I need to charge xt30 connected batteries, with a Hobby King Eco Six Balance Charger

[defhermit]

Hey there all!

I'm currently building an FT Triplane and received my new Power Pack F today in the mail. So quick!

I didn't realize that the included ESC would be using the XT30 connector. Quite a few FT planes have been built by me but I guess this my first Mighty Mini-class one, since I also had to purchase the mini-sized firewalls..

Anyway I'm prepared to pick up a couple of new batteries with the proper connectors, as well as solder new connectors to a few of my existing batteries to get myself enough to fly this bad boy. My possible problem is that my current charger, the Eco Six Balance Charger, doesn't include the xt30 in its assortment of available connectors. There is an XT60 and several other formats: Dean, EC3, EC5 and JST.

I've considered making or buying some sort of XT60>XT30 adapter but I'm unsure if that's safe on the charger side of things.

Any advice? I don't need a new charger do I?

 

[Craftydan]

Connectors are generally sized to the batteries according to what the manufacturer expects the battery to supply (for the discharge cycle, which is usually MUCH less current than the charge cycle).

If the battery has an XT30 (designed to support 30A), and you adapt it up to, say, an XT60 (designed to support 60A), and setup the charger so the battery charges at an appropriate C-rate, barring malfunction, your battery is safe.

I wouldn't get an XT-30 ->JST (~10A), but pretty much every other connector you list can carry more than the XT30.

 

[defhermit]

If I wanted to play it safe and just wanted to buy another cheap reliable charger that could charge the 4 new ~800mAh batteries I just bought... what would you suggest?

 

[TazRC]

Plenty safe as far as the charger is concerned. The charger only puts out 5A. There should be no problems going from the XT60 on the charger mains to an XT60-XT30 adapter. What might be even better though; if you're not going to use the Tamiya connector on the mains, just cut it off and solder on the appropriate gender XT30.

 

[JimCR120]

Since safety isn't really the issue becaue you could charge through either XT30's & XT60's safely then convenience for me would be next. What do you have most of or whci connector to you anticipate using more often. If the answer is XT60 then I would consider replacing the 30 on your lipo for a 60 and call it good. The only down side of doing that is a slightly bulkier connector. On the other hand if you think you'll be using some 30's then I would just make an adapter (pigtail).

 

[mikeporterinmd]

All my chargers output using XT-60. If they didn't originally, they do now. I make XT-60 to whatever pigtails to convert to the appropriate battery. Just made my XT-30 connectors the other day. I don't install pigtails in the plane.

I will probably convert my few 2S and 3S JST batteries and planes to XT-30. XT-30 is much nicer than JST.

Mike