Every day more and more people make the jump into the wonderful world of hobby grade rc’s. Most of these people end up walking out the hobby shop door with a RTR and low-end Ni-MH battery. New people to the hobby don’t really need some high-zoot uber charger, they need a charger that is easy to use with enough power to get the job done. Today we are taking a closer look at such a charger, the Radient Origin. Is the Origin easy for a noob to use? Can it stand up to the day-to-day beating of a basher? Most importantly, is it worth the cash? Read on and find out…

From: Radient
Direct Link: Origin Battery Charger

Review By: Cubby
Pics By: Cubby

Specs-

AC Input: 100-240v
DC Input: 12-15v
Battery Type: Ni-MH and NiCd
Max charge rate: 4 amps
Charge rates: 1, 2, 3, or 4 amps
Maximum cell count: 8 cells
Interal Power Supply: 35 watts
Connectors: Tamiya, mini/micro adapter
Dimensions: 150x70x40mm
Weight: 300 grams
Street Price: $35

Primary Competition: Duratrax Onyx 100 and Dynamite Prophet Plus II

What’s In The Box: The Charger, mini-micro adapter, and instruction manual.

Build Quality: The case is constructed entirely out of plastic but had a decent feel to it.

Testers: Cubby, Brian, Iron Mike

Set-up Notes: As we didn’t have any packs laying around with Tamiya connectors still on them, we ended up using a Tamiya to Traxxas adapter. While the Origin can be run off AC power we elected to power it DC style off a TrakPower DPS 25 amp power supply.

Ease of Use: Exceptionally easy. None of our testers had to refer to the manual to perform a successful charge, however, if you are truly a noob I would highly recommend reading the instructions from front to back. The Origin has one light on the front and just one button. The instructions in brief are printed right by the button. Press once for a 1 amp charge, again for a 2 amp, etc. To start the charge simply hold the button down. The light is red while charging, green when finished, thus making it very easy to use.

Power: 4 amps is the maximum charge rate of the Origin. That might not sound like much at all, but when used in context that is a decent charge rate. For example, the only Ni-MH batteries we had laying around the office were some RTR batteries from ECX. These were 1800 mah 6 cell Ni-MH packs. A 2 amp charge rate was just above a 1C rate, giving us slightly under 1 hour charge times. Had we elected to turn up the charge rate to 4 amps that would have resulted in charge times of less than 30 minutes (just above 2C). I would not recommend you charging RTR Ni-MH packs faster than 1C, but the moral of the story is that Origin has more than enough power for most low-end RTR batteries.

Broken Parts/Issues: We put Iron Mike in charge of beating on the Origin and he did a great job. He dropped it from the drivers stand, stood on top of it (Mike weighs around 180 lbs) and would throw it at us when we least expected it, giving us no chance to actually catch it before it crashed to the ground. The Origin still lives today, working just fine. It looks much rougher around the edges, but proved quite durable for us.

Perhaps the biggest thing that kills chargers is time/heat. We have used the Origin for roughly 50 charges thus far with no issues.

Misc Notes:

The instruction manual was easy to understand and well written with the noob in mind.

The Origin has two foam strips on its top. The manual states this area can be used as a “storage tray” when the charger is not in use. We used it as rather handy parts tray all the time.

The Origin is quite small, which we REALLY like. It fits easy in a toolbox and takes up very little space on your table or tailgate.

Downsides:

We would like to have seen more options for connectors included in the box. Yes, the stock Tamiya connector is the best choice for this particular application, but having more choices in the box would be even better.

SUMMARY

Time To Bash: C If you are using Tamiya connectors you are dialed, if not get ready to do some soldering or to buy an adapter.

Car Show Rating: C Clean but very basic look.

Bash-A-Bility: A We went above and beyond to destroy the Origin and it still works fine today.

Power: C More than enough power to quickly charge low-end Ni-MH batteries, but the exact same power as its direct competition.

Value: B The Origin is a few bucks more than the Duratrax, a few bucks less than the Dynamite, and all have similar specs. It earns a B here because of its form factor and storage tray, offering a little bit more for the money.

Big Squid Rating: B- If you are looking for a reliable and simple to use Ni-MH charger the Radient Origin is a solid choice.

Hello BSRC!

Got a Helion Dominus 10TR question? Picked mine up at Hobbytown and the tech guy said a slipper clutch would be good idea. So got home out slipper clutch in and have a binding noise coming from the diff area ever since.Took it back to hobbytown they took it apart and couldnt find problem..The slipper install was a nightmare in general…but i love the thing it jumps like a beast….But i cant run it with that noise drives me nuts…….HELP PLEASE!

Chris R.

Cubby- Hey ya Chris and thanks for the question via our Facebook page. Hit Brian up for some free stickers, tell him I sent ya and to too hook ya up.

This is one of those problems that is quick to track down in person, but difficult to do via the Internet. But if I had your truggy in my hand right now…

Here are my upfront guesses for where your noise is coming from- 1. from your new slipper/spur rubbing on something, 2. motor pinion/spur mesh (a slightly chewed up spur), or 3. you have a diff going bad.

First step is simply listening, listening to see if you can hear the actual area the noise is coming from. Sometimes this can be deceiving, but take the body off, put your truggy on a work-stand with the wheels off the table, then lightly hit the throttle and take a close listen. Hopefully this will give you a specific area that the noise is coming from, if you still can’t tell where it’s coming from…

Because this noise started after your slipper install I’d take a close look at the slipper/spur and see if it is rubbing anywhere. Look for scuff marks on the slipper itself. Also, look for small bumps or excessive wear on the teeth of the spur where it mates with the motor pinion. You would be amazed how much noise a slightly chewed up spur gear can make. A small bit of dirt (or small chunk of plastic) in the teeth of the spur can make one heck of a racket as well.

If you don’t see any scuff marks on the slipper and the spur looks good I would then loosen up the motor pinion/truck spur gear mesh, make sure the two gears are no longer touching. Lightly hit the throttle again and listen. Most likely you’ll hear no noise, as just the motor and pinion are spinning. Hear no noise from just the motor? Then we go to the next step->

Next, spin the spur with your finger and listen. Btw- the spur should spin quite freely without resistance. Is the sound still there? If it is- it might be the rear diff (or ring/pinion bevel gear inside the diff case). If you spin the spur and there is no noise, then the noise is being made when the motor pinion and spur gear are mated together.

If you are still hearing the noise when spinning the spur I would remove the rear driveshafts from the rear differential out-drives. I would then spin the spur again and see if the noise is still there. If the noise is, then you’ve narrowed it down to something inside the diff case. If the sound is gone, then it has to do with the wheels or driveshafts.

I could go on with the process here, but really it is a matter of taking some time and doing a process of elimination. This is a hobby, by owning a truck you are volunteering a certain amount of time to taking care of it. Tracking down a mystery noise is just part of the “fun” of getting to know your truck better and making sure it is in tip-top working condition. Good luck and be sure to shoot us an email telling us what it turned out to be.

I liked the review of the passport duo charger… I have a couple questions… After reading the article (which was nicely done) I wanted to ask you… can you charge any lipo 2cell battery at the 10.0 amp charge rate… if so, what benefits are there to charging at the factory default rate of 2.0. Also, I see you mentioned that charging at the balanced setting could take forever… I was told to always charge at balanced…. are you saying that you only charge at balanced to get the 2 cells back inline and while at the track you use fast charge all the time?

I purchased this charger off your review of it (thanks for the help) I was going to purchase the new Trax power charger with the matching power supply that plugs into it.. I choose this because it was one unit and Big Squid gave a very positive review. I just want to make sure i understand this a little better because i am newer to the sport and wanted to make sure I could charge at a faster rate.

Please let me know if you understand the questions i am asking…

Thank you again and I’m a big fan of Big Squid!!!

Paul P.

Cubby- What’s up Pauly, and thanks for the email. Shoot Brian your snail mail for to get your new T-shirt! Yes! I proclaim yours as “letter of the month”.

To get right down to business here…

Can you charge any 2S Lipo at a 10 amp charge rate? Absolutely not. 2S (7.4v) Lipo batteries come in many different capacities, ie- 1200 mah, 5000 mah, 5400 mah, etc. The capacity of the Lipo, along with its cell design, are used to determine its charge rate. With hobby grade rc Lipo batteries, a relative “safe” charge rate is 1C (just over a 1 hour charge time)- equating to a 1.2 amp charge rate for a 1200 mah pack, a 5 amp rate for a 5000 mah, and a 5.4 amp rate for a 5400. In the last few years the cell designers have changed the internals to be more friendly (read- tolerant) to higher charge rates, today we see Lipo’s with “recommended” charge rates as high as 10C (just over a 6 minute charge time). A 10C charge rate would be 12 amps for a 1200 mah pack, 50 amps for a 5000 mah pack, and 54 amps for a 5400.

At what amp rate should you charge your Lipo? This is typically listed on the pack itself. If you don’t see it printed on the battery hit up the manufactures website, and if you can’t find it there, give them a call. It is important to charge a Lipo battery at the correct rate, don’t charge a pack without knowing it.

Btw, to properly charge a Lipo pack requires two correct settings- 1. the cell count, such as 2S (7.4v) or 3S (11.1), in addition to 2. the amp rate.

Should you balance charge every time? That depends. For example- we have packs around the office that have nearly identical voltage for each individual cell even after dozens of cycles. There is no need to balance a pack that isn’t out of balance.

On the flip side- we’ve got a few packs around here that tend to go out of balance. When we charge those packs we balance them every time. Here’s why- if you quick charge an unbalanced pack one cell will be overcharged (a potentially dangerous condition) while the other cell will be undercharged.

About the Passport balancing slowly- if a pack is minimally out of balance (lets say .02 volt difference between cells) it won’t take that much longer than a “quick” charge, but if it is significantly out of balance (greater than .05) it can take a while. The Passport very slowly discharges the cell (or cells) with higher voltage down to the voltage of the lowest cell to balance them.

Do we fast charge at the track all the time? Yes and no. Yes- if it’s a pack that is nearly balanced and tends to stay that way. And no- if the cells in a pack are significantly out of balance, then we do take the extra time to balance charge.

Should you always balance charge? Sure, if you have the time and/or your batteries need it. But… if you want to save time and your cells stay well balanced, then go for the quick charge.

How much of a difference in cell voltage should necessitate balance charging? Different people will give you different answers on this one, but I balance charge when the difference is .03 volt or more. For instance… if you have a 2S Lipo pack and one cell reads 3.50 volts and the other reads 3.53 volts I would recommend a balance charge. If you have a 3S Lipo and the first cell reads 3.50, the second 3.51, and the third 3.49, I would go with a quick charge if you are looking to save some time.

YOUR Cub Reporter

The guys designing battery chargers now days aren’t just putting out the same old cookie cutter designs that they used to. A good example of this is the new Dynamite Passport UltraLite 50 Watt AC/DC charger. The UltraLite not only has a unique look, but is loaded to the hilt with features. Is it a battery charger worth putting in your garage? Let’s find out…

From: Dynamite RC
Direct Link: Passport UltraLite 50 Watt ChargerPassport UltraLite 50 Watt Charger

Review By: Cubby
Pics By: Cubby

Street Price: $95

Specs:

Heat Sensor: Available but not included ($10)
Connector: EC3
USB Charge port: Yes
Internal Power Supply: Yes
Max Charge Rate: 6 amps
Max Cell Count: 6S Lipo, 15 cell Ni-MH,
Cell Chemistries Supported: Li-Ion/LiPo/LiFe/NiCd/NiMH/Pb
Model Memory: Yes, 10
Discharge Mode: Yes, 2 amps max
Battery storage mode: Yes
Balance Charger: Yes
Balance Plug: JST-XH
AC/DC: Both, DC cable not included ($7)
Cooling fan: Yes
Length: 155mm
Width: 105mm
Height: 67.5mm
Part #: DYN4103
Warranty: 1 year limited

What’s In The Box: Charger, manual, warranty information, balance board and wiring, AC power cord, output wires with EC3 connector

Build Quality: The chargers case is constructed primarily out of plastic. Charger looked well put together, display was easy to read.

Test Users: Cubby, Brian, Tim, Iron Mike

Set-up Notes: We used the Passport UltraLite only off AC power, and the stock EC3 was ditched for a Traxxas connector. A variety of packs were charged- from small 18th scale packs, to 2S 5400 mah Lipo’s, to a 4S 6500.

Ease of Use: The UltraLite has mulitple functions, all of which can be used without consultation to the manual. The display was exceptionally easy to read, but the tiny, hard to press buttons took some getting used to.

Power: The Dynamite UltraLite packs a decent punch from its small form factor. A 6 amp rate on 2S is enough to charge most Lipo packs in a reasonable amount of time.

On track: We didn’t do a bunch of lab testing on the quality of charge for this review, but on track the packs we charged with the UltraLite were solid in power output.

Broken Parts/Issues: Because of the design of the UltraLite, it fell off various pit tables roughly a dozen times, but it still works without issue today.

Misc Notes:

The LED lights on the sides of the UltraLite are a neat touch that come in handy.

Love the display, easy to read on sunny days, easy to read in the pitch black. The included stand props the charger up at a nice angle for optimal reading of the display.

The UltraLite tends to fall over, a lot. This is caused by two things- 1. the AC power cable coming out the top, and 2. the stand that props the charger up is too narrow. These two factors result in a top heavy design with not enough support, thus resulting in a charger that is seemingly always on its side. If the UltraLite had the AC cable coming out the bottom, and the base of the support stand was wider, I don’t think it would tip over nearly as much, if at all.

The tipping issue won’t be a problem if you elect to hang it from a hook or lay it flat on its back.

The charge cord looks a bit short but was long enough for all of our applications.

I personally liked the looks of the UltraLite, but then I’m a big fan of things that look high tech and different.

We liked the small size of the UltraLite, it takes up very little space in your pit box.

I’m told the case material is an industrial resin used to make car bumpers and football helmets, sounds like tough stuff for us basher types.

I have seen Iron Mike do plenty of stupid things, but one really sticks out to me. About a year ago I witnessed Iron Mike pull the wires out of a battery charger while the battery was still attached to the wires via its Traxxas connector. What happened next was all sorts of ugly- the bare bullet connectors at the charger end of the wires touched, sparked, welded together, then the Lipo went into full blown thermal runaway. This can’t happen with the UltraLite as the bullet connectors that go into the charger are insulated.

We used the UltraLites USB charge port all the time on our smart phones. However, it also comes out of the top which doesn’t help the top heavy situation.

Charging a Lipo in fast charge mode results in a quality quick charge without wasting any time. After a fast charge our packs felt snappy on track.

Summary:

Time To Bash – 8/10 - The menu is easy to learn, just plug in the AC power and you are ready to charge.

Car Show Rating – 8/10 - The UltraLite had a love/hate response around the office, staffers either loved it or didn’t care for it at all. It can certainly be said that the UltraLite has a unique look that turned heads when sitting on the pit table.

Bash-A-Bility – 10/10 - The Passport UltraLite took more than its fair share of falls off the pit table without issue.

Power – 7/10 - The UltraLite has enough power for the typical 2S 5000 mah Lipo that most drivers use, but if you primarily use higher cell counts or want to charge at faster than a 1C rate you’ll want to look for a more powerful charger.

Value – 8/10 - The Passport Ultralite is perhaps the most feature packed charger on the market for under a hundred bucks.

BigSquid Rating – 8.2/10 - Tentacles. The Dynamite Passport UltraLite gives solid battery charges and is packed full of features. Unfortunately it tended to tip over while sitting on the pit table, this detracts from its appeal, but if you elect to use it flat on its back or handheld like a multimeter that won’t be an issue.

We get a lot of emails asking about chargers. We normally tell people to check our our Charger Shootout to at least get them started for some ideas on what to look for in a new charger. Some people are on a serious budget, or are just new to the hobby and want to keep the costs low while keeping it simple, and that’s where the new Duratrax Onyx 150 comes in. Is this the ultimate entry level lipo charger? Keep reading…

From: Dynamite RC
Direct Link: Duratrax Onyx 150 Charger

Review By: Brian

Specs- –
AC Input: 110V 60Hz, 50W
DC Input: 11-15V, 50W
Battery Type: 1-3 LiPo cells only (3.7-11.1V)
Battery Capacity Range: 100-7500mAh
Fast Charge Current: 1.5A, 3.0A, and 5.0A
Fast Charge Termination: cc/cv (based on 3.7V cell)
Output Connections: Includes a Deans Ultra Plug male connector, Traxxas adapter and universal radio jack Input Connections: Attached AC lead and detachable DC lead with alligator clips
Balancing Connector: Duratrax 3S with 2S adapter
Protective Devices: 90 minute safety timer, cooling fan, reverse polarity, and current overload circuitry
Dimensions: 5.3 x 5.0 x 1.9″ (133 x 127 x 48mm)
Weight: 12.6oz (356g)
Street Price: $54

Primary Competition: Radient Ascent, Dynamite

What’s In The Box: The Charger, 2S Balancing Adapter, Deans to Traxxas Connector, Alligator Clips for DC Charging.

Build Quality: Very good. The box feels sturdy, and durable.

Test Drivers: Brian, Wrench

Set-up Notes: The fact that it comes ready for both Deans and Traxxas is a nice touch. Normally we are cutting off and soldering ends on to get the charger set up the way we want. This one needed nothing.

Ease of Use: Normally we try to test and operate these things without looking at the manual at all, just to see if we can figure it out. I have to admit, we cheated on this one. Not because it was complicated, or we couldn’t figure out what to do, but because it’s so simple, I wanted to make sure we didn’t over think it. There is no screen, not much in the data department, just a LED and a switch to change the charge rate. You literally plug the charger into the wall, pick a charge rate, and plug in the battery. It just go’s. There is no start button, no stop button. When the battery is charged, the red LED flashes and it beeps for 10 seconds. It really does not get any simpler.

Power: Maximum charge rate is 5A. It’s not going to set any speed charge records, but it’s enough to charge 2s and 3s lipos, and that’s about all anybody new to the hobby really needs.

Broken Parts/Issues: None. This thing has been carried around, shoved into pit boxes, dropped off pit tables, and we are still running with no problems.

Quality Of Balance:
Cubby has been hogging the West Mountain CBA for a project he’s working on, but we were able to test that the charges does a good job of balancing the packs. We took all sorts of packs that we have been beating up around the office that were pretty out of balance, and each time we’d check the pack after a charge, the batteries were always balanced spot on. The manual points out that it is VERY IMPORTANT to plug the battery into the balancing port when charging, and we can assure you it’s working.

Misc Notes:
The fan is nice and quiet, and the simplicity of the charger is a nice change. There’s no setting to really worry about, just plug in and wait. Charge times were average compared to other chargers, nothing stuck out as an issue. It’s a little weird not having a ‘start’ button, but you will get used to this after a few uses.
We didn’t run into any issues that needed it, but knowing the 90 minute safety shut off was there just in case was good.

The charger comes with a 5 year warranty, which is a long time for a charger.

Having all the connectors we needed in the box, including the alligator clips for DC charging really makes this a great starter charger, or even one for experienced hobbyists looking for something simple they can toss in their tool boxes when they hit the road.

The manual is well written, easy to understand, and contains all the information you need to know in just a couple of pages.

Downsides:
The only downside is the lack of any type of data screen. It would be nice to look over at the charger and see how many milliamps it’s charged, or get an idea of how much longer it’s going to be till it’s finished. Not a huge deal, and again, this charger is all about keeping it simple.

As with all of our stuff, if you see us at a bash, stop by and check out the vehicles we have with us. We may let you take a test drive, and at the very least get you some stickers!

SUMMARY

Time To Bash – 9.5/10 – It’s ready to go out of the box, and had everything we could possible need to get going.

Car Show Rating – 8.0/10 – It’s not a head turner in the looks department, but it’s good enough for what it’s meant to be

Bash-A-Bility – 10/10 – There isn’t much that could break on the charger. It’s taken it’s fair share of abuse, with no problems.

Power – 7.5/10 – With a max charge rate of 5A, it’s not the most powerful charger you can buy, but it does not really need to be.

Value- 9.0/10 – At $54 it’s tough to beat. It’s durable, and comes with everything you need.

Big Squid Rating – 8.8/10 - Tentacles..The Onyx 150 is a great entry level charger. If you are looking to make the jump to LiPo, or if you are just looking for something cheap and reliable for your pit bag, the Onyx 150 is a good choice.

At BigSquidRC we are all about going balls out with everything we do, and that even extends to charging batteries. We hate waiting for batteries to charge, so we charge at the fastest safe rate that we can. Certain members of our staff also hate lugging around a separate power supply and only use AC chargers. Horizon Hobby has a new uber charger out, the Dynamite Passport Ultra Duo that is made for people like us. The Passport Ultra Duo is a dual port charger than can put out up to 10 amps x 2, even when plugged into a normal AC power outlet. Is the new Passport Ultra Duo one of the most elite chargers on the market, or does it fall short? Read on…

From: Dynamite RC
Direct Link: Passport Ultra Duo

Review By: Cubby
Pics By: Cubby

Specs- –
Heat Sensor: Can be used but not included
Connectors: EC3
USB Charge port: Yes
Internal Power Supply: 500 watts
Max Charge Rate: Up to 10 amps on each port
Max Cell Count: Up to 6S Lithium, 15 cell Ni-MH
Cell Chemistries Supported: NiCd, NiMH, LiPo, LiFe, and Pb
Model Memory: Yes
Discharge Mode: 25 watts per port (up to 5 amps)
Balance Current Drain: 300mA per cell
Battery storage mode: Yes
Balance Charger: Yes
Balance Plug: JST-XH
AC/DC: AC and DC, DC cords not included
Warranty: 1 year limited
Street Price: $270

Primary Competition: Good question, there aren’t that many high output dual AC chargers out there. There are several other high output DC only dual chargers out there, but not AC.

What’s In The Box: Charger, AC cord, balance boards, battery wires with EC3 connectors, and instructions. What is not included is temp probes and DC wires.

Build Quality: Everything looked solid and nicely done.

Test Drivers: Cubby, Brian, Tim, Iron Mike

Set-up Notes: The only mod we did was to ditch the stock EC3 connectors and solder up Traxxas Connectors. We did this mainly because all of our test packs are already shod with Traxxas. Otherwise, we charged a variety of packs from small 18th scale 1200 mah packs to 4S 6500 mah Lipo’s.

Ease of Use: I did not have to refer to the owners manual during our test period, but Iron Mike did go through the manual for a couple of questions he had. We had a noob at the track charge his pack with the Passport and he had no problems charging his pack. The menu’s do take a few minutes to get used to, but once you get the feel of it the Passport is easy to operate.

Power: 10 amps per side on an AC charger is a TON of power.

On track: We went back to back with packs charged off the Dynamite with two other different brands of chargers. The packs that came off the Dynamite felt as strong, if not stronger, than the packs that came off our reference chargers when driven on track.

Broken Parts/Issues: None. We dropped the Passport Ultra Duo off our pit table three times without any issues. Also, we charged over a dozen packs at the Passports maximum charge rate (on both ports at the same time) with no issues.

Quality Of Charge:

Here is a new category for our battery charger reviews- we actually test the Quality of the charge.

What benefits can you see from a better quality charge? Two things- longer run-times and higher voltage. Years ago it was a big deal to buy a charger that was said to give a better charge than another brand. With the advent of Lipo batteries it seems like everyone has forgotten that yes it is still possible for one charger to do a better job of charging than another. We’ve seen it first hand- we’ve seen chargers that simply would not fully charge a Lipo, and we’ve seen chargers that said 8.40 volts on their screen, but when tested with a separate multi-meter it was a significantly lower voltage. The only way to find out if a charger is truly giving you a good charge is to test it first hand, and that’s what we did with the Dynamite.

We did four discharges to determine the quality of charge, runs 1 and 3 after using the Hyperion to charge with, runs 2 and 4 using the Dynamite for the charge.
Here is how we conducted the tests-

1. At the start of the day we fully charged a 2S 5000 mah Lipo battery. We used a Pro-Match for this test that had slightly over 50 cycles on it.
2. Immediately after the pack was fully charged, we discharged the pack at 30 amps to 3 volts per cell on our West Mountain CBA. This was a sort of warm up and we did not keep the graph of the discharge on this run.
3. After the pack returned to ambient temp (72 F in this case) I immediately charged the battery on a Hyperion 720iNet3 at a 2C (10 amp) charge rate.
4. Immediately after the pack was fully charged it was then discharged at 30 amps to 3 volts per cell on our West Mountain CBA and we saved the graph. This was the first “run” saved for comparison purposes.
5. The pack was allowed to cool to room temp then immediately charged with the Dynamite Passport Ultra Duo at 2C (10 amps).
6. Immediately after the pack was fully charged it was once again discharged on the West Mountain at 30 amps making the second “run” for comparison purposes.
7. Once the pack had reached ambient temp it was immediately charged on the Hyperion then discharged for a third “run”.
8. We did one final cycle using the Dynamite for the charge.

We used 2C charge rates because that’s what we use in the field. We chose a 30 amp discharge at it represented a 6C (10 minute) discharge, roughly the type of run-time we’d expect to get out in the field. All charging was done in “fast charge” mode without balance charging, just like we would do in the field. All 5 charges and discharges were conducted on the same day in the most consistent manner possible.

Run #1 was charged by the Hyperion and resulted in a tested capacity of 4803 mah, with a 9 minute 38 second discharge. Run #3 charged by the Hyperion resulted in a tested capacity of 4821 mah and a 9 minute 40 second discharge.

Run #2 was charged by the Dynamite and resulted in a tested capacity of 4879 mah with a 9 minute 49 second runtime. Run #4 charged by the Dynamite resulted in a tested capacity of 4853 mah and a 9 minute 44 second run-time.

How long did it take the two different chargers to fully charge our Pro-Match 2S 5000? Average charging time for the Hyperion at 2C on the Pro-Match 2S 5000 Lipo was 38 minutes 12 seconds. Average charging time for the Dynamite at 2C on the Pro-Match 2S 5000 Lipo was 35 minutes 38 seconds.

To boil it down, this could not be considered a “scientific” trial by any means, a measly 4 discharges are not nearly enough to declare something as fact. But… from the small amount of testing we did, it would appear that the Dynamite give slightly longer run-times, and after closely looking at the graphs, slightly higher voltage as well. The differences are very small, perhaps too small to ever be felt on track, but our data shows they existed during our limited testing.

The Dynamite spent less time charging (about 3 minutes less per charge) than the Hyperion did. 3 minutes saved may not seem like a big deal, but if you are racing multiple classes those 3 minutes can be the difference between making the line with a fully charged pack or not.

Considering the Hyperion is often times referred to as the “best of the best” in battery chargers, I’d say the Dynamite tested very well based on the limited data we collected. At the very least, IMO from both bench testing and from on-track driving of packs charged on the Dynamite, I’d definitely say the Passport gives a very high quality charge.

Misc Notes:

We were handed our review Passport at the iHobby Expo in Cleveland. Over the course of the show we left the Passport out in our booth for display purposes. I have worked a lot of rc trade shows and I’ve never seen a battery charger garner so much attention. People would walk right past uber show cars to come over and look at the Passport. It’s a behemoth, it’s trick looking, and at iHobby it was a “show stopper”.

The display is easy to read and puts up all the pertinent information you need.

We found the fast charge mode to be very fast. However, if you choose to fully balance your packs using the “balance mode” a charge can take forever. The Passport uses a very light discharge to even out the cells during balance charging and that process can take hours, even on packs that aren’t far out of balance.

The Passport Ultra Duo has a large footprint and some weight to it, it feels like you got your moneys worth, and it makes a statement on your pit table.

The fan is fairly quiet, that’s a big plus to us.

The USB charge port for your cell phone is AWESOME, this should be standard on every charger made.

The alarm tones are also fairly quiet, which is a good thing in a crowded indoor pit room. We all know “that one guy” with the horrifically loud battery charger that is seemingly never attended and goes off forever. You won’t be “that” guy in the pits with the Passport. However, if you are in the next room, or the ambient noise level is high, you may not hear that your charge has ended.

Downsides:

I know the Passport didn’t come with DC cables to keep its price point down, but without including them people will end up rigging cables to run the charger off of a 12 volt car battery when the AC power isn’t on at the track. I predict sparks will be a fly’n. LOL

A set of wires with simple alligator clips would have been nice to charge with. Not that many people use the EC3′s that the Passport comes with and alligator clips can be used on nearly every type of connector out there.

As with all of our stuff, if you see us at a bash, stop by and check out the vehicles we have with us. We may let you take a test drive, and at the very least get you some stickers!

SUMMARY

Time To Bash – 8.0/10 – Easy to understand menu’s and AC make it fast to get going. Only coming with EC3 connectors can slow things down.

Car Show Rating – 8.5/10 – It’s does not have a lot of bling factor- there is no gold plating or chrome going on here. However, what it lacks in bling it makes up for in man factor- it looks like a tank on your pit table.

Bash-A-Bility – 10/10 – Yes we tortured our test unit and it is working as well today as when we pulled it out of the box.

Power – 9.5/10 – The Passport Ultra Duo does a 10 amp charge on both ports, all the while not requiring the use of an external DC power supply. That is a lot of power.

Value- 8.0/10 – At $270 the Dynamite is not cheap, in fact it’s one of the most expensive chargers you can buy. But… we feel you get a lot for your money on this one, thus making it a good value. If you were to add up the prices of two high end 10 amp chargers plus a power supply big enough to run them you would really start to see the value of the Passport Ultra Duo.

Big Squid Rating – 8.8/10 - Tentacles..The Dynamite Passport Ultra Duo is a bad-ass dual AC/DC charger, hands down the best in its category ever produced.

There are very few things that actually cause us to drool instantly, but this new combo from TrakPower triggered our inner Pavlov’s dog. On top is the new Trakpower VR-1 dual racing charger, and on the bottom is the Trakpower DPS 12v 25A power supply. Could this be the charger to finally make us give up our beloved ICE chargers?
The VR-1 charger boasts dual outputs with built-in balancing, tiltable backlit screen, and 40 model memory! The DPS Power Supply lets the VR-1 dock directly on top, has multiple outputs for up to 3 devices, and it looks like both even a USB ports for charging things like your phone.

Adding this one to our must buy list.

Need more TrakPower news from Big Squid RC? Hit the link

Hitec has just announced the X2-400 Two-Port Multicharger. This charger has two identical, and independent 400 watt chargers that can charge up to 20 amps, and discharge at 0.1 to 5 amps. It can handle just about every battery type including 1-6S LiPo, Life, Li-Ion, and 1-15 cell NiCd/NiMH and even 2-20v lead acid packs. Look for these to be hitting the shelves soon for about $190

Make sure to hit the Hitec web site for more info.

New from Hitec is the X4-Eighty – Four Port Multicharger. The charger features four identical independent 80-watt power outputs. Each port is capable of charging all sorts of packs at up to 6 amps. So if you are looking to do LiPo or NiMH, and you need to charge a bunch of packs, this is the way to go.
Each output has a balancing port, the system has a twin fan cooling system, and is intended to be easy to use and program. Look for it to be available soon for around $170.

Make sure to hit the Hitec web site for more info.

Check out the Xtreme Racing website to see the full range available.

THE Radient Primal Charger Review

Have you just bought a RTR that comes with a ridiculously slow wall charger? Want to measure charge times in minutes instead of with a sun dial? Rejoice, as Radient RC has a nifty upgrade charger called the Primal. Today we’ll be taking a look at Radients affordable new Primal charger. How well does it work? Let’s take it for a spin and see…

From: Radient RC
Direct Link: Primal Surface Charger

Review By: Cubby
Pics By: Cubby

Street Price: $40

Specs-

Heat Sensor: No
Connector: Tamiya, Mini/Micro plug
Weight: 350 grams
Max Charge Rate: 4 amps on 2S Lipo, 3 amps on 3S
Max Cell Count: 3S Lipo, 8 Cell Ni-Mh
Cell Chemistries Supported: LiPo, NiMH, NiCd
Model Memory: No
Discharge Mode: No
Balance Charger: Yes
Balance Plug: JST-XH (2 and 3S)
AC/DC: AC Only
Warranty: 90 Days Limited

Primary Competition: Duratrax Onyx Series, Dynamite RC, multiple others

What’s In The Box: Radient Primal battery charger, instruction booklet, Tamiya to mini/micro plug adapter

Build Quality: The Primal case is constructed entirely out of plastic and build quality looked fine.

Test Drivers: Cubby, Brian, Iron Mike, Hawaiian Chris

Set-up Notes: We ran it box stock, charging a variety of Ni-mh’s. For Lipo we tested the Primal on a Gens ACE 2S 7000.

Ease of Use: Exceptionally easy. I did not have to refer to the manual to use the Primal, although you should give it a read for safety’s sake. The controls on the Primal are smartly laid out and labeled very well. The Primal looks simple to use and it is.

Power: The maximum charge rate for a 2S Lipo pack is 4 amps (34 watts), and 3 amps on a 3S pack (38 watts). This isn’t a super powerful charger, but it is a lot more powerful than the wall chargers that come in most RTR’s. We saw charge times of around 2 hours on the 7000 mah 2S Lipo pack we tested the Primal with, you should expect charge times of just over an hour on a 2S 7.4v 4000 mah Lipo.

Broken Parts/Issues: None, everything worked perfectly. We never experienced any overheating or any other issues with the Primal.

Misc Notes:

The Radient chargers look like they can be stacked, and they can, but they don’t “lock” into each other.

You can wind up the AC power cord on the bottom of the Primal charger for storage, but the entire cord and wall connector won’t fit in the space provided.

As a safety feature the Primal will ONLY charge a Lipo that is being balance charged. This is a good thing for safety but can present a problem if the balance plug on the Lipo you are attempting to charge isn’t the same type as the balance port on the Primal. To reiterate, if the Lipo packs you own do not have JST-XH balance plugs you’ll have to use an adapter board to charge them on the Primal.

The stock connector is a Tamiya, which is a poor connector, but its probably the smartest choice considering the types of packs most people will be charging with the Primal. I immediately wanted to cut off the stock Tamiya, but resisted and soldered up an adapter instead.

The Primal is exceptionally small, a very easy fit into any pit box. I like small chargers that don’t waste a bunch of space in my pit box. Kudos to Radient.

The Radient lines of chargers are available only from your local HobbyTown USA’s.

As with all of our stuff, if you see us at a bash, stop by and check out the vehicles we have with us. We may let you take a test drive, and at the very least get you some stickers!

SUMMARY

Time To Bash – 9.5/10 -Virtually no set-up time, just plug it into the wall, plug in a battery and go! It took me less than 5 minutes to go from taking the Primal out of the box to charging its first battery.

Car Show Rating – 7.0/10 – The Primal looked clean but not flashy.

Bash-A-Bility – 10/10 -Nothing broke, it worked like a champ.

Fun Factor – 7.0/10 – This is a no frills charger, it gets the job done in a bare bones way.

Power- 7.0/10 -4 amps on a 2S Lipo pack is a LOT more powerful than an RTR wall charger, but not in the same league as more elite chargers.

Value- 8.0/10 – Let’s say the average wall charger takes 8 hours to charge your battery pack. Now lets say the Primal will do the same job in just over an hour. The time savings of the Primal is easily worth every penny of its $40 price point!

Big Squid Rating – 8.1/10 - Tentacles.. The Radient Primal is an exceptionally easy to use battery charger that got the job done for us time after time. If you are tired of waiting (wasting?) 4 hours (or more!) for your battery packs to charge, pop the $40 on the Primal, it’s well worth it.