Best Balance chargers

[GStevo80]

Hi,

I need some help please. Relatively new to the sport and I’ve been coping just fine with my cheapo balance charger I have to watch like a hawk and unplug as soon as it goes green. 
 

it’s fine for topping up batteries but I’ve become aware of the need to put them in storage charge when left for long periods and I only play infrequently. I’ve also accumulated lots of batteries as I’ve tried different things so half them need to be discharged.

I bought a cheap charger /discharger off Amazon with good reviews but it’s utter sheeeite and I’m sending it back.

Whats the sweet spot between cost/ease of use/ functionality. I don’t want to burn cash but I want a good one. 
 

many suggestions welcome.

many thanks

 

[EDcase]

SkyRC and Turnigy are trusted makes of chargers.

Stay away from Nuprol

Have a look through this thread:

 

[concretesnail]

Another vote for skyrc chargers, I've been using one for ages.

I also use a idst charger which is even better but it requires an external dc supply.

 

[GStevo80]

Thanks Both, read the thread and followed the advice. 
 

Got a sky RC on the way now, pretty reasonably priced! 

 

[GStevo80]

Sorry for Spamming you gents, I know it’s on here somewhere but I cannot find it. 
 

So I have my Sky RC T100 and I’ve been struggling, I’ve read on other threads that you can’t just connect the battery because Airsoft battery’s are reversed to RC Batteries and there is some sort of Biro mod where you poke a connection out and swap it. 
 

the links in the previous threads are dead. I’ve broken a few things trying to self resolve.

please help, I’ve had this charger on my desk for a couple of weeks now collecting dust. 
 

where am I sticking this biro? 

 

[Rogerborg]

Airsoft battery’s are reversed to RC Batteries

For mini-Tamiya connectors, yes.

Standard/RC mini-Tamiya is positive/red to the square connector, negative/black to the round:

Whereas airsoft mini-Tamiya is wired negative/black to square, and positive/red to round:

Don't cross the streams wires!

The best way to rewire mini-Tamiya is to cut it off, throw it as far away as you can and solder on Deans (or XT60 or XT30) on both ends.

If you want to retain the mini-Tamiya and swap the wires over (on the charger connector!), you can extract them by pushing a small flat bladed screwdriver down each side of the connector, squishing in the tabs that hold it in place, then withdrawing the wire and pin. Bend the tabs back out slightly before re-insertion.

View attachment 81480

I've just tested that theory myself, it's easy enough to do, no "biro hacks" or special tools required.

 

[EDcase]

Would be a good opportunity to convert all connections to Deans aka T-Connectors

You can easily make a Mini-Tamiya to Deans adaptor if you still want to use the charger for RC as well.

 

[concretesnail]

I don't know the biro mod directly but I'd guess that it would refer to using the biro to pop the pins out of the connector block and swap them over.

The issue with airsoft and rc is that they both use tamyia connectors but the position of the red and black pins are reversed in the airsoft batteries when compared to trafional rc, I have no adea why.

If you can solder it's easier to sack of tamiya altogether for a better connector, deans are a common choice, I prefer xt style.

If your not confident in doing that; use something thing to depress the pin retaining part inside the tamiya connector on the charger and swap the black and red around to match the airsoft battery, assuming you dont intend to use the tamiya charger for any other non airsoft batteries

 

[Rogerborg]

I don't know the biro mod directly but I'd guess that it would refer to using the biro to pop the pins out of the connector block and swap them over.

My DuckDuckFoo doesn't turn it up, I'd guess it maybe refers to pushing the ink tube of a biro over the pin to squish the tabs.  I tried that out of interest, and none of the pens I have to hand have any component that's suitably sized to do so.  It's not needed anyway, you just need to push something flat down either side to squish the tabs: they're not going to spring back sufficiently to hold the pin in place.

[UPDATE] Oh, it turns out that I've been testing this with full sized Tamiya rather than mini-Tamiya.  If the pins are smaller in mini-Tamiya then a biro ink tube might be big enough to slide over them, although I doubt it.

This shows how long it's been since I've even seen a Tamiya connector near the top of the leccy bits bucket, let alone used one.  

 

[GStevo80]

Thanks very much for all the information, I should be able to sort this out.

Ref Deans, I do understand it’s commonly accepted this is the correct way to go, but between my gun and my two lads, and the two batteries per guns (and spares)…. I know it isn’t the end of the world but more of a ‘round-to-it’ job.

When I bought my first gun, charger and Lipo I didn’t care what I had, it was only a couple of years ago and would have done anything I was told. Why the guys didn’t push me towards deans I don’t know? In fact… the same question could be asked about why they still make RIFs with mini Tamiya when there is a better way. 
 

Now I’m down that path and need to make the effort to put it right. 
 

Amazing support though men thanks! This is a great Forum. 

 

[Rogerborg]

why they still make RIFs with mini Tamiya when there is a better way

I guess most guns still come with mini-Tamaya because most batteries still come with mini-Tamiya, and most batteries still come with mini-Tamiya because... well, you see where this is going.

Specna Arms (and I believe a few others) are now shipping their guns wired to with Deans, along with with a Deans to mini-Tamiya adaptor.  Hopefully this will become more common.

 

[GStevo80]

*Edit* Did the tabs mod, took 30 seconds and no biros required or damage was done! 
 

great explanation and diagrams! 
 

Chicken meet egg. 
 

seems like someone brave needs to make the change. Like you say hopefully it’s begun 

 

[Rogerborg]

Nice one, great to hear that you got it sorted.  We get all sniffy about mini-Tamiya, but it does work just fine, and can be fitted with just crimping rather than soldering.

Deans and XT-60 are so much more chonky with more contact area that once you've gone that way, you won't want to go back, is all.