Quad battery charger, does anyone use these?

beavercreek

beavercreek

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I have various backup batteries of different voltage, size dimensionally and chemistry for the different analogue sound boards that I use in locos (and some rolling-stock) at the moment.
Soundtraxx sierra 6v lead acid or Nicad or Nimh
Phoenix 2K2 3.6v Nicad or Nimh
QSI 'Live Action' cow sound boards 9v Nimh
and other miscellaneous jobbies

Most of these batteries are v small as they are tucked away with the sound board inside locos with coal bukers like Shays, Climaxes etc. But some are inside diesels and have plenty of room.

Well, one of my plethora of chargers has given up the ghost and I was getting a little fed up with all of the different types and shapes of chargers that I have. So looked for replacement (good source is component-shop.co.uk)

I was trawling the web and came acorss the quad type of chargers which have four chargers in one, can cover all types and power of batteries including Lipos.
I looked at all the brands and there is one type which has been re branded by a few disributers. . Kings Lynn model shop has an 'Ansmann X move 2 Quad charger' for 89 squid and it also comes with a warranty where you do not have to send the item off for repair but have an instant replacement instead.

It can charge all types of battery up to 50w from each of the quad chargers at the same time and comes with various leads including balance boards for LiPos. It will put out 0.1a to 5.0a per charger.
It does need a DC power supply (11-18v) and depending on what power of batteries are being charged it could need up to 400w although 200w should be fine for G scale use (they are mainly used by model aircraft and car racers who use monster power batteries)

Do any of you use a quad charger? Have you had success with it? Are there any pitfalls


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Mike I am pretty sure that unless you want to charge 4 at the same TIME you can get something cheaper. It will charge one at once but you change the battery spec on teh digital screen. Mine will do as you have described plus, discharge, and balance charge lith. This looks to have the same control system as mine http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Digital-i...d_Vision_Battery_Chargers&hash=item5199c7a00f it has croc clis leads as well as the common connection. I have two of these with the same software and display. One was £15 from honkkong and one was £50 which has more umph but same software. The model shop said it would even trickle charge the car!?
 
Makes DCC look simple.!
 
I think I would need a degree course to utilise that!
It is a far, far cry from the D cell battery charger that my father built in 1947 from a wiring diagram in Practical Radio even before transistors were invented.
 
I use a Swallow EQ for all my charging needs - car, battery lights, trains, tools - plugged into the appropriate socketting or connecting system; and to be quite frank it is brilliant. I can even use it through power tool charging "packs" of the cheap variety which don't feature auto shut off.

Charging my Ffion takes about 3 hours from flat at a charge rate of 0.3A (4.6 V 2100 mAH NiMH) while the power drill takes about an hour and a half at 1A (18 V 1600 mAH NiCd); and you can charge at up to 6A if you want. It'll do all chemistries with an included balance system; it discharges and trickle charges if you want it to. Input is 100 to 240v AC or 12v DC and it charges at voltages from 1.2 to about 30 V (not quite sure of the exact figure as I never go that high and am at work). Although you have to tell it what chemistry it is dealing with and what current to charge at, it then checks circuits and selects the appropriate charging voltage itself; and of course it tells you how much charge is going in and switches itself off.

I'll agree that it was a bit expensive (about $A 110, say 75 quid), that having to make up my own leads was a bit of a pain (although I think you can buy them if you shop around, at least in Aust) and that it did take a while to get comfortable with using it (the instructions are Chinglish but include flow charts so they're not too bad) but now I would not swap it for any other charging system. I've been able to permanently pack away a plethora of other chargers.

Summary - I can't speak for the brand you are looking at but my experience certainly suggests that as a system they are worth it.

Steve

(edited to prove that I actually can use the English language - the previous version suggested otherwise)
 
KeithT said:
I think I would need a degree course to utilise that!
Click to expand...
I will second that. Have a look at the manual before you buy.

Had the same idea as you and tried one similar recently. Took it back to the shop next day and got a refund. Manual was hopelessly complicated and uninteligable to an electronics numpty like me with all sorts of "flow" diagrams. You have to program them with the battery type and total power rating + other stuff each time you charge a battery. Even tried to find a tutorial on the interwebs to help at the shop's suggestion. No luck, just posts saying how hopelessly complicated they (the one I bought !) are.

Somewhat over the top bit of kit (IMHO) for most garden rail applications, unless you are seriously getting into LiPo. Stick with something simple/lot cheaper from Maplins/Argos/etc'.
Max.
 
Thanks for the input lads.

I have gone ahead with the purchase of the quad charger which at £89 is great value for 4 chargers in one. I can now bundle up all the different chargers that I use...and yes there are times (like before open days etc) when I have them all going to charge up a total of of about 15 sound back-up batteries of different types. The lead acid cells do need a long time to charge so they tie up one charger for too long.

Also I will be batteryfying three or four diesels and one steamer (with the motorised combine in tow or pushing) for winter running so this charger will enable me to keep nearly all of the locos big batteries pumped up in one hit.
 
Have you checked to see if the quad charger can charge multiple different chemistries at the same time?
I know of other quad chargers that can charge 4 different packs at the same time, as long as they are the same chemistry.
 
Yes this one and the others I was considering, do different chemistries at the same time ...and it comes with an easy to understand manual......so even a numpty like me will be able to cope :bigsmile:
 
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