Lii-100 or Skilhunt M1

The Lii-100 and the Skilhunt M1 look like the same charger. The reviews for these two are from 2016, so I’m reaching out to see if I should be considering other chargers?

I’m looking for a 18650 charger (1 or 2 cell) that can also use the 18650 battery as a USB power supply. I’d also prefer to charge the 18650 at a reduced (500mA) current. I’m usually not in a hurry.

Important thing for me is I’m not using protected cells, so the charger itself has to provide over discharge protection when using it as a USB power supply. The Lii-100 and M1 are both single-cell chargers with 1A output capacity when used as a USB power supply. I’ve seen multicell chargers that can also be used as USB power supplies, but I wonder how those chargers control current when used as a USB power supply? If one of the cells in the bank is fully discharged while other cells in the bank are still good, does it shut off early or does it stop consuming from that one bank while the rest keep discharging?

LMGTFY

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=hkj+skilhunt+M1

I’ve got two 100s and two 202s and I like them. Although I’ve used some of them in a PB capacity, I don’t generally do so, but they do work.

I wouldn’t worry too much about over-discharge of a cells, as many PBs will cut off at around 3.0v-3.3v.

Chris

Illumn has the Xtar PB2 on sale for $8.99. If you are using unprotected flattops. If you are using button tops or protected cells from 18650 to 21700 the Xtar PB2S will set you back $19.99. The little Folomov A1 single cell charger can charge any Li-Ion and use the cell as a powerbank for $10.

I needed another power bank, like I needed a hole in my head, but last month, I bought the PB2S Xtar and the digital display is worth the extra scratch, IMO.

Picked up 4 Samsung 50E 5000mAh 21700s, just to try them out and for $30, they give me another leg up during hurricane season.

I try and not buy power banks with fixed cells.

Chris

Another recommendation from me for the PB2S for charging big battteries.

“The Lii-100 and the Skilhunt M1 look like the same charger. The reviews for these two are from 2016, so I’m reaching out to see if I should be considering other chargers?”

Edit, sorry, not mad.

Thanks for the suggestions for the PB2S. I think it is better than the Lii-100 I was considering. I like that there’s a cover so you can use it more easily like a power bank. The HKS review for the PB2S kinda also explained how it treats the cells independently, so no worries about using balanced cells.

A couple of concerning things about the PB2S (although they may also exist with the Lii-100 also I don’t know) is the small current draw when the battery is stored inside the unit. Although in power bank mode, there is low voltage protection to prevent over discharge, the parasitic draw doesn’t stop. But that can be handled by careful usage I guess.

The other concern is the high charge current. I think I can just use a lower rated USB charger to cap the charge current to below 1A if I want?

Edit: reading the reviewing on Amazon, some people are complaining that it terminates charging too early (4.0V instead of 4.2V), and also terminates discharge too early (stops discharging at 3.2V). That wasn’t the experience from the detailed reviews of the PB2S, so not sure if a couple of people had bad voltage sensors on their units.

Just be aware that the PBS2 only charges the bigger cells, like the 18650, the 20700s and the 21700s, not the 16340s, the 18350s , nor the 14500s.

Chris

Multicell chargers that have a USB output function (such as the Lii-402) usually take power from only one slot (the right hand slot in the case of the Lii-402). You have to swap cells manually if you want to draw from multiple cells.