R/C Tech :: Product Review :: Nimble Motorsports TwoLane ProCharger

have you ever had a really great idea for a product? You're sitting there one day, wrenching on your car, and all of a sudden it hits you: a new version of an existing design with an amazing new feature, or perhaps a brand new idea that no one has ever even imagined before. What do you do? If you're like just about everybody I've ever met, you tell your buddies and they all nod in appreciation, and it usually ends right there. But in the rare case, you sit down, draw up the plans, and see your idea through to execution. That's exactly what happened with the TwoLane ProCharger, the first of what will likely be a long line of products from Nimble Motorsports. The TwoLane sets out to combine an AC power supply with the ability to charge two battery packs simultaneously, all in one neat little package.

considering its simple roots, the TwoLane ProCharger is surprisingly feature-rich. The design begins with a built-in 12 amp power supply, something that already puts the charger ahead of quite a few of the others on the market. The supply uses a standard detachable IEC power cord, the same one you'll find on your computer and many other devices around your house. With 12A to go around, this means that you can deliver up to 6A of current to each of the two charging bays simultaneously, which should be plenty for just about any application that I can think of. If you need to power a lathe or other external DC device, the TwoLane has you covered; the supply includes DC outputs just like a standalone power supply, and you can limit the output via a setting in the menu. It often amazes me that the few other AC/DC chargers on the market don't include this feature.

In addition to the power supply, the TwoLane ProCharger has not one, but two temperature sensors built in, as well as a large adjustable speed cooling fan. The temperature sensors are mounted on top of each of the two charging "lanes" (hence the TwoLane moniker) so using them is a no-brainer. The fan sits directly beneath the lanes as well, so if cooling is desired, all you have to do is sit your packs on the lanes and turn it on. And the lanes themselves can be decorated to your liking, since the TwoLane is available in a variety of paint schemes at no extra charge, and can even be custom-ordered to match your own scheme.

Charging-wise, the charger's main feature is, of course, its dual-pack capability. The LCD is relatively small, especially since it must display twice as much information since there are twice as many packs. Each line is dedicated to its own charging lane, with the display cycling through the voltage, charge rate, seconds, mAH, and temperature as the packs charge. Like any professional NiMH charger, the peak detect is adjustable from 20 to 140 mV, and the charge rate itself can be configured between 1 and 6 amps in half-amp increments. The TwoLane does someting unique with the temperature readings, though: you can program a temperature delta cutoff, or a max temperature cutoff, and this can work in conjunction with the standard voltage detect. Assuming that you already know the temperature range for your packs, this is an extra layer of protection against overcharging and cell damage. Like most digital chargers, all of these settings are configurable, and are saved separately for EACH of the charging lanes.

using the twolane procharger is about as easy as it gets. Although it lacks some of the more advanced charging options that are beginning to filter into the market, like multi-step charging and configurable lockouts, this translates to a device that couldn't possibly be any simpler to use. In fact, in its default setting, the TwoLane will begin to charge a pack the moment it detects that one has been connected (although this can be changed in the menu to a trickle charge or to a manual mode). In fact, I'm surprised that this isn't a common feature on the market, since I can't even count how many times I've seen racers connect a battery but forget to press the "Charge" button and miss a heat. The charger's menu is operated by a single button and a dial, with the button handling all actions and the dial used to scroll through the menus. The fan speed is configurable, as are the various delta modes, the charge rate, and the amp level of the DC outputs.

As a battery gets charged, the display cycles through the current voltage, the amp rate, the time elapsed and the temperature. The charger that was shipped to me for review did not include a mAH value on the display, but after talking to the designer, a mAH display was added--try getting that kind of service anywhere else! I'll be the first to admit that the TwoLane definitely has that "home built" feel, and I wouldn't expect anything else from a small company like this. However, it has been my experience that these kind of products are some of the best to own, as the designers stand by them and offer a level of support that larger companies simply can't manage.

The fan and temperature functions are each a nice touch, although I am not sure how many people use a fan on their packs these days. It was all the rage about two years ago, but somewhere along the line people found that hotter batteries seemed to perform better--to a point, of course! Still, I often use a fan to cool off a motor after a run (especially when racing outdoors) and the TwoLane can do that as well. Just sit the motor on the cooling grid and crank it up! I'll admit that I rarely use the temperature probes on most chargers, but since the TwoLane's probes are built in to the surface, I used them every time.

Performance-wise, I had no complaints with the TwoLane whatsoever. It charged my packs in tandem, and even after leaving my usual power supply and second charger disconnected, I was able to run more practice than I usually get to. Since it's self-contained in one unit, I had the charger up and running within moments of arriving at the track, and by the time my car was ready to go an hour later, I had four packs charged and waiting. I would have loved to see a discharging function, though, since that is the only thing really preventing the TwoLane from being an all-in-one solution (something that, to this day, no company has managed to pull off). I also found the backlit screen somewhat difficult to read depending on the track lighting; I have probably been spoiled by the nice blue backlights that a few of the high dollar chargers have, but one can still dream.

when i set out to test the TwoLane ProCharger, I was certainly skeptical. I use no less than ten different chargers on a regular basis between the R/C Tech lab, my own gear at the track, and racing with various people. Can the TwoLane stack up against some of these pro-level chargers? It certainly can, and then some. When you consider the cost of most race-level chargers and a power supply, you are probably looking at well over $200, and the TwoLane will get you all of that but charge two packs instead of one. You get more practice time, less hassle with your charger, and fewer things to carry around in your pit box. And if you happen to race somewhere that has an E-Maxx class, or drive one on a regular basis, this is the charger of your dreams!

The TwoLane is still missing a few features, most notably a discharge mode and a way to control the output current by voltage rather than amperage, but its abilities make up for these few shortcomings. Throw in the full one year warranty and an easily accessible, friendly company, and I don't think anybody can go wrong here. I know that it can be difficult to purchase such an important product from a small company, but I suspect we'll be seeing great things from Nimble in the months to come. Doing things differently can be a welcome and long-overdue change, and I find it hard to believe that no one has put out a charger like this before. Fresh thinking, and new ideas? Sign me up!