Charger Upgrade Question
 

I'm getting back into RC after an extended hiatus. When I was last active, I used a Team Checkpoint TC1030 Charger. With the external balancer, I could charge my LiPos at up to 10A, which didn't really matter because 1C was the acceptable rate at the time.

Now I am seeing all of these fancy iChargers with touch screens and massive charging capabilities. Other than the ability to charge multiple packs simultaneously and at rates higher than 10A, do they do anything better than my Checkpoint? Are they better at detecting and balancing? Or should I just save my money and go with what I have now? It's hard to read through all the marketing hype (and general shiny new thing hype), so I'm seeking some objective opinions. Thanks!

PS - I don't really want to charge my packs at super high rates, so please take that into account. I understand that some packs can handle them better than others, but I don't think I am at the point where I need that extra 2% punch out of the corners or the risk of setting fire to something.

I went thru a few chargers and ended up with a PowerLabs 6 by Revolectrix.
You can do a Google search on it but I think I got one of the best chargers on the market.

Most chargers I see just throw the amps in when you press start, the PL6 actually calculates and measures and then slowly builds up to the charge rate you specified.
It detects how many cells instantaneously, measures IR to show how your battery is aging (good for comparisons from one brand to the next) and is computer programmable too.

Theres lots more but you can read a bit about it here....
http://www.amain.com/product_info.ph...n-6S-40A-1000W

If you don't plan on charging more than 1C, than you will probably notice zero difference from the high end chargers. But keep in mind that when cycling or depending how far you discharge your lipos, the time frame will be much longer since your max charge rate will be 10A. The newer chargers may have higher charge/discharge rates. On race days, I discharge(30A) to 3.1 per cell and recharge at 14.4 amps(2C) and it was still over forty five minutes to charge. This process naturally warms the cells and in turn lowers the IR and increases punch.

A modern lipo balance charger will have at least 2 significant advantages over the TC1030 and external balancer combo. Safety and charge time.

While balancers vary in their capability, they all have limits. If a pack has too much of an imbalance issue, a built in balancer works with the main charge controller to reduce the charge to a level that the balancer can keep up with. An external balancer can't do that. It's not unusual to end up with a less than ideal pack, even good packs age and/or experience problems. A decent balancing charger provides a level of safety an external balancer simply can't provide. As Yosh mentions the better chargers automatically check the cells for an added level of security, as well as provide more info on pack health.

The TC1030 and it's cousin the ICE are very slow in finishing the CV portion of the lipo charge. Even modern lipo chargers vary in their charge time, yes with the same settings and charge rates. At 1C a 20 minute difference is not unusual, I've experienced even more difference at times. The better lipo chargers are even quicker than some of the generic chargers, more developed programming.

Now it doesn't mean you can't use the TC1030 external balancer combo. But I would suggest being a little more diligent in checking cell voltages before charging, keep tabs on the pack balance. Which is a good idea anyway. I do think you would enjoy the benefits of a upgrade when you have an opportunity in reduced charge time, and one less device to setup is always nice.

Thanks you everyone. Dave H, those finer points were exactly what I was looking for - subtle improvements that aren't immediately obvious but still important in the long run in terms of battery performance and life.

I'll research the various chargers out there, to include the Powerlabs one that Yosh mentioned. Once the budget allows, I'll have to pull the trigger on something!

Thanks again for the help on this. I found a great deal on a used Powerlab 6 and some server power supplies in the For Sale forum on here that I couldn't pass up. The deciding factor for me was the ability to look at the individual cell voltage and internal resistance - something my TC1030 can't do so I have no idea on the status of my batteries.