SkyRC MC3000 possible major bug (1A trickle charging)

So, played around with my new MC3000 this weekend and I seem to have discovered a pretty major flaw in the programming of the iOS app. Using the eneloop or NiMH “charge” program results in a trickle charge beginning exactly 5 minutes after completion of the program and of exactly the charge rate, despite having trickle explicitly set to “off”. Talk about cooking some eneloops.

Here’s my parameters:

And here’s the proof:

Did you ever find any other information on this? I had the same experience refreshing 4 2400mAh AAs. Configured in the iOS app, trickle charging disabled, but the batteries were given a 1.25A trickle charge at the completion of the refresh.

I tested by creating other programs in the iOS app and could reproduce it reliably. When I create a program with the trickle charge set to off the MC3000 will start a trickle charge at the full charge rate (if I set the charge rate to 1.03, it trickles at 1.03) a few minutes after the program completes. It doesn’t take long for the batteries to start to sizzle. Not good!

I configured a similar program on the device and could not reproduce.

I sent SkyRC an e-mail and linked them to this thread.

This is pure conjecture, but from what I understand there are a lot of bugs that pop up if you control the charger from the iOS app. I have really only monitored my batteries from the iOS app, and set up charging programs on the unit itself. I’ve never noticed any bugs by setting up configuration on the unit.

If you read the Apple App Store ratings for the iOS app, there are one or two users that complain about bugs introduced by program set up with the iOS app, so I just always wrote that feature off. It’s a bummer the app is mediocre, because it could be such a killer reason to get this particular charger.

I e-mailed SkyRC and they replied explaining that reaching the restart voltage setting causes the normal charge current to be applied (I assume the T icon is just a side-effect of this stage).

I turned off the restart voltage setting and cannot reproduce.

The actual defect here seems to be that when you create a new Eneloop program in iOS the restart voltage is displayed as 1.35v, but when you save the program and return to edit it again the setting is actually 1.45v. 1.45v is reached within 5-10 minutes after charging stops if there is no trickle charge.

So the good news is the actual device seems to be behaving as configured. The iOS application does not represent the settings correctly.

Thanks for sharing this information (although I don’t own an IOS device), and also configure programs on the MC3000 unit itself.

However, I do notice some different things when I configure using the PC (Windows) software to control the MC3000, some settings seem to have extended thresholds (not very sure). I remember that when configuring discharge test, on the MC3000 unit itself, I can only do a Discharge Test to as low as 2.50v (Cut-off voltage), but on the Windows software, I remember I could set Li-ion to discharge to as low as 2.00v (and have tested this program setting — it’s really able to discharge to 2.00v Cut-off voltage).

So it looks like the software can do some stuff that the unit may not allow…

Would anyone recommend this charger if so why

It’s the most advanced charger at the time I purchased it. There’s nothing you can’t program it to do.

My problem with the app is that it used to be great but seems to get worse with every update. The un-disableable modal “charge complete” dialogs are horrid. Also, you’d think one of the first things they’d fix is better reconnect when the bluetooth is interrupted. The lack of iPad landscape mode is annoying, but I can see why that’s a low priority.

This charger has it good points and it not so good points here is an example of what I am talking about

The one thing that I like about this charger is that it has a temperature sensor that actually works mean it shuts down the charger if the temperature goes beyond the set point

But I wish that when SkyRc does another software update that they would consider making the voltage/current graphs on the same page and the chart bigger to fit the iPad screen and they also need to fix the Bluetooth connection issue when you charge or discharge a battery that you do not have to reconnect the Bluetooth connection really

This is a great charger and most agree that it is (still) the most advanced out there.

But most also agree that the software has problems.