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BrianG · 06.29.2006, 06:49 PM

I too have been looking for a charger. My requirements are:
- Able to charge up to 10s Li-XX
- Able to charge up to 10A (at max voltage)
- Able to adjust the cell voltage. This would be really handy if those A123 systems M1 cells become popular with their 3.6v max charge, or any future batteries that may have odd max voltages.
- Able to charge Ni-XX 20+ cells.
- Adjustable current in .1A increments.
- 11-15v DC power supply input. For a while I didn't like this idea, but now I think about it, it's a good idea. Since the 11-15v input is lower than the possible charging output, it must have a switching power supply internally. This is nice since the supply can adjust its output based on the voltage and current required without much loss. If a linear (regular AC transformer, filter, regulator) circuit was used, it would be large, heavy, and inefficient. The output voltage of this type of power supply would have to be about 50v @10A. Charging a relatively low count of cells (say 6-7 NiMH) at a higher current would heat the unit up a lot due to the difference between input and output voltage * charge current. In short, quite smart. (Sorry for the rambling).
- I guess able to charge Pb cells would be nice even though I never plan to use it.

Unfortunately, I can't find a charger that will do all of this. If I'm gonna spend $300+ on a charger/balancer, I'd like to get one that was fairly resistant to obsolescence.

A little off topic, but why don't Li chargers have built-in balancers (besides the reason for manufacturers to make more money off a seperate product)? That way, the balancer would be matched for the capabilities of the charger and be able to be in a closed loop with the charger much like the TP1010 unit.

One more slightly off-topic item: With so many Li chargers out there, why not one that is essentially multiple 1s chargers in one package? This would negate the need for a balancer and would remove the possibility of calculating the wrong total charge voltage from manual entry or "smart" mode. And don't tell me because of cost, those charger IC's are quite cheap in quantity.

Phew. Long post. :013:

	(#21)
BrianG RC-Monster Admin Offline Posts: 14,609 Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Des Moines, IA	06.29.2006, 06:49 PM I too have been looking for a charger. My requirements are: - Able to charge up to 10s Li-XX - Able to charge up to 10A (at max voltage) - Able to adjust the cell voltage. This would be really handy if those A123 systems M1 cells become popular with their 3.6v max charge, or any future batteries that may have odd max voltages. - Able to charge Ni-XX 20+ cells. - Adjustable current in .1A increments. - 11-15v DC power supply input. For a while I didn't like this idea, but now I think about it, it's a good idea. Since the 11-15v input is lower than the possible charging output, it must have a switching power supply internally. This is nice since the supply can adjust its output based on the voltage and current required without much loss. If a linear (regular AC transformer, filter, regulator) circuit was used, it would be large, heavy, and inefficient. The output voltage of this type of power supply would have to be about 50v @10A. Charging a relatively low count of cells (say 6-7 NiMH) at a higher current would heat the unit up a lot due to the difference between input and output voltage * charge current. In short, quite smart. (Sorry for the rambling). - I guess able to charge Pb cells would be nice even though I never plan to use it. Unfortunately, I can't find a charger that will do all of this. If I'm gonna spend $300+ on a charger/balancer, I'd like to get one that was fairly resistant to obsolescence. A little off topic, but why don't Li chargers have built-in balancers (besides the reason for manufacturers to make more money off a seperate product)? That way, the balancer would be matched for the capabilities of the charger and be able to be in a closed loop with the charger much like the TP1010 unit. One more slightly off-topic item: With so many Li chargers out there, why not one that is essentially multiple 1s chargers in one package? This would negate the need for a balancer and would remove the possibility of calculating the wrong total charge voltage from manual entry or "smart" mode. And don't tell me because of cost, those charger IC's are quite cheap in quantity. Phew. Long post. :013: