The workmanship on these charge stations is impeccable, and the photos don't capture how beautiful and well made they are. After enviously watching Rich use his original model at the field for the past several months, and then watching a few lucky customers (including Matt) take delivery of their own, I couldn't resist getting one for myself.
I took delivery of mine (serial #6) about a week ago, and I've already had a chance to let it stretch its legs quite a bit. I'm telling you, these boxes are easily as functional as they are beautiful. I almost always parallel charge multiple large packs at very high total amperage. I routinely push my 1500-watt Meanwell PS to near capacity. In fact, Rich installed a custom fuse (dual 40-amp fuses in parallel) in my power block to accommodate the higher currents I typically use. In my old setup, I was always very wary of heat buildup and ventilation. Well, those worries are a thing of the past.
I have attached a couple "action photos." The first 3 pics are from a test charge that is fairly typical of the loads that I place on my setup--this one happens to be nine 6S packs being charged at 50 amps (25 amps per charger). My new setup didn't even break a sweat. The 2nd photo shows the temp of the exhaust about 3/4th of the way through the charge, just as the chargers were about to transition from CC to CV phase (119F), and the 3rd pic show the temp about 30-45 seconds after charge completion (102F), so the ventilation and cooling setup on this box works extremely well. The PS is encased in an essentially airtight chamber, so cool air from the intake fan is literally forced through the PS and out the exhaust fan. The 4th pic shows that this setup is equally happy on generator power as it is on mains.
I'll post a more proper review of my new charge station a little bit later, but I wanted to go ahead and toss this little brief "first impressions" post out there now for those of you that might be considering an order. I'm every bit as pleased with and proud of this box as I am with my finest helis. When you arrive at the field, this thing easily gets as much attention as the actual aircraft.
Lastly, Rich is a truly stand-up guy. As you know, he's always helping folks out on these forums, but he's just like that in real life as well. I think he spends more time at the field helping others with their helis (including me) than be does flying his own. His attention to detail on these charging stations is bordering on freakishness (I mean that in a good way, Rich). And his woodworking skills are completely off the charts. Ask him sometime to show you some of his "intarsia" artwork--it will blow you away.
Keep up the great work, Rich. And for those of you that want the best power transfer station that money can buy, send Rich a PM now.
Barry
