6s charging advice

[RxMonkey]

I only like To charge at home not so much in the field. Do the dc chargers with power supplies you guys are showing only work off car battery or can the work at home?

I have 5 batteries total and it’s always more than enough for the little time I can find to run them. I really want a nicer charger setup. I see hitec x2 on eBay for about $200. Is that a good option? Says 200w one channel 100w the other. Right now I have 2 imaxb606 50w so anything would be faster. Lol

 

[chevys10zr2003]

I only like To charge at home not so much in the field. Do the dc chargers with power supplies you guys are showing only work off car battery or can the work at home?

I have 5 batteries total and it’s always more than enough for the little time I can find to run them. I really want a nicer charger setup. I see hitec x2 on eBay for about $200. Is that a good option? Says 200w one channel 100w the other. Right now I have 2 imaxb606 50w so anything would be faster. Lol

No, the power supply converts it to DC current so it acts like it is running off of a car battery when you are at home and have it plugged into a wall outlet.

What exact X2 charger is it? There are like 4 or 5 of them.

 

[RxMonkey]

No, the power supply converts it to DC current so it acts like it is running off of a car battery when you are at home and have it plugged into a wall outlet.

What exact X2 charger is it? There are like 4 or 5 of them.

Hey thank you for the help buddy! Here is the one I was looking at:
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/361455430695
There are so damn many chargers out there. I’d be fine with buying separate power supply. I usually charge the night before I go for a run so super fast charging isn’t mandatory I can wait a while generally. I have 2 chargers so a dual charger would allow me to charge 4 packs at once. They’ve done fine up to now for crawler packs.

But since 2 3s packs only provide 1 run since they’re run together it slows me down a lot. I got 2 imax b6 and they were slower than my b606 and had no fan which I didn’t like. Sent them back so now I’m shopping again.

I’d prefer to stay around $200 or less but rc is my weakness and I’ll spend my last dollar on it lol

 

[Dvarg]

I've got the X2 Pro, and X2 plus. I've had the X2 Pro about two weeks.. This week i ordered a server PSU from SMC to run them both on DC current. This will add 100watts to each charger when running on DC. I used the soldering iron for the first time 2 nights ago, worked fine, much better than my cheaper one.

For the $200, i'd probably rather have the 2 x 300w reaktor charger, and the SMC power supply:
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/0620duo-600w-charger-300w-x2-version-2.html
https://www.smc-racing.net/index.php?route=product/product&path=141&product_id=459


edit: Note that the X2 pro can only share 200W when powered by AC. (200 x 0) , (120 x 80) ect. Same with the X2 plus. it's 100w total; (100 x 0) (50 x 50). My reasoning behind getting the SMC power supply is to get my up to (200 x 100), (100 x 100).

 

[olds97_lss]

I only like To charge at home not so much in the field.

I was that way too. I just found that when I charged up 10+ packs, about half the time I'd end up draining half of them back off on the charger due to breakage, rain or people being where I could run and cutting the outing short. Or, I'd rip through them and have to go home to charge. So, I was either cycling packs for no reason putting wear on them, or I didn't have enough run time. The run time issue came up even more when I found a few people to run with. They would drain the packs they had earlier than me due to not having so many, or would have forgotten to charge up on a spur of the moment bash and been stuck waiting.

I spent about $240 on my home charger. It will do AC or DC, but I didn't want to drag around a charger all the time. So, I got a second cheaper/smaller charger to keep in my car that's permanently wired to the main battery in my trunk. I think that even if I didn't have a battery in my trunk, I'd go to a stereo shop and have them wire in an AMP cable just so I could have good power in my trunk anyway.

My main one is a dynamite charger. Seems to do a decent job for me so far. I'll charge my 2 older packs the night before, then wake up an hour before I want to go run and charge up 4 more for the big truck. From storage charge (I storage charge always after a run), it will top off the 4 of the 7200/7400 2S packs in about 35 minutes. The older packs (over a year old, lots of cycles) take longer, 45-50 minutes.

Main, dynamite DYNC2050 (4x100w 4x10A):

Car HTRC H150 ACDC Duo (2x150w 2x12A):

If I did start running 6S, I'd more than likely still run dual 3S packs as I would probably work my way to using 3S in my smaller trucks as well. Both chargers can easily charge 5400mah 3S packs at a bit more than 1C.

Even if I went with an X-Maxx and ran dual 4S 5400mah packs, I could still charge at 1C on either. 7200mah 4S... not 1C with my quad charger. Would need 125w per channel. 6S 5400mah single pack would need more watts as well.

Just remember, if you go with a DC only charger, the power supply to run it isn't overly cheap.

 

[RxMonkey]

I've got the X2 Pro, and X2 plus. I've had the X2 Pro about two weeks.. This week i ordered a server PSU from SMC to run them both on DC current. This will add 100watts to each charger when running on DC. I used the soldering iron for the first time 2 nights ago, worked fine, much better than my cheaper one.

For the $200, i'd probably rather have the 2 x 300w reaktor charger, and the SMC power supply:
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/0620duo-600w-charger-300w-x2-version-2.html
https://www.smc-racing.net/index.php?route=product/product&path=141&product_id=459


edit: Note that the X2 pro can only share 200W when powered by AC. (200 x 0) , (120 x 80) ect. Same with the X2 plus. it's 100w total; (100 x 0) (50 x 50). My reasoning behind getting the SMC power supply is to get my up to (200 x 100), (100 x 100).

Wow excellent looking setup I’ll look into that thank you! I didn’t realize you could buy a ready made dc charger. 300w x 2 is strong

I was that way too. I just found that when I charged up 10+ packs, about half the time I'd end up draining half of them back off on the charger due to breakage, rain or people being where I could run and cutting the outing short. Or, I'd rip through them and have to go home to charge. So, I was either cycling packs for no reason putting wear on them, or I didn't have enough run time. The run time issue came up even more when I found a few people to run with. They would drain the packs they had earlier than me due to not having so many, or would have forgotten to charge up on a spur of the moment bash and been stuck waiting.

I spent about $240 on my home charger. It will do AC or DC, but I didn't want to drag around a charger all the time. So, I got a second cheaper/smaller charger to keep in my car that's permanently wired to the main battery in my trunk. I think that even if I didn't have a battery in my trunk, I'd go to a stereo shop and have them wire in an AMP cable just so I could have good power in my trunk anyway.

My main one is a dynamite charger. Seems to do a decent job for me so far. I'll charge my 2 older packs the night before, then wake up an hour before I want to go run and charge up 4 more for the big truck. From storage charge (I storage charge always after a run), it will top off the 4 of the 7200/7400 2S packs in about 35 minutes. The older packs (over a year old, lots of cycles) take longer, 45-50 minutes.

Main, dynamite DYNC2050 (4x100w 4x10A):

Car HTRC H150 ACDC Duo (2x150w 2x12A):

If I did start running 6S, I'd more than likely still run dual 3S packs as I would probably work my way to using 3S in my smaller trucks as well. Both chargers can easily charge 5400mah 3S packs at a bit more than 1C.

Even if I went with an X-Maxx and ran dual 4S 5400mah packs, I could still charge at 1C on either. 7200mah 4S... not 1C with my quad charger. Would need 125w per channel. 6S 5400mah single pack would need more watts as well.

Just remember, if you go with a DC only charger, the power supply to run it isn't overly cheap.

I never thought about it but field charging makes sense. I do wander away from my vehicle when I run though. I think I maybe should just get a decent ac/dc to keep it simple. I have a hard time deciding what to buy. There are so damn many choices in charging. Guess that’s a good thing for us.

 

[Dvarg]

For 2S, my X2 Plus was great, i'd field charge in my car from a deepcycle battery. These damn Kraton batteries are 3 x as big.. needs a bigger solution to reach 1C. Near the end of my 6S 5400mAh batteries, it needs 136Watts for 1C.

 

[olds97_lss]

Wow excellent looking setup I’ll look into that thank you! I didn’t realize you could buy a ready made dc charger. 300w x 2 is strong

That combo will keep you close at least to your $200 limit, but still end up with a solid charging system. I should have gotten that charger for my car. My head was telling me "nah, you want ac/dc in case you need to charge 6 in the house"... my head is stupid. The whole point of the second charger was for it to live in my car. Getting a good DC charger for $130 would have been a much smarter option than spending $125 on a chinesium ac/dc charger that is probably sketchy and only capable of half the power.

If I knew a year ago what I know now... I probably would have gotten this for the house:
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turbo-c...ous-balance-charger-discharger-version-2.html
and a PSU to run it at capacity, then the 2 channel version for my car.

I quickly found that with chargers, you buy for the future, not for now.

 

[Voltron7]

Do you just not run very long?

I usually take 2 trucks, one that uses 2 x 2S 7200/7400 packs and one that uses 1 pack, packs charged and in the trucks. I take 3 extra packs with me that are charged. I use my 2 oldest packs in the 1 pack truck. In all 3, my brushless revo, savage flux and now my outcast, I get about 25 minutes of solid run time at the skate park and 20 minutes at the regular park on a pair of packs. The outcast seems harder on them as I get a few minutes less and the packs come out of the truck 110-120F, which is warmer than the other two.

After I run my first set of packs, I swap them out with the fresh pair, leave the packs to cool and run the second set in the big truck. After the second set are dead (LVC), I break out the small truck and put the first pair of packs on my charger in my car (2x12A /2x150W output). I get about 25 minutes in both of my single pack trucks as well. By the time the first pack is dead, my first pair are charged and ready to go.

I basically do that usually at least twice. So I'll actually run for 2-4 hours straight run time on a bash day. If I don't break something and if kids don't show up.

I used to take 6+ charged packs with me, but then I got a charger for my car so I wouldn't have to needlessly drain packs if things broke or if kids showed up before I used them all up. That happens/happened quite a bit. The savage and revo broke a lot. I got both to a point to where they can last quite a while unless I do something retarded. The outcast just seems to go and go, regardless how stupid I get with it. lol!

Yes, I suppose I don't usually run that long...90% I'm at home. I have enough lipos I can charge up 2-3 in the morning and I'm good for at least the day. My typical session is about 15-25 minutes at once, lol. If I go somewhere else I'll just bring 4-5 of my lipos and it's always been enough.
I don't really get a chance to use RC for a whole day, let alone a half a day. Probably something to do with limited bashing spots!

 

[RxMonkey]

Can I ask you guys with the more powerful setups, do they balance stronger? I have several batteries that have 5-10 runs on them and the first cell will NOT balance. I’ve tried cycling them discharging fast charging balancing etc. Would a stronger charger that can pump the juice into the battery balance them or are they just bad? The one is a SMC 6s that has maybe 3 runs on it cost me ~$130

 

[olds97_lss]

Can I ask you guys with the more powerful setups, do they balance stronger? I have several batteries that have 5-10 runs on them and the first cell will NOT balance. I’ve tried cycling them discharging fast charging balancing etc. Would a stronger charger that can pump the juice into the battery balance them or are they just bad? The one is a SMC 6s that has maybe 3 runs on it cost me ~$130

Maybe contact SMC to see what they say. Most chargers push a lot of current when the pack is less than 90%, then they scale back and kind of trickle charge the cells as they balance. So I would assume, regardless of the max capacity of the charger, when it comes to balancing, it won't make a difference.

 

[chevys10zr2003]

Can I ask you guys with the more powerful setups, do they balance stronger? I have several batteries that have 5-10 runs on them and the first cell will NOT balance. I’ve tried cycling them discharging fast charging balancing etc. Would a stronger charger that can pump the juice into the battery balance them or are they just bad? The one is a SMC 6s that has maybe 3 runs on it cost me ~$130

I agree with @olds97_lss, that it is most likely the batteries and not the charger unless you have a defective charger. The higher powered chargers will sometimes balance them faster, but if there is a bad or weak cell, I doubt that it would help with that. If you are coming to Minnesota I could definitely try it on my charger though LOL. Have you tried the batteries on a different charger to make sure that the charger is good and accurate?

 

[Jerry-rigged]

Can I ask you guys with the more powerful setups, do they balance stronger? I have several batteries that have 5-10 runs on them and the first cell will NOT balance. I’ve tried cycling them discharging fast charging balancing etc. Would a stronger charger that can pump the juice into the battery balance them or are they just bad? The one is a SMC 6s that has maybe 3 runs on it cost me ~$130

Yeah, if the battery just has a weak cell, the charger can only do so much. I have had times when one cell would go way off balance, where the normal balance charge cycle would not get it to 4.2v - I would use the discharge to storage option to get the pack balanced again, then balance charge.

 

[olds97_lss]

Yeah, if the battery just has a weak cell, the charger can only do so much. I have had times when one cell would go way off balance, where the normal balance charge cycle would not get it to 4.2v - I would use the discharge to storage option to get the pack balanced again, then balance charge.

I had that as well, then after 5 or 6 cycles, the one cell would self drain overnight to an unsafe level. It was an SMC 9000mah 2S2P pack that was about 14 months old and used primarily in a savage flux and brushless revo in series with another. Probably had over 100 cycles on it. About 20 cycles up to that, it was taking a very long time to balance.

I'm noticing that as well on my older packs I bought around the same time. I have 4 9000mah 2S packs and 4 7200mah 2S packs I bought at a year or 16 months ago. They take 50% longer to balance and I'm assuming they are dying. All are SMC packs. I charge them at 10A and 12A and I think my lowest LVC is 3.4V as I can't adjust it. I think I have my revo, savage and outcast at 3.5V.