Best single bay charger?

Petr_J · 2019-11-30T07:36:58.000Z

Yes BT-C100 supports NiMh and NiCd charging.

lumenzilla · 2019-11-30T08:29:11.000Z

I’m using magnet charger from Foursevens which similar to Olight’s.
It supports both Li-Ion and NiMH but no powerbank feature.

hank · 2019-12-01T03:53:36.000Z

Is there a single-cell charger with a switch or other way to force default to LiFePO4 charging?

I want to give an elderly friend a light with a safe LiFePO4 cell and a single cell charger for that, with no risk of overcharging by accident.

I am just not trusting that the “hold the button down until you see the setting” approach is wise for this person’s use.

Lightbringer · 2019-12-01T04:23:44.000Z

I’d just get one dedicated to LFP cells only. I was in the same situation, just swapped LFP for Li-ion.

hank · 2019-12-01T06:39:47.000Z

one dedicated to LFP cells only.

If LFP means lithium iron phosphate LiFePO4, then yes, that’s exactly what I’m looking for, a dedicated charger.
But I have’t found one yet.

Hmmm, this may be one — description but no price: https://www.durnergy.com/lifepo4-li-ion-rechargeable-battery-charger-ifr18650-2slot.html

If there’s a way to recalibrate/alter any of the many single cell chargers to change the final voltage, I could do a little soldering or other modding.
I have too many single li-ion chargers accumulated over time.

Barkuti · 2019-12-01T07:10:23.000Z

Lightbringer:

LK101?

EasyB:

The Liitokala 101 …

Did you mean Lii-100? Best selling li-ion charger in the world…

For those of you interested in a dedicated LiFePO₄ charger: any charger with termination current can be modified by setting a couple schottky diodes in series at the output, they can be easily set low side at the negative terminal cable which goes soldered to the rail tab. This should result in 2 × ≈0.3V of voltage drop. Should also work well with a single standard rectifier. No problem if the drop ends up being a little bit higher, LiFePO₄ doesn't really needs 3.6V just 3.4V is enough. Remember to use diodes with enough current rating. Of course, charging efficiency will drop.

hank · 2019-12-01T07:13:52.000Z

For Buck91, who asked the original question —- yes, what Barkuti wrote. The Li-100 (and its 2-cell version) are nice, simple, reliable, excellent.

All you have to do is watch the blinkenlights to set it.

Blggg · 2019-12-01T11:39:27.000Z

I was thinking of either buying a Klarus K1X or a Fenix Are-D1 and I ended up buying the K1X because it is smaller (slightly) and I don’t have to adjust the current. The charger seems to charge just fine. Ther is nothing obviously wrong about it. However, the USB output mode, which is rated just 1A, has a problem when I use 5A-low resistance cables, like Ugreen’s or Orico’s. The charger’s display will flash a few times before shutting down, although this doesn’t happen when I use normal cables. I suspect that the shut down might be caused by the pin contacts of the USB of the 5A cables as they have 6 pins, whereas other normal cables that I have have 4 pins. Just something for you to consider as I’m also trying to find the best one bay charger.

WalkIntoTheLight · 2019-12-01T14:18:04.000Z

hank:

Is there a single-cell charger with a switch or other way to force default to LiFePO4 charging?

I want to give an elderly friend a light with a safe LiFePO4 cell and a single cell charger for that, with no risk of overcharging by accident.

I am just not trusting that the “hold the button down until you see the setting” approach is wise for this person’s use.

I’m not sure giving any newbie, elderly or not, a lithium-ion light is a good idea. Especially if that requires external charging. Most people will treat cells like they’re as safe as alkaline batteries. It’s just way too easy to short lithium-ion cells, and way more dangerous than shorting an alkaline.

There are 1xAA lights that will give you 500 lumens from an Eneloop. Most people would probably be amazed by that. Why give them the safety issues with lithium-ion lights, even if those LiFePO4 cells are slightly safer than the regular variant.

Plus, a NiMH light can use alkalines too, if they keep the brightness down to a moderate level.

If the person really wants a lithium-ion light, get one with built-in USB charging and low-voltage protection. Load a cell in it (a regular 4.2v cell is fine), and loctite the head and tail threads so it won’t come out.

hank · 2019-12-01T17:12:22.000Z

Have I been misinformed? I’d been relying on information — typically like this:

How safe are LiFePO4 batteries?
The LiFePO4 batteries are the safest type of Lithium batteries as they will not overheat, and even if punctured they will not catch on fire. The cathode material in LiFePO4 batteries is not hazardous, and so poses no negative health hazards or environmental hazards. … LiFePO4 life expectancy is approximately 5-7 years.

WalkIntoTheLight · 2019-12-01T17:51:40.000Z

hank:

Have I been misinformed? I’d been relying on information — typically like this:

How safe are LiFePO4 batteries?
The LiFePO4 batteries are the safest type of Lithium batteries as they will not overheat, and even if punctured they will not catch on fire. The cathode material in LiFePO4 batteries is not hazardous, and so poses no negative health hazards or environmental hazards. … LiFePO4 life expectancy is approximately 5-7 years.

Short them and see what happens. Then short an alkaline cell and see what happens. I’m betting the alkaline will at most get a shrug from you. The LiFePO4 will probably get a much better reaction. Maybe not as much as a 4.2v li-ion, but still pretty good. Also, note that it is extremely easy to short a lithium cell with a damaged wrap, compared to a consumer cell.

BTW, don’t do the above.

I’m just saying that if you’re going for safety, don’t let the cell be handled like it’s a regular consumer battery. It isn’t.

I’ve been asked many times by people that want to get a light like one of mine. Unless it’s a AA light, I just tell them it’s a special order and it’s really hard to get them. But I know a lot of idiots, so ymmv.

hank · 2019-12-01T19:23:03.000Z

Swerving back to the original subject, I’ve got too many single-cell chargers in my Do Not Use bin because if left charging for a while they fail to cut off at 4.2v.
“DeWorld” brand from a Radio Shack sale is one of them. The other is just labeled “Charger” — both made in China of course.

A voltmeter or multimeter is cheap insurance to have when messing with these things.

xevious · 2019-12-01T21:20:59.000Z

Petr J.:

Best single bay charger: Opus BT-C100.

Power supply from 12V or USB.

Charge: 200 to 2000 mA. Li-Ion 4,2V, 4,35V, LiFePO 3,2V, NiMh, NiCd.

Discharge: 100 to 1000 mA.

USB output 2.1A - Power Bank.

Long bay for protected cell 21700 WUBEN!

Thanks. I like this. While I like having a 4 bank charger, generally I’m running 1 or 2 cells in it. Only once in a while, 4 cells. Having this intelligent 1-bay charger for portability is something I appreciate.

d_t_a · 2019-12-02T04:13:34.000Z

Petr J.:

Best single bay charger: Opus BT-C100.

Power supply from 12V or USB.

Charge: 200 to 2000 mA. Li-Ion 4,2V, 4,35V, LiFePO 3,2V, NiMh, NiCd.

Discharge: 100 to 1000 mA.

USB output 2.1A - Power Bank.

Long bay for protected cell 21700 WUBEN!

Hi Petr J.

Just curious about your Opus BT-C100 that fits protected 21700 battery.

I got an Opus BT-C100, but while it is long enough to fit unprotected 21700 batteries, it doesn’t fit protected 21700 batteries (I’m using the same Wuben protected 21700 battery as your picture, it’s the battery bundled with Wuben TO50R-HC)

I agree that the Opus BT-C100 is probably the most full-featured single-bay charger/analyzer, although it’s a lot bigger than most single-bay chargers.

hank · 2019-12-02T18:10:23.000Z

https://lygte-info.dk/review/Review%20Charger%20Opus%20BT-C100a%20UK.html

Petr_J · 2019-12-04T21:43:09.000Z

ChrisGarrett · 2019-12-04T22:03:50.000Z

I’ve got two each of the Liitokala 100s and 202s and for USB chargers, they’re fine for their price-points. About $22 shipped from GearBest a few years back.

Chris

Barkuti · 2019-12-05T04:12:39.000Z

What NOT to buy:

Charger Yonii Q1 @ lygte-info.dk

Worthless piece of trash like there is no tomorrow. On top of that the manufacturer seals the case, so no chance of fiddling inside by standard means. My last photo :-| says it all (the included USB cable seemed better than the one bundled with Lii-100s, so I kept it).

xevious · 2019-12-05T06:04:32.000Z

I was going to get an Opus BT-C100, but decided I’d rather have a 2-bay charger instead. Decided I don’t need cell testing at this point. Went with the Nitecore UM2. Battery Junction had a really good discount on Nitecore products. Shaved nearly $6 off the discounted price. Seems to be a decent one. Didn’t want to go with the UMS2, because I don’t need rapid charging (which also shortens battery lifespan).

xevious · 2019-12-14T01:04:34.000Z

^ Btw, it arrived. I put it to use. It’s excellent! Much, much better build than the old i4. I think it’s worth going with a dual bay charger, as it’s not a huge leap in size, while having the capability for 2 cells to charge can be seriously advantageous. Note that the screen shows bay info one at a time. The left “C” button is to alternate bay views. Pretty decent display. It doesn’t have any testing modes, which I originally wanted, but decided I’d wait for that in a 4 bay charger.