Mode Zero

Until a few days ago my main lipo charger was a very old, battered and much-repaired GTPower A6, bought from Giantcod maybe 10 years ago? when I first started using lipos.
This poor little 50 watt charger has led a life of constant drudgery, charging everything from indoor lipos through car & motorbike batteries, banks of A123s, and topping up my my 10S 5000 ebike battery every week. Other than wearing out, its never let me down, but I thought maybe it was time to treat myself to a new one:


After pondering the bewildering state of the charger market (my how they've come on in 10 years!) I finally settled on an ISDT 300-watt, 14-amp device with a lovely colour display and all the facilities I wanted like inbuilt balance connectors, LiHV capability, blah blah. Well it arrived this morning and its hard to believe unless you have on in your hand - this thing is tiny!


So far, I'm chuffed to bits with it. I didnt read the instructions at all, its menus are so easy to use.
Seems very sturdily made, not cheap plastic, and the display is lovely:


Ordered from RCHobby, a UK supplier, and arrived the next working day with a courtesy sweetie in the package! It was £42, but they also do a 200-watt version for £35 https://www.hobbyrc.co.uk/isdt-q6-plus-300w-dc-charger

Only thing is.... I cant bring myself to throw the old A6 away!

Cheers
Phil

I like that phil,
I too are in need of a new charger, I currently have the Ripmax pro peak which is 10years old, it’s done well and had the tactile switches replaced twice. Still works of course.
How do you select stuff, is it a touch screen or does it have a select button somewhere.

Ron.

I agree Phil, ISDT chargers are great.

I have had the earlier version for a couple of years now over which time it has had heavy use. It hasn't missed a beat and is extremely easy to use. If you are looking for a new charger, its hard to go past ISDT.

You convinced me, and I've ordered one from hobbyrc along with a few extra 2S batteries!

I use multiple chargers - that way I can always do fairly slow balance charges, but it doesn't take too long to charge up, say, ten batteries before going to the field. I have a Schultz with an external balancer board, 3 iMax B6 clones, and a few other miscellaneous ones. Right now I'm using a 20 year old Hitec CG-335 charger to top up a glow stick!

Nice one. I like the display.
Very nice.

Ron.

One quick question.
I have some Hyperion G5 240ma 2s lipos but they don’t have a balance plug. Will this still charge them.

Ron.

I've just bought this ... have I been done over? The seller told me it was the latest in charging technology and didn't even need a power supply as it sucked electrons out of the air....
It has a lifetime guarantee on the surface mount resistors.
Shaun

I have the deluxe version of that charger, its exactly like yours but has a clockwork timer wired in series
Used it for a few seasons in the very early days of electric flying (Mabuchi 540's and sub-C nicads)

I remember a guy throwing a burning mass out of the boot of his car on the car park at Warwick racecourse about twenty years ago. He burned his hands a bit, but at least he prevented his car catching fire - which looked imminent. His car boot had a couple of gallons of glow fuel in plastic containers, some fuel and oil soaked rags that he used to wipe down his models, plus another gallon of petrol that he'd bought for his mower!

The burning stuff consisted of a 6 or 7 cell Nicad pack, one of those 'dropper' chargers complete with its fancy clockwork timer, and the associated wiring. He never did find out why it had ignited. He wasn't sure if he'd tried to recharge an already full battery, or the timer had jammed, or he'd connected it up backwards or maybe there was just a short circuit.

Phil,
Will that charger charge a lipo without a balance lead?
Ron.