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Post by oneagleswings on Jul 26, 2012 2:12:03 GMT 1
I've been reading these horror stories and about the dangers of the lipo batteries and it has definitely opened my eyes to how careful I need to be with these things. I'm hoping to find out from someone with experience which charger would be a good reliable one, and hopefully not one that would break the bank, but I realize that you get what you pay for and if I have to go that route for a pricier one, I will, just to be as safe as I can. There's so many brands of chargers that I don't have a clue which one to get and I'm hoping some of you experienced flyers will lead me in the right direction. If there's anything else I need to get please let me know. I'm still learning, but man, I never dreamed there was so much to learn! I guess that's what keeps me interested and wanting to learn more. Thanks in advance for the help.
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Post by flydiver on Jul 26, 2012 16:44:50 GMT 1
You haven't 'got it' yet. A decent charger is important. The person running it is WAY more important. Most lipo fires are from operator mistakes or crashes. There are certain 'types' of chargers. A really common one is from this partial list: Accucel-6 gt power x charger B606 Thunderpower B6 IMAX B6 There is at least a dozen more that look like that. They all look pretty similar and they all work about the same. The really cheap ones like the HobbyKing ECO6 should probably be avoided as they use crappy components. If it's under $20 it's probably not a good buy. The above are all Chinese copies of a Bantam B6, which is the original. The iCharger 106B is one of the best of this class. Which lipo charger you pick should based on your needs: tiny batteries, large batteries, charging multiple batteries at the same time, etc. If you haven't got a head for electronics get a FMA Cellpro 4S. They are one of the most easy to use and safest lipo chargers available. For most anything you buy you'll need a separate power source, so expect that additional purchase. The little units that run off wall power are all very low end and not suitable for moving up. Read anything that looks interesting in this link. Most of it is important and ultimately will want to know so bookmark it: sites.google.com/site/tjinguytech/charging-how-tos/ |
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Post by oneagleswings on Jul 26, 2012 18:03:18 GMT 1
Thank you very much flydiver. All the knowledge about electronics I've learned so far has been from this site and from reading on other sites. I'm not going to go with a cheapo unit. The only batteries I'll be using is the stock ones or the equivalent and up to 1800 mah, but I'm sure as I learn more and progress in the sport (different planes) that there may be a need for something bigger, but for right now I'm happy with the SC and learning as much about flying it as I can. I'm grateful for finding this site! I've learned so much already and it's been a tremendous help for a beginner like me! Thanks again
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Post by flydiver on Jul 26, 2012 18:18:23 GMT 1
There are a lot of 'scare warnings' about lipos. In one respect they are perfectly valid-screw up and it can cost you a home.
OTOH, properly handled lipos are not terribly unsafe. The key there is understanding what to do and how to handle them. LOTS of people are complete idiots and stay that way. Those folks make the whole area get an unsafe name.
Keep flying, keep learning. FWIW I rate the stock SC charger as lame. It'll do the job....barely. A decent charger is something you don't regret, along with a good TX.
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Post by oneagleswings on Jul 26, 2012 21:00:46 GMT 1
Flydiver, I just called my local hobby shop and told him that I was mainly wanting a 3 cell charger and he said that he had the Hitec X1. Is that a good charger? Choices, choices and more choices. I just want to get a good one and it's hard to know what to get when you're learning and thats why I ask.
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Post by oneagleswings on Jul 26, 2012 21:02:30 GMT 1
Oh, and by the way he had some that went up to near 300.00. Ouch!
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Post by flydiver on Jul 27, 2012 7:15:52 GMT 1
Yep, some of the FMA chargers are very expensive and very good.
The X1 is just yet another one of the same chargers I listed above. Likely it's made better and if you have problems you can get some support. There are several in the $20-30 range that will do the same thing as well. Don't expect service or support from China (Hobby King). What you do get is way cheaper price.
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mcom59
Flying officer
Posts: 24
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Post by mcom59 on Oct 2, 2012 17:08:04 GMT 1
I have been using the imax b6 type for ages..they are reliable, have a lot of options for battery type etc and more importantly(?) they are a good(read cheap..)price..
check out your local auction site, there are loads on there..!
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