Hobby Charger?

[MCFLYFYTER]

I am looking for the most versatile hobby charger I can get for around $100. I would prefer to not have to buy another charger for quite a while. I would be willing to spend more $ if necessary. Also, can I charge li-ion cells of different states of charge with a balance charger?

 

[45/70]

I can't really help you with what charger to get, I went the "cheapo" route, but am quite satisfied.

As for parallel charging Li-Ion cells which are in a dissimilar state of charge, the cells should have an open circuit voltage that is within 0.5 Volt of each other, then you will be fine. Unlike nickel based chemistry cells, Li-Ion cells balance out more readily when charged in parallel.

Dave

 

[MCFLYFYTER]

I have been using a WF-139 for my 14500's and 18650's. I am starting to use 26650's now. It can take a very long time to charge an AW 2600mah, and I dont want to wait only god know how long for a 4000mah. :shakehead

 

[Russel]

The iCharger 106B+ is a little higher than your budget, but it is very versatile.

 

[MCFLYFYTER]

The iCharger 106B+ is a little higher than your budget, but it is very versatile.

That thing even has a foam cutting setting :rock:
If it can do laundry, I think I may upgrade to this, and post my wife over in the market place.

 

[MCFLYFYTER]

As for parallel charging Li-Ion cells which are in a dissimilar state of charge, the cells should have an open circuit voltage that is within 0.5 Volt of each other, then you will be fine. Unlike nickel based chemistry cells, Li-Ion cells balance out more readily when charged in parallel.

Dave

how about balance charging in series? How close in voltage do they need to be? Is there anywhere to learn about what balance charging is? I can't find anything.

 

[alpg88]

i like this thread, i was gonna open one just like this, but no need now.

 

[Brian321]

I use this one...( Be sure to watch the videos on the page).

You can find it here.

Here is a balancer.

You can find the balancer here.

I do not use the balancer so i cant give you any input on that, But i do use the charger and it works great.

Hope this helps,
Brian

 

[45/70]

how about balance charging in series? How close in voltage do they need to be? Is there anywhere to learn about what balance charging is? I can't find anything.

It all depends on the charger. That's generally one of the advantages of a more expensive charger. One like mine doesn't have as much latitude as a $100 one probably would. I've never had any problem with it in that regard though.

If you look online for some of the .pdf manuals for hobby chargers, you can see how the series balancing is setup. Also, a lot of the R/C sites have good info.

EDIT: After reading Brian's post, I guess I should have mentioned that not all hobby chargers have a balancing option. You have to buy a separate balancing unit for those.

Dave

 

[Russel]

When using a balancing hobby charger, here is a link to LiPo Wiring that is intended for Lithium polymer batteries, but will work just as well for wiring Lithium Ion batteries. If you select the number of cells in series, then check Yes where it says 'Show Balancer wire hookup?' The diagram will show you how to wire a battery for balancing.

Basically, you would connect the main discharge leads from a battery pack to the main charger leads (of a hobby charger) then plug the 'balancer' plug into the balancer port of the hobby charger. The charger applies the constant current you set up intil each cell reaches a predetermined (4.2V per cell for LiPo batteries) voltage then the charger switches to constant voltage until the charge current drops to a low level and the battery is charged. The charger constantly monitors the voltage of each cell and applies a low level discharge to cells that are ahead of the others to 'balance' the pack while charging. Usually the balancing occures when the charger switches from constant current to the constant voltage stage.

One think to keep in mind is that there are several variations of balance plug wiring. So, you want to be sure and comply with the instructions for the particular balance charging hobby charger that you have.

 

[Willie]

I use this:

http://www.hobbypartz.com/thac6smbachw.html

$55 for balancing charger with built-in AC supply.

The only thing you would need are connectors to plug into included balance board.

I charge all my flashlightbatteries and RC packs, and am very happy with it.

 

[HarryN]

I looked around the house at virtually all of my charger needs - from R/C, lawn tools, battery pack drills, flashlights, etc.

I did not include inside the house items, like cell phones and camera items.

The battery pack that made life the most interesting was a 28V Pb acid setup on a lawn tool. The combination of these specs, plus a desire to have a charger with built in battery balancing taps (as opposed to a separate device) drove me to the Triton II. Nothing else could deal with that silly 28V pack.

It took a while, but even my wife has started using the Triton II in place of garden tool charges, due to the much faster charge time.

Of course, there are always the Schultze chargers, which I will own one day, but they are bit past my budget.

 

[NutSAK]

This is versatile enough for my wide variety of battery types. I bought a $10 A/C adapter for it off of ebay (for an LCD monitor), and it works like a charm. I haven't used the built-in balancing circuit yet, but that option is there if I need it.

I somewhat regret not buying a unit with higher discharge power (5W), but it's not a big deal.