Lifespan of a battery charger

[Be Ready]

What is the typical lifespan of a battery charger… I’ve only owned one battery charger for the last 18 months that I’ve been in the RC hobby. It’s a venom pro duo brand. I only charge one battery at a time done properly in a climate controlled environment… Now my channel 1 is crapped out… Channel 2 still works fine but I was expecting a lot more than 18 months out of casual use of a battery charger . I contacted venom and they offered me a 30% discount towards a new unit but if it’s only gonna last 18 months of casual use then I need to go another direction it seems. I have there batteries and charger I did my homework before I bought it based on reviews… So again how long have you had your battery charger and have you had any problems out of the venom products ?

 

[SarsK9]

Watching as I have the same charger.

 

[slick2500]

I don't have a venom charger, but I do have a Thunder AC680 that is 7 years old or so and a Hitec X2 400 that is a tad over 3 years old.

I had some Venom lipos once. I think I got 6 runs out of them before they did this. This was their Bias line I don't think they make these anymore.

 

[fpvmiller]

I have an old bc8dx that is still going strong. It's my field charger. It is my oldest charger and well over 7 years of field use and travels (airplanes, hikes etc.)

My "newest" ones are coming up on 3 and 4 years now.

 

[slick2500]

I'm thinking you just got a dud sir.

 

[Be Ready]

I spoke to a lady in customer service that explained there is only a one year full replacement . I have used but never abused my Venom charger. After pleading my case with my hat in my hand with no resolve, I gave the lady 2 options.... Go above and beyond and replace the charger or i had no other option but to go public about my experience with Venom... She really didn’t care and claimed to be the manager. So i want to put it out there that i bought the charger Jan. 5th 2019... now i need another charger. I expected way more years of service but didn’t get it and only offered a 30% discount wasn’t enough. I won’t be buying or recommending anything Venom from this point moving forward.

 

[Adamj804]

HiTech chargers come with a 2 year warranty.

 

[slick2500]

HiTech chargers come with a 2 year warranty.

They do? Nice.

 

[gotnitro]

I have 2 Hyperion 720 and 1 720 duo so long I can’t remember when I bought them. Must be 8-10 years old. Still work perfectly.

 

[Be Ready]

I'm thinking you just got a dud sir.

That’s just my luck... But they (Venom) has just become my new hobby. F**K'em

 

[slick2500]

That’s just my luck... But they (Venom) has just become my new hobby. F**K'em

If you can find one the Hota D6 series of chargers are supposed to be awesome. I would say get a Hitec X2 400, but it has been discontinued and the last used one I saw for sale was the same price I paid for mine new from Tower Hobbies, plus you would need a 12v psu.

 

[arrmadillo]

I never had a charger go out. Got into the hobby early 2000s and still have about 6 of them.

 

[Mongoose]

Yeah, I have a Venom Pro Duo and noticed channel 1 is on its way out after about 2 years of use. Channel 1 would take so much longer than Channel 2. This is apparently a know issue among people who bought this charger.

Couple options, Venom will give you 50% off a charger if you buy through them as part of the “warranty” or you can just buy a Hota D6+ for the same money you paid for the Venom. That’s what I did and love my new Hota.

I have a Hitec X2 mini that is 2 years older than the Venom and it’s has been a great charger so I can recommend Hitec as being a decent brand as well. Plus, it checks resistance and was only $50.

 

[Yonic]

My Hitec RDX1 Pro just died after 2 years. it's only the AC part that not working, if i connect DC power it works fine. I now bought DC charger and a separate power supply to have separate components, so if one dies i need to replace just the charger or the power supply.

 

[Jerry-rigged]

What battery / amp rate are you charging? If you are banging on the 80w max per channel, then yeah, 18 months to death is reasonable. I always advocate 20% spare capacity for charge power. This works out to 25w per cell that you want to charge at 5A.

 

[Adamj804]

I had a Radiant Hobbytown brand do the same thing. Only one side of it worked.

 

[Be Ready]

Yeah, I have a Venom Pro Duo and noticed channel 1 is on its way out after about 2 years of use. Channel 1 would take so much longer than Channel 2. This is apparently a know issue among people who bought this charger.

Couple options, Venom will give you 50% off a charger if you buy through them as part of the “warranty” or you can just buy a Hota D6+ for the same money you paid for the Venom. That’s what I did and love my new Hota.

I have a Hitec X2 mini that is 2 years older than the Venom and it’s has been a great charger so I can recommend Hitec as being a decent brand as well. Plus, it checks resistance and was only $50.

The most they offered me was 30% off of the msrp price... basically $20.00 off from what I paid. Smh ?‍ What really pissed me off was there lack of caring from customer service.

What battery / amp rate are you charging? If you are banging on the 80w max per channel, then yeah, 18 months to death is reasonable. I always advocate 20% spare capacity for charge power. This works out to 25w per cell that you want to charge at 5A.

I have the Venom batteries also 50C 5000 11.1 ... All I did was balance charge and storage charge . Nothing crazy... just normal use.

 

[Jimbobjr]

Its probably the little circuit boards that go. Like the new washers, fridges, TVs...just don’t last. My old timer charger will outlast us all. Just set the amps, volts and turn the knob and it don’t care if your batteries (non lipo of course...) get hot, too low, too high, what ever, it’s going to try to charge them and you better be ready for it.
Lipo tech is pretty awesome but most chargers today are not.