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Preface
The reason for purchasing this charger was that I needed a charger to maintain my Trinity Spec2k battery packs that I use for racing in the M-spec class at my local indoor carpet track (DC Ultra Track - located in Horsham, PA). I also needed a charger that could cycle my existing basher packs for the E-maxx and Traxxas Rustler that I own. This charger has performed great for all the purposes I use it for, and it has put life back into my old, once-decrepit battery packs.
Features
The 16x4 Pro has features which make it a valuable charger to own. It can run off a 110-120 Volt AC wall outlet, or a DC power supply, which is important if you do not want to waste money on an expensive power supply. It can charge 1-15 cells at 0.5 to 5.5 amps and you can charge either NiCd or NiMH batteries. It also has a digital screen which displays the amperes you are charging at, the current capacity of the battery being charged, and the battery's current voltage, which can be switched between with a flick of a small switch next to the screen. There is a user-replaceable 10-amp fuse on the front panel, as well as a dial to select the charge amperage, and a button to select which mode you want. The 16x4 Pro is equipped with four optimized charge, cycle and discharge profiles. You can select the different modes by pressing the Start button differently.
The Goods
Inside the box, you get a small, 2-page instruction manual, the charger, an electrical cord with a female end to plug into the charger, and a 3-prong male end to fit into a wall outlet. You also get a cord with a male tamiya plug on one end to fit into the charger, and alligator clamps on the other end to hook onto your power supply if you choose to use one. Also, you get an adaptor for your battery packs with a Tamiya-style connector with pre-stripped and tinned tips to insert into the charger in the front.
Field Test
To use the charger, you must first insert the adaptor into the front of the charger, making sure the connection is tight, and then hooking up the power cord to the back of the charger and then to a wall outlet, or if you choose to use a power supply, insert the Tamiya plug into the back of the charger, and hook the alligator clamps up to your power supply. You should now hear a beep. Plug your battery pack into the adaptor on the front. If you wish to cycle the battery pack, press the start button four times. For discharging, three times, for a battery cold start, two times, and for a repeak right before a heat, once. You should now hear the charger beep how many times you pressed the button to signify which mode it is in, and it will begin to charge or discharge. When it is finished, you will hear a prolonged beep, which will repeat every minute or so to remind you to switch batteries or unplug the battery pack. I found the charger very easy to use, I only looked at the instructions once just to look over them and make sure I was correct, I wasn't expecting the charger to be this easy to use.
Final Analysis
This charger definitely deserves a look before you look at more expensive chargers, as this charger has most of the same features as more expensive chargers, such as the LRP Pulsar, Reedy Quasar and Quasar Pro, and Novak Millennium Pro, AND it can run off both AC and DC, which the Novak and LRP chargers cannot do. The only bad thing about this charger is the loud fan and it not having the ability to record charge time, but those things aside, there's nothing else that I think is degrading. I give this product a 9.8 out of 10 points.
-Zillon (Zillon@TeamMayhem.com)
Integy offers a 30 day warranty for workmanship and manufacturer defects. Warranty repair will not cover units which have been modified or serviced by an unauthorized service center.
The Integy 16x4 Pro is manufactured and distributed by Team Integy Technologies Inc. (http://www.integy.com/), and can be bought directly from Integy, or at a variety of other online hobby shops, such as Stormer Hobbies (http://www.stormerhobbies.com/).