So I’m looking for a cheap and reliable charger that could charge three 18650’s at the same time.
Nitecore i4 looked good, untill I noticed that some of the slots are linked. So if I would put 3x 18650’s in it, one of them would charge with 750mA and two with 375mA - and that does not sound good when trying to keep the 3 cells in identical condition.
So I’ve been thinking about getting two nitecore i2’s, or three identical single cell chargers.
But are there any other options? Some real 4-channel chargers to be had at decent prices maybe?
All 3 cells will be charged at 375mA if charged in an i4.
Edit: Bad info, sorry
Soshine, Xtar, Nitecore
http://www.fasttech.com/category/0/-/p/1/?li%20ion%20charger
But ultimately…go to HKJ’s site [noone but him does a more in depth review]…find a charger, see if he says it’s a “good” charger or crap…then go from there
http://www.lygte-info.dk/info/indexBatteriesAndChargers%20UK.html
Buy 3 of these http://www.ebay.com/itm/1PC-New-TP4056-5V-1A-Mini-Lithium-Battery-Charging-Board-Charger-Module-/300948822375?pt=Battery_Chargers&hash=item4611f29967 limit the current with adding a smd resistor 2k for ~500mah, 4k for 250mah…
Then get some battery bays or make one from wood maybe 
Oh, in that case i4 works just fine for me.
I assumed that since two slots share the 750mA current, the unpaired cell would get the full 750mA.
How do you know that it works like that? Have you charged 3 batteries and seen that they finish at the same time, or does the manual say something about it? I was unable to find anything about it in the reviews. :\
Yep, I’ve been checking them out… but usually the better chargers cost a bit more than I’m willing to spend at the moment.
Heh, I have few of those and have been thinking about it, but making a good charging doc would be a lot of work… easier to just buy a ready one 
I have the two cell version of this one. Charges 3400 batteries in less than 4 hours. http://www.fasttech.com/products/1421/10002741/1523801-authentic-soshine-sc-s1-max-1-4pcs-li-ion-battery
[quote=Blinky1]
Oh, in that case i4 works just fine for me.
I assumed that since two slots share the 750mA current, the unpaired cell would get the full 750mA.
How do you know that it works like that? Have you charged 3 batteries and seen that they finish at the same time, or does the manual say something about it? I was unable to find anything about it in the reviews. :\/quote]
My bad, I went and checked my i4. You are correct in OP. It does charge the two cells in the linked channels at ~350mAh and the outlier at ~750mAh.
Sorry about that.
[quote=unknown00101]
I believe 1/3, and 2/4 share 750mA per channel “bank” (for a total of 1.5A across all 4)…if you only have 1 battery in the channel bank it gets the full 750mA, but if you put 2, it divides the total current between the ports
[quote=unknown00101]
Thanks for clearing it
Too bad, looks like I need to go with multiple chargers…
[quote=unknown00101]
Np, thanks for clearing it
Too bad, looks like I need to go with multiple chargers.
Xtar wp6ii works good. Just put them in slots 1-3-5 or 2-3-6 whatever you’d like. Charges fairly fast and if you need to you can charge 6.
I use mine all the time.
Thanks for all the replies. Choosing the charger became so complicated, that I decided to go the DIY way after all.
I bought one of these 4x 18650 holders and 4x TP4056 chargers. Combining those SHOULD make a good charger relatively easy. 
Be aware that they have been selling “tp4056” boards with different chips, clones or unmarked chips instead of the original ones (with stylized TP logo) that HKJ tested. See post 43 in the tp4056 thread. Check that the picture in the ebay listing shows the real chip. Personally, I would ask the seller to confirm the chip they are selling is “as pictured”.
can you parallel all the batteries in the i4? or would that just fry it?
I’ve never thought about this, but why would it matter if 1 of the cells charge faster than the other 2 that are sharing a channel?
I use the i4, if that was a problem for me I’d just charge 2, then put the 3rd one in the charger once the first 2 are completed. OR just throw a spare 18650 in to charge with the other 3 to make them all charge at 375.
to make sure you don’t trip up the sense circuit. But, yes at slower rate.
Are these 3 x 18650s for a parallel battery flashlight or series?
Link to the 18650s your using?
For batteries that are used in series you want all cells to age / wear at the same rate.
I know this, I group cells for torches I own, but surely the difference between charging at 375 and 750 on an 18650 would make bugger all difference, wouldn’t it?