/DC so no need for a power supply.

alexchen86

iTrader: (45)

Yup my Hyperion 0606i has served me well for almost 4 years now. I charge all types of batteries lipos, nimh, nicd, glow plug heaters and no complaints.

Another decent charger for $50-$60 and has all the capacities of my Hyperion and is a lot smaller plus it has a built in fan. I bring this charger out when I'm on the field. The Hyperion stays at home.

Both are AC/DC so hooking it up to a car battery if you arent near electrical is a big plus!

Dave H

Hyperion makes great chargers, but do not get a 0606i for charging typical 4S - 14.8V lipos.

The 0606i has only 50 watts of power, not enough to charge typical 4s packs at 1C (let alone faster as many are nowadays). A 0606i is limited to a charge rate of around 3 amps on a 4S.

Recommend at least 100W of charger power for that battery.

alexchen86

iTrader: (45)

Thanks for that info Dave. I didn't even know that. Would it damage the Hyperion or the batteries? I've been using that charger with several 4s packs for about a year already.

Any affordable 100W charger that is AC/DC?

Dave H

No it won't hurt anything, it's just slow compared to a higher powered alternative.

Sorry I'm not familiar with the affordable AC/DC choices.

Pulse_

hyperion or icharger

sdtech58

iTrader: (30)

Never noticed. Only 4s I use it for is starter box batts (2100 mAh). Still a nice charger.

mark in wi

I have one of these http://www.progressiverc.com/the-sta...20w-combo.html and it works great. I've had good service with them too! It should be able to charge around 9 amps on your 4s packs. This is the icharger 106b so you could always bump up to the 206 if you need more amps. I only charge 2s packs but you should be fine. I tried one of the cheap chargers and it stopped working within a year. As said earlier, get a good charger to start and save time and money in the long run.

Dave H

Possibly some mis communication, sorry I wasn't very clear. I was referring to the OP Austin’s 4S 5500mAh battery, which can use more power. The 0606i is fine for a 2100mAh 4S. Do you usually go all day on a charge of the starter box?

Perhaps the same applies to Alex now that I read back?

I like my Hyperions too, a DC only version of the 0606i and a Duo3. Really appreciate the extra control, flexibility, and info of the Duo3 firmware (same as all the bigger Hyps as I understand it). Charge voltage of either is spot on (I have access to calibrated lab stuff to check).

WindDrake

iTrader: (13)

I've got the SkyRC Ultimate 800 (which is just two Ultimate 400's in one case!) and a Thunder T6 (cloned every which way, everybody makes one).

Great chargers. I use the T6 (50w*4) for 2S packs, and the bigger packs at 15/20A on the Ultimate 800.

Motorman007

iTrader: (89)

The Powerlab 6 or Powerlab 8 charger man.

and Get you a Power supply 24v and something 40amps are more.

kcobra

iTrader: (11)

The Sky RC 400 watt charger is about the best bang for your buck charger now. Pair that with a $20 converted server power supply and you are golden.

If you want to step up to a higher end unit, the FMA Power Lab 8 or the Junsi 306b are the top choices.

Whatever you choose, make sure it has a 20 amp/300 watt or more charge rate.