PARTS IS PARTS:
Bantam E-Stati n BC8HP
Charger Review
● by Nick Martin
The BC8HP charger is an update to Bantam’s already popular BC8
model. In short, Bantam has kept all
the good features, increased the
power rating, and improved the
ergonomics. The main feature is in
the “HP” part of the name — a
power increase from 150 to 280
watts and a maximum charge
current of 12 amps. This will
definitely interest builders in the
larger weight classes or users of the
latest 5C charge rate Lipo packs.
sealed and labeled better than
earlier models.
The cabling is vastly improved
over previous models; the charging
and balancing outputs are now both
on the righthand side, which is far
more convenient. The connectors
are labeled better than before, but
could still be improved.
others let you pick your own model
(see Photo 2).
Capabilities
In the Box
Compared to the
Original BC8
The new charger has the same
dimensions of the BC6 and BC8
models. The backlit LCD screen is
virtually identical, but looks smaller
due to the garish yellow front panel
(see Photo 1). The buttons are now
The BC8HP package comes with
the charger, software CD, USB
adapter, USB cable, battery cable,
and manual. Some sites list the USB
adaptor as an extra, so check when
ordering. The manual is well written
and jinglish free; most users will be
up and running in 10 minutes. The
box is also supposed to include a
LiPo balancing adaptor; some shops
include a standard model with
Thunderpower connectors while
PHOTO 1. The charger front panel.
The BC8HP will charge almost
any battery chemistry: up to eight
Lithium Polymer, Lithium-Ion, or
A123 cells; up to 27 NiMH or NiCD
cells; and lead acid batteries up to
36V. Don’t underestimate this last
feature! Fast charging a dead car
battery has gotten me out of trouble
several times!
Keep in mind that the maximum
rating of 280 watts and Ohm’s law
limit your maximum charge current
at higher voltages; after about 22
volts, the charger will not be able to
supply the full 12 amps. To get an
idea of your top charging current,
divide 280 by your pack voltage. I
found that in practice, the current
never quite reaches this value, so
take off about 10%.
The LiPo balancing works very
well. After a charge, my packs are
usually balanced to below the
resolution of my multimeter, and
you can monitor individual cell
voltages on the display while
charging.
Experts and tinkerers can use
the included software and USB
adaptor to analyze their packs. The
PC program graphs the voltage,
current, capacity, and temperature
curves. It also shows the individual
voltage of each cell in the Lithium
battery pack.
The USB connection uses an
annoying and somewhat delicate
adaptor; take care not to break the
shrink-wrap coating!
36 SERVO 08.2010