WARNING: The default "LiPo" charge setting on this charger will end with 4.2V per cell (25.2V for a 6S pack). The "LiIo" setting will end with 4.1V per cell (24.6V for a 6S pack). LiIo is short for Lithium-Ion
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=11341
Edit: read this LiPo break-in thread for new batteries before you charge or discharge any NEW LiPo battery (reading is free, and it couldn't hurt, right?). Your LiPo will have more capacity and will live longer if they are "broken in" properly. Several shallow and light charge-discharge cycles before attempting full power and longest range. For a 5Ah brick, I am charging at 2A until broken in. (slightly less than 1/2-C)
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=22949&start=0
I am a LiPo newbie, so take everything I post here with caution. I will edit-in corrections and good suggestions in the near future, as soon as they are sent to me. After the first day of use I have found changes I wished I'd made (listed below) and parts where I wish I'd payed a few dollars more for a better/bigger component. This is intended to show an affordable beginners system that has the bare minimum of the important features, while avoiding you paying for extra features that you may never use.
All the charger options below will only charge 6S or below (3.7V-22.2V), and they DO have cell-balancing, and auto-shut-off when finished. They will only charge one pack at a time, so if your research suggests that you will likely want to charge several packs at the same time, or may upgrade to 8S/10S/12S. you should investigate other upgradable charging-system options.
I have read about others bulk-charging two or more packs at the same time using Y-connector-cables. I have no experience with this, and if you do that, you should occasionally balance-charge each pack individually (once a month?). The balancing feature can only be used on one pack at a a time.
Here is Ypedal's excellent "multi-pack" charging thread. Much useful info, even if only charging one pack:
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=23551&start=0
This is the first charger for LiPo batteries that I have ever used. I do not mean to imply that I think it is the best choice for someone, or even a good choice for anyone. The posted specs suggest that it may be a good value of features for the modest price, and is perhaps one step up from the most basic Lithium-Polymer (LiPo) 6S-chargers. “6S†refers to Six 3.7V cells connected in Series for a pack voltage of 22.2V.
This unit is rated as a low-speed 7-amp max charger providing a modest 80-Watts, so it will not charge a LiPo pack as fast as they are possible to charge. It has an individual cell balancing-during-charge option that is an important feature. I found that the cooling fan is very quiet during charging.
When it senses that the pack is fully charged, it automatically shuts off the charging cycle, which is a VITAL feature for LiPo battery packs. It also displays the amount of time taken to complete the charge, which will be very useful information, as you will see. Once you know how how much time a normal re-charge takes, you can add an inexpensive power-timer to cut power to the charger as an extra layer of safety.
This is because if a charger malfunctions and continues charging after a pack is full, the pack may catch on fire. LiPo fires have happened most often to ill-informed owners who left the pack charging too long using only a very cheap and 'dumb' 24V lead-acid battery charger. A 'smart' charger will sense the State-Of-Charge (SOC) and will stop at the proper voltage.
This charger is also capable of charging Sealed-Lead-Acid (SLA) up to 20V, and also Nickel-Metal-Hydride (NiMH), and Nickel-Cadmium (NiCD) battery packs up to 15S.
It also has a cycling feature that allows it to drain and then charge a pack, in order to help evaluate a battery of unknown capability. Also, the cycling feature can be used to "break in" a new LiPo pack with several low-amp shallow cycles. This removes a chemical inhibitor that helps the packs shelf-life, but hurts capacity if cycled heavily when new.
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=11341
Edit: read this LiPo break-in thread for new batteries before you charge or discharge any NEW LiPo battery (reading is free, and it couldn't hurt, right?). Your LiPo will have more capacity and will live longer if they are "broken in" properly. Several shallow and light charge-discharge cycles before attempting full power and longest range. For a 5Ah brick, I am charging at 2A until broken in. (slightly less than 1/2-C)
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=22949&start=0
I am a LiPo newbie, so take everything I post here with caution. I will edit-in corrections and good suggestions in the near future, as soon as they are sent to me. After the first day of use I have found changes I wished I'd made (listed below) and parts where I wish I'd payed a few dollars more for a better/bigger component. This is intended to show an affordable beginners system that has the bare minimum of the important features, while avoiding you paying for extra features that you may never use.
All the charger options below will only charge 6S or below (3.7V-22.2V), and they DO have cell-balancing, and auto-shut-off when finished. They will only charge one pack at a time, so if your research suggests that you will likely want to charge several packs at the same time, or may upgrade to 8S/10S/12S. you should investigate other upgradable charging-system options.
I have read about others bulk-charging two or more packs at the same time using Y-connector-cables. I have no experience with this, and if you do that, you should occasionally balance-charge each pack individually (once a month?). The balancing feature can only be used on one pack at a a time.
Here is Ypedal's excellent "multi-pack" charging thread. Much useful info, even if only charging one pack:
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=23551&start=0
This is the first charger for LiPo batteries that I have ever used. I do not mean to imply that I think it is the best choice for someone, or even a good choice for anyone. The posted specs suggest that it may be a good value of features for the modest price, and is perhaps one step up from the most basic Lithium-Polymer (LiPo) 6S-chargers. “6S†refers to Six 3.7V cells connected in Series for a pack voltage of 22.2V.
This unit is rated as a low-speed 7-amp max charger providing a modest 80-Watts, so it will not charge a LiPo pack as fast as they are possible to charge. It has an individual cell balancing-during-charge option that is an important feature. I found that the cooling fan is very quiet during charging.
When it senses that the pack is fully charged, it automatically shuts off the charging cycle, which is a VITAL feature for LiPo battery packs. It also displays the amount of time taken to complete the charge, which will be very useful information, as you will see. Once you know how how much time a normal re-charge takes, you can add an inexpensive power-timer to cut power to the charger as an extra layer of safety.
This is because if a charger malfunctions and continues charging after a pack is full, the pack may catch on fire. LiPo fires have happened most often to ill-informed owners who left the pack charging too long using only a very cheap and 'dumb' 24V lead-acid battery charger. A 'smart' charger will sense the State-Of-Charge (SOC) and will stop at the proper voltage.
This charger is also capable of charging Sealed-Lead-Acid (SLA) up to 20V, and also Nickel-Metal-Hydride (NiMH), and Nickel-Cadmium (NiCD) battery packs up to 15S.
It also has a cycling feature that allows it to drain and then charge a pack, in order to help evaluate a battery of unknown capability. Also, the cycling feature can be used to "break in" a new LiPo pack with several low-amp shallow cycles. This removes a chemical inhibitor that helps the packs shelf-life, but hurts capacity if cycled heavily when new.