Battery Help!!!

[TheFlightGuy]

Hello memebers of the Flite Test community,

I have been watching the beginners series and I want to start flying. I think I am going the go the scratch build way. I've seen the pack from Lazer Toys website and wondered what charger I should use for those batteries. This is somthing they didn't cover in the series yet. I hope they will in the future. I was also wondering if there is a cheap transmitter/reciever on Lazer Toys too.


Thanks in advance,
The Flight Guy (Who doesn't fly yet!)

 

[pgerts]

You will be fine with a charger like this http://www.lazertoyz.com/TB6AC_p_426.html
It will charge almost any battery you have if you get the right connector. Transmitter, power, Car battery !, (phone) and more..
It will charge at home from the wall or at the field from the car battery.
It will last until you get into the heavy needs of many cells or fast charge of big capacity batteries.
It will show you the condition of the battery - as used capacity and balance when you charge.

 

[TheFlightGuy]

Is there any cheaper chargers that will do this the same?

 

[xuzme720]

You don't want to go too cheap on the charger. Lipo's can be dangerous if not charged correctly and monitored closely. Cheap chargers are a good source of catching batteries on fire and burning either your car or home, which will be way more expensive than a decent charger.
Check Hobbyking for some programmable chargers that will keep you safe, but stay away from the tiny 2S/3S only chargers. I had one of those short out and would have caused a fire if I hadn't been sitting right there...

 

[Bolvon72]

I use this Imax clone http://www.lazertoyz.com/I-Max-B6-Charger-Balance-Charge-_p_475.html with no problems. I use a generic 5 amp adapter to power it. I know a lot of people are against cheap chargers, but i have used http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__24289__Turnigy_2S_3S_Balance_Charger_Direct_110_240v_Input_US_Warehouse_.html for my smaller batteries quite often with no issues. less than $12 with included cable from US warehouse. It only charges at 650mA, so it takes time on anything too big, but works great for my 800mAh batteries while my imax is charging the rest.

 

[xuzme720]

People are against cheap chargers for a reason. That charger you linked to is just like the one that I had that failed. It had just finished charging by the status LED and the wattmeter I used with it to monitor the battery. Then something inside the charger fried because there is a wisp of smoke and the charger started charging again on a fully charged pack. If I hadn't been sitting there when it happened, the battery would have overcharged and burst into flames releasing the toxic smoke throughout the house and more than likely setting the house on fire. So, am I against cheap? No, absolutely not. Cheap chargers? You betcha! Get something that displays the voltage and amps to make monitoring easier. There are plenty that do that without breaking the bank. But please stay away from those supercheap ones unless you charge outside away from flammables.

 

[pgerts]

The same charger without the built in AC adapter is a lot cheaper.
But you must have a 12 volt source like a car battery to power the charger.
Most multi chargers are the same inside as long as you go for a charger with a display and programming options for "all types" of batteries and balance option.

 

[jetpackninja]

Any 4 button multichemistry charger will work fine and operate about the same. The nice thing about the one you linked is that it doesn't need a 12v power source, it's built in.
The Turnigy AC6 is my pick for an affordable but good enough charger.

 

[Ron B]

how cheap is cheap? I just bought an hk ac/dc 2s to 6s charger for $38.00 and I think that is reasonable it is a imax B6AC

 

[Bolvon72]

People are against cheap chargers for a reason. That charger you linked to is just like the one that I had that failed. It had just finished charging by the status LED and the wattmeter I used with it to monitor the battery. Then something inside the charger fried because there is a wisp of smoke and the charger started charging again on a fully charged pack. If I hadn't been sitting there when it happened, the battery would have overcharged and burst into flames releasing the toxic smoke throughout the house and more than likely setting the house on fire. So, am I against cheap? No, absolutely not. Cheap chargers? You betcha! Get something that displays the voltage and amps to make monitoring easier. There are plenty that do that without breaking the bank. But please stay away from those supercheap ones unless you charge outside away from flammables.

Lol, I guess the fact I hope on a daily basis for my house to burn down makes me optimistic about these chargers.

 

[xuzme720]

Lol, I guess the fact I hope on a daily basis for my house to burn down makes me optimistic about these chargers.

Well, I hadn't considered that! lol

 

[xuzme720]

how cheap is cheap? I just bought an hk ac/dc 2s to 6s charger for $38.00 and I think that is reasonable it is a imax B6AC

No, you're fine with an IMAX. This is the cheap I was talking about. Almost anything with an LCD screen and programmability will be of sufficient quality to charge reliably and is not what I would consider "cheap" or dangerous.