We’ve long been huge fans of Hitec battery chargers and recently we got the chance to review their new RDX1 200 Smart Charger. The new Hitec packs solid charging power of up to 12 amps, the ability to connector to your computer to store pack information, and is street priced at under 80 bucks. We’ve been using (read- abusing) the RDX1 200 for a couple weeks now to see if it lives up to the Hitec charger reputation. Is it easy to use? Does it give a good quality charge? What’s the real dealio? Read on to find out my friend…
From: Hitec RCD
Direct Link: RDX1 200 AC/DC Multi-Function Smart Charger
Review By: Cubby
Specifications:
Charges – LiPo, LiFe, LiIon, LiHV, NiMH, NiCd, and Pb
Maximum Charge Rate – 12 amps
Balance, standard, storage and discharge modes for lithium chemistries
Terminal voltage control
Re-Peak charge mode and delta-peak sensitivity for NiMH/NiCd batteries
Capacity cut-off limit
Smart ventilation fan
Built-in power supply function – 27V @ 10A
100V – 240V AC operating voltage range
LiPo, LiFe & LiIon Cell Count: 1-6 Cells
NiCd/NiMH Cell Count – 1-15 Cells
Charge Circuit Power – 100W AC / 200W DC
Discharge Circuit Power – 5 watts
Dimensions – 4.1 x 4.1 x 2.4″
Weight – 0.75 lbs
Part Number – #44346
Street Price – $79
What’s In The Box: Inside the box you’ll find the charger, a quick start guide, an AC power cable, a DC power cable, and a large pair of battery clamps.
Build Quality: The BSRC Bash Crew and myself took a few minutes to give the Hitec a close look over. After inspection, the RDX1 200 arrived to us in perfect condition.
Set-up Notes: We used a beefy DC power supply for most of our charging needs, but did check it out on AC power as well. We grabbed an XT60 equipped charge cable from another Hitec charger for use charging packs that were not XT60 equipped. We charged various size MaxAmps and Gens Ace packs during the review period. Cells counts ranged from 1 to 4S and capacities from 1,400mAh to 6,500. We only charged LiPo and LiHV packs on the Hitec, no other chemistries were used during the test period. As we are “bashers”, we did not hook the charger up to a computer and try any of its Smart features, we just did a bunch of good ole’ fashioned backyard charging.
Ease Of Use: Ya know, there is a good reason we love using Hitec chargers, it’s because we’ve never gotten one that was difficult to use. The RDX1 200 was par for the course, meaning it was super easy to use and we never had to refer to a manual to figure out how to charge a pack. While the screen isn’t very large, it doesn’t have to be, and the info on the screen was perfect for all our needs. By the way, I just had to put in something about the charger’s small footprint. The Hitec has such a small footprint, it easily fits on your wrenching table, under the hood of a car, etc.
Power: The RDX1 200 is capable of a max charge rate of 12 amps when used off a DC power supply, and half that when used off it’s own internal power supply. 12 amps is no joke for charging current and is more than plenty for smaller packs, while still being able to charge higher cell counts/capacities at a solid rate. The BSRC Bash Crew tends to crank up the charge rate when in a hurry, and the RDX1 200 had no problem charging some of our smaller packs at over a 2C rate. No, it’s not the most powerful unit on the market, but it puts out a lot of current for the cash.
Final Verdict: What’s the scoop? Once again we found the latest Hitec charger to be very easy to use, and like any good tool, it just did it’s job without complaint. We loved how quiet the smart fan was, thus making it easy to talk to others, or watch a show on our phones, without straining to hear anything. We also thought the RDX1 200 gave a high quality charge. Like usual, we charged a pack on the Hitec, and then again on our reference charger (a Junsi iCharger), and we could tell no difference in power while out driving/bashing. Have I mentioned the RDX1 200 comes in at just $79? The BSRC Bash Crew felt like it has high-end features and charge quality, at a very affordable price point. If you are in the market for a new charger that is loaded with features and doesn’t take a college degree to use, we would highly recommend the Hitec RDX1 200 to you!
