Review: IMAX B6 multi-battery type charger

Batteries and Chargers Chargers
1

IMAX B6 multi-battery type charger

Reviewer's Overall Rating: ★★★★★

Summary:

Batteries supported to charge:
 Li-ion, Li-po, LiFePo4, Ni-Cd, Ni-Mh, Pb...
Input voltage range: From 10v to 18v DC
Max number cells:
 Ni-Mh 15 cells - Li-ion 6 cells
Discharge function:
 Yes
Power supply:
 EXTERNAL (included)
Temperature monitoring:
 Yes
Price Payed: 36,20 USD
From: DealExtreme
Date Ordered: Aug 2011

Pros:

  • Charges almost all chemistries (the most common)
  • Selectable charging/discharging current
  • Maaany functions available (automatic discharge, storage condition, etc...)
  • Includes the power supply and temp sensor

Cons:

  • Does not charge Ni-Zn chemistry
  • Discharging current a bit low (only 1000mA)
  • External power supply a bit bulky

IMAX B6 multi-battery type charger

Reviewer's Overall Rating: ★★★★★

Summary:

Batteries supported to charge:
 Li-ion, Li-po, LiFePo4, Ni-Cd, Ni-Mh, Pb...
Input voltage range: From 10v to 18v DC
Max number cells:
 Ni-Mh 15 cells - Li-ion 6 cells
Discharge function:
 Yes
Power supply:
 EXTERNAL (included)
Temperature monitoring:
 Yes
Price Payed: 36,20 USD
From: Store link
Date Ordered: Aug 2011

Pros:

  • Charges almost all chemistries (the most common)
  • Selectable charging/discharging current
  • Maaany functions available (automatic discharge, storage condition, etc...)
  • Includes the power supply and temp sensor

Cons:

  • Does not charge Ni-Zn chemistry
  • Discharging current a bit low (only 1000mA)
  • External power supply a bit bulky

Features / Value: ★★★★★

I am pretty impressed for the amount of functions it has. In few words: it charges almost everything....

All chemistries except Ni-Zn..... It can charge:

- Li-ion

- Li-po

- LiFePo4

- Ni-Cd

- Ni-Mh

- Pb

(NOTE: Ni-Zn chemistry would be interesting, but AFAIK, no hobby charger has Ni-Zn support)

The box:

Incredible amount of functions... still dont know how to operate it completely...

UPDATE1:

Pb batteries are charged perfectly, my two 12volt 7Ah SLA´s are now ready to use in case of power outage or bad weather... etc. Even I tried to charge an old 44Ah car battery, but with no luck... showed error message in the screen after "checking battery". Maybe old battery.. who knows

Ni-Mh batteries, after playing with the "delta V", now they stop charging more precisely (I have noticed that it depends on the cells itself, not all the cells with work with the "default" setting. All is "test and error").

The temp sensor is a good idea specially when charging old Li based cells, you can select at wich temp it stops charging for avoiding a "vent with flame" issue.

Design / Build Quality: ★★★★★

Frontal and back views:

The sides:

Wires....


Temperature sensor and car battery adapter...

And the included power supply (a bit bulky):

Not much to say, good and robust finish with a blue paint and blue LCD backlight (no dead pixels in mine)... Good accesories as power supply and wiring (good gauge...)

Summary: ★★★★★

Despite I dont know exactly all the functions and despite the fact that I have not tested it with all the chemiestries it accepts, I think this a good one for charging the most common batteries we have around, specially designed for RC hobbists who use the car battery to charge the batteries on the field. Also usefull for flashaholics, good for knowing the real capacity of the batteries, and so on.....

The price, the included accesories(i.e. the power supply), and all the functions makes it a good choice without damaging your wallet too much......

VIDEO SHOWING FUNCTIONS

Remember that DX offers this charger from different wharehouses.... if you want it, choose the one corresponding where do you are from:

HK wharehouse http://www.dealextreme.com/p/imax-b6-2-5-lcd-rc-lipo-battery-balance-cha...

UK wharehouse http://www.dealextreme.com/p/imax-b6-2-5-lcd-rc-lipo-battery-balance-cha...

US wharehouse http://www.dealextreme.com/p/imax-b6-2-5-lcd-rc-lipo-battery-balance-cha...

2

I have one of these (and also a Turnigy Accucel-6). I find the iMax a piece of rubbish, and I suspect I will simply throw mine in the bin, eventually. It errors out all the time - I don't think I have completely charged any battery at all with it . It also resets a lot - ie rebooting.

I guess I have a faulty unit - but they are too cheap to send back, so it becomes a total waste of money. It is a very disappointing unit.

My Accucel-6 on the other hand, works just fine. These two brands are virtually identical - they could be made in the same factory.

3

Hi guys!

I have uploaded some photos, and the review can be called "finished".... but still I dont know all the functions, so I will be updating the post for adding more info...

4

Hi again!


As promised, I have updated the review with more info.

After about a week "playing" with it, more or less I know all the functions.

5

I have had my B6 clone for quite a while now and have been very happy with it. I have never had any failures or reboots.

About the only thing I don't like about it is the 1A max discharge rate. But for the price you cant complain too much. For most flashlight users this would be fine. Another point is the heat sink on the side of the charger is not actually connected to anything. Its for looks. The discharge resistor is connected to the bottom of the case, when I say connected its actually only pressed against the metal with some thermal compound.

I ended up gluing a computer fan to the bottom of mine and wiring it into the input side of the charger. So when its plugged in the fan turns on.

6

I have opened mine.

The only part which connects the power transistors and those big resistor is the bottom part. Then the bottom part "connects" termally with the sides and the top, but the contact is not the best possible.

I agree with you

7

Thanks for the review Fran! Frontpage'd and sticky'd.

8

One reboot - but possibly my fault , moving the charger and battery - so may have interrupted the contact ...

Yes = This is a cheap charger - The cheapest one ?

But if you dont get a faulty one [ always possible no matter how much you spend ] , it is very useful ..

9

DX and many others sell fakes. original is at hobbyking.com and at tomtop also.

original is in other box, buttons are lower in height, sounds are in other tone, and many other differences.

10

Can Anyone confirm this?

11

2sebastianzon - http://forum.fonarevka.ru/showthread.php?t=6394 - on russian, but with pictures videos and You can use google chrome for translating.

12

BTW: I did not know this can do discharge for alkalines also.

Testing now a D-cell for capacity.

13

keep an eye on the temps of the nimh,s when charging Wink

14

Yes, or put the temp sensor and "temperature cutoff" to 45ºC

15

the delta peak some times does not work and can cook the batteries

16

I have noticed also, when charging "C"-cell NiMh´s, that they tend to get pretty hot...

I have pulled them early and still they reach some 1,48V or so. Can´t see why it is cooking them so long, topping up the last mah´s?

17

When I use the imax for charging NiMh, I use the "capacity cutoff" and "timer cutoff". In that way, no problems at all

18

they should get warm but not hot, if the delta peak is not senseing when the battery is full or near full they will get hot as the charger is over charging them, or if your fast charging them cause your in a rush and using high amp rate they might get hot

does not always work

19

@benckie - "Capacity and timer cuttoff not always work?"

The main way to stop charging NiMh batteries in the Imax is the "delta peak". The delta peak not always work, that´s way it offers 3 more "security features" to prevent overchanging in case the delta peak doesnt work:

1- Capacity cutoff

2- Timer cutoff

3- Temperature cutoff


And all of the 3 works. Is the only way I stop charging NiMh batteries with the Imax, because the delta peak has never worked...

20

well

1- Capacity cutoff

say if you buy some cheap cells like 10 000 mAh D cell,s but in real life they only take 4500 mAh and the second one takes 5200 mAh and the third one takes 4700 mAh and the fourth takes 5300 mAh so you have to set the capacity cutoff to the lowest mAh rating so the other 3 batteries dont get to take there full capacity.

or worse the guy who is new to hobby chargers sets the capacity cut off to 10 000 mAh and there for over charges the batteries, or he buy,s some cheap 2400 mAh 18650,s that only take 900 mAh not as much of a big deal with li-xx as its about voltage not peak, but there still is the potential of over charging.

to truly set the Capacity cutoff for nimh you have to cycle each battery a good few times till the battery has leveled out and set it to the lowest of all batteries you have or record the time and mAh of every battery you have and mark them and change it to suit each battery, but to do this you have to cycle the batteries and if the delta peak does not work well its to late then realy isnt it as the batteries could already be cooked by some one who does not under stand.

2- Timer cutoff

we that works much the same way as the capacity cutoff, if will depend how many mAh the battery will take, if the batteries are dead flat, half flat or doing a quick top up, or you have to fully discharge them to the minium voltage and full charge each battery and with the maxium discharge of 1 amp that the imax b6 has that can take all day with big cells.

to truly set the Timer cutoff for nimh you have to cycle each battery a good few times till the battery has leveled out and set it to the lowest of all batteries you have or record the time and mAh of every battery you have and mark them and change it to suit each battery, but to do this you have to cycle the batteries and if the delta peak does not work well its to late then realy isnt it as the batteries could already be cooked by some one who does not under stand.

this feature is best to make sure you dont forget and leave your charger charging all night

3- Temperature cutoff

is the best one, but it will depend if its a hot day or a cold nite or summer or winter inside side or out side charging as for me there can be upto 20 degrees diffrence but it has to be the best out of the 3 saftey features, realy you need a good charger with delta peak or where you can adjust the sensitivity so you dont damage you nimh.

its all trial and error with out a good working charger and people new to the hobby chargers can get it wrong easily i have owned a couple of imax b6,s and a imax b6 ac and my old man still runs his imax b6 it pays to check with a DDM and set all cut offs on the safer side (low).

there is alot of factors, users, batteries and conditions its hard to say one settings suits all.