Folomov A2 quick charger

iroast · 2018-04-28T02:52:25.000Z

Update 6/6/18: Drained AA batteries produces an error message in this charger. I have to charge them up a bit in a AA battery charger before the A2 would accept them.

The Folomov A2 is an intelligent with two slots and has the ability to quick charge batteries at 3A max on Slot #2 (right side).

CAUTION: The A2 has some safety features, but it doesn't keep tabs on battery temperature. If you're going to override the auto selected charge power, be sure to keep an eye on your batteries for heating.

I throw in 2 AA Eneloop batteries, it auto detected them as "NiMH/NiCd" and set the charges to 1.33V @ 0.250A. I felt 0.250A was a bit low, so I bumped it up to 1A and 2A. After a little while, the battery on the right charging at 2A felt warmer than the one on the left charging at 1A. Stick with 1A for safety and longevity.

Two Li-iion batteries were detected as Li-ion and charging set to 4.2V @ 0.250A.

Indicator appears to be accurate enough. When one of my 10440 was fully charged, I stuck it back into my MecArmy PT10, attached a micro USB cable to it and the charge indicator on the PT10 lit up green, which means the battery is fully charged.

What I really like:

• Quick charging at 2-3A and slow charging (0.25A or 0.5A). The A2 will automically select optimal one for you, but you can override it by double clicking on the buttons and select amp. This gives consumers who baby their batteries the option to charge at 0.5A.

• Capacity detection

• Clear LCD with battery progress indicators (icon & percentage).

What I dislike:

• Although the A2 can charge smaller batteries, the slots were made for bigger batteries. Smaller batteries had a harder time with contact.

Suggestions for improvement:

• Bluetooth and a mobile App so that I can: log and graph charging and archive data. App should also have ability to store batteries by name (we can enter brand and serial #) so that we can track deterioration of the battery of its lifespan.

• Add more contacts to accommodate smaller batteries so that I don't have to gingerly place them into the slot.

There are other features that I like, but they are standard features of chargers :-) Overall, I would recommend this charger. I'll update if there's any issues with it down the road.

Nitpicks:

There's a plastic film that protects the screen and small sticker on top of it that reads, "Take screen protector off". This little sticker would not be necessary if you make the screen protector wider so that it sticks out to the side. To reduce the amount of plastic in the world, stick a piece of paper on one of the corners instead.

Full feature list (copy & paste job):

•Capable of charging 2 batteries simultaneously

•Up to 2A charge speed on both slots, 3A max for single slot use.

•Charge speed selection of 250mA, 500mA, 1000mA, 2000mA, 3000mA(Slot 2 only)

•Each of the two battery slots monitors and charges independently

•Compatible with and identifies Li-ion ( 26650, 25500, 22650, 22500, 21700,

20700,18700, 18650, 18500, 18490, 17670, 17500, 18350, 16340(RCR123), 14500, 10440), Ni-MH and Ni-Cd (AA, AAA, SC, CD) rechargeable batteries

•Integrated STN panel shows battery type, charge progress, charge percentage, and voltage. •Compatible with LiFePO4 batteries.

•Compatible with small capacity batteries.

•Automatically stops charging when complete.

•Features over-charge prevention to protect batteries.

•Made from durable ABS (fire retardant / flame resistant).

•Features reverse polarity protection.

•Designed for optimal heat dissipation.

•0V Activation Feature

Folomov A2 product page: http://www.folomov.com/en/content/?124.html

Macka17 · 2018-04-28T03:23:28.000Z

Hi.

May be a great idea for some. But from what I understand. The higher current you charge any battery it.
The less charges\lifetime, you get from those battery’s.

I was always taught. the slower you charge. the longer life you get from that item. and the more retained power they hold?.

Parametrek · 2018-04-28T03:30:41.000Z

Macka17: That might not be true. Take a look into the research done by Jeff Dahn. He believes that the amount of time spent charging is more important than the charge current and faster charges might be better for long term battery health.

iroast · 2018-04-28T03:39:19.000Z

Correct me if I'm wrong: Quick charging is acceptable as long as you don't overheat your batteries. Heat is the real killer, no?