Review and Pictures by Zac Wheatcroft
When I learned I’d have an opportunity to review the ProTek iCharger 1010B+, I was pretty excited. I have a couple of nice chargers right now from the early days of LiPo technology, and I’ve been curious to see what these “next generation” chargers have to offer. Being in the market for a new charger, here are the key things I’ve been looking for: flexibility, reliability, ease-of-use, and of course – a nice display that’s intuitive to navigate. I also really want built-in balancing. When I learned that the 1010B+ includes PC software and allows you to log battery data via USB, that really got my attention. I love charts and graphs, and couldn’t wait to try it out. The 1010B+’s internal software can also be updated via USB.
Here’s what’s included:
• Charger
• Balancing Port Connector & Cable
• Temperature Sensor
• Input Alligator Clips
• Output Alligator Clips
• CD-ROM with iCharger Logview software, PDF manual, etc…
• USB Cable*
• Rubber feet
*Requires special USB cable
RTFM
With gear getting better and better, it also seems to get more complicated. I always like to peruse the documentation with a new piece of gear, in order to get the best performance – and especially with electronics, safety – out of it. There’s nothing worse than being at the track, under a time crunch, and you don’t know how to change the mode or voltage or something on your charger!
The 1010B+ has got a *lot* of features, and there’s no way I was going to try to learn it all by browsing the unit’s various screens. I didn’t initially see the manual, and then thought that the manual might be included in PDF form (which it was) on the included installer CD, that contains the iCharger’s software. (With a quick search you can also easily find and download the manual from a number of websites. I actually prefer PDFs these days, as I load them on my iPhone, and have them all in one convenient place.)
The user’s guide is comprehensive, with good detail given on each function. I especially liked the Program Flow Chart, which is a map of all the different screens.
On the Bench…
The 1010B+ can charge an amazing array of battery types and configurations, and can also run motor lathes, tire truers, etc. Supported battery types include NiCD, NiMH, LiPo, Lilo, LiFe, and Pb.
Using it consisted of selecting the battery type, capacity, etc., connecting the battery, and charging! I charged/discharged or cycled the following batteries with no trouble at all:
• LiPo – 3200/2-cell – 1/10th scale car
• LiPo – 5000/2-cell – 1/10th scale car
• LiPo – 5200/2-cell – 1/10th scale car
• LiPo – 600/2-cell – 1/18th scale car
• NiMH – 4200/6-cell – 1/10th scale car
• NiMH – 3300/6-cell – 1/10th scale car
• NiMH – 2600/8-cell – Futaba Radio
• NiMH – 900/6-cell – RC plane
• NiMH – 1400/6-cell – 1/18th scale car
It turns out that while I did refer to the manual for some of the advanced features, the basics were pretty easy to figure out just using the 1010B+’s menu system, which has a nice, backlit display with adjustable brightness. With all the variety in the kinds of batteries you can charge, having 10 memory slots is very handy, so you can switch between pack types in a couple of seconds. I look forward to experimenting with charging and balancing multiple batteries simultaneously.
Also nice is that while the iCharger auto-detects the number of cells that you’re using, it prompts you with a “reality-check”, showing the number of cells it’s detected, versus the number of cells you’ve set manually. Safety features like this, the included temperature sensor, and input current overload protection make me feel better about leaving batteries charging unattended.
The 1010B+ includes standard alligator clips to connect to batteries. ProTek makes various adapters for different kinds of battery connectors, such as Dean’s, etc. I was using the optional “squid” connector, which includes Dean’s, Traxxas/Duratrax, Futaba, JR, and a couple of receiver pack connectors. This is one of those items that you ask yourself, “How did I ever get by without this?” It’s so nice to be able to charge a car pack, and then your radio, etc. – all without ever having to find and connect various adapters, this add-on is highly recommended.
Balancing Lithium batteries during charging is incredibly convenient, and if that weren’t enough, it’s also safer and gets the best performance out of them. The iCharger’s XH-style balancing plug fit all but one of my LiPos, for which I used an external inline balancer. Since the iCharger’s output uses banana plugs, it makes this option possible, and is not something I’ve ever been able to do with my current chargers. ProTek also makes optional balancing boards that will work with any battery on the market for about $5 – $10
I tried the included LogView software on Windows Vista, and found the install to be very smooth. Be sure to set the language in the install wizard to English, so you know what you’re doing at each step. After install, I was prompted about a new version being available, so I quickly downloaded and installed it, and then connected the iCharger.
LogView is originally written in German, and is localized in English. Be sure to set the language to English – it will make doing anything else at this point much easier! To do so, go to the File Menu > Sprachen > Englisch. While most of the app is localized, a few menu commands and buttons are still in German, but it’s not hard to find your way around. Once I picked the correct charger model from LogView’s input devices menu, the software recognized the unit immediately. I clicked the record button, and data began to flow in from the iCharger.
It’s really cool how you can customize what data is shown, and use various graph or table views to analyze it. A great feature is the ability to compare data curves from different recordings, so you can compare a pack’s performance over time.
This is the perfect system for all the netbooks that are popping up at the track lately!
Summary
So far I’m very impressed with the ProTek iCharger 1010B+. It’s a well-built, compact balancing charger with features galore – including some unique ones I’ve never seen on other chargers, such as the lithium battery expanding discharge and monitoring programs. This unit has amazing flexibility, and so far reliability has been spot-on.
Pros:
• Well-built
• Compact
• Lots of convenient and high-tech features
• Many input/output options
Cons:
• No printed manual included (however, PDF is printable and can be transferred to many mobile devices for easy access)
• No Mac version of Included LogView software
Where to Get It:
Street Price: $179.99
US Distributor: A-Main Hobbies
Web: www.amainhobbies.com
US Toll-Free: 1-800-705-2215
Local/International: +1-530-894-0797
