Ordered new battery charger

[eVaDeR85]

Well in light of recent events and screw ups, I just ordered a new Dynamite Vision Peak 2 battery charger. My old vision peak decided to give up on me (it was user error - Don't ask lol) and I was in need of a new charger so I decided to go with the Vision 2. I gave it alot of thought between several chargers, most of which were Duratrax Intellipeak chargers, but I couldnt live with just the base model AC/DC model and I didnt want to put up with the failing Power Supplies they came with since I dont have a reliable 12v power supply. So I just decided to save myself some money and went ahead and got the newer V2 with 1,2, and 4 amp charge rates. It is AC/DC, charges reciever and transmitter packs at 1 amp. Any thoughts about this charger guys?

[GuyIsDamGood]

It`s Not a Bad charger. -If it`s a Peak Charger; it will charge your batteries well.
I would have went with a Novak Ionic or a MRC 959 or 969 Charger.

I just got a MRC 959 Charger. It`s a Good Charger.

Take Care.

[eVaDeR85]

Well I looked at an Ionic and liked it, and I also looked at the MRC's and to be honest I really wanted an MRC 959 but ive been reading around at different websites and even these forums about people having problems with them false peaking so I kinda steered away from them. And the Vision Peak 2 is indeed a peak charger so I know it will charge them good because I used my older Vision Peak with success and never once had a false peak.

[John2005]

Did you consider the LRP Pulsar 2 Competition Charger? I'm considering this one and would like to hear thoughts about it.

John

[eVaDeR85]

Well im lookin for something under 75 bux with AC/DC compatibility. Allthough I would love to own a better charger, I dont do anything serious enough to consitute owning something better than just a mid range charger. But if I were to buy a competition charger I would probably opt for the Duratrax ICE.

[rcguy2477]

If you are looking for a better, more expensive charger, the duratrax Ice is definitely the best, besides the gfx and other c.e's. I originally bought one to try out, and I loved it so much I just ordered another one. Before, I had a quasar pro, and a Pulsar pro. While both of them were good, they lacked the features the Ice had.

[John2005]

So that I know, what does the Ice have that the Pulsar 2 doesn't have? I'd like to buy a charger soon.

Thanks,

John

[eVaDeR85]

Well guys it appears plans have changed again as well. eHobbies is where I placed the order from and it appears as though they wont accept my debit card so im in a sticky situation. It looks as though im going to have to go ahead and get the Intellipeak AC/DC charger for the time being. Im giong to have to modify it when I recieve it though by adding a fan to the case so it doesnt get too hot but I guess it will give me a chance to experience everything pretty much from the Duratrax line. I have Maximum ST Pro and an Evader with an Intellispeed ESC and all I have left is a battery charger lol. Thanx for all your input though guys.

[eVaDeR85]

Ok in one last attempt I tried for the vision 2 since I really wanted it so this time I went to Horizon Hobby and they accepted it so I now officially have a Dynamite Vision Peak 2 on the way. Now ive got to start planning my mods towards it, like a fan and upgraded wires. Hehe.

[GuyIsDamGood]

I Don`t think you can really Know if a Charger False Peaks.

Can you really tell when a battery pack is not fully charged?

Tell me how you would know.

Take Care.

[eVaDeR85]

Because I monitored it with a Voltmeter everytime I charged the the pack nearly so maybe I could tell what the cutoff voltage was. The voltage would drop substantially before it finally said it was 100%.

[LasagnaCat]

I Don`t think you can really Know if a Charger False Peaks.

Can you really tell when a battery pack is not fully charged?

Tell me how you would know.

And sometimes it's painfully obvious.. if you *KNOW* a pack is dead, and it charges for a minute (or two, or ten, or anything well short of however long it normally takes your pack) and the charger shuts off, you pretty much know that was a false peak (assuming of course your packs are fine.) Also, a partially charged pack is usually pretty obvious if/when you try and run it in your vehicle. When most people talk about false peaks, they're talking about false peaks *early* in the charge cycle, not false peaks when the pack is almost completely charged. Yet another thing on the "not rocket science" list. ;)

[MERC]

Did you consider the LRP Pulsar 2 Competition Charger? I'm considering this one and would like to hear thoughts about it.

John

Me to.

[TC4RACER]

i would get the LRP Pulsar 2 Competition Charger but i dont have the money :eek: :rolleyes:

[John2005]

I did a comparison chart between the Pulsar2 and the Duratrax ICE.

http://www.imaginesystems.net/je/rc/chargercompare.html

Let me know if I missed something.

It looks to me like you get more bank for the buck with the ICE.

John

[LasagnaCat]

My biggest problem would be that at the end of the day you'd still be talking about Duratrax vs. LRP, and my perception has always been that they're two companies that are marketed for entirely different types of customers. Imho, there's quite a large gap between the general overally quality of the two brands. I'd be personally reluctant to buy anything that's Duratrax branded, especially a charger. If I had a nickel for every power supply I've seen go bad on their older lines of chargers... To me, comparing those two brands of chargers is almost like comparing a Volvo to a Chevy... they'll both get you to the store, and may get similar gas milage and have similar options, but at the end of the day one is a much more reliable and better built choice than the other. <shrug>

[evaderstracr]

chevys suck :D

[LasagnaCat]

It's really safe to say that for EVERYthing known to man, and irregardless of how awesome or horrible that something is.. someone, somewhere is going to think it sucks. I think THAT sucks, we need more love in the world. ;)

[rcguy2477]

Why does everyone bash duratrax? I have a pulsar that just fried on me. I havn't heard of any Ice's frying, have you? The reason that Duratrax is bashed so much is because its all newb's using their equiptment. They don't know how to drive and they break the car, expecting that these cars are supposed to be indestructable. And the quasar, it has problems peaking, the screen can go blank, the power supply can fry, heck, they even had to recall their charger. I personally have two Ice's, as as of yet,I havnt had any problems.

John2005- Good job on the chart, exept for a few things- The pulsar has peak detection, reverse polarity protection, and the pulsars discharge function is for the whole pack, where as the Ice calculates it for you. For the ice, it automatically turns on the fan. Also, for anyone thinking they can match cells on the pulsar, you can't. Lastly, you may want to re-check the number of lines on the ice, i think it is aroud 5-8.

[LasagnaCat]

Rcguy, if you're going to call out the other companies that have had charger issues with specific models, I can't resist the urge to remind you of the Duratrax Intellipeak line again. Someone else please add to the list if I've forgotten something else about them, but the Intellipeak line DID also have a recall at some point for at least one model of charger. Their Intellipeak power supplies were/are also *horrible*, and they used that same exact power supply on *several* of their chargers from low to high end. Ever been at a track when someone mentions their Duratrax PS going bad? My neighbor bought one for his son.. the PS died in a month. They were sent a replacement, that lasted a week. The THIRD one they were sent has lasted almost six months.. all fingers are crossed. At the track, whenever someone mentions a Duratrax power supply dying you get a LOT of nodding heads and "oh yeah, that happens a LOT" comments.

Maybe the Ice is decent, maybe not, maybe it just hasn't been out long enough for issues to be found, or maybe there just aren't a heck of a lot of people (that would spend THAT much on a Duratrack charger) that even have it TO recommend it... no way of knowing at this point, the Ice doesn't have the established track record of the other chargers you mentioned. The one finite thing is that it's still a Duratrax charger, and Duratrax is NOT a name that experienced rc'ers would usually associate with high *quality* R/C products - they may still be servicable products. Affordable, sure... adequate for a lot of people, sure.. if Duratrax products fit YOUR needs, why not just sit back and be happy and resist the urge to try to 'defend' something you bought by slamming other chargers - maybe just point out the perks and features of the Ice that you LIKE? ;) Does EVERY product have to be *wonderful* and expensive and have a reputation like CE or Hudy as to being the absolute elite end of the spectrum for that given product? No, of course not.. and if you're happy with their stuff go ahead and keep buying it and supporting them. Duratrax products serve their purpose quite nicely for their target market. I personally wouldn't buy them most of the time, they don't usually suit my needs or wants for whatever reason. If I ever find something I want that they have, no problem at all buying it and being happy with it. Not everyone has to appreciate or like any given thing or product, if YOU do... great, feel good about it and enjoy it without taking it as a personal slight if someone else *doesn't*. :)

Edited for spelling errors... somehow 'thier' looked right the first time through. :eek:

[eVaDeR85]

Well to be honest I think alot of the problem with people thinkin certain brands are crap is because its cheap. It goes back to the age old saying, you get what you pay for. Well I think this is total BS to be honest. Alot of the reason Duratrax gets bashed on so bad all the time is because alot of people look at the prices of their stuff and say, "oh well thats cheap must not be well made." Again going back to that same saying. Just because something is cheap doesnt always mean it isnt reliable. True 95% of the time this IS the case, but with Duratrax I really dont think it is. Granted I will admit they have their downfalls, just to name a few ; 1) Their Intellipeak power supplies DO SUCK!!!! but how many times have you actually heard of the CHARGER itself going out. I know I havent. 2) I have the Duratrax Evader ST. In my opinion the stock 20T Photon motor is a great paper weight after a couple of runs, while at first it was great, it had enough tourque to lift the tires right off the ground but it soon died and started melting brush springs so I junked it and got a Trinity Speed Gems 19T and havent had a single problem out of it. 3) Also in my opinion, the Sprint ESC is absolute GARBAGE!!! It has great features for the Beginner such as a no-button setup and things like that but I HATED the ABS brakes. I thought they were too sensitive and really actually never stopped my vehicle, the only thing that did was reverse itself or the nearest hard object.

Now on a different note, I just bought an Intellispeed 16T Reversing ESC. I love this thing. Has all kinds of features including reverse lockout, reverse delay, ABS which you CAN DISABLE (I love this feature, I can now lock-up my brakes if I want to) and different traction control profiles to roll-on the throttle if track conditions are slick so to say. Im not saying all of their stuff is good because I know firsthand that some of it isnt. But dont just go about saying its bad because of a simple downfall that particular items have. Ok im done ranting now. Ill shut up. :D

[John2005]

rcguy: thanks for the clarification. I used the company product descriptions to create the chart.

[GuyIsDamGood]

It looks like you guys do alot of work with your Chargers.
-I see you guys know about False Peaks and other Charger stuff.

I Don`t know Too much about charging batteries; so I hhave to put Trust in My Charger.
-I have a MRC Super Brain 959.
- -It`s a Peak Charger.....it charges my batteries.....I Trust It.

Anyone ever had problems with a MRC Charger?

Take Care.

[LasagnaCat]

Quite a few people have had problems with them, do a search on the board here and you'll find numerous threads about the 959. If memory serves me correctly, it's usually an issue with them false peaking.. and apparently either mounting a fan to the charge or even simply having a small fain pointing at the charger can make a world of difference with that. If yours isn't doing that, I wouldn't worry about it.. you're good to go. :)

[eVaDeR85]

Heat is any electronic items enemy. And apparently the power supply in those Brains dont like to get too host because they build up too much resistance to an already weak power supply which causes the output voltage to drop to unacceptable levels and apparently that voltage drop is just enough to fool the IC's in those chargers that the battery has peaked when really there has only been a profound drop in the power supply's voltage, enough to the point where the charger can longer compensate by allowing more voltage to pass which leads to an overall voltage drop. This however is probably not even close to what really happens but it sounds good on paper to me as why they false peak soo much but I could be wrong.

[joostin421]

i had a Duratrax Intellipeak Digital pulse charger, it was okay.... it never peaked a pack fully.

my MRC SuperBrain 969 i got in trade is an excellent charger; and now i have 2 because i got another in trade in a package deal. gave my younger cousin the Duratrax with his christmas present.

justin

[GuyIsDamGood]

I`ve just got the Super Brain 959. It`s Cold here in New York City(Winter); so when I charge the batteries the Charger doesn`t get hot.

I think it might get Hot when the weather gets warm(Summer).

I`ll see what happens.

Thanks guys.

Take Care.

[John2005]

I ordered a Duratrax Ice with a Rivergate Power Supply. I'm waiting patiently for it to arrive :-)

Let me know how the Smart Brain works out.. I've heard good and bad things with the 969... I'd like to get another charger so I have two.

[GuyIsDamGood]

I charge the batteries with a 3.5 charge.
It gives the batteries a Good Charge.
I don`t sense any False Peak.

I think the 969 is almost the same as the 959; but the 969 can Discharge batteries.

Take Care.

[LasagnaCat]

That's a pretty low charge rate, that could be why your charger isn't getting hot. What kind of packs are you charging? That's a pretty low charge rate for almost any current battery cells/packs.

[SS Pede]

And apparently the power supply in those Brains dont like to get too host because they build up too much resistance to an already weak power supply which causes the output voltage to drop to unacceptable levels and apparently that voltage drop is just enough to fool the IC's in those chargers that the battery has peaked when really there has only been a profound drop in the power supply's voltage, enough to the point where the charger can longer compensate by allowing more voltage to pass which leads to an overall voltage drop. This however is probably not even close to what really happens but it sounds good on paper to me as why they false peak soo much but I could be wrong.
For those of you familiar with antics of the MRC 969 charger and stock power supply, does this seem like a good explanation for the apparent false peaking that some of us have experienced? It seems like my charger usually gets the pack (6 cell GP3300) up to around 8.21 volts and then quits on me, so I have to restart it. The error message is generally "02," which means the charger experienced a "slow peak." I'm not sure what that means, but I like the theory of the stock power supply conking out. Note that one time I charged at like 2 or 2.5 amps and the pack made it all the way through without stopping the charge. Maybe at such low levels the stock PS can handle the load better? I think others have had success using aftermarket power supplies, so I like this theory. Also, if any of you could chime in on which aftermarket power supplies you're using with your 969, and if any mods (new plugs, etc.) were required to hook it up, that would be great. Thanks all. :)

-SS

[casper2010]

I have 2 Duratrax piranha digital chargers(about 1.5 years)($50 each), and bought an ICE when they were released. NO problems with any of them. Before I bought the ICE I was SERIOUSLY considering the GFX from CE, however when I compared the features of the 2, I decided the GFX was more than I really needed. 35amps discharge versus 10amp discharge on the ICE. I simply wanted something that I could cycle my tx/rx batteries and get more info on my racing batteries. I raced stock oval with the piranhas and never had a problem, using a 10 year old Astron 20amp power supply so I could get a 5 amp charge. I guess the point is everyone likes what they like, I really did not expect much out of the piranhas when I bought them but I have been pleasantly surprised. If you want to match batteries buy yourself a turbomatcher 4/35 and have fun, or pay the price for prematches.

[mattgr1]

I have a Hobbico 925 peak charger and it is the best charger I've ever owned, haha, I know its funny but it always charges great and always works. Anyway my friend uses a vision peak 2. Its a great charger and I love how you can tell the batteries progress. We only tool around with our trucks in my basement right now since the weather is bad, him a RC10T and me a RC10T2. We both have comparable motors and pinion gears, both use the same packs, racers edge 3000 cells with deans connectors, and our trucks have full bearings and similar hop ups. Anyway to make a long story short his batteries last about 75% as long as mine do. Mine tend to last 3-5 minutes longer. I know thats not a big deal, but I was just curious as to why you guys might think thats happening?