MiBoxer C2-3000 Review

Review MiBoxer C2-3000

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Hey folks today we will be reviewing the MiBoxer C2-3000 this is the second installment from MiBoxer a new player in the charging game. The first rendition of the MiBoxer charging series was heavily critiqued by fellow BLF members. We all had our say and told MiBoxer how they could improve there chargers. So now its time to see if they have listened and follow through with the updates. MiBoxer has still implanted the fully automatic controls so you simply put your batteries in the C2 and it does all the work for you. The C2 will decide what types of batteries they are and how much current to charge them at. I was hoping for a little more user control on this model so lets see how it does.

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What cells can the MiBoxer C2-3000 charge?

Please note the C2 will not charge LiFePO 4 cells. The C2 can charge 4.30/4.35v lithiums but they will be under charged as cut off voltage is 4.20 volts. The C2 can charge all commonly found lithium cells that are used by us flashlight enthusiast plus the standard AA/AAA batteries like NiMH and Ni-Cs. Yes it can do Ni-Cd but I have not seen them for sale in may places lately.

  • 4.20V(Li-ion/IMR/INR/ICR)

Battery type: 10340 / 10350 / 10440 / 10500 / 12340 / 12500 12650 / 13450 / 13500 / 13650 / 14350 / 14430 / 14500 14650 / 16500 / 16340(RCR123) / 16650 / 17350 / 17500 17650 / 17670 / 18350 / 18490 / 18500 / 18650 / 18700 20700 / 21700 / 22500 / 22650 / 25500 / 26500 / 26650

  • Compatible with Ni-MH / Ni-Cd(1.48V)
    Battery type: AAAA / AAA / AA / A / SC / C / D

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Design wise I like the look of the C2 it looks cool almost like a smaller C4 but much more funky and not as boring it is defiantly more finished in the looks department. I think more thought and design ingenuity has gone into the C2 which has resulted in increased functionality when comparing the C2 against the C4. The C4 is a great charger it had a few little issues but nothing major and it appears MiBoxer has improved on those few little issues.

The C2 has a much bigger and wider charging bay then most chargers on the market currently. The bays are very deep and extremely wide which makes charging 26650 easier. Even the biggest 26650s can fit ion the C2 with no problems this is the first for a charger that i own. The screen is big and clear and is backlight by a blue light. The one and only button on the C2 has a good tactile feel to it i like a good click.
MiBoxer has implemented a few new features which helps the C2 compete with other smart chargers. The new C2 can read impedance on both slots and has a battery capacity meter (MAH) calculator built into both slots. The design of the C2 give it some good overall cooling capabilities it doesn’t get to hot while charging at all the c2 does have cooling on the back side like the C4 does.
I am yet to fully test the C2 with a DC adapter so basically I need more time as I have yet to test the C2 too its full capabilities.

The internal components are all good quality and there is lots of space on the voltage input
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The extra wide slots are here for a reason the C2 is designed as a fast charger for larger cells. The C2 can charge two cells at 1.5amps each which will help when charging 26650s or even high drain 18650s. The 1.5amp charging rate can possibly cut charging time in half. Most 4 bay chargers do not charge at more then 1amp max! Nitecore has the SC2 that can charge at 2amps but that is also only a 2 bay charger. The SC2 has its own issues also with over charging i believe Nitecore has fixed the issue now.
Most 4 bay charger can only fit in a maximum of 2 26650 at the same time so I do not see the C2 only being 2 slots as an issue. Also most 4 bays charger can not fit the larger protected 26650 in the bay they are way to long.

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The C2 can charge 2 NiMH/NiCd at a maximum of 1 amp each which is okay. The 1amp charge current is a good bump from the C4 max charge rate which was around half of that. The C2 uses the same charging algorithm as the C4 which is pulse charging for NiMH this will give you the best results for charging NiMH you will have much fuller batteries then if you are using CV/CC.

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When charging Lithium ions the C2 is using CC/CV (constant current/constant voltage). This is also the correct way to charge lithium and is safer then using pulse charging algorithm. Some other chargers like the opus use pulse charging the issues arise with smaller cells. The cut of voltage on my C2 is perfect it cuts of charging at 4.20 volts on the dot! That result is really good . The C2 will display the charging current on the screen while charging is taking progress. So if its charging at 500ma it will display that on the screen.

The one issue I can see with this charger is that it uses trickle charging to keep cells full. I can tell this from looking at the specs but I do not have the equipment to test this my self. This will lead to battery degradation over time in theory the charge cycle will never finish. If the C2 is left on the charger will keep topping up the cells after the charge is complete. So basically your battery has reached 4.20 volts you then leave the cells on the charger they slightly drain to 4.15 volts.

Self taping screws with no thread inserts MiBoxer could improve this!
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Once the battery has settled (cells always lose voltage once settled). The charger will take the cell back up to 4.20 volts this will continue to happen as long as the cell is inside the C2. Its very important to note that this is not over charging the cell. The charger will cut of charging once the cells reaches 4.20 volts. The MiBoxer C4 also had this issue it is a fairly minor issue but it is still an issue to keep in mind when choosing if you want to buy the C2. This trickle charging has its pros and cons your cells will always be full but that will lead to faster battery derogation.

The rails run very smooth and appear to be stainless steel
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If your primary charging battery type is NiMH the C2 is okay I would rather a 4 bay charger for exclusive NiMH battery chargring. The C2 is using the correct the way to charge NiMH but it is only charging the cells at 1amp each so charging 4 cells will take a very long time. Most devices like flashlights use 4 NiMH batteries. If they bumped up the current you could probably make the C2 works as a NiMH charger. I do notice a more stable cut of on the C2 when compared to other chargers. The battery settle a better and higher voltage. Standard cut of for NiMH cells was 1.46 volts and the batteries were only just warm to touch.

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Already you can tell the new C2-3000 is very different from the original MiBoxer C4. Probably the first thing you pick up on is the fact that the C2-3000 is a duel and or 2 slot charger and the fact that the C2 doesn’t use main a power supply. Unlike the C4 this time around MiBoxer decided not to use its own internal AC-DC rectifier. So basically the C2 is made to be used with a DC source only like a lot of other chargers like my liitokala Lii-500. MiBoxer supply a USB cord that will work with the C2 but we all know that USB is a fairly low power source. To get full power usage out of the C2 you will need to get your own power adapter unless you have a high voltage USB source like one that comes in with a tablet.

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The input voltage range is fairly vast for a DC adapter the C2-3000 will accept any voltage from 5V DC- 12V DC. So this charger can be used in the car with the included car charger and will still charge faster then a normal charger. Cigarette lighter output in a car is at 12v standard.
Being able to use a 5v power source means you can use the C2 with any standard USB type charger but I would recommend a high amperage charger. You can also buy the 9-12v USB fast chargers they come standard with some tablets and Ipads these USB chargers will work well with this charger. The best results are found while using a mains DC input adapter.

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Adapter type

  • USB
  • DC
  • 5v-12v @2 amps max

This implement has its pros and cons by using an external power source this will help keep internal heat much lower inside the C2 when compared to the C4. It will also make the C2 much lighter in weight. As a con it will add cost to your C2 seeing as MiBoxer is not supplying the adapter with the C2 and also it gives you less options you cant just yank a figure 8 plug from another device to use on the C2. Remember MiBoxer does give you a compatible USB cable with the C2. You will also have to find the right size plug that will fit in the C2 without any issues its a standard sized DC plug so no issue their.

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Features of the C2-3000

  • Automatic detection of the cell type either lithium ion or NiMH,Ni-cad. This is good and bad I would of liked some more user input controls. The C2-3000 allows no input what so ever.
  • Uses pulse charging for NiMH,Ni-Cd cells (Proper method of charging to achieve full batteries)
  • Fast charge of 1.5amps max for lithium cells and max charge rate of 1amp for NiMH cells.
  • Auto stops charge once cells are full.
  • Auto adapts current rate to suit the individual cell. (smaller cells require less current to charge)
  • Auto adapts to the input voltage of the charger 5v-12v
  • Auto detects internal resistance of the cell in each slot
  • Auto counts the estimated remaining charge time
  • Supports repair of zero voltage cells (note only works with protected cells)
  • Saves the charging curve automatically for lithium cells only
  • Charges both ports independently (lithium can be charged on one and NiMH on the other)
  • Supports charging for smaller cells
  • High precision reference voltage calibration
  • Reverse polarity protection and short circuit protection

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The included features are very vast so I will quickly go into some details on some of the main selling points for the C2-3000.
The included MAH counter is actually pretty good its not perfect but none of the MAH readers included on charger are! If you put in a completely flat cell the C2 does a good job. I measured a Klarus 18650 3600mah cell at about 3450mah from almost flat I mean this cells voltage was at 3 volts. This is actually well within a few percent margin of error easily charging from flat. This is what most inbuilt cell capacity readers do on chargers.

Cooling fins on the back
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The impedance calculation is as good as all other chargers on the market it is hit and miss at best. When comparing to my Engineer-500 the C2 does well they are both a bit all over the place this is to be expected. My Sony VTC5 got 30milliohm and my Samsung 25r got 27 Milliohms which isn’t to far of the mark. When comparing to other chargers if you have a professional set up that will be much better options to measure resistance. Resistance measurements on chargers is more of guidance at best if you buy a cell new and do a few test at the start you can easily track the cells life.

The remaining time features seems to jump around a bit because the charger is continually changing the charger current of the cells. Not a big issue just don’t be put of by the long charge estimate at the start of a cycle. The time will adjust and get shorter once the charger settles down. No chargers that I own even have this feature.

Good addition are the different height bumps helps with all the different cell types
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What is included in the package?

  • MiBoxer C2-3000
  • Charging cable
  • Instructions
  • Car charging adapter

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Overall the C2-3000 has many great features as standard that come in handy and are a must in any charger. MiBoxer has not told me the price so the price will come into play with the C2. If you own a lot of larger cells the C2 is a must have! The C2-3000 can save you a lot charging batteries plus the C2 also has a lot of versatility like the including car plug you can charge your larger cells on the go. The bays are that big you would have no issues of larger cells moving about if you did charge batteries in the car.

I am back at home so i will add some info to this later!

Thanks for taking the time to read

Regards Chris

Hello Chris

Thank you for your nice review and your hard work, we will release our new products very soon, and hope you can review it.

Thanks again.

Leo

for more details, please visit our website: http://www.miboxer.com/eng/p2.html

Who sells these chargers?

Hey mate i am not sure Maybe Leo can answer that question? I have seen the C4 for sale at Gearbest.

Hey lads i added a video review. This is now my favorite charger for charging larger cells.

great,thank you for your nice review and your hard work

Leo

looks like it has room for 70mm cells like the new 21700.
but does it work with 2 32650?
or 2 d cell nimh flat top?
and what if protected 21700 show up?

Leo needs to get a distribution channel going. It does no good to review these if there is no place to buy them. He has sent me two of the C2’s and a C4 back in March. I suggested he get distribution going back then. An Amazon storefront would be a good start.

I agree, The new C2-3000 is a fantastic charger, and it’s a shame you can’t buy one. And now, there is even a newer one out, the C2-4000

Always amazes me when manufacturers go to all the effort to design and produce a product and then make it near impossible to buy, especially considering how easy it is the sell/distribute stuff online these days, so many well known marketplaces to sell goods online.

I just bough one of these yesterday, I have only charged AA and AAA NiMh so far.

If you are going to use auto current mode, it is very important that the battery/charger contacts are clean, or you will get high resistance and the charger will set 100ma charge rate instead of 450ma with clean contacts.

I wish there was an 1.5amp current option for NiMh as 1.0amp is extremely low to charge some of the high capacity D cells that might be as high as 10.000mah

John.

I also got one of those few days ago. I used it with all kinds of batteries, both Li-Ion (unprotected and protected) and NiMh.
As for all chargers, contact resistance plays significant role, especially for protected cells.

My observations:

1. The automatic mode is useless in 90% of cases, and for protected cells in 100% of cases.

2. The voltage readings on my sample are within 0.01V.

3. Charging of unprotected Li-Ion after manual adjustment of current: usable, mAh readings make sense.

4. Charging of protected Li-Ion: automatic mode clearly cannot handle this, fully discharged protected 14500 (ZL584) was charged in that mode at 100 mA for more than 8.5 hours, and got only 640 mAh according to the charger’s counter, which in my opinion is too low reading for that cell. The voltage after charging according to my Fluke was 4.15V. Charging of protected 18650 was even more interesting. I have put two protected EagTac 3400 mAh cells in the charger at 3.71V each. The charger showed drastically different percentage of filling for two identically filled cells, even after fiddling with them to improve contact. According of one of those readings total capacity of that cell should be more than 5000 mAh. The automatic charge started at 100 mA, but I immediately set charging current for both cells to 800 mA.
Charger started to show “remaining time”, which had no relation to reality. When it counted to :01, it jumped to :10, and so over and over again. Finally, in 2:45, charger terminated, counting more then 3200 mAh delivered to each of the cells, using 800 mA current at the CC stage. The voltage of the charged batteries according to my Fluke was 4.16-4.17V.

4. Charging of NiMH.

Day 1: pair Eneloop and Eneloop Pro. Those batteries are in constant use, so I know pretty well which charge they should take. Manually set 1A current. Perfect termination, the mAh readings as expected.

Day 2: the same pair of cells at the same level of discharge, the same manually set current. Premature termination on Eneloop Pro, the cell cold, at least 500 mAh are missing. This is not a problem of this particular charger, but of all chargers implementing -dv/dt method, and this cannot be remedied by top-off charge, which is absent in this charger.

After that I watched this charger very closely when charging NiMH, and besides premature terminations also encountered cases of missed terminations, where charger “cooks” the cells. Fortunately, I was vigilant and removed the cells in time.

My conclusions:

For unprotected Li-Ion: usable charger, readings make sense.

For protected Li-Ion: usable charger (they are protected after all), readings make little sense

For NiMH: very close attention of the user is required, as this charger has no thermal protection. I do not consider it good for this job.
I am aware of only one good NiMH charger implementing -dv/dt method: AV4m+.
That charger has good thermal protection which eliminates the possibility of battery cooking, and it implements double termination, which solves the problem of premature termination.

I got mine from Amazon so i have 30 day`s to accept, It was only £18.99 and it has a 3 year warranty and can be powered by usb once i buy a cable, I wonder if this limits the high current settings.

I am charging some 2300mah AA cells, the maximum auto current i have seen is 450ma, And i expect it to sit at 98-99% for a couple of hours which is stupid before showing fully charged, what termination method is used here?

John.