Radio Shack 15amp supply and 3 CellPro 4s?

[mrivers]

I have the 15amp RS power supply, and am looking to add 1 or 2 more CellPro chargers to the one I currently have. I'll be charging 2200mah 3S AirThunder packs.

The CellPro docs require "5 Amps minimum". Is the RS supply capable of powering 3 CellPro 4s chargers? I realise 3 x 5 is 15, but "5A minimum" is concerning me, and may be 15amps is just cutting it too close.

Link to RS power supply:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?summary=summary&techSpecs=techSpecs&currentTab=features&custRatings=custRatings&features=features&accessories=accessories&productId=2103960&support=support&tab=techSpecs


I knew I should have bought the 25Amp version.

[Avi_Y]

15 amps at 12V would be enough to charge a 4s at about 10.8A (practically at a higher rate, but we want to be on the safe side). That would be enough to charge 3 batteries at about 3.6A. If this is enough for you, then you are set.
The number of chargers is irrelevant. The important factor is their power consumption. Charging a 1Volt battery in a rate of 1A requires 1Watt. A 4s is (at most) 16.8v. Your power supply is 12v*15A = 180W, so you have 180v / 16.8v = 10.8 A (overall). You can distribute this load between any number of chargers, as long as the total current of them (in 16.8v) is 10.8A.
SO, if you charge at less than 3.6A, 3 chargers are fine. And if you are ok with 2.7A, then 4 are also ok, and so on.
I am not familier with your equipnet, but a most chargers would shut down if they can't draw enough current from the power supplier, so in these terms you are safe. The power supllier, on the other hand, might overheat if brought to its limits, or if the specification written on it are not correct. High end suppliers would shut down automatically on such cases. Simpler ones might overheat and die. Again, lowering the charging rate would solve all this.

[RKing]

I charged 3 TRex packs at the same time with three different chargers @ 2.1a-2.2a using 9a power supply all the time. I can only charge my 600 packs @ 4.1a with the same power supply. Just picked up an Iota 55a power supply and I can charge 3 600 packs @5a + a couple of 450 packs all at the same time. $115 shipped on Epay. BTW, if you have a volt meter check the voltage drop when all the chargers are on. If it stays around 12v you are fine. My 9a PS is one of those cheapy magazine ones, it would drop to around 11.7v. I have been using more than a year at least once a week and sometimes more. I am sure you are fine.

[Avi_Y]

I thought the batteries were 4s, and now I see that this is the name of the charger...This makes things even better for you.
A 3s battery is at most 12.6V, which means that with 180W you have a total current of about 14A to distribute among the cargers. Given that you are charging 2200mah batteries in no more that 1C(2.2A), you can safely connect 3 chargers (theoretically up to 6, I would say 4/5 would be completely safe to the power supplier).
By the way, the power consumption of the charger itself (the power needed to operate it, not the current going to the battery) is rather negligable.

[mrivers]

Thank you.

[Pinecone]

While traveling, I picked up a ProLux 10 amp switching charger. I managed to run both my 1010C and Triton2 both charging 3S packs at 2.5 amps.

[Avi_Y]

Charging Requirements: 2 * 2.5A * 12.6V = 63W
Available Power Supply: 10A * 12V = 120W
You were well within the limits of your power supply (just a bit more than half of its output capability).

By the way - When charging at home, where charging time is not an issue, why use 1C current? I fly once a week (if I am lucky), so at home I use 0.25C, and put less stress on the betteries.
If time is an issue, I would say that using multiple chargers with low current simultaniously would be better for the batteries then charging them one after another with a single charger with high current.

[mrivers]

I try to fly as much as weather and work and energy permit, and usually fly later in the day. I just prefer to charge while I'm near by and away. And I'll have 4 batteries and 3 chargers so one has to charge 2 packs.