why do I keep getting trash chargers?! (small rant inside)

Off-topic Chatter
1

I really have a bad history with chargers.

1. ultrafire wf-139 - electronics burned up during second use and nearly caused a fire - got a replacement from light hound that charges to 4.25v - 4.25v is not acceptable to me as it over stresses the cells, but since its within the manufacturers specs of +/- 0.05v, I was told to go pound sand.

2. I have used the single bay black colored li-ion chargers (I have 6 of them) from international outdoor with varying results from 4.15v - 4.27v… at least I have 3 that are 4.18v

3. Trustfire tr-006 - bought on ebay… only charged to 4.08v… complained to the seller so he sent a second one… the SECOND ONE DID THE SAME and terminated at 4.08v. I was refunded after a lengthy chain of emails.

4. Turnigy accucel 8 - ok - so I tried a hobby charger… i figure if I spend $80 plus the cost of a power supply and order from a hobby retailer like hobby king i should get something quality right? WRONG. Unfortunately it took me quite some time to find this out, but the voltage chip does not work correctly and charging terminates way too early… I have tried manually adjusting the voltage but it still just does not work. Nimh works becuase the charger relies on negative voltage delta only and autodetects the number of cells. I tried to return the charger, but it would have cost me $30+ in shipping and a 15-20% restocking fee. Useless…. I’ll never buy from hobby king again.

5. xtar wp6 ii - bought from sbf flashlights… another piece of trash charger as far as I am concerned… batteries charge from 4.15 - 4.25v depending on the slot used. This is within the chargers spec, but the charger gets so hot when charging more than 4 cells that it smells up the room with burning component smells. I still have this charger because I can use 3 channels at a time that will charge to 4.21v

6. maha c-808 nimh charger - works pretty well - sometimes the cells get hot - I use this to charge up D nimh batteries quickly and also to test eneloops… works and no real issues.

7. 2x nitecore i4s - I have two of these, and I absolutely LOVE these chargers to death… they charge EVERYTHING and do a good job. Li-ion comes off at 4.18v and nimh also charges correctly… these are my go to chargers for EVERYTHING.

8. efest luc v4 2014 edition - bought from mtn electronics - only charged to 4.09-4.11v… richard sent me a prepaid return shipping label and refunded me.

9. Opus-3100 charger - bought from gearbest… will not reliably charge 4x 1 amp and 2x 2amp as specified… randomly resets during charging on ANY current now. I dont understand why… when I first got it I charged up 4x 18650 at 1 amp with no issues…. then it started misbehaving… it seems the “random” resets are getting worse. I have opened a ticket with gear best. At least for the time being I am able to charge 2x 1amp to 4.20 volts… like the trustfire TR-006 SHOULD HAVE.

EDIT - the opus is working ok now… it was a bad “wall wart”/power supply… im using a 50watt dc psu with no problems now!

Why cant someone make a reliable charger with reliable components? Aside from my c-808 and my i4s, everything has been a waste of money and time.

Maybe i just have bad luck when it comes to chargers. :frowning:

From now on I am only ever ordering from Amazon.com for chargers. At least I can return with free shipping & free pickup and no questions asked.

2

my only charger is I4 and i have both V1 and V2 version :slight_smile:

3

Whew, glad you didn’t mention the AccuPower IQ-328 since I just clicked Buy Now!

Good luck!

4

My wp6ii works flawlessly, except that bay 1 always under charges with 6 batteries in it. I have the back of mine supported with some foam cubes to allow better airflow.

Maybe you have bad luck with chargers.

5

My story is about the same, also an intl outdoor charger that terminated at 4.15V, an ML 102 at 4.11V and ML 101 at 4.05V
I was thinking of going the hobby charger route someday but am also considering an i2/i4 sometime.

6

it seems to be a lottery… i swear by my i4s… but there are members that also have issues

7

i noticed, hence my continued hesitation

8

well at least i solved my opus –3100 problem

it was the wall wart power supply that was dying under the higher power demands… i switched to a 50w DC psu and it does fine… maybe i can get gearbest to send me a new power supply or give me a small credit

9

i have 2 Nitecore I4 units, and they both work great. (and have a bunch of other cheaper random chargers, but don;t use those at all as the i4 units are much better and consistent.

10

Like the opus 3100 on paper but my go to chargers are the i4 and iCharger 106B. i4 is kind of boring but works great so maybe replace it with the opus one day if it fails…

11

i usually keep an i4 in my desk at work, i feel comfortable throwing 4x cells on it first thing in the morning and leaving them throughout the day and grabbing them before i leave without any problems

one time i forgot 4 cells overnight and it was fine….

12

Find what works and stick with it. Looks like the I4’s are the path you should follow.

13

I also like my I4. Although channel 1 can only charge Nimh now. Dont ask me why.

Miller 102 chargers. Have just picked up a few of those. Seems the one i used so far does a good job. But time will tell.

14

I agree, from the reviews i read about, and tests of my own, its difficult to find a charger that works as reliable, and is as consistent as the i4 v2. Nitecore has one of the best multi-chargers available. i like how it can charge different cells at the same time very safely.

15

I’ve been fairly lucky. I have the IQ-328 and a WP2mII and they both work well. The Xtar generally terminates at 4.19v, but I guess that ain’t no biggy. The IQ-328 has been going strong for a year.

16

My wp6 ii charges 4.18-4.22
Wp2s charges 4.19-4.20 perfect
Mp1 charges 4.17-4.18
Im happy with my xtar chargers.

17

Very accurate pre/CC/CV/cut charge cycles.
Item: Charger
A detailed review: Youtube Vid

Can solder a holder to it: Holder

The main thing about the charger is the “TP4056” search that up for the data sheet or watch that guy’s video.

I made over 30 of these chargers for myself/friends and there have been no problems so far.
Also, if you keep the chip permanently connected to the battery, it can count as a protected battery (low voltage protection, etc)
last thing, if you look at the datasheet, you can change the resistor to lower the charging voltage of the battery, Ex: Stop @ 4.1V if you want expensive batteries to last longer

Hope this helps?

18

I love my xtar VP2 but my I4 is really bad. Sometimes Li-Ion comes off at 4.18v but sometimes for no reason 4.3+ I’ve seen even 4.37 on one slot and then light on that slot shut off completely… I can’t really use I4 anymore because of this. Maybe on protected cells. I contected with them and they offered me that I send charger to them. Well, shipping would cost more for me than a new I4. So, I’m not satisfied with nitecore at all.

19

Hmmm… :~
So it would be best to thoroughly check my chargers then…
My faith in simple voltage regulation is not justified, apparently… :frowning:

20

Has anyone attempted to identify the charge controller in nitecore & xtar chargers?

~ edit ~
Nitecore i4 and i2 charger teardown Main chip in both is either unmarked or had its markings removed. Not what I’d want to see, especially on a supposedly better quality brand. Mystery chips always instill confidence. Post 34 Nitecore i4 blew.

Xtar wp2 II teardown More blank chips.

I’ll likely disassemble my xtar VP2 (free giveaway / contest) whenever it gets to me. Don’t see any teardown of the VP1 or VP2 around.