Calling all Lipo Nuts! Need help picking charger & power source!

[NitroBoy24]

Hey guys, once again I've been bit by the BL and lipoly powered r/c idea so I am back here again :D This time I will probablly follow through with my plans since I have a job (more $$) and Christmas is coming up (ask for a charger, etc from parents). I am planning on getting the Duratrax Mini-Quake with a Mamba 6800KV setup, Etec 2S-2400 (maybe 3S) pack, alum. cvd's, but I am still undecided on a charger and power source for the charger.

I've been looking at the Great Planes Triton and Astro Flight 109. Right now I think the Astro Flight charger would be my best bet since its oriented just for lipolys and I've already got a $130 or so Nimh charger (from flying rc planes back in the day, ok 3 years ago!). They recommend a 12V power source that can pump out 5A continous.

Astro Flight 109 or Great Planes triton and:

Should I drop down $80 or so for one of these:
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/WTI0001P?&I=LXL356&P=V
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/WTI0001P?&I=LX3609&P=V

Or, are there other power sources I could use? I've searched the battery/charger thread over at rcgroups and saw a few links to other power sources that should work and are much cheaper.

So, what do you lipoly guys use to power your chargers? And what would you recommend I buy?

I know this isnt a lipoly thread but I know a LOT of guys here are running lipolys so it shouldnt be a problem :D Thanks ahead of time!
-John.

[TheSteve]

My favorite charger is the Schulze 330D - costs more then the triton or Astroflight though. I like it because it can do higher amp rates then the triton with LiPo(up to 5.5 amps compared to 2.5) which is going to matter as LiPo packs keep increasing capacity. It also handles all battery chemistries, the Astroflight is LiPo only. I also don't like that the Astroflight auto detects how many cells its charging. That leads for the possibility of it guessing incorrectly(rare, but there are reports of it happening) The Schulze forces you to enter the number of cells manually and then doublechecks based on voltage. It also has a low output second charger builtin. That all said it doesn't have the best interface or fanciest display(and it has a lousy manual - like all Schulze products it seems) Everyone will have an opinion though so see what others say.

As for power supplies my favorite deal right now is a Victor Engineering 12volt 12 amp supply for 39.99 from promatchracing.com

[glassdoctor]

The 109 is definitely a great lipo charger. The 330 is very cool, but it's like $200-250 I think? You might also check out the Duratrax ICE charger due out very soon. From what I can tell, it looks like a solid lipo charger, and has some cool features for nicd/nimh too. I would like to know if it gets lipos charged as quickly as the 109, which can get nearly a full charge in an hour or less.

BTW, if you go with 3s packs, you might want to drop to a milder motor than the 6800, maybe. ;)

[TheSteve]

330D is 189.00 USD @ I-care and 179.95 @ Modelflight(shipping from Australia may not be cheap though) If you require LiPo charging only then the 109 is still likely the best deal - I still don't like auto detect for charging though.

[Craps]

I own 3 Astro flight 109s and have not had any trouble with any of them to date. They will charge at up to 8.5 amps if I choose where the Schulze 330d previously mentioned will go up to 5.5 amps. This will make a big difference in charging times that takes an hour to an hour and 15 minutes to fully charge an 8200 mah Li-Po. I use a Rivergate 30 amp power supply to power all 3 chargers and if you are going to charge at the full capacity rate with the Astro Flight 109 you will need a power supply with at least 8.5 amps for each 109 hooked up to it. I recommend getting more power supply than you need to be able to hook up more chargers.

I can ony recommend using the Astro Flight 109, the Schulze 330d and the Triton chargers at this time to safely and accurrately charge Li-Pos. For the money and the shorter charge times the Astro Flight 109 is the best choice for Li-Po only charging.

Good Luck!

[NitroBoy24]

Thanks for the info guys :) It looks like the Astro Flight 109 is going to be my charger of choice. I like the specs on the Duratrax ICE but since it wont be out until late december, which is too late since most of the stuff I will be ordering shortly should be in stock at that time. Not to mention I wouldn't really want to be the one using a lipoly charger that no one else has used..Especially since I dont have any 1st hand experience with them.

About the mini-quake, I might get a 3S pack but for now I plan on sticking with 2 cells. Maybe if I want flat out, insane speed I'd pick up a 3S pack ;)

Oh, what would a decent amp rating be for charging a 2S 2400 (etec) pack? And about how long would it take on that amp rating?
Thanks again,
-John.

[kschauwe]

2.4 amps max for a 2400mah. Should take just a little over an hour to charge.