[NSRCA-discussion] How do I power my TP 1010C charger?

[Anthony Abdullah]

Ok here is another "E" question for you guys.
I set up my Thunder Power 1010C charger and 210V balancer to charge a set of True RC 5000 batteries wired as one 10S pack. I set the charge rate at 1C so it would charge at 5 amps. I had the charger powered by a pretty strong car battery that was fresh off a two day trickle charge. Everything started fine and it charged for about a minute then I got an input power error message. I placed a call to the only electric expert I know and was advised to lower the charge rate. I set it at 2.5 amps and it charged for about 45 minutes at that rate then I got the same message. I reset it at 2 amps and it completed the charge cycle.
 
Questions:
1. Can I run that charger off of a car battery or do I need what I have heard referred to as a deep cycle marine battery? I used it because I had it handy and figured I would at least try it.
 
2. Just out of curiosity, what is it about the car battery that makes it unsuitable for powering that charger? Is it a lack of sustainable amperage, voltage, etc?
 
3. What are my options for powering that charger? I am open to getting a generator but would like to consider all the options. More than likely I will always arrive at the practice field with 3 or 4 fully charged packs but will definitely need to recharge during a contest. I can't run the charger directly from the generator, what else would I need to buy? I am looking for reliability, portability, and a good value (not necessarily cheap). I can lug a battery to the field just as easily as a generator and have a good battery charger. 
 
What have you guys used that has worked well (Marine batteries, generators, power supplies/converters). I do not want to reinvent the wheel so I am interested in what has worked in the past.
 
Thanks
Anthony
NSRCA #759
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