Double Take: Bantam e-Station BC8 Charger
Michael Ramsey
I'd like it very much if all of my RC components used the same battery chemistry. Then I would need only to remember one system of maintenance.
This hobby includes a vast array of battery technology, but luckily there is a charger that can handle all of them. Not only that, but it can also offer a great deal of data so that a conscious modeler can evaluate battery conditions and manage his or her ever-growing investment.
RC Accessory is the distributor of Bantam e-Station equipment. The BC8DP is a microprocessor-controlled, high-performance rapid charger/discharger for Ni-Cd, NiMH, lithium, and lead-acid batteries — that’s nearly every battery technology used in aeromodeling today.
Power and capacity
- AC input: internal AC-DC switching power supply provides 10 A capacity and a maximum output power of 120 W for charging.
- DC input: available circuit power increases to 180 W.
- Cell capacity: charges up to 22 cells of Ni-Cd/NiMH or up to eight series lithium batteries.
The BC8DP can handle a heavy load; it can work with large battery packs. Even if you don't currently have an eight-cell Li-Poly battery, you might someday—and this charger will be ready.
Smart features and safety
The BC8DP is smart. Its operating program contains mutual links that help prevent connection or operation errors. Multiple data viewpoints are available from the large LCD both while a program is executing and after the duty is completed. If the voltage varies abnormally, the process will be terminated with an error-message display.
Automatic functions are factory programmed, but individual users can vary certain criteria such as cutoffs and conditions within the displayed range of parameters. The unit allows the user to choose almost every parameter point of a charge, discharge, or cycle, but its base program includes limits to those variables so a user is less likely to accidentally damage a pack.
Monitoring, storage, and balancing
The BC8DP will monitor individual cell voltages of a lithium battery pack during charge or discharge and can put them in a “storage” state. Although storing batteries at a certain charge level can make them hold charge longer, leaving them improperly stored shortens their lives. Fast charging and discharging are also available.
This charger system includes a Li-Poly balance board (of the customer's choice), pigtails for output, and a custom balance connector. The well-built balance board snap-mounts into a hard-plastic case that protects the bare-solder side of the board.
Software and connectivity
Via the USB PC data link, software can be used to observe, analyze, and save battery data. When software updates are available, users can download them to the BC8DP via the USB port from a home computer and the Internet.
User convenience and security
An excellent feature is program favorites that can be stored in the unit. Every battery type has 10 spaces for the most often-connected batteries, so every feature of the charge program doesn't have to be keyed in each time the unit is powered down.
The charger also supports personal user settings that include a user name and password for security and several other points to customize the unit to almost any liking.
I tested every battery technology on the BC8DP except lead-acid. The BC8DP will cycle and discharge practically any kind of battery from the safety of a home battery bunker, which removes the risk of testing a pack in an aircraft.
Conclusion
The BC8DP is easy to use, and the instructions explain the vast number of details. This charger is a lot of fun to experiment with, which helps us learn more about the fastest-evolving and most popular form of technology in use today.
Michael Ramsey
Sources
- RC Accessory
- 3304 Foxridge Cir., Tampa, FL 33618
- (813) 765-0124
- www.rcaccessory.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
