prowler53

Just looking to get input on my first charger. I'm soon going to be ready to order my e-flite power 46 motor, castle creations phoenix 60, and a couple Lipo's (probably 4s 4000 - 4500 mah. I'm stumped on a charger. I would like one that can charge up to 6s because I have another plane I'm planning on converting to electric and will most likely go with 6s lipo's. I would also prefer dual charging. I'm not planning on charging at the field, but if it has the capability I would consider depending on price. Looking around the $100 price range if possible. Any Ideas on brand or type?

ron_van_sommeren

Manufacturers state max. current and max. power, but most of them forget to mention that those two maxima cannot be achieved simultaneously. Max. power plays an important role tooAlso check whether charger can charge max.current and max.power while being fed from 12volt (car) battery or power supply. Depending on power need, you can use laptop power supply.
You could go for a quad B6 or B6AC, 80watt per channel.

Plenty of excellent charger tests under 'Loader tests', power supply tests under 'Electronic test'
translate...www.elektromodellflug.de
And also battery, controller, motor, power supply, electronic, plane etc. tests.

TWo charger and power supply calculators, selection tools
Script Asylum
→ RC calculations
→ electrical
→ chargers (2 menu items)

Also very useful diagrams under electrical in
→ system wiring
and in
→ LiPo pack wiring
respectively.

The other menu items and demos are also veeeeery handy/instructive for e-folk, add site to your favourites?
Brian G. pulled the plug on his ScriptAsylum site, I copied it.
Statement
www.rc-monster.com/forum/showthread.php?p=431754

xmech2k

The most important factors in my opinion for a good charger is how many watts it can deliver for charging and how many watts is it's balancing circuit. For a 4S 4500mah battery to charge at 1C, it should be able to pump 4.5 amps at 16.8 volts, needing 75.6 watts. If one day you go maybe 6s 5000, you'll need 5 A at 25.2 v = 126 w. You csn charge these with lower wattage chargers, but you'll be charging slower and pushing the charger to its limits.

If you like to keep your batteries as best as they can be, you'll always charge in balance mode, where the charger keeps the individual cells balanced to each other during the charging process. As batteries get older, the individual cells internal resistance and other factors cause them to charge at different rates. The charger has to work to keep them balanced. If the balance circuit is weak, it could take a long time to charge because of this. They'll charge til they're almost done then take forever there at the last bit.

I wish I could make a specific recommendation, but I only know what I've had. My current charger is the Hitec Power Peak D7 . Out of your price range at $260, but it's one of the best things I ever got for the hobby! I see now they also have what looks like a single version of the D7, the Hitec Power Peak E7 . It has 200w charging capacity, but only a 200 ma balance circuit compared to the D7's 300 ma. My previous charger was the Hitec X1-200 which also had a 200 ma balancer, and it had the lengthy charge problem I mentioned. If I let my 4s 4000 batts charge all the way on it, it took over 2 hours before it was done! On the new charger it's like 40 minutes for the exact same batteries. I'd look for 300 ma.

Anyway, the time it takes your batteries to charge can really effect your enjoyment of the hobby. Not a thing you want to cheap out on. Get the best you can.

ron_van_sommeren

Good point about the balancing current, +1.

Another good point, this time by me
Warm pack to 40°C/100°F for about one hour (through and through), for best performance and longest life.

Some excellent battery info
LiPo best care practices #post8346 - RCG
Contents

• Maximizing Cycle Life and Performance
• Storage Facts
• Fun Facts
• Nerd Facts a.k.a Solid-Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) layer
• Thermal Runaway
• Results, Comparisons, and Lies exposed in opening posts

The above post is from this active thread, with more info about C-ratings, discharge rates, stickertuning and the other blatant lies. Using uniform tests, getting published/reffered in opening posts
Battery Load Test Comparisons - RCG

Want more background info, c.q. go overboard ?
Lithium Polymer Battery Technology - RCG
An introduction, with special consideration of RC model lithium batteries.
By dipl.-ing. Frank Siegert.