Rugged all-in- one charger
This article was originally published in RC Driver’s June 2015 issue.
by Mark Ronge
It’s no secret that there are tons of chargers on the market today, each battling for a spot in your pit box or on your home bench, many with different features. So what makes the brand new Dynamite Prophet Precept stand out over the rest? That’s easy, it is an AC/DC charger capable of handling virtually every battery type (up to 6-cell LiPo), with an integrated power supply and some features, like a USB charging port, not found on other chargers. While this may seem pretty run of the mill, the price is what sets it apart. Normally you are paying extra for a power supply in addition to a charger of similar price, making the value incredible on the Prophet Precept. Check out the rundown on this slick new charger.
HOW MUCH: $69.99
MODEL NUMBER: DYNC2015
POWER INPUT: 100-240V AC @ 50-60Hz, DC 11-18V
BATTERY TYPE: Li-Ion/LiPo/LiFe/NiCd/NiMH/Pb NUMBER OF CELLS: 1-6S Li-Po/LiFe/Li-Ion, 4-12 Ni-MH/Ni-Cd, 2-20V Pb
CHARGE RATE: 0.1-6.0A
DISCHARGE RATE: 0.1-2.0A
BATTERY INPUT: Banana Input (EC3 adapter included)
BALANCE PORT: JST_XH
COOLING: Internal Fan
LENGTH: 5.7 in. (145mm)
WIDTH: 5.9 in. (150mm)
HEIGHT: 2.2 in. (55mm)
WEIGHT: 1.3 lbs. (603g)
PROS
+ Great price for a fully featured 6-cell (LiPo) balance charger
+ Integrated power supply
+ USB power output
+ Backlit LCD display
+ Durable case with higher quality plastic than other chargers on the market
CONS
– DC input power cable not included
THE GOODS
• The Dynamite Prophet Precept can handle almost any battery chemistry in a variety of configurations, already making it one of the more versatile chargers I own. One of the selling features is the integrated power supply, which provides the charger with a respectable 80W of power, allowing for up to 6A charges on LiPo packs.
• The LCD screen is backlit and easy to read with large, easily identifiable buttons. The menu interface is pretty straightforward, with similar operation to other chargers, so you will feel right at home from the moment you power up.
• One cool feature that shouldn’t be overlooked is the USB charging port. This 2.1A hookup can charge all of your devices, from cell phones to digital cameras and everything in between. This is quite handy, especially for long track days when it’s common to spend an entire day racing.
THE WORKS
The Dynamite Prophet Precept works very similarly to other multi-chemistry chargers on the market so I mainly wanted to test out other features. I had no problem charging up various packs and the 6A LiPo charging capability came in handy for larger packs (or those that could be charged at higher rates). As mentioned earlier, the USB charg- ing port is really cool, I was able to charge my phone and digital camera just by power- ing up the Precept without setting anything in the menus. The other thing that really impressed me is how rugged the plastic case seems. It has much thicker plastic than other similar chargers, and it has a nice, textured finish that gives it a high-quality feel. The extra weight from the power supply is a positive in my opinion, the charger just stayed planted wherever I left it, even if on an uneven surface.
Links
Dynamite RC, dynamiterc.com
