costalotta
11-17-2007, 03:29 AM
OK this is going to hurt a few people out there, who, like me - have been happily using the good old orange EK2-0851 E-SKY LiPo charger to charge your 3S cells for quite some time now....
*THIS CHARGER IS NOT A BALANCE CHARGER*
As an electronics geek, I assumed just because it connects to the battery via the 'tap' cable then it must be a balance charger. NOT SO. It is simply a LiPo safety feature that detects and stops overcharging, per cell. What this also means is that when the first cell hits 4.2v, the battery stops charging, balanced or not balanced! This 'should not' harm your LiPo, but eventually your flight times will decrease as your batteries get further and further out of balance. I was really starting to lose faith, and thinking I was doing everything right with a balance charger, but after performing many intensive tests I have proved THIS IS NOT A BALANCE CHARGER. bugger. I even threw out a few packs thinking they were end of life, because I was doing everything right by using a balance charger - NOT.
But it's not all bad news.... the newer EK2-0851 IS A VERY GOOD AND CHEAP BALANCE CHARGER. In fact, it's probably the best value for money LiPo balancer out there.
Why did ESKY not change the model number then? God only knows. It makes buying these great little devices from Ebay near impossible... unless you know exactly what to look for.
So, I hope this post saves someone else hours and hours and hours of googling and research. Heres what to look out for. Also see attached pictures of the two different models side by side.
BAD EK2-0851 Non Balance charger
Almost always orange in colour
Is included with 'early model' Lama V4 Coaxial heli (and probably others) and can be purchased separately
Always says only 'Charger' on the front sticker
Green light goes OFF when charged
If you view through the vents in the back you can see a black rectangle shaped transistor approx 1sq cm in size
GOOD EK2-0851 True Balance charger
Probably the best cheap little LiPo balancer out there
Is included with 'late model' Lama V4 Coaxial heli (and probably others) and can be purchased separately. In fact, the charger is probably worth more than the heli :lol:
Usually dark green / black in colour, but *possibly* orange
Almost always says 'Balance Charger' on the Front sticker
Green light stays SOLID ON when charged
If you view through the vents in the back you cant see anything except tiny surface-mount components and a circuit board (eg there is not a 1cm sq transistor here)
*THIS CHARGER IS NOT A BALANCE CHARGER*
As an electronics geek, I assumed just because it connects to the battery via the 'tap' cable then it must be a balance charger. NOT SO. It is simply a LiPo safety feature that detects and stops overcharging, per cell. What this also means is that when the first cell hits 4.2v, the battery stops charging, balanced or not balanced! This 'should not' harm your LiPo, but eventually your flight times will decrease as your batteries get further and further out of balance. I was really starting to lose faith, and thinking I was doing everything right with a balance charger, but after performing many intensive tests I have proved THIS IS NOT A BALANCE CHARGER. bugger. I even threw out a few packs thinking they were end of life, because I was doing everything right by using a balance charger - NOT.
But it's not all bad news.... the newer EK2-0851 IS A VERY GOOD AND CHEAP BALANCE CHARGER. In fact, it's probably the best value for money LiPo balancer out there.
Why did ESKY not change the model number then? God only knows. It makes buying these great little devices from Ebay near impossible... unless you know exactly what to look for.
So, I hope this post saves someone else hours and hours and hours of googling and research. Heres what to look out for. Also see attached pictures of the two different models side by side.
BAD EK2-0851 Non Balance charger
Almost always orange in colour
Is included with 'early model' Lama V4 Coaxial heli (and probably others) and can be purchased separately
Always says only 'Charger' on the front sticker
Green light goes OFF when charged
If you view through the vents in the back you can see a black rectangle shaped transistor approx 1sq cm in size
GOOD EK2-0851 True Balance charger
Probably the best cheap little LiPo balancer out there
Is included with 'late model' Lama V4 Coaxial heli (and probably others) and can be purchased separately. In fact, the charger is probably worth more than the heli :lol:
Usually dark green / black in colour, but *possibly* orange
Almost always says 'Balance Charger' on the Front sticker
Green light stays SOLID ON when charged
If you view through the vents in the back you cant see anything except tiny surface-mount components and a circuit board (eg there is not a 1cm sq transistor here)