For those of us RC enthusiasts who have standalone quick battery chargers—and let’s face it, that should be most of us—overlooking an included battery charger that comes with an RTR kit is commonplace. If you have a few RTRs that include such a perk, there’s a chance that you’ve even left a DC or USB-style charger in the bag that they came in, or they might have even settled to the bottom of a box under your workbench. If that sounds familiar, you are doing yourself a disservice.
Having spent time with the latest Traxxas Slash release, we came to appreciate all the accessories and tools that Traxxas thoughtfully made sure to include in their all-inclusive RTR package. As with many Traxxas releases, the brushed motor version of the newest Slash comes with the company’s 4-amp Traxxas DC Peak Detecting Fast Charger. Suitable for charging 6- or 7-cell NiMH batteries, the pocket-sized charger channels DC power from sources such as your car, truck or RV’s auxiliary power outlets, or even a power inverter, and efficiently fills your NiMH battery up.
To be honest, we never really paid attention to these chargers since we have access to a full-sized charger at home. It
was when we were out in the field that we realized just how handy they are and how quickly they charge tapped-out batteries. Traxxas’ 4-amp charger uses a 12-volt DC power outlet for universal high-output charging.
This sleek charger is optimized for charging 6- or 7-cell (7.2-volt to 8.4-volt) Traxxas iD Power Cell NiMH batteries. It may look like a simple device, but there are plenty of advanced features built-in, including peak-detection circuitry that makes sure the battery receives a full charge every time. There’s even a status LED that flashes green to indicate when charging is in progress, then turns solid green when charging is complete.
If you have one or more of these lying around, don’t let them waste away in a drawer; store them in the glovebox of your vehicle. This way you will never run out of runtime while away from home. (Note that the Traxxas DC fast charger is for use with NiMH batteries only, and not LiPo batteries.)
Traxxas 4-Amp DC
Peak Detecting Fast Charger
P/N: 2975
MSRP: $28.99
URL: traxxas.com
Text and Images by James York