Hey folks, I'm looking for a new battery charger to supplement my current one. Right now I have a Triton computerized charger, and that's been working great for me. However, the sheer amount of batteries I have to charge now means I have to start charging weeks in advance. I'm only using 7.2v 6-cell batteries, NiMH for the battleships and NiCd for the transports, which makes things somewhat simpler, but I'm looking for a way to speed up the process. Ideally, I'd like to plug all 12 NiMH packs and 8 NiCd packs in a few days before the battle, and not worry about it again until it's time to pack up for the battle the night before. If I could buy a box of dirt-cheap peak chargers, that'd be perfect. If not, then a reasonable computerized AC wall charger with multiple outputs would work. Any recommendations?
I think you will find you are limited on the number of cells you can charge at a time. I am not completely sure if that is based on the voltage or not. If its not then its concieveable you could run 2 or 3 packs in parallel on 1 charger output. Then I suppose its math from there to figure how long it will take at 5, 7, or 9 amps charge rate. When I did research I was looking at the MRC Brain 989 which is one of the few 10 amp charger rates I have seen. It is pricey but includes the power supply for the price. I paid 80 bucks for my power supply and its 7amps. It is also gel cell compatible which is good for me as I have both. The Super Brain 977 pro will charge two packs at once but only at a 5 amp rate so its virtually the same as charging them back to back with a 10 amp charger. Of course you could charge a 30ah in 3 hours so that sounds good in my book. I know we have some guys in the MWCI that have the 977 and like it. I have a triton jr. for charging and discharging the reciever batteries and transimitter batteries and it does the trick. If I get nimh packs I will most likely get the 989 which has the most bang for the buck compared to other brands. I hope that helps.
Hmmm.... One of my friends is considering upgrading to a new super brain charger, because his current one cannot handle LiPo batteries. His current one is sufficient for my current needs with NiMh, and it does have two charging jacks... On the other hand, Strike Models is experimenting with LiFe batteries right now, and they consider this battery to be a safe alternative to LiPo, and a suitable replacement for both NiMh and SLA. I'm also considering getting this charger, for future-proofing. I will talk with my friend on Saturday, find out how serious he is about upgrading.
I have been looking at the LiFe batteries also, and thinking hard about using them in the next boat. They are around 15-20% lighter than the Nimh's for the same capacity.
Where can I find out more about Life batteries? Battery Mart had no info. As I was searching for life batteries I found out about EP EG Cells but havent been able to find out about the cell type yet. There seems to be a lot going on in batteries right now.
I'm even hearing about companies developing Lithium-sulfur batteries, now. Apparently they'll do to LiPoly what LiPoly did to NiMh, or so these companies claim... For info on LiFe batteries, try looking on the Tenergy website. I seem to recall some info there.
Yes I found that site last night and looked it over. I found that the cells look like Lipo and use balancing boards for charging but I heard that Lipo's dont like water. I am sure its the same for life batteries as well. I liked the fact that they are small and compact. I am not quite sure how to assemble a pack from looking at them but I am sure it is easy enough. I wonder if you need a special life charger for that or do you use Lipo mode on the charger for them. I did a spreadsheet last night to compare Nimh cell types. I compared F, D, and C at their largest capacities. I evaluated it on a cost per AH, cost per pound, weight per AH. The C and D weighed the same so for 20ahs the weight ofusing D Cell 10AH cells or C cell 5ah cells was the same with the exception of using 4 packs instead of two. I am not completely sure which is better. I did find that most manufacturers and battery pack vendors are recommending a max of 5amp charging rate so the 977 brain (or two) should be perfect. I did run across a 3 pack charger last night but forgot the name and would have to look it up again. It will charge 3 packs at time at a 5amp rate. Looks like a big power supply will be needed in the field but I believe it has AC built in for charging in the shop. It would most likely need a dedicated circuit though, 20 amps to support it.
Here is how Stephen from Strike models explained it to me: The battery that doesn't like water is Li-ion. It has an un-bonded ion that can react with water, making it very dangeorus. It can violently explode when exposed to water, and one member of the WWCC lost several ships when a Li-ion battery cooked off in his trunk while driving home from a battle. LiPo, unlike Li-ion, has bonded the unstable ion to a polymer, making it safe to use in water. The problem here is that the polymer is wet and squishy, and will not survive an impact. This inability to survive an impact is what makes LiPo unsuitable for R/C naval combat, not any explosive properties in water. LiFe uses iron instead of a polymer, and is as bulletproof as SLAs. With both the instability and impact problems solved, LiFe is the first advanced battery chemistry that is safe to use in ships.
The Hyperion series is pretty darn good bang for the buck. Balancing, handles SLA, NiMH NiCd, LiPo, LiFePO4, does balancing, etc. Runs on both AC and DC (not at the same time). A little bigger than my Triton 2, but I like the convenience of AC as well. The one I have is http://rcdumbthumbs.com/hyperioneos0606iAD.aspx They make a dual charger version as well, and one that plugs in to your laptop. Mine got used a lot at NABGO by other skippers, too. Commonsense RC makes some nifty hydra head adapters, too. I got mine at Hobbytown USA, by the way. Cheers,
