How to choose your RC Battery Charger
Choosing the correct charger can be a daunting task as there are so many different types to choose from. There is a decision to be made when choose chargers. There two different types esentially, were one plugs into your AC socket, or with a charger that needs a power Supply.
with some chargers requiring a seperate power supply so many different connector types. It is very important to ensure the battery charger you buy can actually charge your batteries in a reasonable time.
Things to consider when choosing a charger
* Does the charger meet your actual needs.
* Connection type, does the charger have the correct connector to enable you to charge your batteries.
* How long do you plan on being at the flying field or race track how many batteries are you taking
* Will you need to charge multiple batteries at the same time ? sometimes it can be better and cheaper to go for multiple single chargers rather than one dual or quad charger.
* Always ensure that the maximum charge power in watts (W) will be sufficient for your needs.
* To work out the potential charge rate for your battery pack, just use the following formulea, divide the maximum charge power of the charger by the full-charge voltage of your battery pack.
* A 50W charger with a 5A charge current theoretically, can only deliver 5A at 10V.
* An 80W charger with a 7A charge current theoretically, can only deliver 7A at 11.43V
* Efficiency losses (usually 20 percent) in the charger or the input voltage to the charger may reduce the charge current further.
* Setting the charging current (AMPS setting ) above what the battery is capable of taking will simply cause the battery to over heat and potentially fail.
Theoretical examples using a charger with a maximum charge power of 80W
80W / 8.4V (2S LiPo) = 9.52A - making a 7A charge possible
80W / 12.6V (3S LiPo) = 6.35A (max charge current achievable)
80W / 16.8V (4S LiPo) = 4.76A (max charge current achievable)
80W / 21V (5S LiPo) = 3.8A (max charge current achievable)
80W / 25.2V (6S LiPo) = 3.17A (max charge current achievable)
