Chargers: Difference between revisions

[[File:Turnigy.jpg|thumb|300px|Turnigy Accucell 6 hobby charger]]Hobby chargers are built to charge battery packs that are often used with remote control cars, planes, boats, etc. They will charge packs of multiple cells and therefore must have higher power and typically have 12V input (RC users will charge from their car or a battery in the field). Due to the variety of cells they charge, they do not usually include battery holders, however most users will use strong neodymium magnets to hold the alligator clips to the ends of a battery as [http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=293505&p=3539368#post3539368 shown here]. They can be used to charge a wide variety of battery chemistries and combinations of cells. Here is a [http://www.lygte-info.dk/info/HobbyChargers%20UK.html good introduction] to hobby chargers. Hobby chargers can test the capacity of a battery by discharging it. When charging, they will tell you how much charge is going into the battery, reading out voltage and current during the process, and cut off when the battery is full, or cut off based on time or amount of charge applied. They can also charge a li-ion battery to 3.8V for storage (it is not good to store li-ion batteries fully charged or discharged). They are not as easy to use, but do a lot more than just give you a green light when the battery is done.

*[http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=7523&aff=261539 Turnigy Accucel-8] 150W 7A Balancer/Charger. More power than you really need for charging flashlight batteries and requires a heavier duty power supply.