TOPIC:

Hi i am looking for a simple to use fast charger for my son to use with his rebuilt Hotshot 2 at the moment its running a Tamiya sport tuned motor and 1400ma Nicads i do intend to go for bigger ma Nicads in the future and Lippo's in my Hotshot 2.

So i am looking for a charger that will charge both in a short time so hes not waiting hours on end is mains plugin and easy for a ten year old to use safely.

What do you guys recommend ?.

You may consider getting a simple (timed?) charger for the NiCads and an Imax B6 for the Lipos?
The first should only be a couple of bucks (used)...
And the latter not that much more, really - just make sure you get a genuine specimen.
There's a bunch of fakes out there.

"Simple to use" and Ni-Cd/Lipo compatible are mutally exclusive IMO; I think you're going to need two chargers

For the Ni-Cds I'd suggest an "old" Ripmax 2500 Pro-peak unit - the most simple units (e.g. ebay items 251230555943 or 160977208143 etc) just need plugging in and a button pressing, it'll beep repeatedly & annoyingly when it's done.

The single button tpye may not be the best for a low capacity Ni-Cd as they charge at a straight 3 Amps; others (e.g. ebay item 290865536132) have a dial so you can match the charge rate better to the battery (i.e. 1C = 1.4A for a 1400mAh pack = most capacity/longest running time/longer overall life of the battery), if you can adequately explain that (more does not equal better) and/or lock the dial off it would be ideal IMO.


Most Lipo capable chargers seem to be of the "4 button" type with the same underlying software & very similar wiring/components ... I have an IMAX B6 (hobbyking.co.uk...ouse_.html) - but be careful of inferior fakes, they often cost more from other sources.

Although it will charge just about anything (NiMH, Ni-Cd, Lipo, Life, Lilo, lead acid), drawbacks with that are it's fiddly to set up initially & when you want to change battery types, and it needs a separate 12v power supply (I use a hotwired ATX PC PSU)


edit - badword it, I deliberately put links in to avoid those stupid eBay widgets!

All I'll add to that is DON'T get high capacity NiCds, I haven't found any that perform beyond "shockingly useless". Best ones are Tamiya branded, no more than 1400mAH. Even the vintage Tamiya packs I've had have been better than HiCap "other" branded.
Just make sure you completely discharge them after use, & before charging. I use a car headlamp bulb for doing this. Use the battery immediately after charging, don't charge it then leave it laying about for hours, days etc, they don't like it & will become "lazy".

Peak detect chargers have a similar detrimental affect on NiCds in my experience, I swear by my old clockwork timer charger, which has the added benefit of being able to overcharge the packs to reclaim them, if I want to.

As for safety & ease of use etc, DON'T leave a charging battery unattended, period.
If the "user" isn't completely capable, adult supervision should be employed.
There's more than enough energy stored in toy car battery-packs to effectively set fire to your house if something goes wrong

Have ordered 3 more Tamiya RC1400SP racing packs from the bay and a Ripmax Propeak AC/DC fast charger the push button one this should Keep my litle boy's HS 2 running.

But i am defo going to go Lipo with my HS 2 runner plan for this runner is Alloy suspension kit from RC Channel and shocks and modern electronics sort of a Vintage HS 2 with modern running gear so any info on Lipo's how they work whats best for a vintage Tamiya

Si06 wrote:

... any info on Lipo's how they work whats best for a vintage Tamiya

I'm only really making baby steps in this direction myself - I've been putting small capacity Lipo packs inside old hump cases... I do know for an RC car it really needs to be in a hard case, you might get away with a soft cased pack where it's not exposed & can be padded to stop it rattling about - but for a Hotshot it's going to risk getting thumped...

HPI do hard cased packs in the same dimensions as a traditional Ni-Cd stick pack - ebay # 140919027464 for example, might be worth looking at

Hello Si06,
can recommend the IMAX B6 charger, only use the charger for Lipos and for NiCd batteries.
Easy to use, versatile.
On the Internet, the charger is getting low.

Richard

Word of Caution.. I use a Imax B6 genuine and copy. I found that both chargers spend 10 to 25 minutes hunting for peak. Also they are not completely accurate +/- about .02 volts. That puts your battery voltage per cell peak at anywhere from 4.18 to 4.22 volts. Now for most people this is of no real concern since most lipos can handle this. All the cheap 4 button chargers seem to have this problem so in my opinion buy the cheap Imax B6 for $15.00 and have fun bashing!

P.S. Don't forget to store your batteries at 3.80-3.85 volts per cell on lipos to prevent damage. And check them at least once per month for drop in voltage. Charge back to storage level as needed.