Charger question

[jmiceli11]

What chargers are you guys using? I am using a 10s in my Logo 600 and but I would also like to have something that caould possibly charger two 6s in series. I was looking at the Hyperion EOS 1210i but I see it won't support firmware upgrades and LiIon batteries. The LiIon not being support isn't a big deal but the lack of firmware support could be a problem.

Right now I have a Thunder power 1010 with v210 balancer but I don't feel they balance the big packs very well. I also have a Cellpro 10s on order hopefully here by the end of the week.

Thanks,

John

[LITHIUMSTATIC]

Right now I have a Thunder power 1010 with v210 balancer but I don't feel they balance the big packs very well.

I've been using that same setup for over a year and it works perfect for me. Maybe your balancer needs to be sent in for repair?

[Flybar-less]

The FMA 10S works very well for 10S at about 6.5 amps max. It charges partially through the balancer so batteries are balanced early in the charge cycle. Plus it will charge multiple flight packs of different voltages ( up to 5 2S ) at once up to 4 amps through the balancer.

[jmiceli11]

The short coming of the Cellpro 10s is that it has a max of 10 cells. The Hyperion EOS 1210i can handle up to 12s. This is important because I have 6s batteries for a T-Rex 500, but my main concern is a good balancer for my 10s. I might just get a Hyperion DUO and have plenty of options. The Cellpro 10s is so inexpensive I might get another one of those.

The problem with the 1010 is that the balancer can bleed off the excess energy quickly enough when the cells are out of whack.

Thanks,

John

[Flybar-less]

The Duos cannot charge single pack batteries over 6S. Choices:arggg:

[itsparks]

This is my setup :), i was worried at the start of not knowing how to use this charger but MAN its so easy. It even asks you if its the right battery connected before even probing it, then it does a battery check then starts charging :)

[lloyd 1]

The EOS 610i DUO is a super charger.

[auto illusions]

For sure. Remember the duo can not charge any one single lipo battery over 6s! I missed this when setting up my charging system and now flying 10s in my logo, i have been forced to buy new chargers! Wish i would have done better research!

Any one want to buy a brand new duo with 2 x flight power balance adapters?

[stvjeep]

How many A123 cells can you charge at once in the EOS0610i?
What about the DUO?
Are A123 cells the same in regards to number of cells your allowed to charge at once?

From what I read both will only do 6S A123. The DUO will do 2 packs of 6S A123 at the same time. Now, could I charge one 4S and one 6S on the DUO at the same time?

Man I should just e-mail Hyperion....

[OICU812]

FMA chargers,,, hmm where is best place to buy these...?

[th3tick]

fmadirect.com is the only place I know.

I just got my 10s working this week, and am quite happy with it. The only limitation with it at the moment is the lack of cabling for anything 6S-9S, but you can make your own.

John

[itsparks]

you can only buy fma chargers batteries from them. I have already asked them who they sell to, they always reply with no one we are only direct.

I loved my old 4s cellpro charger it was super nice.

Jase

[RMJ22]

My 10s just came in last night. Can somebody please tell me a little about how to use it? There is no wall plug, just the red and black wires, which I put the alligator clamps on. The instructions say connect to a 12V power supply. Can I just clamp these onto the battery on my four wheeler (I know the 12V of the ATV is not the same 12V as my truck - from experience, I assume this is due to the difference in amps, right?).

I'm new to all this, can someone please direct me to a thread to help get me started?

Also, my other question is do I connect the male or female Dean's Ultra connector to the helicopter? Which one goes on the battery itself?

Thanks in advance for any and all help!

[itsparks]

to be safe and to never have to worry about he pins shorting out or causing a short, or FIRE, your battery packs should always have the female end of the deans. the heli & charger should have the male ends.


You can use a atv battery, but i wouldn't id use a car battery.

you should pick up a 20amp 12V power-supply, or see if you can get some one to modd a 400watt pc psu, they work great.

Jase

[Blackrat]

also make sure you get the polarity correct on the deans plug.

[RMJ22]

Okay. I appreciate the info. When you say "power supply" you are referring to a battery, right? . . . perhaps a hobby battery like you would use for an airplane cone starter?

[Mathias]

I'm using the Hyperion EOS 1210i.

I'm very pleased with the charger.

[kgfly]

What charger ?
The answer of course depends on your needs. While the Hyp 0610iDUO offers lots of benefits, it is no use for single packs over 6S. I prefer integrated balance chargers over the rats nest associated with separate balancers. For up to 10S the Cellpro10S and iCharger 1010B are both worth considering. The CP10 balances at up to 1A whereas the IC1010B balances at up to 300mA. You might find this summary useful:+-----------------------------------+
| KGLFY's Balance Charger Summary |
| 12 Apr 2008 |
+-----------------------------------+

Integrated Balance Chargers
===========================
These offer simplicity and convenience with the balancer and charger combined
in the same case. Simpler, more convenient, take up less bench space and
easier to transport.

--------- ------------ -------------- --------- ----- ------------- ----------- --------------------------------------------
Brand Model Chemistry Balancer Input Output Price (USD) Notes
--------- ------------ -------------- --------- ----- ------------- ----------- --------------------------------------------
FMA Cellpro4S LiXx only 2s-4s dc 50W/4A $75 Excellent, simple, hugely popular, great value
--------- ------------ -------------- --------- ----- ------------- ----------- --------------------------------------------
Bantam eStation BC6 multi 2s-6s ac/dc 50W/5A $170 Proven high quality. Integrated ac/dc power supply is great
Hyperion EOS0606iAD multi 2s-6s ac/dc 50W/6A $150 Integrated ac/dc supply but not as good as the BC6
MegaPower 860DS multi 2s-6s ac/dc 50W/6A $110 Appears to be the same as the Hyperion 0606iAD
TP TP610 multi 2s-6s dc 80W/10A $130 New model from respected TP brand
KongPower 100W6 multi 2s-6s dc 100W/5A $150 New model based on the MaxproX6, likely to be just as good
Maxpro X6 multi 2s-6s dc 100W/5A $140 New brand, good user comments so far
iCharger 106B multi 2s-6s dc 180W/10A $100 New brand, good spec.s, no user feedback seen so far
Bantam BC610 multi 2s-6s dc 200W/10A $180 Same great charger as the BC6 but 200W/10A (dc input only)
Hyperion EOS0610iNET multi 2s-6s dc 250W/10A $170 Most bang for buck in terms of features+output power
Hyperion EOS0610iDUO multi 2s-6s x 2 dc 180W/10A each $270 Very handy if you discharge packs in pairs
--------- ------------ -------------- --------- ----- ------------- ----------- --------------------------------------------
Bantam eStation BC8 multi 2s-8s dc 150W/7A $270 Proven high quality
--------- ------------ -------------- --------- ----- ------------- ----------- --------------------------------------------
Chargery 1010B multi 2s-10s dc 200W/10A $240 New brand, good spec.s, good feedback so far
iCharger 1010B multi 2s-10s dc 200W/10A $180 New brand, good spec.s, good feedback so far
--------- ------------ -------------- --------- ----- ------------- ----------- --------------------------------------------
FMA Cellpro10S LiXx only 2s-5s x 2 dc 200W/10A $190 Not independent dual port. 1A balancer is a strength.
--------- ------------ -------------- --------- ----- ------------- ----------- --------------------------------------------
Graupner Ultra DUO 50 multi 2x-7s x 2 ac/dc 360W/10A $530 Very impressive beast, but expensive. Integrated AC power supply
for up to 120W max output power, else run it off DC to get 180W/10A
per port or 250W/10A on a single port. Appears to be two independent
channels, each with its own display and controls.
--------- ------------ -------------- --------- ----- ------------- ----------- --------------------------------------------



Non-integrated charger+balancer combos
======================================
This is the older style where the balancer is an add-on accessory to the charger.
Less convenient since it means more boxes, more cables, more things to configure,
store and transport.

--------- -------------- -------------- ------------------- ----- ------------- ----------- --------------------------------------------
Brand Model Chemistry Balancer Input Output Price (USD) Notes
--------- -------------- -------------- ------------------- ----- ------------- ----------- --------------------------------------------
TME Xtrema LiXx BAL+BIM 2s-6s dc 150W/8A $265 Includes power meter functions. Complex and expensive
2 x BAL+BIM 2s-12s dc 150W/8A $360 Includes power meter functions. Complex and expensive
TP 1010C multi 210V 2s-10s dc 220W/10A $300 Top performer, hugely popular in US
Hyperion EOS1210i multi 2 x LBA10 2s-12s dc 180W/10A $240 Good value
Bantam eStation 902 multi 2 x PB6 2s-12s dc 200W/9.9A $400 Proven high quality
MEGA POWER Infinity 960SR multi 1 x LCB12 2s-12s dc 180W/10A $200 Good value, great LCD, 2nd NiXx-only port to
charge your Tx in parallel with your flight battery
--------- -------------- -------------- ------------------- ----- ------------- ----------- --------------------------------------------

Notes
=====
1) "multi" means at least: NiCd/NiMH/Pb/LiPo/LiFe
2) "LiXx only" means at least: LiPo/LiFe


What power supply
All the high power chargers (except the Graupner) require a DC power supply. Most people use a benchtop DC supply that converts AC to DC. A common choice is a 13.8V unit with an appropriate current rating. These ones from Hobby-Lobby are good examples: http://www.hobby-lobby.com/powersupply.htm

It is also possible to use a Pb battery as a DC source for your charger but it must be the right type and size. For example a Cellpro10S can draw up to 300W from the supply. At 12V nominal that is 25A. A small ATV starter battery won't cope and nor will it hold enough energy to charge many packs.

Starting (aka cranking) Pb batteries are designed to provide large currents for a few seconds and then be quickly recharged. They are not designed to provide sustained currents for hours on end and will quickly sulfate and die under such conditions. For powering a charger you need a genuine deep-cycle battery of 100Ah or more.