Xtrema , Hyperion or FMA ??
 

Ok, so I sold off my Duratrax ICE and am ready to purchase a new charger. I have read,read, and read some more on here . Seems the top dogs are the Hyperion 0610I , the FMA 10S and the Xtrema .
I know they are all great chargers but does anyone pull ahead of the rest ? I was dead set on the hyperion until reading about the xtrema , it sounds pretty good !! And I have had FMA in the past and was very happy with them. I have a 100 amp power supply, so I can pretty much run anything lol !! So, which would you buy ? Why ? Thanks in advance ! Jerry

I'm a huge fan of the 610IDUO. It does everything I need it to and more. I have a 1210i to back it up and I am a big fan of that one too.

You probably won't go wrong with any of those three though. I've heard good things about the other two as well.

Or you could buy an army of smaller 5s chargers such as 5i's or 6i's

I'm sure each of the chargers listed has its pros/cons. Since I don't have the other two, I will comment on the Xtrema:

Xtrema Pros:
- 10s @ 8A
- 4 pack memory to choose from.
- Ability to set the CC/CV threshold from 3.6v/cell to 4.2v/cell in 0.05v increments. Good if you want to lower the peak v from 4.2v to 4.15 for longer cell life. Also useful for a 3.7v "storage charge". However, the safety cell verification algorithm uses a 3.0v min cell value to verify the cell count entered for all CC/CV thresholds except 3.6v/cell. That one uses a 2.0v min cell value (specifically for A123s).
- Built-in watt-meter
- Firmware upgradeable.
- Optional balancer system that is very versatile.
- Temperature probe.

Xtrema Cons:
- Lithium only. Would be nice to charge NiXX so only one charger is needed. The maker says this was intentional for safety reasons and there probably isn't enough firmware memory to store a whole different charge profile. That said, you CAN use this to charge NiXX with a little creativity using the temp probe as the peak detection.
- 180w power limit, but they are thinking of raising the limit via firmware.
- Only 4 pack memory. Would be nice to have more.
- No discharge function. No big deal really since this would only be used to drain lipos enough for long-term storage. Better to run the pack in a vehicle and use the storage charge feature.
- The optional balancer solution quite cumbersome and expensive for multiple packs.
- Firmware upgrade possible via special cable, which is extra unless there is some type of promo going on.

Thanks for the info. I also need one thats relatively easy to use . My digital camera can do amazing things !! But I usually use the "push the button stupid " setting .
I'm still learning the ins and outs of lipo so a few auto settings would be very nice. Especially at first. One of the things I loved about the FMA 4S was, you just plug it in and it does the rest. Are any of these three actually simple to use ? Without getting deep into programs and settings ? I do want it to do more later but not at first. Thanks again, Jerry

The hyperion as a cake walk... battery size, number of cells - press go

wow !! Didnt think it would be so difficult to decide !! I'm sitting here reading all I can with a paypal account balance ready to go :yes:
I here and read great things about all three !!!
Oh, two more things . I would like it to have a built in balancer and hopefully be able to charge two packs at once .

Well, the built-in balancer requirement limits you to the Hyperion or the FMA then...

thanks, I didnt know the extrema didnt have a balancer in it. So, now down to two !! And the FMA seems to be hard to get . Anyone know where to actually buy one ? FMA website just says taking orders . I can get the hyperion for 169 with free shipping right now. I Just dont want to pull the trigger and then think the fma would have been the better choice :lol:

Thanks for the opinions. I think I'll just go with the hyperion . It's a great charger from what I hear. It's available everywhere , and I can easily get the adapters I need. I need a charger NOW since I sold my ice, not whenever FMA catches up :lol: Thanks again ! Jerry

LOVE my FMA 10s....place the order on the FMA site, it will ship SOON there after. I think I waited 2 weeks...worth it in every way.

Awww , thanks :whip: just when i thought I had my mind made up :neutral:

The 10s is awesome. I have had mine for a few weeks and its by far the most advanced charger I have seen. The computer interface and graphing battery logging capabilities are flat out beautiful. Everything you ever wanted to know about your battery and more. Internal resistance of the individual cells and everything and perfect balancing with no thought at all.

But be aware of a couple things. The price includes 2 wire sets for charging FMA batteries only. To charge packs with Hyperion and TP style balance plugs you need to buy their adapter. Its only $10 but to do 2 packs at once you need 2 of them. Also they don't include charge plugs for the main battery hook up. You will need 2 sets of banana plug to Deans(or whatever you use) wires also. And then the usb wire is also another $20 if you want to use the computer graphing and analysis capabilities.

So there are a few "extras" that you need to get the most out of the charger that IMO should just come with the charger. But even at that its still worth it IMO. the most advanced charger I have ever seen or used yet still very easy to use.

BTW... I have an Extrema as well and it too is a stellar unit. The lack of built in balancing is its only shortcoming IMO. They do have a balancing system that plugs into and directly interfaces with the Extrema so it works like a single unit, but If I remember it was pretty pricey. I just use it with the old LBA10 balancer with no troubles at all.

I have the older Hyperion 5i DP AC/DC and I love it. Its an older charger but still is great in all asspects. easy to program, easy to load, easy easy easy. Just about everyone who I have been around at the hobby shop has expressed a want to get the hyperions due to the simplicity in the design and the amount of options being the ability to also charge the A123 batteries. Xtreme RC magazine listed it as one of the best most all around charger available on the market with the MRC 989 and then the 977 as the next best chargers as well. The Hyperion lipo balancer is second to none with the ability to not only balance your batteries, but to see the results in your data as you charge and balance them.

I'd avoid the 977 unless you are only charging 2s and 3s packs of 2500mah or less. Other than that its severely underpowered and I have read that there are actually lipo manufactures that wont cover warranty on their batteries if that model or any older MRC chargers are used. The 977 maxes out at 3A for a 2s pack and 2.5A for a 3s pack and cant charge lipos with cell counts over 3.