Charger
 

I want to know what would be a good charger to get to charge my max amps 8000mah (2) 2s packs. I want a charger that is good but i don't want to be paying 300 bucks on a charger and battery. I was thinking of 989 or a ice. the 989 seems more user friendly because it does not need a power supply like the ice. I would prefer the ice but power supplies are so expensive the cheapest one i have seen was 80 bucks. Can you guys recommend a good charger, or do you know of a cheap power supply. Also is there a charger that can charge both batteries safely at the same time(if not i will just charge them separate). Does anybody have any good or bad info on the 989 or the ice or another charger that i should get. What are your opinions what do you guys think. (I do not care about charging speed but i do not want to wait more than 1 hour on a charge per battery if they are charged separately if charged together i will not mind 2 hour charges. what matters to me is a safe charge.)

The 989 sounds really nice. But, if you like the ICE better, don't let the power supply issue stop you. You can mod a relatively inexpensive PC power supply: http://www.rc-monster.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3962

is the 989 have any problems charging these guys also can it charge 2 of them at once.

The 989 shouldnt have any problems. Yes, you can charge 2, you just need a adaptor.

is it safe to charge 2 8000mah batteries on it and if it is because i have an adapter do i need to double all the settings like amp rate it charges at.


Also does radio shack sell 12v power supplies because i have a 25 dollar gift card to radio shack and that would help with the cost. what is a cheap price i should be expecting to see for a decent power supply.

No, it is just like my pack (8000mah 4s2p). Charge both at 8000mah, 8 amps and you will be fine.

ok cool does the shack sell power supplies and what should i expect to pay.

Im not sure, but i doubt it should be any less than 40 bucks.

a computer store would sell you powers supplies, and if not they can make you one to your specifications.

Only if their service would be as good as mikes, that would be a great computer store!

i have never used a 989 before but i do have 2 ICE chargers and i they have never given me any problems. they are very easy to use and all the options that they have are amazing.

yea im considering a new charger, because i would like to charge my batts at a higher amperage, but i dont have the money...i wouldn't think about it untill id need it. and by then the $$ would have been spent on something else:p

RadioShack sells two power supplies that should meet your needs, but both are quite over your $25 gift card:

13.8v @ 15A (207 watt) for $80. This would be good for most chargers under 200w (Ice, Hyperion EOS 7i, etc).

13.8v @ 25A (345 watt) for $100. You could use two chargers at once or a single charger like the ThunderPower 1010.

A little on the pricey side, but the 25A is actually a better deal. It's switching too so it's efficient...

brian, do you have the source CC*? in canada we dont have a single radio shack....there is only one in a mall but its soo small and only cary larger/more important things...like toys, ipods ect....

What is "CC*"??

Circuit city

minus 25 bucks and i get a 45 dollar power supply wich is good considering the ofna one recommended by my LHS owner is 100 bucks this will work with the ice as you said right (79 dollar one).

@GorillaMaxx360: Yes, it should be fine. 207W will be capable of charging a 6s pack at 7A, or a 5s pack at at 8.37A, or a 4s pack at 10.47A. This assumes a charger efficiency of 85% (typical).

@Mike.L: Sorry, all I could think of was "Castle Creations", lol. I just did a quick search at CC and the only power supplies I saw are for computers. As you know, this would require modding. Plus, the ones at CC are a little overpriced IMO. If you are inclined, you can order online. I believe RadioShack ships to Canada. Or, you can find a power supply specialty store if you're gonna do that. And if you want to mod a computer PS, Newegg.com is one of the best (if not the best) online places for PC parts.

thanks brian, i was wondering about that.

this PS might work for you. http://www.directron.com/iwp240l1.html#caption
I got mine from newegg and love it (thanks brian!), another option though is the 989, which i also use, comes with the PS and does my 5s very well!!!

You're welcome guys. It's really hard to beat using a computer P/S considering the the power to price ratio. It's only when you get to the 20A+ that it gets tough to find a computer PS cheaply.

I thought about offering a "service" to mod a few PC powersupplies for my fellow forum members here and figured that by the time the person pays for shipping both ways, the loading resistors (if needed), and the PS itself, it would be just about as expensive as a retail 12v specific PS. And what would happen if the chosen PS didn't perform for some reason?

As far as online places, I go to Newegg because there are pictures you can use to verify the power ratings in case the website made a type-o. I was just browsing around and found this PS good for 34A at 12v! Price is $40+shipping but that's pretty good for the price. And according to the description and label, it only has one 12v output (which is good because if it had two 12 outputs, the total power at 12v would be split between the two).

Well, I was too lazy to read the thread, but I'd go ahead and recommend the Ice and the Hyperion Balancer. What I use to charge my 2S2P 8k's and works like a dream.

PS. I got an adapter that lets me charge a set of packs like a single 4S. The balancer equalizes them out so one doesn't get overcharged - saves me lots of time waiting for them to charge.

nice just the setup i am getting the ice, Hyperion balancer, and the battery splitter so it can charge batts and Guss what i will be using the same batts on Guss what i will be using this on my new erevo. BTW where do you get the splitter, and how much is it. Also is the ice easy to set the lipo settings and how long does it take to charge 2 8000mah batts.