1. You say “The conclusion must be that it is a good battery analyzer, but for normal charging I will still prefer a charger with non-pulsing CC/CV charging.”
Do you have a recommendation for a non-PWM charger?
2. You also talk about using your own ps. I’m assuming a quality hobby $150 ps of sorts, maybe a reclaimed server supply? What are your thoughts on the “included” ps with the 3100 v2.1?
Thanks… the research continues…. while I have 2 18650’s “Grading” on the XTar vc4S…
There a many, only typical candidate is the LiitoKala 500, but also check the Vapcell I recently reviewed.
That was mostly due to the high peak currents, any supply with the same volt rating and higher current rating would basically be better.
The review is fairly old and they may not supply the same PS any more.
Generally these power supplies has a limited lifespan that is very temperature depend, i.e. if it is hot the lifespan will be short (This may still be a year or two).
Timely thread wishiwereaskibum. I joined to take part in the BLF Charger build thread but I see that as of yesterday, the project has taken a bit of a turn. Now, like you, I’m back on the quest for the ultimate charger.
After doing a ton of reading (HKJ reviews ), I think I’ve narrowed it down to getting 2 chargers: the Opus 3100 for testing, handling 4.35V cells plus storage (3.7V) and then the Zanflare C4 for everyday charging (look Ma, no fan!). That’s 8 bays and still cheaper than the SkyRC. Speaking of the MC3000, personally it’s just too expensive in light of its issues. It’s certainly the most capable single charger but I’m put off by the build quality issues, the awful dot-matrix LCD, chintzy buttons and undercooked software/app. For a charger that is now $130 on Amazon, there really shouldn’t be these lingering issues, especially after 5 years on the market.
Regarding the MC3000, I can offer an opinion on a unit recently purchased. I think the build quality issues have been addressed, and the display doesn’t look awful at all. I haven’t heard of a lot of problems with the function of the buttons. And my new unit looks and feels solid.
Just a quick note to HJK, thank you for the Xtar VC4S suggestion. I saw that perhaps it’s not the best with Nimh, but I have a Panasonic for those. Bought one off Aliexpress. My view is that XTAR makes quality product would be an excellent partner to approach in light of the fact that the other Mfg bailed on the BLF charger build.
Apparently they changed the plastic posts that retain the slide rail springs but looking at pics of both, I can’t see a whole lot of difference. Unfortunately, when the posts do break, they can cause a short to occur with some of the components that border the rails. The second version also apparently has very stiff, course feeling slides.
As for the screen, I mean it’s a dot-matrix LCD and 128x64px at that. The original Nintendo Gameboy released in 1989 had a larger/higher res screen than that. In fact, I’m honestly surprised that they were able to even procure such a component in 2015.
Anyway, not to poke the SkyRC any further; it’s a capable charger. My main gripe is the cost vis-a-vis the half-baked nature of the product. At over $100 USD, it really shouldn’t have the issues it has and if the PC and smartphone apps were well implemented, the LCD screen wouldn’t even be an issue. It simply needed more time in the oven to justify the price tag and considering there’s essentially no after sale support, $75 should be the upper limit of its price after 5 years on the market.
Regarding the buttons, I must say I kind of hate most of not all I’ve touched or seen videos of. Today, in the year 2020, wouldn’t it be easy and cheap and reliable to have non-mechanical buttons like the Lii 500S? And talk about screens and UI and control, yes the 1980’s era b/w lcd is way gone. I may not love my bran new XTar vc4s 100%, but it seems to work, do as I need, and the screen is decent enough to look at… far from my idea of ideal, but to each their own.
Again, if we could only get the ISDT C4 UI with a “pro feeling” spring loaded cell holder with set and go basic functions as well as the ability to tweak/mod charge currents and “pretty good’ power, I’d be willing to pay the $100 price point for a 4 cell charge, analyze, store unit. Til then the $30 price point ish seems just good enough. All I really want to do is safe;y push current into batteries, cycle them once in a while, and store them. Yup, measuring capacity may be interesting and cool, may be needed in my 4 cell lights to match capacities???, but $30ish is a sweet spot.
I’m with you, hate the clicky buttons and awful screens on most chargers. Personally, I’d be happy with the MC3000 if only it could be operated completely (and reliably) using the smartphone interface but I’m pretty certain that’s not the case. Shame since most households have a few old phones lying about that could be dedicated to such a task.
I use mine 99% of the time with the phone ,it’s easier & quicker to set up ,the settings are stored so no searching for program numbers & which one does which program , in my opinion the only drawback with using the phone interface is you can’t have the phone too far away from the charger , it even sounds a notification when cells are finished.
Edit ,you can still walk away from the charger with phone or device that it’s connected to ,when you come back to the charger you just have to shut down the app then relaunch it & all dater & graphs are still there, Bluetooth only works for about 10 meters or so but it would be nice if it worked 100 meters away but for that it have to be radio waves instead of Bluetooth.
So the charger continues to operate in the last configuration even if you walk away? Or once it looses Bluetooth, will the programs (s) stop ?
This sounds interesting actually. Is e the app to start / run the charger and if it (the charger) keep operating regardless of signal loss you’ve accomplished your task.
Thanks for the info. I downloaded the app and even though I don’t have the charger, managed to play around with it a bit. I was able to get it to launch on my iPhone but apparently Android users aren’t usually so lucky.
It’s solely for choosing charge parameters; it’s not possible to alter any other settings. I like that you can save multiple charge profiles, unfortunately you can’t give them unique names so you have to remember what each one does; bit of an oversight there.
It’s nice that you can walk away and return and not have the charger interrupt its duties. It would have been nice if the app didn’t interrupt the PC software and vice-versa though.
Hi Team,
A pleasure to meet this topic with quite recent information. I am already using a charger SkyRC B6ACv2 and I am fully satisfied to use it to charge Li-Po Pack, Li-Ion Pack or 18650 Li-Ion Cell.
Charge, Decharge, Test, Cycle or Stock, Internal Resistance I have here everything it is needed to get the best from battery to any RC Model.
I have all specific connector provided and this easy to custom any solution and all pack can be balanced using the good connector.
But I also appreciate the use of a charger for maybe the most difficult battery to be managed and this is Ni-Mh or sometimes Ni-Cad. I have ton of AA and AAA Ni-Mh and also some pack and heres comes the limit.
First of all B6AC is not designed as a support for AA and AAA and you need to buy battery holder if used in series or build it for // charging.
As you may know the best is to use slow charge using C/10 but here the Delta Peak Voltage reach a limit to be used with precision (and this issue increase with number of cell you have to charged together)
B6AC could be used with a sensor (you can buy or build with a simple LM35 3 pin component) to use the Delta Peak Temperature and this is for sure the best solution to control Ni-Mh charge on maxi without reaching damaging zone.
But you can’t control really each element for capacity voltage and temperature peak. With or without software this is just good for a pack with all element in equal conditions.
For that reason I am also seriously considering to buy a specific charger for AA and AAA support where I can manage more easily plenty of cell in any conditions to assist a BC-700 La Crosse I have but has no Delta T control
SkyRC 3000, XtarDragon VC4 Plus or maybe the VC8S is on my list but I need to make sure what charger is able to control Delta Peak Temperature for each channel (and not only Delta V you can use at higher current).
This is clearly annonced for SkyRC 3000 and we see the sensor contact behind each cell but I am in favour to VC8S with 8 channel and Xtar just miss to give the information.
VC8s use most of features from Dragon plus propose 8 display zone including the internal resistance for each. Any advice is welcome. BR
SkyRC MC3000 is likely still top of the line.
The Xtar Dragon VP4 also does charge li-ion and NiMh very well.
The Xtar VC8 does fine for Li-Ion, but based on HKJ’s testing, NiMh charging may sometimes not charge to full capacity (I have tried inquiring with Xtar in the “help with Xtar” message thread regarding the VC8’s “sometimes does not fully charge NiMh batteries” issue, but haven’t checked if they have a reply. I have tried the Xtar VC8 but I don’t use much NiMh so have not really tried much tests for NiMh batteries on the Xtar VC8 personally though… (I wonder if it could just be an issue with the Xtar VC8 unit received by HKJ, or it happens across most VC8 batches…) Something to look out for in case considering the VC8. (I like the VC8 in that it can do manual charge current selection from 0.25A, 0.5A, 1A, 2A, 3A [only outer slot] plus some of the features and battery length support)
New thread is probably not necessary, so I’ll use this one
I have few AA and AAA batteries and 18650. I would like to buy a charger that will those types of batteries but I prefer to have more types just in case.
I don’t need every future there is but I would like to have batteries discharged to 0% and function to test / discharge and fully charge batteries.
I’ve been thinking about liitokala Lii-500s, Nitecore SC4 (I think it doesn’t have discharge function but I’m not sure).
Xtar VC4S is great but I don’t want micro usb connetction.
Maybe mixboxer c4-plus (or c4-12. Don’t know which one is better)
Never discharge any battery to 0%. That’s old information that seems to still be floating around. Good way to kill a battery.
You discharge to whatever is ‘appropriate’ for the particular chemistry of the cell.
A number of chargers will capacity test. I personally like the Opus BT-C3100 for all around use.
Assume you’ve found this wonderful table: Table of tested chargers, comments?
Sort the [Extra] column by clicking on it, look for (Analyzer), then at least 2xsmiley faces (my opinion), sort for the features you think you want, then go read the review, and maybe comments.
Just to be clear, 0% doesn’t necessarily mean 0 Volt. Most li-ion chargers will assume the cell is at 0% capacity around 2.8-3.0V, which is still a safe discharge level.
), I think I’ve narrowed it down to getting 2 chargers: the Opus 3100 for testing, handling 4.35V cells plus storage (3.7V) and then the Zanflare C4 for everyday charging (look Ma, no fan!). That’s 8 bays and still cheaper than the SkyRC. Speaking of the MC3000, personally it’s just too expensive in light of its issues. It’s certainly the most capable single charger but I’m put off by the build quality issues, the awful dot-matrix LCD, chintzy buttons and undercooked software/app. For a charger that is now $130 on Amazon, there really shouldn’t be these lingering issues, especially after 5 years on the market.
