You can purchase a charger with multiple ports or you can charge batteries in either series or parallel. I chose the powerlab 6 because it can put out 40A which will charge all 6 of my 3s lipo batteries in about 20 minutes at the same time. I bought a parallel charging board so i can charge anywhere from 1-6 batteries at the same time (all the same cell count). I love this setup. The only way i could be happier would be if I went with the powerlab 8 which put out a massive 60A!
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How important is a charger?
- Thread starter jmac
- Start date
You can purchase a charger with multiple ports or you can charge batteries in either series or parallel. I chose the powerlab 6 because it can put out 40A which will charge all 6 of my 3s lipo batteries in about 20 minutes at the same time. I bought a parallel charging board so i can charge anywhere from 1-6 batteries at the same time (all the same cell count). I love this setup. The only way i could be happier would be if I went with the powerlab 8 which put out a massive 60A!
Pavmentsurfer
Pebble Pounder
^^ Thats what I'm using as well.
I would say, if your in the market for a charger do your best to budget $100 minimum. You can get a good charger for $100. And, think about it this way, your about to spend say $50 or $60 on batteries (minimum I would assume) and the charger is what takes care of your batteries. So do you want to risk your $60 investment in batteries for the sake of $40 or $50 extra in a charger? Its worth the extra saving time to get the good charger.
So heres why a server PSU is good. Its cheap and powerful. There are lots of other "RC specific" power supplies out there that can cost hundreds. Especially if you want HIGH amp output. But a 56 amp converted server PSU can be had for $50 or $60 shipped.
Why do you need more than just the internal chargers power supply. Answer: Wattage. A typical chargers internal power supply is 50 watts. Which is barely enough to fully charge a 5000mah 2S lipo at 5 amps. And its not enough to charge a 6000mah 2S lipo at 5 amps. If you run higher capacity or higher voltage batteries your "5 amp capable" charger will not even be able to charge at 5 amps. To find out how many watts you need from your power supply simply divide the capacity of the battery by 1000 and X it by the voltage of the pack (remember a lipo cell charges to 4.2 volts when full... so a 2S lipo is full at 8.4 volts).
Something like a Thunderpower TP610AC/DC has an internal power supply that outputs 80 watts. So you can charge your 5000mah lipos at up to 9 amps. However, the charger is CAPABLE of 10 amps. So, to charge your 5000mah 2S lipo at a full 10 amps, you need more watts. A server PSU is a good way to get high amp (and therefore high wattage) 12 volt power source for your charger.
This is a very important limitation of many cheaper chargers that most people fail to consider. If your running 2500mah packs its not a huge deal. But if you run larger capacity packs... especially good ones that can be charged at more than 1C... its very important. A Powerlab 6 is capable of 40 amps... so I can charge 4 5000mah 2s lipos at 2C all at the same time. But it needs a pretty serious power supply to do that. So I used a converted servo PSU that outputs 56 amps (and I have no idea how many watts... but its more than enough).
Thats the long answer.
I would say, if your in the market for a charger do your best to budget $100 minimum. You can get a good charger for $100. And, think about it this way, your about to spend say $50 or $60 on batteries (minimum I would assume) and the charger is what takes care of your batteries. So do you want to risk your $60 investment in batteries for the sake of $40 or $50 extra in a charger? Its worth the extra saving time to get the good charger.
So heres why a server PSU is good. Its cheap and powerful. There are lots of other "RC specific" power supplies out there that can cost hundreds. Especially if you want HIGH amp output. But a 56 amp converted server PSU can be had for $50 or $60 shipped.
Why do you need more than just the internal chargers power supply. Answer: Wattage. A typical chargers internal power supply is 50 watts. Which is barely enough to fully charge a 5000mah 2S lipo at 5 amps. And its not enough to charge a 6000mah 2S lipo at 5 amps. If you run higher capacity or higher voltage batteries your "5 amp capable" charger will not even be able to charge at 5 amps. To find out how many watts you need from your power supply simply divide the capacity of the battery by 1000 and X it by the voltage of the pack (remember a lipo cell charges to 4.2 volts when full... so a 2S lipo is full at 8.4 volts).
Something like a Thunderpower TP610AC/DC has an internal power supply that outputs 80 watts. So you can charge your 5000mah lipos at up to 9 amps. However, the charger is CAPABLE of 10 amps. So, to charge your 5000mah 2S lipo at a full 10 amps, you need more watts. A server PSU is a good way to get high amp (and therefore high wattage) 12 volt power source for your charger.
This is a very important limitation of many cheaper chargers that most people fail to consider. If your running 2500mah packs its not a huge deal. But if you run larger capacity packs... especially good ones that can be charged at more than 1C... its very important. A Powerlab 6 is capable of 40 amps... so I can charge 4 5000mah 2s lipos at 2C all at the same time. But it needs a pretty serious power supply to do that. So I used a converted servo PSU that outputs 56 amps (and I have no idea how many watts... but its more than enough).
Thats the long answer.
Great points all around. A good charging setup will deliver more driving time and healthier batteries - period. It is an investment in the hobby and will follow you throughout rc, air to ground. Choose a good charger and awesome power supply.
Even if you have access to server power supplies (and workstations) , be cautious on pinout and setup - improper configuration could result in a life altering experience. Be safe, and if concerned, checkout the online retailers that offer tested solutions. Have fun and be safe.
Even if you have access to server power supplies (and workstations) , be cautious on pinout and setup - improper configuration could result in a life altering experience. Be safe, and if concerned, checkout the online retailers that offer tested solutions. Have fun and be safe.
Jeepincwby
Rock Stacker
Ok now I'm lost, what is a server PSU? I think understand what PSU(Power Supply Unit) stands for but I don't understand the server part?:shock:
dortoh
Newbie
I have been playing with battery powered rc vehicles since the 80's.
First decide how much you can spend.
If you are just bashing look at ac/dc chargers. That way you won't need a separate power supply (PSU).
If you think you will be running a lot you may want to consider a dual charger. More or less it's two chargers in one. most of these are dc only and will need a separate PSU.
And if you want to be safe always use a lipo charging bag.
This could be a good choice:
There are PSU's found in computer server that can be converted for use as a PSU to power a DC only charger. They are quite often as good or better than commercially available units. The problem is getting one and then converting it. You or a friend will need the knowledge to make the conversion. I have seen them on ebay converted and ready to go.
First decide how much you can spend.
If you are just bashing look at ac/dc chargers. That way you won't need a separate power supply (PSU).
If you think you will be running a lot you may want to consider a dual charger. More or less it's two chargers in one. most of these are dc only and will need a separate PSU.
And if you want to be safe always use a lipo charging bag.
This could be a good choice:
Prophet Sport Plus 50W AC/DC Charger (DYNC2010CA)
It can be had for around $50. It will charge up to 6s lipos. It is only rated up to 5 amps. That could limit how fast you can charge some packs. For average use 5a is good.
Horizion has been around a long time. From my experience their customer service is very good and they have a good reputation.
There are a lot of good chargers out there. If you can decide how much you want to invest in a charging setup we can better help you.
Hope this helps.
It can be had for around $50. It will charge up to 6s lipos. It is only rated up to 5 amps. That could limit how fast you can charge some packs. For average use 5a is good.
Horizion has been around a long time. From my experience their customer service is very good and they have a good reputation.
There are a lot of good chargers out there. If you can decide how much you want to invest in a charging setup we can better help you.
Hope this helps.
There are PSU's found in computer server that can be converted for use as a PSU to power a DC only charger. They are quite often as good or better than commercially available units. The problem is getting one and then converting it. You or a friend will need the knowledge to make the conversion. I have seen them on ebay converted and ready to go.
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jeff22
Pebble Pounder
I run Nimh batteries in my scx10. I have 2 5000mah batteries and the charger below. I get tons of run time. Longest I've been out is an hour and still had plenty left in one battery. With 2 batteries if you run the first one down it will be charged and ready to go by the time you've run the second one down. This setup is inexpensive. The batteries run about $35 a piece and the charger was $40 at the lhs.
I don't really see the point in lipos for a non competition truck. Lipos are popular with planes and helicopters because they are so lightweight but in my scx10 I don't mind some extra weight from the battery. I just drive mine around in the backyard or at a friends house and don't need a serious battery setup for my mostly stock truck.
http://www.duratrax.com/chargers/onyx/dtxp4200.html
I don't really see the point in lipos for a non competition truck. Lipos are popular with planes and helicopters because they are so lightweight but in my scx10 I don't mind some extra weight from the battery. I just drive mine around in the backyard or at a friends house and don't need a serious battery setup for my mostly stock truck.
http://www.duratrax.com/chargers/onyx/dtxp4200.html
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