ML-101 v5.1 mod

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts Featured Mods
1

This might not be incredible mod from talented forum member as sub forum headline says but it could be useful…

Well as we all already know, maker of very popular ML-101 charger went trough a lot of trouble to make this excellent little charger much worse in most recent 5.1 version…

First of all internal circuitry is now completely different, excellent dual TP4057 ic setup is replaced by completely unknown KETNUS SHT6056 ic along with 8205 ic and A1SHB mosfet along with a few additional discrete components. Is this better or worse solution it is still unknown (cough! HKJ) but charger behavior is still good. Both of my two samples terminated charging Xtar 2600 at 4.18V and charging current is just under 1A.

Bad thing is that some of my micro USB cables, mainly the ones bundled with previous version are not working (not even nudging connectors produced any result) and they do work with first version of ML-102, so it seems that connector is very sensitive to lower quality connectors on cheap cables.

Primary problem with this new version is a size of battery compartment which doesn’t accept protected batteries any more. Even with old version it was a snug fit but that could be remedied by slightly shortening negative side spring. All of this is caused by a newly designed negative side spring which protrudes too much and is very stiff. Even unprotected batteries fit quite snug.

Fortunately there are few solutions to solve this problem but none of them is a quick fix. Easier approach is to unsolder original spring and remove inner stiffer part, isolate legs of indicator LED diode (heatshrink…) and make an opening in plastic case to enable spring to go “inside” in order to make enough place for protected batteries.

More elaborate option is to make use of opening that held contact plate in previous version that is still present in plastic case by making a new contact plate from copper sheet and adding a spring (just like in old version)

After cutting open plastic case, new plate is inserted, fit must be checked before soldering to PCB !

Final result

Protected batteries can now fit in without problem, but as this mod is quite time consuming this is not a solution when larger quantity of these chargers are needed (for gift or resale) I can only hope that manufacturer of this charger will make another revision that will address those shortcomings…

2

Thanks for showing us your mod chiefinspetorfinch. I’ll have to give this ago.

3

looks good, and I am glad that I have the old version :-)

4

I should have bought more of the old version while it was still available. Modding this thing is real PITA ! Unfortunately there is no real alternative for decent low cost charger…

5

Is the old version still available from regular, Chinese, stores?

6

Your lucky, mine charges to 4.04V, also 5.1, i’m ready to toss it in the trash

7

That is with all cells? Protected and unprotected and no matter of age.

8

I haven't seen version 3 in the welknown HongKong shops for a long time.

On Aliexpress you can buy one for $24+, but there is also one shop, which sells it for $10,50. Not a great price, but not usury as other shops on AlixExpress (usury: Hope this is the correct word and I use it in the right way. I never need this word before in an english post)

9

The black ML-101 on FT still has pictures showing the original coil spring. Review from 4/8/2013 said it had 2x tp4057 at that time. Perhaps FT could confirm they are still shipping the one pictured.

10

I’ve bought ML-101 (white) and ML-102 from FT. ML-101 charges my batteries to 4.23v, ML-102 - to 4.18v.

11

All charging chips have a variance for termination voltage from chip to chip. Usually ±1% or ±1.5% (4.137 – 4.263v).

Bort, where & when did you buy yours? They should refund or replace that one. 4.04v would be –3.8%, more then double the usual variance.

I love how there is finally a good inexpensive easy charger & they totally screw it up. Junk springs, low quality junky usb jack it seems, been through 3 different chips. Just to save a couple cents. Is the price for us lower? Would we even care if it was considering the problems? They’re going to lose more money in sales then the few cents they saved. Unknown chip that doesn’t even have a datasheet anyone can find. Tp4057 & tp4056 were already cheap!

12

Maybe they had other problems could not get other part in the circuit, maybe that new IC was presented at a special price to the charger manufacturer by the IC manufacturer.

You can even think of the KP style, some dealers requested non-Japanese cell, etc. KP sends 3 mosfets protected cell for review then 2 mosfets protected cells are being sold as the same protected cell from the review. Actually Miller has the decency to say V3.0, V3.1, V5.0, V5.1, and not say the product is the same.

13

True, at least they mark it with a version number. It seems most don’t do that. Have to give credit for for that.

14

Nice and very value able mod.

Two TP4056 circuits for one charger is only a myth, never existed.

15

Here they are, SOT-23-6

16

They originally used dual tp4057 (as in Hikelite’s pic). I don’t think anyone said dual tp4056. The ML-102, at least, switched from dual tp4057 to a single tp4056.

17

Thanks for the explanation, I was always confused about the two chips thing.
Never seen that there are different versions of this chip, even here I haven’t really read the 7. Lol.

Is there a schematic how two of these chips work together?

18

Had to google that world, lol, yeah, it seem it fits right in!

I guess Ill have to buy some now while they seem legit from FT before they are all sold out!

19

You just connect the inputs in parallel & outputs in parallel. Termination voltage will be the higher one of the two chips. Using dual tp4056 you would have 1.7A charge current, perfect 0.5C for a panasonic 3400. You could set the current lower as well.

20

I bought mine from fasttech, it was a replacement for a ml102 that charged to 4.11V…
They tried to give me a 20% credit till i got mad at them
I’m finished with these junk chargers