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Help me choose a charger.
#1
Hello,
I'm new to the hobby, and I need to buy a charger.  I would like to buy something that's known to be a quality unit.  For instance, I'm not interested in knockoffs of the SkyRC B6.

I'll need this charger to work at home and in the field, meaning I can plug it into the wall at home, or use alligator clips to hook up to a car battery in the field (assuming this is common).

Is there a 'Honda Accord' of chargers?  Something that seems to be very popular, because it works, even if it isn't flashy?  For instance, it seems like the most popular Tx is the X9D+.  It's not cheap, but it seems to have a loyal following.  Is there a similar product from the RC battery charger world?

My wish list:
Plug in or pull power from a car battery to charge RC batteries at home and in the field
Charge multiple batteries at once (I understand I may need to buy a separate board for this)
1S-6S capability, minimum
Ability to charge 3.7 volt 18650 batteries, as are used for the DIY Fatshark battery DIY replacement

I'll be using this to charge 4S batteries for my 250 FPV quadcopter, and also 1S batteries for my Inductrix and Hubsan X-4.

Thus far, I'm leaning towards:

Genuine SKYRC iMAX B6AC V2 Dual Power (6Amps,50Watts) LiPo,LiHV,LiIon,LiFe,NiCd,NiMH,Pb Lead Acid AC/DC Professional RC Balancing Battery Charger & Discharger (Version 2) w/ Micro USB Port

https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-50Watts-P...ry+charger
or

SKYRC iMAX B6 Mini Professional Balance Charger/Discharger for Nimh/Li-po Batteries+SKYRC RC Model AC/DC 15V 4A Battery Charger Power Supply Adapter (US Plug)  

https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Bala...B00T959Z12
or

Tenergy TT6080AC 80W AC DC Balance Charger with Touch Screen LCD for NiMH NiCd LiPo Li-ion LiFePO4 Lead Acid Battery Packs  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0178I2CAM?psc=1

Is there a gold standard of RC chargers in the $50-ish range?  I'm having a hard time choosing, and I don't know what the  best of the 3 (or maybe something else) is, as I'm  new to the hobby.

Thanks!
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#2
It's a bit more than your $50, but I'll suggest adding an iCharger 106b to your list of options. That's what I ended up with when I went through the same issue a couple of years ago. iChargers at least used to be viewed as the thing to get.

One concern I see in the options you list is the 50W, 60W or 80W charge capacity they all have. They might charge your 4S batteries, but they won't be able to charge them very fast. The 106b is a 250W charger, but it does run around $90 USD.
Kevin B.
Quads:
Custom 110mm FPV, NanoQX w/DX6i
Other: 3D printing (printer buildThingiverse), electronics, AVR microcontrollers
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#3
Thanks, Helibus. "The thing to get" is what I am looking for. I would like to buy the charger today that I'll be happy with in a year or two, and have adjusted my budget upward accordingly.

What do you use for a power supply with yours? Any pitfalls to avoid there?

Thanks a bunch,

Dan
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#4
(24-Feb-2017, 06:59 AM)Vespadaddy Wrote: ...What do you use for a power supply with yours?  Any pitfalls to avoid there?

The 106b accepts up to an 18V input.  Most of the time, I use a LG 15V 5.3A laptop or small TV power adapter I bought from eBay.  That would be limiting for some users, but the largest batteries I have are 1350mAh, and those I only charge one at a time. I figured that if my RC budget eventually grew to handle models with really large batteries, the budget would likely have to handle buying another heftier charger and power supply too.  

When I bought the 106b from ProgressiveRC, I bought a combo package that included a 14V 16A power supply.  I never really used that much since the power supply fan is on all the time and it's a bit loud.  On the laptop/TV adapter, I just leave everything on when I'm active in RC.  That might be another advantage of the iChargers - at least on the 106b the fan only runs when it needs to, and I think the fan speed also adjusts as required. 

I will admit I find the menu structure and button interaction on the 106b confusing.  Maybe all the chargers with a lot of capability and a small LCD interface are the same way.  When I don't use the charger for a long time, it usually takes me a while to relearn the menu structure. 

It'd be great to hear comments from someone else. I haven't paid any attention to chargers since I bought the 106b, and maybe there are other great options now.  I remember being pretty frustrated trying to sort out all the copies and clones of copies on the lower end chargers.
Kevin B.
Quads:
Custom 110mm FPV, NanoQX w/DX6i
Other: 3D printing (printer buildThingiverse), electronics, AVR microcontrollers
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#5
HI! I have an ISDT sc-608. Really small, exactly $50, 150 watts. Really good one. I use a laptop charger to power it.
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#6
(24-Feb-2017, 04:23 PM)varkokonyi Wrote: HI! I have an ISDT sc-608. Really small, exactly $50, 150 watts. Really good one. I use a laptop charger to power it.

same here got mine for 30ish $ on some promo, i've adapted the Dell 130 W laptop power supply. only drawback so far... when discharging batteries the fan is really loud
All the best
Grzesiek (Grisha/ Greg)

Curently flyable: Nox 5, Minimalist 112
Bench / in progres: fixing Nox 3,  Scrap
thinking about building: 450


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