Hi! :)
Short and sad review of the charger - power bank Armytek Handy C1 VE.
Edit: When I started writing it was supposed to be sad review, and now I finished and realised it came out as usual...
I gathered for a long time for this review because I couldn't think of anything interesting. There is no equipment to test chargers to make these professional charts, there is no thermal imaging camera, so I felt that this review would not bring anything interesting. So enjoy!
For VERY large photos: click -> on the photo page right click -> "Open image in new tab"
Table of Contents
- Package content
- Charger function
- Power bank function
- User manual
- What do I think about this charger
- Summary
Package content
Charger comes in a small but very nice carton box with all the necessary informations. Everything is simple and clear.
And the charger itself came in a soft white quilt. Winter is coming, the charger spends many sleepless and lonely nights in the package before it comes to us, thanks to such a warm fluffy quilt it will definitely spend this time nicer ^^
Ability to charge only Li-Ion batteries not wider than 18mm (I have not tried, the packaging says that even 20700 will fit) and not longer than 72mm.
The 0.2V cell began to charge with 0.11A. For comparison, Xtar MC1 started 0.02A, so no "soft wake up" function. Well, maybe some people prefer to be waken up by idk, ice bucket of water, or loud horn. So it is the way.
I was able to get 1.7A while charging the Armytek cell. This is not the charger's (I mean this thing that sits in a socket) fault, because it is up to 3.4A, or the USB cable, because I used the one included in the set. I don't know what I did wrong...
Yes, about 2h to charge Armytek 3200mAh
Depending on the battery? There is no choice of batteries here, there is only one type and only one size (well, there may be shorter batteries, 14500, but it is still one type)
Well, here's my biggest concern. Charging ended at 4.12 - 4.15V. I don't know why, I tested several times on different batteries with similar results.
Low cut-off. Yes, true, 0.18A. Quite a lot in my opinion. By the way, this charger has...this slide thing
like in Xtar MC1 or Lii 100, so theoretically smaller, shorter cells like 10440 will fit and be charging, but cut-off and charging current is definitely too high for small capacity batteries. The charger is designed for 18650 only.
And I like it so much! Futuristic design with those blue LEDs? Yeah!
Much better than charger function
My tablet with 5000mAh battery recharged by 40% in 1h 20min providing 1950mA. Charging stopped when the cell voltage dropped to 3.2V. It seems too much for the end of charging, because it could stop at 3V. 2768mA was supplied to the cell during charging, which means that the power bank's efficiency is about 70.2%. I checked twice.
I was able to draw a charging current of 2.2A that way, so a good result.
My tablet's charging current was 1.5A, so normal charging current for my tablet :)
Wings reminds me of that country song...
www.youtube.com/embed/TCm6BiJlGKc
It holds the cell securely and stably, fulfills its function and is a nice and useful addition to the power bank function. In fact, I think I will even carry this charger as a power bank instead of a normal power bank - it is lighter and 2000mA is enough to recharge your phone.
Edit: I'm using it, this is great! Lightweight, small and unusual - this design and leds are just amazing.
There are several interesting points, e.g...
"This appliance is not intended for use by person with reduced mental capabilities"
I think it's like a hammer - good for one purpose, but poor in all others. The hammer is great for driving nails, but really bad for screwing or welding. It's also hard to paint a wall with a hammer - a roller would be a better choice, for example.
It's the same here. For someone who wants to quickly charge only high-capacity Li-Ion 18650 cells, and at the same time needs a small and practical power bank, Armytek Handy C1 VE is for him. VE stands for Vape Edition. So for those who like to destroy their health with expensive and exclusive vapes, thinking that this is cool, but not too long because of early cancer death. Yes, the name suggests that it is the charger for such people. And even a power bank would be useful sometimes in the middle of the night to charge the phone somewhere ...
A few comparative photos of the Xtar MC1. Armytek is a little heavier and larger, but they are comparable.
Armytek Handy C1 VE is actually handy. For those who only has 18650 cells it will be perfect for trips for quick battery recharging and as a power bank. The charger is light and small, it has 4 blue great-looking LEDs that indicate the charge level in the charger and power bank functions. The built-in wings perform their function by holding the battery and it's a good addition (apart from the fact that it blocks compatibility with larger, very popular batteries like 21700 or 26650) to the power bank. The disadvantage is the lack of compatibility with other cells - due to the dimensions and high charging current (2.1A - theoretically) and cut-off (0.18A). But since it's a Vape Edition, you can't blame them all because it's an edition targeted at a narrow audience.
It would not be fair to evaluate the charger in terms of usability for a flashlight hobby, so I divided the rating into two parts:
If I smoked e-cigarettes and bought it for this purpose:
Pros:
- fast charging of the only links that I know and have
- practical (thanks to these wings) power bank function with fast charging
- cool design
Cons:
- base price on the part of Armytek a little overpriced
Rating: 9/10
If I had a flashlight hobby:
Pros:
- practical (thanks to these wings) power bank function with fast charging
- cool design
- came in a warm fluffy quilt ^^
Cons:
- https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/58571
But to sum up:
- only for charging 18650
- only to Li-Ion
- high charging current not very good for cells
- high cut-off current
- does not recharge up to 4.2V but up to 4.12V
- the basic price on the Armytek's page is much too high compared to the possibilities
Rating: 5/10
This charger is not bad, don't get me wrong it is of good quality and from the higher shelf, it will definitely last for a long time, low rating is for lack of compatibility. The VE edition as the edition itself got 9/10 from me, but as a charger in comparison with all other 5/10.
I hope you... yeah. Idk, but I hope... ;)