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