Another "what charger"

[apollo7]

okay, so my Eflite blade charger struggles to charge any thing over 4000 and wont do 4s so have to fork out, i know nothing about modern chargers but have a budget of £40 this one looks good value
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Turnigy-Accucel-6-1s-6s-lipo-Balance-Charger-LiFe-NiMH-NiCd-GENUINE-XT60-/281588797439?hash=item4190000fff:g:4t8AAOSwu4BVoPOE

or i have seen this one,
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/iMAX-B6AC-LCD-Screen-Digital-RC-Lipo-NiMh-Battery-Balance-Charger-Discharger-New-/391505842393?hash=item5b279110d9:g:f4kAAOSww9VXhdY2
so which would be best, i am future proofing as i will need 4s capable at some stage

[Gav]

Accucel 6 is just the job mate.  I have a couple and served me well over the years.

[nate80]

Accucel 6 is just the job mate.

I';ve heard many many good reports on them.  I';d be happy to spend my money on one.

[guest325]

I';ve got one, great but bear it in mind it';s only as good as the power supply you use. The Imax (if genuine) is also a good charger but the same thing applies.
I use a 100 Watt power supply - about 8A it';s ok but I don';t use big packs.

[apollo7]

All good advice but getting put of with idea of getting separate power supply, might be better to get an overlander like this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Overlander-RC6-VSP-80watt-7A-Output-AC-DC-LiPo-Li-Ion-LiFe-NiMh-PB-Charger-2604-/331709700746?hash=item4d3b705a8a:g:NJAAAOSwLzdWSfs3

[nate80]

All good advice but getting put of with idea of getting separate power supply, might be better to get an overlander like this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Overlander-RC6-VSP-80watt-7A-Output-AC-DC-LiPo-Li-Ion-LiFe-NiMh-PB-Charger-2604-/331709700746?hash=item4d3b705a8a:g:NJAAAOSwLzdWSfs3

Yep, another decent charger for the money.  Chap at one of my not-so-local model shops rates it.   

I bought a Keenstone AC/DC 80W Touchscreen jobbie for my first proper charger.  I';d never heard of it before but it';s performed well overall.  And like you say, it';s very handy not having to use an external power supply to power it at home.

[apollo7]

Money spent, went for the Overlander, i am going up to 4s so this is future proof

[XH558]

Accucel 6 is just the job mate.  I have a couple and served me well over the years.

+1 0n that style of charger - I have the exact same charger but with another branding on it ... ::)

[insx]

I';ve seen the IMAX B6 recommended as a cheap charger and they can also be got for about £10 on ebay, are they fakes? Does it matter?

[guest325]

I';ve seen the IMAX B6 recommended as a cheap charger and they can also be got for about £10 on ebay, are they fakes? Does it matter?

It does matter, some of them are unsafe - for the extra cost and how long it will last it';s well worth the security of buying genuine.

[insx]

At around £35, is a genuine B6 the best charger for the money?

[guest325]

They are one of the best for the money but that';s a bit expensive:
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__28146__IMAX_B6_50W_5A_Charger_Discharger_1_6_Cells_GENUINE_UK_Warehouse_.html
If you top it up with odds and ends you need, Charging harness, Velcro, cable ties, Battery connectors etc to get the best out of the postage charge you can';t go wrong.

[insx]

Thanks. I think it was the AC version that was a tad under £35.

[guest325]

Thanks. I think it was the AC version that was a tad under £35.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IMAX-B6AC-Plus-LiPro-Balance-Charger-LiIon-LiPo-LiFe-NiCd-Discharger-UK-Adapter-/152110121908
That should be OK.

[insx]

If you top it up with odds and ends you need, Charging harness, Velcro, cable ties, Battery connectors etc to get the best out of the postage charge you can';t go wrong.

Do I need a bunch of connectors or can I just plug in the balance plug on my battery?
Sorry, new to all this.

[guest325]

A proper charger charges via the battery connector and the balance plug goes in the balance port of the charger, that way you charge faster - obviously the balance lead is not capable of withstanding as many amps as the power lead. You can safely charge at 1C with that charger, that is the battery capacity in Amp hours - e.g. a 3S2200 mah battery can be charged at 2.2A (2200/1000).
All you have to do is set the battery type and voltage then the charge rate. The charge will start at 2.2A but when it nears the end much less while balancing cells takes place. Typically charging takes 45-60 mins from 30% left in the battery (which is the best capacity left to preserve the life of the battery). You should get a battery checker to make sure that you don';t over discharge your batteries and learn how much flying time you get to reach this level of discharge.

[Hozza]

I run two of these:
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__75600__Turnigy_Accucel_6_80W_10A_Balancer_Charger_LiHV_Capable_UK_Warehouse_.html

On one of these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fusion-12v-Power-Supply-PS201-15amp-for-DC-RC-Charger-13-8V-4mm-Output-200W-/371481403761?hash=item567e046171:g:irQAAOSwI-BWPI1E

[insx]

One more question (I think). What power supply does the B6 need? Is it 12V 5A 5.5/2.5mm plug centre positive?

[guest325]

One more question (I think). What power supply does the B6 need? Is it 12V 5A 5.5/2.5mm plug centre positive?

The last one I linked was ac/dc so no need for a separate power supply - the dc only one.... no idea.
I use 2x Accucell 6';s on a Server power supply.

[insx]

The last one I linked was ac/dc so no need for a separate power supply - the dc only one.... no idea.
I use 2x Accucell 6';s on a Server power supply.

I wanted to be sure of a genuine Skyrc so I got the one from Hobby King without the power supply.

[guest325]

It';s centre positive - see image:

[insx]

Got my i6 today, which seems to include all the cables I could need. If I could come up with one complaint, it would be that protective film on the display which you can';t get at to remove. I have a thing about people leaving those films on