ProTek R/C Prodigy 65 Chargers

27 January, 2011

A Main Hobbies announces two Protek R/C chargers, “Prodigy 65” and “Prodigy 65 AC”, the first items in a new line of chargers from ProTek R/C.

The ProTek R/C “Prodigy 65” is a powerful multifunctional balance charger with a high performance microprocessor. The “Prodigy 65” delivers 50 watts of output power and produces a maximum charge current of 5.0 amps with an efficient cooling system, allowing the “Prodigy 65” to efficiently operate at full power with little effort. The “Prodigy 65” features an optimized user interface with a variety of functions that allow you to charge, discharge or cycle up to 15 NiCd or NiMH cells, as well as the three most common lithium battery types: LiPo, Li-ion, and LiFe, up to 6S. The internal balancer will keep your lithium batteries safely balanced when charging in balance mode, while the fast charge mode will get your pack charged quickly and the storage charge mode will prepare your batteries for long-term storage. Multiple safety functions, including automatic charge termination, user-defined capacity and time limits, and automatic charge current limiting will protect you and your gear. Additionally, an optional temperature sensor and optional PC-based analysis software give advanced users the level of control they demand from their equipment.

And where the “Prodigy 65” is a great choice for those who already have a power supply, the built-in 5 amp power supply of “Prodigy 65 AC” provides all of that functionality with power straight from an electrical socket.

Features:

High-Power Circuit and Temperature Stability: The “Prodigy 65” delivers 50W of output power. This makes the charger capable of charging and discharging up to 15 NiCd/NiMH cells, as well as up to 6S lithium batteries with a maximum charge current of 5.0A. The cooling system of the “Prodigy 65” is so efficient that it can easily operate at full power without any trouble running the CPU or the operating program.
Compatible with LiPo, Li-ion, and LiFe packs: The “Prodigy 65” is compatible with the three most common lithium battery types: LiPo, Li-ion, and LiFe. Each type has specific charge parameters due to its chemistry. Select which type you are charging, select the proper cell count, and the “Prodigy 65” does the rest!
Multiple Lithium Battery Charge Modes: The “Prodigy 65” allows you to Fast Charge, Balance Charge or Storage Charge LiPo, Li-ion, and LiFe batteries.

“Fast” Charge Mode: Reduces charging time, but does not balance the cells and charges the battery to approximately 90% capacity.

“Balance” Charge Mode: Monitors individual cell voltage, keeps the cells within an acceptable voltage range, and charges the pack to full capacity.

“Storage” Charge Mode: Designed specifically for long term storage and sets the final voltage of the battery so that the pack will not be damaged during storage.

Optimized User Interface: The “Prodigy 65” features an “auto” function that allows the charge current to be set automatically. This helps to prevent overcharge conditions that can lead to damage or a potentially hazardous battery. Every program in the unit is controlled with mutual links and communication to help identify a possible error for maximum safety. These programs can also be adjusted by the user to suit a specific application.
Internal Lithium Balancer: The “Prodigy 65” has an internal cell balancer that efficiently monitors the individual cell voltage during the charge and discharge process. This allows the user to charge or discharge a lithium battery without the use of an external balancer. If the voltage of any individual cell is determined to be abnormal, the process will automatically stop, and an error message will be displayed.
Data Store/Load: The “Prodigy 65” has the ability to store the data for 10 different batteries. You can set the charge/discharge parameters for a particular battery type, and these settings can be recalled at any time without any additional programming.
Cyclic Charging/Discharging: The “Prodigy 65” can run from 1 to 5 charge/discharge or discharge/charge cycles for battery conditioning and balancing.
PC-Based Analysis Using USB Communication: For advanced users, the “Prodigy 65” offers PC-based program analysis. This allows you to use a USB adapter to display a graph with the characteristics of the battery on a computer. The graph displays voltage, current, capacity and temperature curves. It also shows the individual voltage of each cell in a lithium battery pack. (Optional PC analysis software, USB adapter, and link wire are not included).

Safety Features:

Delta-Peak Sensitivity: The “Prodigy 65” features an automatic charge termination program that uses Delta-peak voltage detection to determine when the pack is fully charged.
Auto-Charge Current Limit: When using the “Auto” current mode for charging NiCD or NiMH cells, you can set the upper limit of the charge current to avoid high current charging. This is useful when charging low impedance, low capacity NiMH cells.
Capacity Limit: The charging capacity is calculated by multiplying the charging current and time. If the charging capacity exceeds the limit the process will be automatically terminated to prevent damage. This limit is user-specified.
Temperature Threshold: The temperature of a battery will rise during the charging process due to the internal chemical reaction. You set the limit, and if it’s reached, the process will be terminated. (Optional sensor not included).
Processing Time Limit: The “Prodigy 65” allows you to limit the process time to avoid damage due to a possible battery defect.
Input Power Monitor: The “Prodigy 65” monitors input power to protect the power source from being damaged. If input power drops below an acceptable limit the process will be terminated.