I like the nitecore i4 because it’s under $20 and is very safe and simple, but it is very slow. I prefer it for basic charging over the Opus Bt-C3100.
What are your favorite chargers? Why?
I like the Xtar SP1 because it can charge my 18650 4.35V cells at 2A.
I can fully charge a 18650 in about 2 hrs 20 min.
I like that it lets me know when it’s charging (red light) and when it’s finished (green light)
It is reasonably priced ~$20 and got a positive review from HKJ.
The xtar VP2. It has everything you could ever want in a two bay charger. It can charge all three voltages: 3.6, 4.2, and 4.35, and all cells: .25a to 1.0a (10440 to 26650)
(the only two things it does not have is the capability to charge niMH, and do discharge capacity readings. But you can’t have your cake and eat it too.)
I have a bc168 charger. It doesn’t do nimh or nicad but it can charge 1s-6s up to 8 amps (providing the cells and leads can handle the current).
I really like it because it charges the cells individually (just like the smaller chargers that only do 1-2 amps. I bought it for A123 packs which can handle super high charge currents but are notorious for slow balancing. No balance current needed with this. B-)
Charges almost everything, does it reliably, and can do discharge/capacity testing on almost any chemistry.
It is a bit more complicated then ‘red light-green light chargers’ but for technical work it is great.
For ‘simple-slow’ and Li-on I use a nitecore i2 AFTER they’ve been tested with the AC-6 first. I don’t use it for NiXX as I found my unit tends to overcharge that chemistry.
I have the Turnigy Accucell-6 hobby charger. It charges li-ion, ni-mh, ni-cd, and Pb. Cheap (~$30) for a hobby charger and reliable. Does everything I need it to!
Accucell 6…it charges everything I have and also lets me run discharge tests to boot. Slow to charge multiple NiMH batteries of course, but can easily parallel charge multiple Lithium batteries.
How do you hook up multiple cells to the Acuucell 6 or bc168? They don’t come with all the wires you need, do they?
I kinda like how the SP1 has a more simple form factor and does 2A charging, but with only 1 cell…
I recently started using my hobby charger a lot. I like all the data it gives, and the ability to calibrate it, and even an option to install open source firmware that expands its capabilities. I'm not crazy about the cradles. Right now I'm modifying a defective Nitecore i4 to make it somewhat easy to adjust between 2S to 4S while retaining convenient sliding battery bays. It'll never be as convenient as a smart charger like my Nitecore i4, LaCrosse BC-700 or eFest LUC V4 that can have batteries quickly popped in and charging without doing anything else.
So my favorite when it arrives will be the Turnigy Reaktor 300W, followed by the Thunder AC680 that I'm currently using. Then the LaCrosse BC-700 because it's served me well for years and show the capacity of the cells it's charging, then it's a tie between the Nitecore i4 and eFest LUC V4. The i4 has an advantage because it does nimh and lithium ion, and the LUC V4 has an advantage because it has selectable charging current and is much faster when all 4 bays are loaded. There's also a special mention for the Tindie Liponano charger because it's my smallest and lightest charger by a huge margin, and that's a big deal on long distance backpacking trips when I take great effort to save every ounce.
They come with all the wires you need to charge one cell. ;)
To charge more cells, hobby chargers usually require you to buy balance leads. Then you figure out your own way of attaching them to your batteries. Some people use batteries, some make or modify cradles. I believe most hobby chargers will balance charge 6 or 8 cells in series, but can do more cells if they're in parallel. Parallel is where I'm a bit lost. While I'm pretty sure cells may still balanced, it's not possible for the charger to log individual cells. So you have to decide what's more important to you and wire it accordingly. The Opus charger is so special because it does most of that without the hassle, without reconfiguring the charger for different set ups, if only they'd provide it with a powerful enough power supply so it could work at its best.
I’ll have to say the Nitecore i4v2, it’s the only one I’ve got, safe slow and dependable - but who wants drama when charging Lithium batteries?
Bonus is that it charges every rechargeable battery that I have.
Having come from rc I had Lipo and life packs with balance taps. Plug it straight into the charger. Most other hobby chargers use the balance tap for balancing (around 350ma) and main leads to the whole pack for charging. Right now I have on order a cheap “universal” ( meaning the old nimh/nicad ) charger that uses slides. Just like leaftye said I’ll be modding it to use with the bc168.
My favourite is the basic i2 charger because it can charge ni-mh without any problem so far. I also like Xtar MC1 as single li-ion charger to bring around when travel.
The Accucell 6 because it can charge large or small batteries of different chemistry, test laptop pulls and older batteries and can be fast when speed is needed.
The Intellicharger i4 because it is simple to use.
The ML-102 because its very portable - and its USB outlet can charge your phone in a pinch.
i put an order in for the BT-C3100 and i hope that it will replace my Nitecore i4.
Does the Accucell 6 charger also charge 4.35V batteries?
Nope - but this thread has an inexpensive answer to the 4.35v problem