Request: Picking the right NiMH charger

Batteries and Chargers Chargers
1

Hi :)
I hope you guys help a bro with picking the right charger. I am newbie in this field, with a need of a good AA/AAA NiMH charger, Lithium is a plus, but at this point not really needed.

My need is basically consists from the following:

  • 4 Individual channels
  • Ability to set low charging current (200mA/300mA)
  • Reconditioning feature (Auto discharge/charge)
  • A Bounce: Force charging dead batteries (for reconditioning purposes)

Since yesterday, I have been looking into these chargers:

  • LittoKala Lii-500 / Varicore V40 (same charger, different names)
    • Couldn't find anything about Reconditioning, but NORmal/FAST Test appears to discharge the battery then recharge, not sure for how long it would discharge the batteries and if it would substitute for Reconditioning feature.
  • Xtar VC4
    • Looks like a good charger, not sure if I could control it's functionality.
  • Opus BT-C3100 V2.2
    • Can't tell: Fan/Noise seems bothersome to me, and reliability would be less.

Any recommendation on these chargers or any better suggestion is more than welcome.

Thanks in advance :)

2

The Maha C9000 is the best pure nihm/nicd charger, but it only does AA and AAA up to 4000ma, Also it can take a while to set each slot up unless you want the automatic 1000ma charge.

http://lygte-info.dk/review/Review%20Charger%20Powerex%20MH-C9000%20UK.html

John.

3

Opus BT 2400 only nihm/nicad 4 bay. Has charge, discharge, charge test, discharge refresh, internal resistance check. Does 4 at 1amp or 2 at 1400mah. Can go as low as 200mah. Its my main nihm charger.

I have the BT 3100 2.2 as well its a great charger. Fan noise is a opinion some its loud others its not. Can’t say I really notice it if the TV is on. And its been a very reliable charger.

Any of the chargers you mentioned won’t force charge dead batteries. You’ll have to use a dumb charger or dumb smart charger for that. And I highly don’t recommend doing that. I was force charging a cell. Worked fine about 20-30 times. Then it vented in a nitecore ea41 on low mode. Just turned on the light in low mode just above moonlight. Probably 15 seconds later it hisst and the switch bubbled up. Don’t force charge. These batteries even top of the line are $2 a piece or less. When a smart charger says error, null to a battery it detects something wrong in the resistance its shorted out inside or to high resistance something.

4

A lot of charger reviews, read before you buy.

http://www.lygte-info.dk/info/indexBatteriesAndChargers%20UK.html

John.

5

This is my main nimh charger as well. It’s got great functionality and I like it a lot. And no fan to worry about.

6

@Tinderbox UK: I have looked into Maha C9000. My take on it is that it is missing the safety reverse polarity detection (what else, I don’t know!). Beside that, for what it offers at the current time, it doesn’t appear to me that it worth it’s asking price. A year or two ago, I might have ordered it.
A valuable suggestion, and I appreciate the site you provided. It defiantly helped me into picking up my mind. Thanks. :slight_smile:

@Speed4goal: I had the impression, that Xtar VC4 would be able to repair/force charge a dead cell. Either way, I have taken a note it’s not worth it.

I decided on Opus 3100 V2.2 as the best charger that would fit me perfectly. At low current (200 mA) I doubt the temperature would be a huge problem, I could easily disconnect the fan if it ever bothered me. :smiley:

@Pete7874: I don’t know why, but your comment inspired me to get Opus 3100 and disconnect the fan. :stuck_out_tongue:

Thank you all for your kind contribution and great assistance. :slight_smile: