Best Lipo Charger

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thobin

thobin

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Any suggestions on a good Lipo or multi battery type charger, my budget is around $75. Really cant see my self charging more than a 6 cell lipo and 12 volt pb (launcher battery). I just don't want to get a piece of junk that only last a year, don't need one with all the bells and whistles really just a good solid charger.

TA
 
I'm sure you'll get lots of suggestions of cheap chargers from various Far Eastern vendors....and they may be just fine. But from my 30+ years of electric airplane flying and over 10 years of using lithium polymer batteries, the FMA Cellpro 4s is my favorite for all but the largest batteries. I like it so well I have three of them. Sadly, it's OOP. It's multi-chemistry cousin, however, is still available:https://www.usastore.revolectrix.com/Products_2/Cellpro-Multi4_3/Cellpro-Multi4_253

I have one of these as well.....it's fussy to select different chemistries because it has a single-button interface, but it works amazingly reliably. And for a little extra you can talk to it with a Windows computer and customize all sorts of things.....
 
BEC said:
the FMA Cellpro 4s is my favorite for all but the largest batteries.
Click to expand...
+1 -- the nice thing about the Cellpros is that they automatically determine battery capacity and charge rate, eliminating a major source of user error if you have different-sized packs.
 
Does it come with a DC power adapter plug, and a JST charge plug. Most of the time I will be charging a single cell 3.7 lipo.


TA
 
mikec said:
+1 -- the nice thing about the Cellpros is that they automatically determine battery capacity and charge rate...
Click to expand...

how does it automatically determine charge rate? which cellpro charger has this feature? I looked at a few and none advertised this feature.

I don't see how a charger could automatically figure out the optimal charge rate.
 
In theory it could adjust charge current to maintain a specific change in voltage per unit of charge. Don't know if this is how it works though.
Derek said:
how does it automatically determine charge rate? which cellpro charger has this feature? I looked at a few and none advertised this feature.

I don't see how a charger could automatically figure out the optimal charge rate.
Click to expand...
 
I have one of the 'import' chargers I purchased from Hobbypartz a couple years ago for ~$30. Its branded as a "DETRUM DC6", but I have seen a couple variants of this charger under other branding.

It requires a separate 12v power supply, but that was no big deal. I had one laying around thats working fine.

I think the auto-battery sensing would be great, but I have been doing fine with this charger. It came with all sorts of connectors for charging several types of batteries.

I say if you can afford up to $75, then deffinately go with a nicer charger. ....But there are cheaper options that will get the job done!
 
I use this charger, with this power supply, with this battery to power my Tragic Little Aerospace GPS. The balancing charger works great. I really wish that this charger was capable of charging the 1S LiPo's that come with the Featherweight altimeter bays. I use those batteries frequently with my RRC3, RRC2+, Parrot, and Raven altimeters.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
patelldp said:
I use this charger, with this power supply, with this battery to power my Tragic Little Aerospace GPS. The balancing charger works great. I really wish that this charger was capable of charging the 1S LiPo's that come with the Featherweight altimeter bays. I use those batteries frequently with my RRC3, RRC2+, Parrot, and Raven altimeters.
Click to expand...

why can't it charge that battery? I see nothing in the specs that indicates it can't.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Derek said:
why can't it charge that battery? I see nothing in the specs that indicates it can't.
Click to expand...

It could, it would just require an adapter to do so. Out of the box it does not accept that connector.
 
Picked up a charger at the only local hobby store left in my area. I try to buy what I can from them, they always treat me right and they know their stuff. It's a Tenergy charger it will do up to 6 Cells and it comes with all the charging harnesses and it will charge all the types of batteries at a range of 1 to 5 amps. The LCD display is very bright and can be seen in daylight, Best part is it is AC as well as DC. It was a little more that I wanted to spend but they swear by it and they haven't ever had one returned.

A soon as my batteries get here I will put it through some tests. All my support equipment has always been lagging, its good to finally get some this squared away, now all I need to do is get my launch controller finished and I will be good to go.


TA

20131103_123325.jpg
 
Derek said:
how does it automatically determine charge rate? which cellpro charger has this feature?
Click to expand...
I have no idea, but it does. For example, the Cellpro 4-Multi has "Auto charge mode (AUTO 1C, 2C, 3C) charge rates available utilizing advanced fuel gauging technology". You set it to charge at 2C, for example, and it will charge any capacity cell at the appropriate current.

I suspect based on watching it in operation that it uses a low current for a while, sees how the voltage changes, and tweaks up the current iteratively.
 
patelldp said:
I really wish that this charger was capable of charging the 1S LiPo's that come with the Featherweight altimeter bays. I use those batteries frequently with my RRC3, RRC2+, Parrot, and Raven altimeters.
Click to expand...

Dan,

You probably have a charger for you 1s LiPo's, but have you tried the one offered at Fruity Chutes for your exact batteries? It is a wall charger for $25. I am guessing that if Fruity Chutes sold it, that might be a good rec. to try one. Not sure why Featherweight does not offer the appropriate charger for the 3.7v 1s Lipo's they offer.
 
I can vouch for the Tenergy TB-6AC. I've been using it for a couple of years and it charges well and balances the LiPo's. I have charged LiPo's, NiMH, sealed lead acid, lead acid and NiCd's. Good intelligence built into the charger to help verify the charge setting are correct for the battery being used. Great charger. $59 at all-battery.com plus about $12 shipping. You might as well also get a few more batteries since their shipping charge does not increase much with additional items and their prices are good.
 
mikec said:
I have no idea, but it does. For example, the Cellpro 4-Multi has "Auto charge mode (AUTO 1C, 2C, 3C) charge rates available utilizing advanced fuel gauging technology". You set it to charge at 2C, for example, and it will charge any capacity cell at the appropriate current.

I suspect based on watching it in operation that it uses a low current for a while, sees how the voltage changes, and tweaks up the current iteratively.
Click to expand...

OK. Now that you posted a charger model with this feature, reading the manual tells you how they do it and it is exactly as you described. See page 13 here:

https://revolectrix.com/support_docs/item_1292.pdf

Thanks!
 
thobin said:
Picked up a charger at the only local hobby store left in my area. I try to buy what I can from them, they always treat me right and they know their stuff. It's a Tenergy charger it will do up to 6 Cells and it comes with all the charging harnesses and it will charge all the types of batteries at a range of 1 to 5 amps. The LCD display is very bright and can be seen in daylight, Best part is it is AC as well as DC. It was a little more that I wanted to spend but they swear by it and they haven't ever had one returned.

A soon as my batteries get here I will put it through some tests. All my support equipment has always been lagging, its good to finally get some this squared away, now all I need to do is get my launch controller finished and I will be good to go.


TA
Click to expand...

+1 on the Tenergy TB6AC. It's a great charger for the $$. Whoever wrote the instructions doesn't speeky Eng-a-rish.

Fortunately, there's plenty of tutorials available on you-tube and several Tenergy models have identical or nearly identical menu paths.
 
Adrian A said:
You mean this one?

https://shop.featherweightaltimeters.com/product.sc?productId=26&categoryId=2
Click to expand...

I was wondering if I could use this battery with the Raven2/3? It's 35C+, too much?

https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking...series_compatible_USA_.html?strSearch=Turnigy nano-tech 300mah 2S 35

The battery that you show on your webpage is'nt available anymore? This one is 15C but too much for the Raven2/3?

https://www.batteryjunction.com/tenergy-37-160-lip-30530.html
 
Tetrahedron said:
I was wondering if I could use this battery with the Raven2/3? It's 35C+, too much?

https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking...series_compatible_USA_.html?strSearch=Turnigy nano-tech 300mah 2S 35
Click to expand...

Yes, it would burn out the main or apogee FETs if they see a short powered by that battery.

Tetrahedron said:
The battery that you show on your webpage is'nt available anymore? This one is 15C but too much for the Raven2/3?

https://www.batteryjunction.com/tenergy-37-160-lip-30530.html
Click to expand...

It's available here, among other places.

https://shop.featherweightaltimeters.com/category.sc?categoryId=4


Thanks.

-Adrian
 

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