Hey everyone! I’d like to order a charger tonight! 
Right now I have a Nitecore i4, an EBL 808, and an Energizer CHCCWB-4.
However, you can never have enough chargers, and I’d like one that does analysis and handles pretty much everything.
I am thinking: AccuPower IQ338XL or OPUS BT-C3400?
I’m leaning towards the AccuPower since it can handle 9v batteries as a bonus and I like the look of it better.
What do you think?
I thought the ’3100 can do LFP cells, but I guess not. At least I haven’t looked hard enough.
That’s about the smartest charger I got. i4, 100/100B/202, etc, but that’s it.
What I’d like is a charger that can selectively charge to only, say 90% for longevity, or 30–40 for storage.
And does NiCd/NiMH/LiFePO4/Li-ion gracefully.
A hobby charger might be a better option if you feel comfortable using one. There’s a bit of a learning curve but nothing to difficult.
It will charge just about anything you throw at it with lots of options.
I’ve had a Opus BT-C3100 for years and it’s still kicking. One of the slots is inop now because the negative spring-loaded contact broke off… but the other 3 work.
That being said, the SkyRC MC3000 is my favorite. There are so many settings that its insane. You definitely need to be somewhat tech savvy for the MC3000, but I love mine.
I’ve got the BT-3400 v. 2.2 and I’m quite happy with it. You can remove the bottom half of the case and drill a hole over the slider switch, so you can do LiFePO4 chemistries, using a toothpick, or small non-conductive screwdriver.
For 9v, I use the Tenergy 2 bay smart charger and 4 Centuras and they’ve worked out well for ~5 years.
Chris
Looked at HJK’s review for the Opus 3100…he does mention an internal switch for doing LiPo, but he did not test it’s function.So sounds similar to 3400 in the post above.
Hi everyone! Thanks for your input!
I know a lot of folks are standing by their Opus products, and I was sorely tempted as I know that would have been a safe and quality choice, but I went with the AccuPower IQ338 (though not the XL version). Mostly this was arbitrary on my part: but the AccuPower just looks (slightly) easier to use, nobody else spoke about it (I am all for the path less traveled) and it was a bit less than the Opus BT-C3400 (Amazon pricing). Maybe I’ll eat my words and wish I bought an Opus. We shall see!
I’m looking at the Xtar Dragon VP4 Plus. That seems like a pretty radical charger, though it does not charge LiFePO4. No biggie as I don’t have anything that uses them.
Ah, kewl, tnx! Thought the internal switch was for the 3400 only. Will have to take a peek…
I’m an Xtar charger fan boy and have 10 of them.
If you’re close to paying for a Dragon, you might as well just get the SkyRC MC3000 and have the ‘best’ consumer multi-chem, 4-bay charger made by man.
If you’re not a tweeker, then don’t bother.
I don’t need the Nth degree, so I’m good.
Chris
for fast charge the Miboxer C4-12 or C2-6000 are great
4x3A the 2 bay 2x3A
There was also an upgraded fan swap (IIRC) and with the 3400, I can toggle on/off the display, which the 3100 couldn’t do. Mine is the v. 2.2 variant.
Chris
The hidden switch on the Opus does indeed work. You can do high voltage Li-on, and LiFe batteries, which also happens to work out well for Li-on ~ storage level. :+1:
Cut a hole so it’s easy to get at.
The charger gets a lot of complaints in the forum but I think it’s one of the best buys available….if you replace the power supply and add some extra cooling. FWIW the cooling is what allows it to charge at higher amps and more cells than a lot of competing units.
[quote=seery]
Considering that it was a $90 charger when it hit the streets, $65 shipped is a good deal. The SkyRC MC3000 is still $90-$100+ shipped, so there’s a fair difference in price between the two.
Personally, I think that the Opus BT-3100/3400 v. 2.2/3.1 are pretty good deals at ~$40 (I paid $51) especially if you’re not a knob twiddler and don’t really need the Nth degree of ‘geekness’, which I don’t.
Still, I never felt I needed an Opus and I ended up getting one and I swore I’d never get into li-ion cells and lights, after revamping my NiMH stash in 2012, but here I am, 25 chargers later.
I like Xtar and HKJ reviews it favorably, but no charger is perfect. For most of my needs, the Opus 3400 is more than sufficient.
Chris
seery can you tell me where to get the Xtar Dragon for 60-65?
I love all my Xtar chargers and always wanted the Dragon but the price was a bit much.
You can get a coupon on here for the MC3000 for $80
Not really a tweaker. The SkyRC looks great but looking into it I’m seeing complaints of slider pegs breaking, buggy firmware, and loose, floppy buttons. Some people are asking for the hardware versions of the SkyRC before buying for some reason.