It didn’t take Horizon Hobby long to give their Smart Technology line-up a upgrade. The new Spektrum S2200 G2 AC 2x200W Smart Charger has all the bells and whistles along with some great improvements over their previous versions. Keep reading to find out all the details, and our thoughts.
From: Spektrum RC
Direct Link: S2200 G2 Smart AC Charger
Review By: Brian
Specifications:
Input- AC 100-120V
Max Cell Count- LiPo/LiFe/Li-Ion/LiHV 1-6S, NiMH/NiCd 1-16S, Pb 1-12S
Max Discharge Power – 10W
Max Charge Power – 2 X 200W (or 380W on one channel)
Discharge Current – Up to 1.5A
Charge Current – Up to 20A
Output Connector- Dual IC3 and IC5 selectable (EC3/EC5 Compatible)
USB Output 5v / 2A
Cooling Fan- Yes
LCD Display- 2.8″ LCD
Size- 105mmx 145mm x 144mm
Part Number- #SPMXC2010
Price- $249
What’s In The Box: If you missed the Unboxing Video, we get the AC power cord, the S2200 G2 Charger, and the user manual. There is no longer a need for a IC3/IC5 adapter as this charger has ports for both.
Build Quality: Out of the box, the build quality was good. The screen looks good, and they have actually improved the case over the older models by adding the rubberized coating towards the back to make it easier to hold onto the charger when pulling out the charge plugs. This was a nice touch.
Set-up Notes: We have been using the S2200 G2 on all sorts of Spektrum SMART battery packs, and have had no issues with setting up the charger. It only took a few minutes to get aquainted to navigating the menu and making adjustments for either charging pack. It’s a dream to use on the G2 packs once you get it setup like you want it, the battery can tell the charger the settings as soon as it’s plugged in.
Ease Of Use: We were up and charging batteries in no time. What’s awesome about the charger is once you plug in a pack, it starts to automatically charge! You don’t have to press a single button! It really does not get much easier when charging smart packs. The charger knows the rates and amounts to charge the packs, and all of these settings can be custom dialed in to your liking. If you want a slower charge, you can set up a pack to do that. If you want only the fastest charging because your running back to back races at the track, you can set it up to handle it. If you want to tell the packs to discharge themselves after a day (G2) you can do that! For us basher types this is great. We charge TONS of batteries when we are going to a video shoot, or an event, and we never run/use them all. We are also WAY too lazy to dig them all out, discharge them and set them up for storage. The fact that the batteries handle this is awesome.
If you are not running Smart batteries yet, the S2200 does allow you to charge normal LiPo’s that do not have the Smart technology, but to really be able to appreciate this charger, you are going to want to pair it with the Spektrum Smart G2 batteries.
Power: The S2200 can charge at a rate of 20 amps which is way more than enough power for the average person. We normally stick to a 1C rate while charging, but having the extra power to quickly charge a pack can certainly come in handy at times.
Final Verdict: The Spektrum S2200 G2 Smart Charger is our new official favorite from Horizon Hobby. We have been dragging it to the track week after week, it’s small, it’s crazy easy to use, and has all the power we need to charge multiple packs. They have hit most of our wish list with the S2200 and Smart G2 technology. Hopefully in the future, they will get past the need for multiple size plugs. With Horizon shipping 1/10th scale vehicles using the IC5’s, we’d love to see less plug varieties.
If you are looking to jump into the SMART battery scene with the latest in battery technology and charging, the Spektrum G2 series products needs to be on your shopping list.
