Outcast Got a new Outcast.....need charger and batteries from Santa

[Dcmkx2001]

I'm making my Christmas list for a charger and batteries for my new orange Outcast. I've ordered an SMC True Spec DV 14.8V-6500mAh-120 Amps/75C pack. I want a 6s pack and a charger. I don't have or want a DC power supply, and dual charging is nice but not necessarily a must. I wan't something that will charge quick, safely, and from a company with good support. I've been leaning towards these....thoughts?

Hota D6 Plus
HiTec RDX1 Pro
HiTec X2 AC Plus Black Edition AC/DC Dual Balance Charger/Discharger

How long should it take to charge the 4s 6500 mah SMC I ordered with these chargers? How about a 6s 5000 mah lipo?


I also need some suggestions for battery brands. I know I've seen a lot of love for SMC so I went with the 4s noted above. What other brands should I be looking at for value? Should I be looking only at hard case lipos?

SMC?
Power Hobby?
Turnigy?

 

[arrmadillo]

Go with the Hota D6+, I like to stay around 5000 mah to save weight.

 

[olds97_lss]

Depends on what rate you want to charge at. In theory, a charger capable of charging both pack sizes at 1C will end up charging at the same speed if that's how you set it.

That hota d6 Plus is capable of 2x15A/2x150W, so that's your ceiling on AC. Running on DC doubles the wattage, but not the amps.

A 5000mah 6S takes 5A/111W to charge at 1C.
A 6500mah 4S takes 6.5A/96.2W to charge at 1C.

So, the charger is capable of charging both easily at 1C an AC.

On DC, you could charge at 2C (10A/222Wx2 and 13A/192.4Wx2 respectively). You could actually charge the 5000mah 6S at 3C if you were on DC. I don't go above 2C on any of my packs though and many recommend charging at 1C for longevity of the packs.

FWIW, I'd stick with the 5000mah 6S. I run pairs of packs because 2 of my 3 trucks use dual batteries. I have 4 3S 5000mah and 4 3S 6200mah packs. The 6200's give me more run time, but the extra weight is pretty noticeable in all 3 trucks. They land quite a bit harder with the larger packs. When the 6200's die, I'm going to replace them with more 5000mah packs.

I started 3 years ago with SMC packs but lately been running Hobbystar (from rcjuice) and HRB 50C (from ebay/amazon) packs. They seem to work just as well.

 

[Dcmkx2001]

What can I expect for charge times on the Hota at 1c for a 6500 mAh 4s pack?

 

[olds97_lss]

1C = 1 hour when "empty", usually ~30min when at storage.
2C = 1/2 hour when empty, usually ~15min when at storage.

 

[Jeffashbaugh452]

Go with the Hota D6+, I like to stay around 5000 mah to save weight.

I hope the Hota D6+ is good I just ordered it

 

[Dcmkx2001]

So did I

 

[arrmadillo]

I hope the Hota D6+ is good I just ordered it

It's definitely a good charger, you will see. You will like its compact size and small footprint. I bought mine for it's 300W AC power at home, no need for PCU in my case. Great choice and wise decision! ?