Best LiPo Charger On a Budget – iMAX B6AC V2 Review

If you’re looking for a simple, easy to use balance charger for your LiPo batteries (or any other rechargeable RC battery), the iMAX B6AC V2 LiPo battery charger is definitely one of the top picks.

It is hands down one of the best LiPo chargers…

And it won’t break the bank either.

In this review I’ll go over some of the features of the iMAX B6 and I’ll show you what makes it such a great addition to your RC arsenal.

iMAX B6AC V2 Overview, Best LiPo Charger for the Money

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The iMAX B6AC by SkyRC, is a high performance battery charging and discharging station that works with virtually all RC battery types.  It can handle lithium poly/ion batteries up to 6 cells, nickel batteries up to 15 cells and lead acid batteries from 2-20 volts.  The charger has a 6 amp max charge current and a 2 amp max discharge current.  Total power is 50 watts.

The overall size of the charger is nice and compact too…at 5.3 x 5.7 inches, it’s small enough to toss into your gear bag.

An aluminum housing makes for a nice quality feel.  The buttons and menus are very easy to navigate and intuitively placed.  They have a nice positive feedback when you press them too.

This is a multiple power source charger, meaning that it can be plugged into your wall or it can be hooked up to your car or truck battery out at the field.  The charger operates on both AC & DC current…and all necessary charging cables are included.  There are DC only versions of the iMAX B6 available too but I highly recommend the AC version, which makes it so much more versatile.

Monitor charging stats & set the programming with a micro-USB cable connected to your PC and the free Charge Master control software.  You can even control and monitor the process remotely with your smartphone.  A really cool feature but requires a WiFi module, which is not included with the charger.  It must be purchased separately.

You really can’t go wrong with this battery charger for your LiPos.  So simple to use, and reliable.  And compared to other quality LiPo battery chargers, what you get for the price with the iMAX B6AC – considering all the features –  is well worth it.

Very Easy Charging and Discharging Functions

When I first got my quadcopter, it took FOREVER to charge my LiPo batteries.  The charger that came with it was a tiny little thing that only charged my LiPo battery through its balance leads.  I didn’t have any idea what the cell voltages were or what the charging current was.  I also couldn’t properly discharge my LiPo for long term storage.

Discharging a LiPo for storage is very important if you want your battery to last.  The battery’s cells need to be discharged down to 3.8V in order to safely store the battery.  My problem was that there was no way for me to know the voltage of the battery with the charger I had since there was no display.

Then I got an iMAX B6AC.  Wow, what a difference!the best LiPo charger, iMAX B6AC powered on

Charging is so much faster now, and safer since i can see what the individual cell voltages are and how much current the battery is getting.  The charging current is controlled automatically by the iMAX B6, based on the battery capacity it detected and what you entered.  In other words, it always optimized.

But where it really comes in handy for me is:

The built in storage mode.

It’s really easy to use.  Navigate to the LiPo Storage mode in the top menu and press enter.

Then you simply enter the number of cells & the battery’s capacity and the iMAX B6 does the rest.  After analyzing the battery, it asks you to confirm and with the press of a button the automatic process is started.  Your LiPo will now be properly balanced discharged down to 3.8v per cell, allowing it to be stored without worry of ruining your pack.

Make Sure It’s a Genuine iMAX B6, from SkyRC

If you do decide to get your own iMAX B6 balance charger, (I highly recommend you do, it really is a great charger) please do make sure you’re getting a genuine one.  There are a lot of fakes out there selling for a lot less money, but believe me…it’s not worth it.  Who knows what shotty circuitry is in those knockoffs.  They are not to be trusted.

It’s much better to spend a little more money for something that’s quality and genuine.  A small price to pay considering it could mean the difference between charging your LiPo or extinguishing a fire.

You absolutely want a real version, look for the SKYRC hologram sticker.  It has a security code in it that you can use to verify the authenticity:

Like the one on this iMAX B6AC at Amazon…click the image below to read some of the awesome reviews of this LiPo charger on Amazon.com.

bottom of imax b6 charger showing hologram of authenticity
The hologram sticker of authenticity, located on the bottom of the iMAX B6AC charger

What’s In the Box

Order a iMAX B6AC and here’s what you’ll get:

  • the SKYRC iMAX B6AC V2 Charger
  • AC power cord
  • DC charging cable with alligator clips
  • One T plug with banana connector charging cable
  • One T plug with XT60 connector charging cable
  • Three T plugs, each with one alligator clip, Futaba style & JST connector charging cables
the box contents of the iMAX B6AC Lipo charger
The iMAX B6AC charger and all included cables

Special Features

The B6AC V2, an upgraded version of the original B6AC.  It’s way more accurate and a lot more stable thanks to the microprocessor controlled battery management system.

New features on this version include charging limits that make it safer than the original version like a current limit, capacity limit & temperature threshold limit (requires an optional temp sensor).

The charger automatically shuts off if it reaches any of these limits during the charging process – which is a good thing.

The last thing you want is a fire due to a crappy charger, or defective battery that your charger couldn’t detect.

Regardless, you should ALWAYS charge and discharge your LiPo batteries in a fire proof container like a LiPo safe bag, ammo can or something similar.

For a lot more info on how to properly handle your LiPo batteries, please read our Ultimate LiPo Battery Guide.

Here are some of the additional features and specs of the iMAX B6AC:

Advanced Operating Software

The auto charging/discharging functions will automatically adjust the current during the battery charging process.  This helps to prevent overcharging of lithium batteries which can lead to explosions or fire.  The iMAX B6 disconnects the circuit automatically and alarms you if a problem is detected.

Charger Master PC Control Software and WiFi Smartphone Control

Charge Master is free software that lets you operate the charger through your computer.  You can also monitor pack voltage, cell voltage, other data and view the charge rate with real time graphs.

Add on the WiFi module, and the Charge Master functions can be done remotely from your smartphone.  This doesn’t mean you can leave the charger completely unattended, you should always be nearby.  But, it does mean that you don’t have to get up from the couch to check your stats or set a charge program.

screenshot of the charger master main screen with charger connected
A screenshot of the Charge Master program with connected charger
charge master screenshot of current graph during charging
A screenshot of Charger Master during the charging process

LiPo Battery Meter

Use the built in battery meter to check total voltage, highest voltage, lowest voltage and internal cell voltage of your LiPo battery.  Check for unbalance between cells or damaged cells, catch a problem before it becomes serious.

You can also measure the internal resistance and individual cell resistance.

Battery Memory

Built in data store and load functions.  The iMAX B6 can store up to 10 different charge/discharge profiles so you won’t have to configure all the settings every time.  Ten profiles should be more than enough for most people.

Temperature Probe Socket

Charging causes an internal chemical reaction:

Which produces heat.

With the addition of the temperature probe (purchased separately), the charger will abort the process when the battery reaches a dangerous temperature limit – potentially saving you and all your belongings.  One of the best features of this LiPo charger, in my opinion.

Re-Peak Mode

For NiMH/NiCd batteries, the charger can peak charge the battery multiple times (once, twice, or three times in a row – automatically).  This helps to ensure a full charge for your battery.

Cycle Charging/Discharging

You can set up to 5 cycles continuously of either charge > discharge or discharge > charge, for breaking in new battery packs or refreshing older ones.  Another convenient feature, so you don’t have to keep re-starting every time the cycle finishes.

iMAX B6AC V2 Specifications

Dimensions 135mm x 144mm x 36mm Charging Current 0.1-6.0 A
Net Weight 632 g Discharge Current 0.1-2.0 A
AC Input Voltage 100-240 V Lithium Battery Cells 1-6S
DC Input Voltage 11-18 V Nickel Battery Cells 1-15S
Power Charge Max: 50 W

Discharge Max: 5 W

Lead Acid Battery Voltage 2-20 V

It’s easy to see that the iMAX B6AC battery charger’s long list of features and easy to use charging/discharging functions make it the best LiPo charger for the price.

But don’t just take my word for it:

Be sure to click the link below to find out more and get your hands on your own iMAX B6AC today!

6 thoughts on “Best LiPo Charger On a Budget – iMAX B6AC V2 Review

  • February 20, 2020 at 11:03 pm
    Permalink

    I didn’t get the ChargeMaster software with the product purchased through your link. How do I get it?

    Reply
  • October 18, 2019 at 12:12 am
    Permalink

    Hi Rob,

    just wondering, I’ve been searching for information on the software, and was wondering, does it graph and/or log discharge cycles? Graphing would be good, but logging would be great if we can pull out the data in csv format.

    Reply
    • November 25, 2019 at 7:10 pm
      Permalink

      Hey Ross…the Charge Master SW does have a graph output in real time of either capacity, voltage, current or batt temp (if equipped). But the charger has to be actively charging or discharging to see it. I do not see an export option anywhere though, unfortunately. Thanks for visiting thercdronehub.com!

      Reply
  • August 28, 2018 at 2:27 am
    Permalink

    All you have done in your review is go on about the features of this charger. It’s as though you are trying to do a sales job for SKYRC. In the real world the chargemaster software looks like it was written by a school kid and the functionality of it makes it hardly worth using. So when you have become a bit more professional in your reviews, then perhaps you could give the readers a more meaningful understanding of the features and the shortfalls of the product. The “FREE” chargemaster software is pathetically underwhelming. Perhaps you could tell us why?

    Reply
    • August 29, 2018 at 11:37 pm
      Permalink

      Your feedback on the IMAXB6 AC review is appreciated. You are certainly entitled to your opinion. The opinion of TheRCDroneHub.com is that the Charge Master software does exactly what’s advertised and even though it’s not packed with features, it by no means makes the charger any less desirable. It sounds like you have some specific issues about the Charge Master software. If you have specific concerns about it we suggest you address them with SkyRC or leave your own review on one of the sites that sells the product. Thanks for reading!

      Reply

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