Team Integy: Indi 16X7v6 charger

Radio Control Car Action, Apr 2004 by Higgins, Matt

THE TEAM IMTEGY INDI 16X7v6 computerized charger is packed with many features, and it not only offers numerous parameters to adjust for the charging mode, but the discharge and battery-cycling modes can also be highly adjusted to suit your needs. Oh, yeah; it's also an AC/DC-powered unit, so you can use it anywhere.

FEATURES

AC/DC POWER. The Indi 16X7v6 is designed to operate on AC (household current) or DC (a 12V car battery). This makes the charger very versatile, and you won't need to lug a power supply around with you.

LCD SCREEN. The screen is easy to read, and two lines give sufficient display detail, so the info presented doesn't send you running to find the manual to decode stuff.

DETACHABLE AC AND DC POWER CORDS. Some AC/DC-powered chargers have a bunch of wires coming out for the various hookups. The 16X7v6 allows you to clean up your space because the input cords are removable-simple, but a very nice feature.

THREE MODES OF OPERATION. The 16X7v6 is a full-function charger: it charges, discharges and cycles battery packs.

MULTIPLE-PARAMETER PROGRAMMABILITY. Many of the variables of charging, discharging and cycling-such as charge and discharge rates-can be adjusted. You can also adjust the voltage threshold for peak detection and the number of cells in the pack. You can set it for the number of cells you're charging, and you can also program it to suit a pack's rated capacity, e.g., 2400mAh, 300mAh, 3300mAh, etc.

TESTING

I tested the 16X7v6 on NiMH racing packs, Ni-Cd and NiMH sport-level stick packs and old and very stubborn 2400mAh Ni-Cd packs. I was confident that it wouldn't have any problem with the newer packs, but I really wanted to see what it would do with the old packs that routinely false peak and are duds for punch when they do take a charge; they would serve as a true test for any charger.

After I had run through the menus once, the 16X7v6 became very simple to use. Its straightforward design didn't give me any surprises. I didn't have any problem setting it up to charge my packs. I liked that I could set it for the type and number of cells I was using and could program in the rated capacity. My only complaint is that the 16X7v6 is loud; its fan and beep tone are louder than on any other charger I've owned.

As I expected, the 16X7v6 put a full charge into the new packs without any false peaking. The charged packs were race-run, and the results were excellent. Punch and run times were as good as (or better) than those of anything else on the track. Charging my older Ni-Cd packs also proved to be a non-issue; when necessary, I raised the voltage-threshold setting slightly and got a full charge without having to hit the start button more than once.

OPERATION

As RC electronics offer more features, they inevitably become more complicated to use. Although some are certainly easier to navigate than others, most of these "computerized" gadgets will evoke a "Huh?" when you first use them, and this is certainly true if you neglect to take a gander at the instructions. On first look, the 16X7v6 definitely seems to be more complex than it actually is. To start charging, first select the mode (charge, discharge, cycle) using the "Dec" and "Inc" buttons. After that, hit "Enter" to start, or press "Back/Setup" to toggle through and change any of the parameters for the mode you've chosen.

THE VERDICT

The Indi 16V7v6 shows that chargers with complicated features don't have to be difficult to use. The 16X7v6 is loaded, and although other chargers have more features, they aren't in this price range and none are AC/DC-powered. The Integy 16X7v6 is a great value; it works well and is very suitable for sport running and racing.-Matt Higgins

Team Integy Indi 16X7v6 charger-INT E2025; $200.

Team Integy; integy.com.