Reddit reviews SKYRC iMAX B6 Mini Professional Balance Charger/Discharger for Nimh/Li-po Batteries RC Model AC/DC 15V 4A Battery Charger Power Supply Adapter (US Plug)

I assume you don't have an electrical engineering background and just want something you can buy?

Note: Below is not guaranteed to be perfects/correct, just some cursory research for you because I was in the mood.

Parrot AR Drone 2.0 uses a 2000mAh 11.1v (3S) LiPo.

It looks like the Power Pot outputs 5V to USB and there are usb LiPo chargers, but they look like they're all only for 3.7v (1S) cells.

I don't know what kind of "solar batteries" you have. If the solar bits can output at 11-18V, you could combine it with something like this to charge the LiPo. If not, you can also purchase and bring a panel with you that can output at that range.

Battery is 22.2Watt-hours.

Looking at Kathmandu, you get ~5.37kWh/m²/day. With the 14W version of the linked panel, assuming 50% charge efficiency on a bright and sunny day pointed right at the sun, you'd get ~37Wh/day. Assuming it's spread across 12 hours of daylight evenly and you track the sun (alright this is a bit of a BS assumption, but insolation values are usually a little low so we'll hope it evens out) you'd be able to charge a battery in about 7.2 hours. Shell out for the 28W version and you'd be able to do it in ~3.6 hours.

The charger and panel linked aren't necessarily the best or best value, just the first 2 I found. Don't hold me to my calculations, they could be completely wrong but can give you a rough idea.

Another consideration, depending on the length of your trip. If you get the 28W version and the charger linked, you're spending about $200 and you can get maybe 2 fully charged flights/day. It looks like spare batteries can be had for ~$20 and LiPos self-discharge at <5%/month. You could buy 10 at the same price and not have to worry about charging.

If you go with this approach, buy and test it out early.

iMAX B6AC V2

No cords needed.

I use a SkyRC iMax B6AC v2
One advantage over the accucell 6 charger is that you can plug directly into an AC outlet without an adapter. It's a bit more pricey, however.

Imax for about 40$ can charge and do everything you could ever want a charger to do for any battery. Do not even attempt to use your other charger. A 23minute video I made for lipos for /r/airsoft

Link for charger with the power supply 53$ worth every penny. I have over 20 different chargers myself. I can find you what you need let me know your budget. I will link more.

This charger and this power supply ~35$ best choice. Power supply is external and tou have to buy it seperate but the same thing as the first and cheaper. Pm me with questions I will point you in the right direction so hard you won't stray off. This is the shit I know the most. This is my jam. Lol

What do you think about the iMax B6?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ND7J38C?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=A1S8P6QXTTYCQC

As far as MaH vs 2s, 3s, etc. MaH will give you longer run times. All things being equal a 5000 MaH will last 25% longer than a 4000 MaH.

The difference between 2s and 3s is that 3s will have 50% more voltage because it uses 3 lipo cells instead of 2 cells. This will make your car go faster. The tradeoff is that 3s batteries are more expensive and as you're going faster, you're going to be more likely to break parts on the truck.

I'd recommend the SKYRC iMAX B6AC V2. It's also 6 amps but will do storage charge and it has a USB port if you want to hook it up to your computer. For about the same money, it has some better features. Just make sure it has the battery connector you need or else get an adapter for a few bucks.

Batteries I don't have a good recommendation. You'll need to get the dimensions of the battery tray and find something that fits or just find out what other Slash owners use and buy that. (Hobbyking has a really nice battery finder based on dimensions but I know you only want to use Amazon.)

Whichever one you get make sure it comes with a build in power supply. I overlooked that when I bought mine and now I'm stuck with having an extra brick laying around just to give power to the lipo charger. I mean it's so inconvinient, I'm surprised non power supply models are even a thing.

Here is my suggestion:

https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-SKYRC-Power-6Amps-50Watts/dp/B00ND7J38C

i had a knock off fail that had an internal power supply, just wouldn't turn on after a week of use(clone of: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Genuine-SKYRC-Power-6Amps-50Watts/dp/B00ND7J38C)

fan can also get noisy over time - oiling it helps

In the true spirit of the hobby, you should dump some cash in these. But really:

LiPo charger - $48 - Genuine SKYRC iMAX B6AC V2 Dual Power (6Amps, 50Watts): LiPo, LiHV, LiIon, LiFe, NiCd, NiMH, Pb Lead Acid AC/DC Professional RC Balancing Battery Charger & Discharger (Version 2) w/ Micro USB Port, Temperature Port, 2S-6S JST-XH Balance Ports https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ND7J38C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_htDxybG82Q702

2 batteries - $29 ea - Gens ace LiPo Battery Pack 5000mAh 50C 2S 7.4V HardCase 21 with Deans T Plug for RC Car Boat Truck Roar Approved https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WOAWHUK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1tDxybYW7ARFP

2 brushless combos - $43 ea. - GoolRC 3650 3100KV/4P Sensorless Brushless Motor with 60A Brushless ESC（Electric Speed Controller）for 1/10 RC Car Truck https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CCRZD1Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_LuDxybH8WPFP6

2 2.4ghz tx rx bundles - $38 ea - FLYSKY RC 3 CH Transmitter TX FS-GT3B For CAR Boat 2.4Ghz 2.4g w/ Receiver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HNJNXVY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_LwDxybYGHVVE8

So at $280 they would both be fully up to date with lower end electronics. The sky is the limit.

I use an [imax b6] (http://www.skyrc.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=217) with a parralel charging board. / Amazon link
This particular charger has a heavy counterfeit presence online though so it's important to make sure it's a genuine SkyRC charger if you decide to go down that road. Avoid ebay and the likes. The Amazon link above is the real deal for reference.

>Next question is controllers and goggles.

If you're not on a tight budget, the best things to get would be the FatShark Dominator V3's (goggles), and the FrSky Taranis X9D Plus (transmitter). You'll find it hard to find someone to argue against either of those.

Aside from that, for the receiver get a FrSky D4R-ii, and run it in PPM mode. For batteries, I used 1300mah 3s at first, and moved to 1300mah 4s once I wanted to take the training wheels off.

Edit: I also got a D4R-ii mount and a GoPro mount. You will break the D4R-ii mount eventually, so I recommend getting 2. The last thing you would need (if you don't have) is a LiPo charger, and maybe a parallel charging board if you want to charge all of your batteries at once.

Once you have all of that + your Vortex, you are ready to go.

Here is about what I spent: http://i.imgur.com/ZU2hzQr.png

Edit: Table format

Link|Part|Model|Price
:-:|:-:|:-:|--:
link | Frame | Lumenier QAV-R 5 | $107.75
link | Motors | EMAX RS2205 2300KV | $76.99
link | ESCs | Littlebee 20A PRO | $49.99
link | Flight Controller | MotoLab Cyclone F3 | $40.69
link | Radio Tx | FrSky Taranis X9D Plus | $211.37
link | Radio Rx | Frsky XSR | $26.74
link | Headset | Fatshark Attitude V3 | $331.99
link | FPV Tx | ImmersionRC 600MW 5.8 | $48.98
link | FPV Antennas | Aomway | $15.00
link | FPV Camera | Foxeer XAT600M | $48.88
link | HD Camera | Yi | $100.00
link | Charger | SkyRC iMax B6AC V2 | $49.97

There may be a part or two missing. The links may or may not still be good, this is from ~4 months ago. Take out the headset, HD camera, and other FPV stuff and the cost drops by $545. These are also all high-end parts.

Edit2: Some Youtube subs
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCahqHsTaADV8MMmj2D5i1Vw
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCemG3VoNCmjP8ucHR2YY7hw
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoS1VkZ9DKNKiz23vtiUFsg
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9zTuyWffK9ckEz1216noAw
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3ioIOr3tH6Yz8qzr418R-g
https://www.youtube.com/user/EngineerX
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX3eufnI7A2I7IkKHZn8KSQ
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp1vASX-fg959vRc1xowqpw

Something like this will get the job done.

You can also get a charger that you'd use for larger LiPos, but things get a more complicated since you'll need to learn about parallel and balance charging. I wouldn't go this route unless you know what you're getting into.

The tldr of 1S LiPo like you have. Stop flying somewhere between 3.6 and 3.8V. Store batteries at 3.85V or as close as you can get them. Storing batteries full is dangerous and bad for them, and storing them at low voltage can hurt them too.

I got this to replace that same charger and so far its very nice.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ND7J38C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

What is the recommended balance charger that I can plug 4 into at once and just let it do its thing? I'm lookin at This one

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00ND7J38C/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1473099837&sr=8-8&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=lipo+charger&dpPl=1&dpID=51GvA3h-MNL&ref=plSrch

Be sure to do a bit of homework on the batteries.

If your batteries are 1300mah charge at 1.3 amps. If they are 1500mah charge at 1.5 etc..

Use a voltage alarm on your quad or put a buzzer on the flight controller.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003Y6E6IE/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473100031&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=voltage+alarm&dpPl=1&dpID=411iqbcCz9L&ref=plSrch

Once the alarm goes off land, since over draining can damage the batteries.

Once youre done flying for the day use your charger to place the batteries in storage mode. Keeping them charged more than a couple days can damage them. Just charge them the day before flying, and if you end up not using them decharge them on the charger back down to storage mode.

So as to where to get stuff... this will get you started if you haven't already.

• S550 Frame - http://multirotormania.com/hexacopter/682-thunder-s550-hexacopter-kit-by-sk.html
  
• fast local US shipping
  
• DJI E310 power system - https://store.dji.com/product/e310-6
  
• The only place to reliably get the E310 power packs. They are that new.
  
• DJI Naza-M Lite with GPS - http://www.getfpv.com/dji-naza-m-lite-flight-controller-with-gps-compass.html
  
• Local US shipping
  
• Turnigy 9X with reciever - http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=8992
  
• China, so you'll need an express shipping method to reliably get it here in time.
  
• Highend alternative (you'll want Mode 2) - http://www.banggood.com/FrSky-2_4G-ACCST-Taranis-X9D-Plus-Transmitter-p-940819.html
  
• Cheap 2-Axis Gimbal - http://www.amazon.com/Brushless-Gimbal-Camera-Phantom-Walkera/dp/B00GAXYJFS/
  
• Balance Charger - Highend with Internal AC adapter or Generic Slow charger
  
  I'll have more time in the week to finish out the part list including some misc components you'll need like batteries, battery straps, and battery non-spark battery connections.

If anyone wants a link to this charger it's called the: B6AC Smart Charger

I went ahead and got this one. Hope it was the right choice.

Genuine SKYRC iMAX B6AC V2 Dual Power (6Amps, 50Watts): LiPo, LiHV, LiIon, LiFe, NiCd, NiMH, Pb Lead Acid AC/DC Professional RC Balancing Battery Charger & Discharger (Version 2) w/ Micro USB Port, Temperature Port, 2S-6S JST-XH Balance Ports

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ND7J38C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_WABuybASFARBM

Now time to figure out what batteries/charging board.......

Also, do you have a LiPo charger? If not you can check out the iMax B6AC V2 which is probably the best bang for the buck. Watch a youtube video or two and you will be good to go.

If you need help picking out batteries or any other accessories just post in this sub and ask.

Haha, nice to teach someone ;)

You have it the wrong way around. This is how it's supposed to look. And if you unsolder the wires, you also save some space, which is pretty nice on small builds. And it looks nicer.

The nice plastic wrapping is probably some kind of heatshrink tubing. Want to heatshrink your own stuff? Get this. You just heat it up with a lighter and it shrinks to half the size. There is no problem if you take the plastic off and leave it without it, but it's more likely to short on something, a bit less water resistant (in case a drop of water lands on it), and it doesn't look as professional ;)

If you want to solder the motors directly to the ESCs (which I recommend, as it's lighter and looks neater), you can heatshrink them with this heatshrink afterwards.

The balance charger connects to the balance plug and (usually) the main plug on the battery. There are some cheap, low-power chargers that only use the balance plug. The balance plug has thinner wires, so it can't handle a high current like the main plug (which also uses a connector that handles higher current). On batteries the size of your battery, the wires will be almost the same size, but on bigger batteries the main wires are usually quite a bit thicker. The higher-power chargers use the main plug for charging/discharging (several amps) and the balance plug for balancing (usually under 2A). You should charge your batteries at around 1C, which is 1A in your case, so you don't really need a higher power charger unless you want to be able to charge several batteries at once or plan on getting something that needs bigger batteries in the future. Also, most of the lower-power chargers only have a fixed current and can't discharge the batteries or show other useful information. Most of the higher-end ones can show you the current charging current, voltage, time since starting, mAh recharged etc, and can also discharge your batteries to around 40% which is the level it's best to store batteries at.

The LiPo alarm plugs into the balance port in order to be able to measure every cell individually. This means you can't over-discharge any cell (for example if one of them is faulty and discharges faster than the others). You unplug it when you're done flying, and connect the balance charger to the same connector when you're charging.

When you want to buy a balance charger, you have a lot of different options, depending on whether you want a really cheap charger (something like this), an OK all-around charger (like this one), a charger that can charge 4 different batteries at once (like this one), or a charger that can charge 40 of the batteries you're using in parallel at once (this one). Also note that some of them only have a DC input, so you need an external power supply for them. You can for example make one out of a server power supply, or you can just buy a ready to use one.

The quanums v2's can run on 2s lipos, so any cheap 2s lipo in the 500mah+ should do the trick. These nano-techs 850mah 2s works well and gives decent power time.


For charging, I personally like the Turnigy Reaktor it can do 10A, plus this 12v power supply and a parallel charging board, you can quickly charge 4 or 5 lipos at once. In the future if you plan to get another Reaktor charger, you can hook it up to the same power supply. I have 3 Reaktors hooked up to my power supply.

On a cheaper end, this B6AC can do 6A and doesn't require a separate power supply.


This is what my setup looks like.