Worth a Closer Look
TP820CD
Dual Port Charger
The new TP820CD is a dual-port,
multichemistry charger, discharger, cycler, and
balancer system with up to 800 watts of total
charging power. It is equipped with two ports
that function independently to charge,
discharge, and cycle a wide variety of 1S-8S
Li-Poly, Li-ion, and LiFe (A123) batteries, as
well as one- to 24-cell Ni-Cd and NiMH and
6- to 30-volt Pb (lead-acid) batteries.
The built-in 2S-8S Li-Poly/Li-ion/LiFe
(A123) cell balancers, one for each port, and
included balance connector adapter boards are
readily compatible with all Thunder Power
balance connectors and JST-XH balance
connectors found on many other batteries.
Each port is capable of charging at rates up
to 20 amps, even simultaneously, depending
on input power and charge settings, offering
the ability to charge many of the latestgeneration
Li-Poly batteries at ultrafast rates
up to 6C and beyond.
This means that the TP820CD is well
equipped to quickly charge batteries up to 8S
on each port, as well as “split” batteries
equipped with interconnect leads up to 16S by
using both ports simultaneously.
Since receiving the TP820CD, we have
installed one firmware update to the charger so
it is now running version 3.6. The updates are
free and can be downloaded from Thunder
Power’s website.
To install updates, you will need a standard
mini USB cable; one is not provided with the
charger. The process
is straight forward
and all the
instructions are
provided online.
The charger is
DC powered and
can be connected
to a power supply using the bullet
connectors or the can be plugged into the
supplied alligator clamps for easy connection
to a 12-volt battery.
Depending on the size of the batteries
being charged and the charge rate, the charger
can be power hungry and we were happy to
see you can set the input current from 10 to 40
amps.
The 48-character blue backlit LCD screen
is easy to read and helpful when navigating
through the menu choices.
Programming the charger is done using
the Enter, Mode, Port, and + and - buttons.
The Enter button allows for the selection of
options such as battery type and cell count. It
also starts and stops the charging and
discharging processes by pressing and
holding. Once you have “highlighted” the
setting you want to change, the + and -
buttons allow you to cycle through the values.
The Mode button provides access to
charge, discharge, cycle, and storage modes.
The Port button enables toggling between the
two ports and the current port selected is
indicated by a 1 or 2 on the top right of
the screen.
The TP820CD also features a storage
mode which is great for those of us who
cannot fly all year long. Thankfully we won’t
need to use that feature for a while yet.
The charger includes two charge leads
with bare wire to allow users to solder their
connector of choice. We decided to use two of
the Final Charge Cables from RC Accessory
because it allows us nine different connectors
on one cable so we could charge virtually any
battery we have.
We have been using the TP820CD
frequently and even put it in service to charge
all our Li-Poly batteries used for flight
training during NEFI (National Electric Fly-
In) without a single issue.
If an issue does arise, the charger is backed
by Thunder Power with a two-year warranty.
Thunder Power RC, 4720 W. University
Ave., Las Vegas NV 89103; Tel.: (702) 228-
8883; website: www.thunderpowerrc.com
16 MODEL AVIATION
Pictured is what
is included with
the charger.
08sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 6/23/11 12:39 PM Page 16
Osprey Publishing
Duel Series
Osprey’s Duel series provides accounts of
machines of war pitted against each other and the
combatants who operated them.
Number 35 in the series is F-105 Wild Weasel vs
SA-2 “Guideline” SAM. Author Peter Davies recounts
the dramatic contests between the newly outfitted F-
105s and the missile sites in Vietnam in a highly
illustrated account, drawing on first-hand pilot
experiences and technical manuals to present a full
history of the technologies and tactics of both sides.
Number 36 in the series is Spad VII vs Albatros D
III. Jon Guttman penned this one and has written
several titles for Osprey focusing on World War I.
In it he showcases two important aircraft that
carried aloft several famous aces and the divergent
design philosophies between them.
Each book in the series features color artwork,
actual photographs, cutaway details, and three-views.
This, combined with pilot profiles and historic
information, makes them useful for those looking for
scale documentation and details, or anyone who
enjoys learning more about the featured aircraft.
Since we here at MA fall into both categories, we
have quite enjoyed this series of aircraft books.
Osprey Publishing: 443 Park Avenue South, New
York NY 10016; Tel.: (866) 620-6941; website:
www.ospreypublishing.com
RealFlight
Expansion Pack 8
We have been flying RealFlight G5 since we reviewed it in
the May 2010 issue of MA, and subsequently upgraded to G5.5
when it was available.
We agree that you can never have enough aircraft and flying
sites and although simulator fans can download additional
airplanes, helicopters, and flying sites made by other users, we
still look forward to the release of new expansions packs.
Who wouldn’t want to race a Thompson Trophy contender
from the 1930s, fly a massive Air Force C-17 transport or
legendary F-14 fighter, or push the Sbach 342 foamy or aweinspiring
Synergy N5 to new extremes in performance?
In all you get 18 new aircraft—13 airplanes (including two
versions of the Aeroworks ProX and Thunder Tiger
Titan X50) and five helicopters—as well as three new
flying sites.
New locations to fly include Austria and San Diego
PhotoFields and the Shipyard Obstacle Course that
allows pilots to fly on and around ships’ cranes,
warehouses, and containers.
The Shipyard also has strange, gigantic, bolted metal
rings floating in the sky above the docks as another
means to test your skill. It is much easier to fly from
the cockpit view, as pictured.
To take advantage of all that Expansion Pack 8 has
to offer, you must have RealFlight version 5.5. Users
of version 5 can upgrade for free using the update
function found in the RealFlight Launcher or via the
website. Upgrading will also give you additional
features such as more combat options and new glider
launch methods.
Great Planes Model Distributors: Box 9021,
Champaign IL 61826; Tel.: (217) 398-8970; website:
www.realflight.com
August 2011 17
08sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 6/23/11 12:47 PM Page 17
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/08
Page Numbers: 16,17
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/08
Page Numbers: 16,17
Worth a Closer Look
TP820CD
Dual Port Charger
The new TP820CD is a dual-port,
multichemistry charger, discharger, cycler, and
balancer system with up to 800 watts of total
charging power. It is equipped with two ports
that function independently to charge,
discharge, and cycle a wide variety of 1S-8S
Li-Poly, Li-ion, and LiFe (A123) batteries, as
well as one- to 24-cell Ni-Cd and NiMH and
6- to 30-volt Pb (lead-acid) batteries.
The built-in 2S-8S Li-Poly/Li-ion/LiFe
(A123) cell balancers, one for each port, and
included balance connector adapter boards are
readily compatible with all Thunder Power
balance connectors and JST-XH balance
connectors found on many other batteries.
Each port is capable of charging at rates up
to 20 amps, even simultaneously, depending
on input power and charge settings, offering
the ability to charge many of the latestgeneration
Li-Poly batteries at ultrafast rates
up to 6C and beyond.
This means that the TP820CD is well
equipped to quickly charge batteries up to 8S
on each port, as well as “split” batteries
equipped with interconnect leads up to 16S by
using both ports simultaneously.
Since receiving the TP820CD, we have
installed one firmware update to the charger so
it is now running version 3.6. The updates are
free and can be downloaded from Thunder
Power’s website.
To install updates, you will need a standard
mini USB cable; one is not provided with the
charger. The process
is straight forward
and all the
instructions are
provided online.
The charger is
DC powered and
can be connected
to a power supply using the bullet
connectors or the can be plugged into the
supplied alligator clamps for easy connection
to a 12-volt battery.
Depending on the size of the batteries
being charged and the charge rate, the charger
can be power hungry and we were happy to
see you can set the input current from 10 to 40
amps.
The 48-character blue backlit LCD screen
is easy to read and helpful when navigating
through the menu choices.
Programming the charger is done using
the Enter, Mode, Port, and + and - buttons.
The Enter button allows for the selection of
options such as battery type and cell count. It
also starts and stops the charging and
discharging processes by pressing and
holding. Once you have “highlighted” the
setting you want to change, the + and -
buttons allow you to cycle through the values.
The Mode button provides access to
charge, discharge, cycle, and storage modes.
The Port button enables toggling between the
two ports and the current port selected is
indicated by a 1 or 2 on the top right of
the screen.
The TP820CD also features a storage
mode which is great for those of us who
cannot fly all year long. Thankfully we won’t
need to use that feature for a while yet.
The charger includes two charge leads
with bare wire to allow users to solder their
connector of choice. We decided to use two of
the Final Charge Cables from RC Accessory
because it allows us nine different connectors
on one cable so we could charge virtually any
battery we have.
We have been using the TP820CD
frequently and even put it in service to charge
all our Li-Poly batteries used for flight
training during NEFI (National Electric Fly-
In) without a single issue.
If an issue does arise, the charger is backed
by Thunder Power with a two-year warranty.
Thunder Power RC, 4720 W. University
Ave., Las Vegas NV 89103; Tel.: (702) 228-
8883; website: www.thunderpowerrc.com
16 MODEL AVIATION
Pictured is what
is included with
the charger.
08sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 6/23/11 12:39 PM Page 16
Osprey Publishing
Duel Series
Osprey’s Duel series provides accounts of
machines of war pitted against each other and the
combatants who operated them.
Number 35 in the series is F-105 Wild Weasel vs
SA-2 “Guideline” SAM. Author Peter Davies recounts
the dramatic contests between the newly outfitted F-
105s and the missile sites in Vietnam in a highly
illustrated account, drawing on first-hand pilot
experiences and technical manuals to present a full
history of the technologies and tactics of both sides.
Number 36 in the series is Spad VII vs Albatros D
III. Jon Guttman penned this one and has written
several titles for Osprey focusing on World War I.
In it he showcases two important aircraft that
carried aloft several famous aces and the divergent
design philosophies between them.
Each book in the series features color artwork,
actual photographs, cutaway details, and three-views.
This, combined with pilot profiles and historic
information, makes them useful for those looking for
scale documentation and details, or anyone who
enjoys learning more about the featured aircraft.
Since we here at MA fall into both categories, we
have quite enjoyed this series of aircraft books.
Osprey Publishing: 443 Park Avenue South, New
York NY 10016; Tel.: (866) 620-6941; website:
www.ospreypublishing.com
RealFlight
Expansion Pack 8
We have been flying RealFlight G5 since we reviewed it in
the May 2010 issue of MA, and subsequently upgraded to G5.5
when it was available.
We agree that you can never have enough aircraft and flying
sites and although simulator fans can download additional
airplanes, helicopters, and flying sites made by other users, we
still look forward to the release of new expansions packs.
Who wouldn’t want to race a Thompson Trophy contender
from the 1930s, fly a massive Air Force C-17 transport or
legendary F-14 fighter, or push the Sbach 342 foamy or aweinspiring
Synergy N5 to new extremes in performance?
In all you get 18 new aircraft—13 airplanes (including two
versions of the Aeroworks ProX and Thunder Tiger
Titan X50) and five helicopters—as well as three new
flying sites.
New locations to fly include Austria and San Diego
PhotoFields and the Shipyard Obstacle Course that
allows pilots to fly on and around ships’ cranes,
warehouses, and containers.
The Shipyard also has strange, gigantic, bolted metal
rings floating in the sky above the docks as another
means to test your skill. It is much easier to fly from
the cockpit view, as pictured.
To take advantage of all that Expansion Pack 8 has
to offer, you must have RealFlight version 5.5. Users
of version 5 can upgrade for free using the update
function found in the RealFlight Launcher or via the
website. Upgrading will also give you additional
features such as more combat options and new glider
launch methods.
Great Planes Model Distributors: Box 9021,
Champaign IL 61826; Tel.: (217) 398-8970; website:
www.realflight.com
August 2011 17
08sig1.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 6/23/11 12:47 PM Page 17
