I posted this at CPF as well, and am looking for as much input from as many sources as possible.
I am looking at buying a “real” battery charger to handle my NimH and LiON batteries, mostly AAA/AA/18650 cells. I would very much prefer to have a batter tester/analyzer. So given that, I am considering heavily the Opus BT-C3400 after much research and comparison.
Is there a reason to stay away from this charger/analyzer, and to consider a different one? I also had looked carefully at the Nitecore D4. I like the price of the D4, however its low current charging abilities leaves something to be desired… the ability to charge at 1A or better is preferable.
I cant seem to find if there is a better charger/analyzer than the C3400 for a similar price. Cost isn’t too much a factor, but I would prefer not to spend more than $55-$65. Less is better (because it frees up funds for more lights and accessories)!
Any suggestions or should I just pull the trigger on the BT-C3400 and run with it?
I have both. My D4 works every day. The Opus when I need to do battery testing. If Need more charge capacity I just grab another D4 or I4.The D4's charge rate is just fine. Only when you get to 4 cells does the rate drop to a max of .375. It would not be a bad idea to get both and unless you are going to be charging LifeP04's, just get the I4 and an Opus.
Depending on what you plan to charge, the lowest possible current is best for the initial charge on laptop battery pulls or any Li-Ion battery that has been sitting for some time below 2.8 Volts. You restore more of the original capacity with the lowest curent. Opus can charge/discharge with 0.2-2.0 A. It works well on NiMh too. Just do not leave them sitting in the charger for too long after the charge is complete.
D4 - simple to use, pretty reliable, limited ability. It’s a charger……period.
Opus - more complex, but, MUCH more ability. Huge difference.
If you want to be able to analyze and charge it’s simple > Opus.
If you want a LOT more complexity but the option to do even more you can look at upper end hobby chargers with home-made cell holders and analyzing circuitry. IMO, not really worth it. I have a RC hobby Accucell-6; I only use it to charge RC batteries since I bought the Opus. Why do one cell at a time when I can do 4?
Thanks for the comments everyone. Thank you Xstar for the recommendation on the VC4. I ended up ordering a BT-C3400, however I may also pick up the VC4 or i4 at a later date. I do have a lot of 18650’s to charge/test, like 40 or more.
I own a Nitecore D2 which works fine for the few 18650’s and 18350’s I use. But I would like the ability to test actual battery capacity. The Opus BT-3400 v2.2 looks like the right one even though it is more than twice as expensive as the D2. So what has been your experience with the 3400. Thanks