Schulze "NEXT" chargers???

[Bronco]

Has anyone used or reviewed this new Schulze charger?

http://www.modelflight.com.au/schulze/schulze_next_630-5_charger.htm

My WF-139 just crapped the bed (after about half a dozen uses), and I'm wondering if a high end 'do-it-all' solution might be the way to go. I can't always be there to monitor my charger, so safety and reliability are of utmost importance.

In addition to any opinions I might be able to get on this particular charger, I'm curious how you physically connect your batteries to these kinds of chargers. There are obviously no bays on this model.

 

[Cheesy]

There are no bays, you plug leads into the red & black sockets on the front.

It's intended for RC use, no one uses individual cells to power model cars and aircraft. Well, no one who didn't buy an all in one box solution from a non specialist shop anyway.

You would have to build your own cell holder or use magnets stuck to the cell ends.

Clamp design


Kev.

 

[Bronco]

Thanks for the reply, Kev.

Since these chargers boast of the capability to charge numerous cells, can I assume that this particular model would safely charge two or more 18650s if I went to the trouble of connecting them in series? Don't those RC battery packs run cells both in parallel and in series? How in the world could a charger direct a specific amount of charge or discharge to one cell in a pack of many if the charge has to pass through these other cells? Fascinating stuff.

 

[Meterman]

I've not yet used the Schulze charger. I'm sure it is a great charger for R/C applications and of high quality, but a lot of overkill for charging batteries in the flashlights range - these very high currents and combinations of many cells are barely used there.

When looking for a decent charger for flashlight purposes for quite a while I eventually found the Orbit Pocketlader, which covers the complete range of batteries, is precise, makes no noise, is (in that scale of batteries) satisfied with a wall wart of 12V 1.5 or 2A, can be connected to a computer and . . . , and . . ., and . . .

Up to now I did not find a more suitable one.

You could make a bay out of the WF-139; R/C chargers usually don't bring along any bays.


Wulf

 

[Cheesy]

RC LiPo packs have balancing taps taken off each cell (or series group of cells in packs > 2s1p configuration). A separate balancer or balancing charger discharges cells (via the taps) that have higher voltages than their siblings whilst charging in series in effect making them 'mark time' until the low cells catch up.

This thread Possible new multi cell Li-Ion Universal Balanced charger setup could be worth a read, it's a bit long but it explains about balancing taps and suchlike and gives details of a method for balance charging single cells in series.

I have an Orbit Microlader and a Hyperion EOS 5i but I've had my eye on a Bantam BC-6 and now the Hyperion EOS 0606i AD as both are dual 12v/mains, meaning I would no longer need a huge 12v power supply to use them in a domestic setting.

Schulze do a mains version of their charger, I think, their range is difficult to comprehend. At least when I look at their website. I can never understand why furriners don't employ an English speaker to touch up their text.

As an aside, I know someone whose daughter worked in Germany as a translator and was sent for English lessons as her grammar was bloody awful so that might not always be the best solution.

EDIT: Oops, forgot to address the 18650 charging scenario: If you only need to charge a couple of cells it is probably easiest to do them in parallel as they then self balance over the course of the charge.

DO NOT charge cells in series without a balancing arrangement, especially unprotected. It's far too easy for one cell to get charged above 4.2V and catch fire.


Kev.

 

[Luxbright]

I'm using one, love it but in order to use both ports for charging, your DC power supply needs 13.8 volts.

I also made a charging cradle to charge my unprotected 18650s in parallel

to charge in series, you need to made your own series cables.

Cheers,
Terry

 

[geek4christ]

...but I've had my eye on a Bantam BC-6 and now the Hyperion EOS 0606i AD as both are dual 12v/mains, meaning I would no longer need a huge 12v power supply to use them in a domestic setting...

I've been eyeing those two in particular as well. I was just about to buy a Pila IBC and realized that pretty soon I'm going to have a hotwire with a 6s NiMH pack that I won't want to break apart all the time. That and I will soon be getting some larger NiMH D cells that my BC-900 won't charge. So my thoughts are why not just spend a little extra on a high quality hobby charger and be done with all the chemistries and cell sizes I will be needing to charge. Plus, the PC interface is really attractive.

 

[alfreddajero]

Im also into rc's and i find the specs on that charger to be awesome.....very high end indeed. I use MRC Superbrains in which that i have three.

 

[SafetyBob]

Get that baby.....order it tonight!!

I love the Triton2 I got from another CPF member. If you even think you are going to use those 6x, 9x, or 12xAA battery holders or multiple emoli setups in your lights, then you will love the capability to charge the whole flashlight all together without pulling the battery holder out and disassembling the stupid thing to charge an odd number of batteries.

Unless you can get a Voltcraft battery holder from someone over in Europe, you really need to either modify and cheap, 4x battery charger to make your own Voltcraft-like battery cradle.

I absolutely love Terry's (Luxbright) home built battery cradle for his Li-ions. You will need to build something like for Emoli and Li-ion batteries which are slightly longer than the standard "D" size battery. Going to Radio Shack tommorrow after I measure stuff to build one of my own.

If you haven't picked it up yet, I will say it. All of us who have put down the big bucks for these RC chargers and did not enjoy watching our pocket books be emptied do absolutely love the extra capabilities, options, and quality that these chargers provide. It was the best investment I have made so far in this flashlight hobby. The RC community is only driving the industry to make better and better chargers each year.

Bob E.

 

[BVH]

I have a Triton2 and use it for my LarryK14 pack. I bit the bullet and picked up a Schulze 10-36.12 in anticipation of charging a large Amp Hour pack I'm going to have made for my Locators. A very versatile and complex charger (at first). Once I got used to it, it became fairly simple to operate. I ran the latest firmware update the day after I took it out of the box. A great feature!