Lipo charging setup?

[thepronghorn]

This is my first post here, although I have read a lot and want to thank everybody for all the information they have so generously made available to people like me.

Anyways, I just purchased 7 Turnigy 5000mAh 4S1P 14.8V 20C hardcase packs from the USA warehouse to make an 8S3P pack for 29.6V and 15Ah with one pack extra in case one of the packs is bad.
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=18631
You can find my buddy code below.
http://www.hobbyking.com/buddy.asp?code=B66BE948-3F02-4BB5-83AE-BC5BBD435E02

I have a cheap 50W charger but would like to get a new one in order to charge these batteries a little faster. I have been looking at several options, including bulk charging through meanwells or other power supplies, iChargers, hyperions, and any of the cheap chargers available at hobbyking. Right now the iCharger 106B looks like the highest quality option that's still pretty reasonably priced. I like how I can graph the voltage and other stuff while charging/discharging to learn about each individual cell in the packs and predict weak ones early. It would still require a power supply that would be around $20 off ebay. So that option would be about $80 charger + $20 power supply = $100 total plus shipping.

I am also considering bulk charging because of its low cost and fast rate of charging although it doesn't seem quite as safe as a real balancing charger like the iCharger. I could probably do like a 15V 350W Mean Well from epbuddy and just charge the two paralleled chunks one at a time just like with the iCharger. It would be less safe without the individual cell monitoring although I would probably use some cheap balancers to help keep the packs balanced while charging.

Hyperions would be pretty much the same as the iCharger only more expensive and presumably a little bit nicer.

The cheap chargers at hobbyking look good for the price, but I feel like I just shouldn't skimp on the charger as it can hopefully last for a long while and help the batteries to last longer as well.

So to sum it all up, I am considering the hyperion or iCharger setup with power supply, the bulk charge setup using adjustable power supply and separate balancers, or the cheap hobbyking charger setup with power supply. What would you guys recommend for a first time ebike builder still in high school without a job (aka not much money and needing to get it right the first time)?

If it helps, I am looking to build a friction drive setup similar to the commuter booster mostly as a way to get around on nice days and avoid traffic/become more independent. I linked some of the parts I mentioned above below.

Mean Well 15V 350W power supply - http://epbuddy.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=28
iCharger 106B - http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=6792
Hyperion HP-EOS1420i - http://www.rclipos.com/HP-EOS1420iNET3.htm
cheapish power supplies for chargers - search "xbox 360 power supply 203w" on ebay, you'll get a ton of ~$20 200W power supplies (require some wiring as outlined here http://scolton.blogspot.com/2011/04/ebay-hack-charger-idk-i-lost-count.html)

 

[neptronix]

1 vote for the iCharger. Great unit. Dont' run it at or near it's limits though, lest it go kaboom on ya.

I do both, balance charging on the iCharger and bulk charging on the meanwell. But i bought the iCharger first.

If you're going to use 8S only, get the iCharger 108/208. That way you can balance charge your pack as one big 8s pack without splitting it up.

 

[spinningmagnets]

Its annoying to have to split packs to balance charge each brick about every tenth charge or so, but I would recommend starting out by having balance charge capability. Get a meanwell clone later when funds allow, so you can bulk charge 9 out of 10 charges.

Here's an $80 complete 6S system I recommend (I tried the cheapest system I could find, and then slowly upgraded until my system was fairly reliable):

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=23465#p341300

 

[AussieJester]

Hyperion all the way i run one 10amp recharge while balancing similtaniously can do upto a 14S setup with them too...

If your in high school without alot of money i would actually suggest a frock motor (hub motor)
one of Cell_mans geared MAC frocks would be cheap to setup, forum member 1000w (Matt.P) has had alot of
success with his and highly recommends them, long as they have the new gears in them match that with a Lyen 12 Fet Infineo
6 or 8 if the budget allows 22v 5000mah Turnigy LiPOS...grab a 30v meanwel off fleabay for 40 bucks and your in business...be hard pressed to get a cheaper "quality" setup for casual commuting, range would be up near 20 mile..

KiM

 

[dogman dan]

Agree with the above, but.... So far my pretty cheap HK chargers are serving me well. I have two of the 8s turnigy 150 watt chargers. For sure, an 8s charger is the minimum. That way with a balance lead adapter, you can just plug it in and charge an 8s pack. Not super fast, but fast enough with two of em.

I think you'll need to spend more on the ps though, for that kind of watts. Meanwell, or clone of one.

 

[thepronghorn]

Thanks to all for the advice.

@neptronix
Thanks for the heads up about the iCharger. This setup still seems like the best option to me, just because it is so versatile. I'm not seeing a 108 model, and the 208 model costs a lot ($60) more. Btw, I'm also in Beaverton so we live pretty close to each other.

@spinningmagnets
Thanks for the review of your good experiences with the Turnigy chargers. They look cheap and nice, but the sheer volume of poor reviews turns me off a bit despite your good experiences. Definitely still an option for me at this point.

@AussieJester
Unfortunately a Hyperion costs a bit much for my current budget. I have looked at hub motors, but I would still like to pedal my bike and hub motors along with their sensored controllers are quite heavy although much simpler.

@dogman
Thanks for the advice. Would you recommend taking the risk and going for a Turnigy charger?

So right now I'm considering a Turnigy charger or iCharger. I don't mind the extra disconnecting work or whatever might be necessary to charge with a max 4S or 6S charger as long as I can save some money. Are there any more recommendations?

Thanks in advance guys, I would really like to do this right the first time and get riding as soon as possible while summer is still here.

P.S. What would the difference be between balance charging with an iCharger and bulk charging with a Meanwell while using cheap balancers to keep the whole thing balanced?