I currently have a Fenix LD22 flashlight and started off by buying Duracell AA Ion Core batteries and a Duracell 4000 charger.
The AA cells seem to be doing well. They perform well in the LD22 and have great life in game controllers, etc.
Also have a Fenix PD35 flashlight and just now purchased (2) Nitecore 2600mah 18650 batteries along with a Nitecore D4 charger.
The D4 had obvious problems so it is on its way back to Amazon.
Here is my question. I believe that the Duracell 4000 charger is judged to be adequate and not much more.
The Ion Core cells seem to be good batteries and are probably rebranded Eneloops.
Would you recommend buying a charger that will charge pretty much everything or a 2 slot that would do the 18650 and not the AA that I have?
I probably will not pursue this to the level that many members do but who knows what might develop in the future.
I am looking at the XTAR Vp2 but this might be overkill for my present needs. Reading as much as I can has made me want to see what is going on when the AA’s are being charged but that is probably not necessary. Same for the 18650 - nice to know how the charge is progressing but, again, is it really necessary?
I don’t see ever having more that 20 or so rechargeable AA cells and maybe a total of (4) 18650 cells. Maybe (4) more rechargeable to replace the disposable CR123 that a future light might need (thinking about a Fenix PD22).
Thanks for any suggestions. I have really enjoyed looking and reading at your forum and the friendly and helpful atmosphere here.
Richard
I’m not crazy about that Duracell charger because it charges in pairs. If it were me I would get a decent NiMH charger and a separate Li-ion charger. The Panasonic BQ-CC17 is pretty inexpensive, but if you want a nice one, then the Maha C9000 is great.
I was looking at getting a li-ion charger recently as well and decided on the D4, so I hope mine turns out better than yours did. I like the idea of being able to get some feedback from the charger on what is going on. I have a hobby charger, but I only use it to charge one battery at a time, so it is pretty slow. If you want a 2-bay charger to save some money, there is nothing wrong with that. You can always buy something else later on if you end up using it a lot.
I may try another D4 or maybe a D2. Edisonbright sells them thru Amazon and I’m thinking that may be the best chance of getting the real thing and not a clone or knock off. These will charge both the AA NiMH and the LiIon - I just hope it doesn’t overheat the NiMH like the one I returned did. Now that I’ve read so much about batteries and chargers I have a desire to see what’s going on during the charging process - something more that a red/green light or lights that just show the progress of the charge.
I have 5 lights that take 4-9 AA cells each, 25 AA cells total, just in the multi-cell lights. Then I start to count the radios, remotes, SK68 variants, and miscellaneous bric-a-brac, which will take me up to an additional 15 AA cells, at least. When I need to change depleted cells, I want spares ready to go, which requires me to have at least enough for my 9 cell AA light. So that puts me in the neighborhood of about 50 cells. And yes, I like to keep most of my lights loaded. After all, the Eneloops are good for 3 years on the shelf. And I sleep good not having to worry about Alkaleaks.
I think Eneloop made the comment that AA and AAA cells are the new frontier, or a paraphrased version of that thought. You notice that they don’t make C or D cells. I too have made some effort to standardize on AA cells. If a light or device requires C or D cells, I probably won’t buy it.
I have a Maha MH-C9000 charger for these cells, and it has been good. If you close your eyes when you look at the price, you will forget about it with the satisfaction of use. The chargers that attempt to charge multiple chemistries could be likened to a jack of all trades. So I would recommend two chargers, the best Nimh you can buy, and the best li-ion you can buy. Best is not to mean the most expensive, but the ability to address that which is meaningful to you, in a workman-like manner.
I am returning to rechargeables after many years of alkalines. Lucky fer me that recently I had snagged a 4 eneloop XXs and Sanyo BC-MQR06 charger combo pack for the price of USD27 equvalent that is cheap in my neck of the wood considering that even online retail usually is 40% higher. When i made the purchase I didnt know that that particular charger is the best Sanyo compact charger. I do find that is pretty fast and I can just leave those cells that I want to charge overnight and turn it off the next morning. Have purchase some AAAs too since for mouses and BT keyboard. Think I will have to get a couple more packs of 4 of them eneloops and I will be good for some years.