Charging Solutions
Take the mystery out of charging and gain the most performance potential with any battery!
By Thayer Syme PHOTOGRAPHY: THAYER SYME & HITEC RCD W 52
hether you are new to RC or a life-long modeler, picking a new charger can be an intimidating experience. Wading through all the available options may seem overwhelm- ing at first. On the other side of the coin, the wide variety of product now available allows us to tailor our purchases directly to our needs. Let’s look at some charging basics that can help you make an informed deci- sion for your next charger. And to help re- duce any information overload, we will be looking to an old friend for examples. Hitec is a familiar and trusted name in the RC hobby. Their full line of servos and radios are favorably priced and offer the fea-
tures most of us want and need. Hitec also has a full line of chargers for modeling enthusiasts. The sidebars will highlight sev- eral of their options as we go along.
Determining your needs Like any significant purchase, it helps to consider your charging needs before jump- ing to the checkout counter. Many of us need more than a single-chemistry charger these days. While most electric models are using Lithium Polymer batteries (LiPo), we are still using nickel-based cells in our trans- mitters, lead-acid batteries in our flight box- es. Fortunately, most chargers now offer multi-chemistry capability and will handle
any battery we are likely to come across in our modeling endeavors. With just one ex- ception, all the featured Hitec products will charge NiMH, NiCd, LiPo, LiFe, Li-Ion and Lead-Acid batteries.
Power is the key
Total power capacity is a key factor to con- sider when picking a new charger. And while saving some money is usually good, you don’t want to underspend just to find that the capa- bilities of a new product fall short of your ex- pectations. So, how much Lithium charging ca- pability do you really need? To provide a meaningful answer, we need to look at the cell- count range and mAh rating of your batteries.
APRIL 2014
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