I just noticed there is now a Liitokala Lii 500S.
Does anyone know offhand the difference in the Lii 500 & the Lii 500S ??
Noticeable improvements are 2x2A charging, Temperature sensors/control, upgraded interface and support for 21700 batteries. All slots are independent, that is, you can charge at different amperage, doing a test etc. all at the same time in different slots.
I dunno how the charging itself has been changed. Would guess it is as good as the old 500 when it comes to charging protocols and how that is implemented. Anything else would be strange.
I think Lii 500S will be my next charger, as Miboxer C4-12 uses inconsistent IR measures to adjust the charging current.
I understand what I am going to say here may not be for everyone but, technically speaking, the standard Lii-500 can be modified for higher current outputs very much like we do with flashlights using regulated drivers: via sense resistor modification. Of course, if this is done the onscreen current figures will not match for the modded channel, albeit they are easy to figure out by multiplier adjustment. If we stack an R500 over one of the onboard R300s, such channel rates would all get multiplied by 1.6: instead of 300, 500, 700 and 1000mA we would get 480, 800, 1120 and 1600mA. Of course care should be taken to avoid overloading the power supply or ramping up the current beyond ;-) device innards capabilities. This could also be used to reduce current.
Thank you RapidLux. 
I had just become aware of them & had not had time to compare yet.
That all sounds good.
I am gonna get one to add to my collection. 
. 
Hmmmm…. Very good detailed info Barkuti… thanks for sharing that!!
There has been some discussion regarding the differences in this thread:
Thank you, I apparently missed that thread.
Concerning what I said with regards to sense resistor swapping or modifications in the Lii-500, be aware that this will also change the discharge rates for the modified channels. I do not know how this would affect the capacity counter, but if the stuff is set to “count (mAh) every period (s)” then the measured capacity would also need multiplier correction for the modified channel.
:-)
/\… Thanks for clarifying that part Barkuti.
Anyone else finding their Li-500 to shred the shrinkwrapping on their cells?
Mine doesn’t. Where on the battery is it “shredding” yours?
Hi,
I just received mine li500 and have question. As i see from curves in nor test mode it should charge lion to 4,2V after discharge. Mine doesnt, when nor test is done it shows around 3,6V, like in storage mode. Is it ok? Manual and review doesnt say anything about that.
Is the “END” icon blinking or lit up continuously??
- If it is blinking it is not finished charging.
- Only when it is lit continuously is charging finished.
It is awkward to take an 18650 out of it, especially if all 4 bays are used. It is hard to get a finger in to get a grip on the cell, you have to kind of pick at the top/bottom of the cell with a fingernail.
Mine is not shredding the shrinkwrap but I can certainly see the possibility.
Hi, my kid has broken lcd of lii-500, and i couldnot find its replacement lcd any where on internet , plz guide me what else i can do or which alternative lcd i can use for my lii-500, or plz share any link from aliexpress etc to buy alternative compatible lcd , expert guidance required , thanks alot..
Will this charger revive a zero-volt cell with tripped protection circuit?
(if not, suggestions what to try would be appreciated)
I really appreciate your work.
Malik Muneeb, I do not think the Lii-500 was meant to be replaced, so getting a new device is likely the best option.
hank, an universal solution to revive a protected cell is to give it a quick zap by setting it in parallel with a working cell, or with some USB charger or 5V/9V/12V/whateverV DC power supply. You will need some wires and etc., of course. Just a quick zap, this is the reason using a DC supply with much higher output voltage than the cell doesn't really matters.
Bear in mind, though, that if the protection circuit tripped because the cell is in bad shape, it'll either not revive or trip again very soon.
I can’t help you find the LCD, but I would probably just buy a new base unit as LiitoKala sells them without any power cables (choose 1st option showing bare unit) here and here . It should arrive without any power cords, but you already have those.
You may need to go back to the main store and search for “lii-500” and see if other item pages are better for shipping to Pakistan.
They are presently around US$19 with discounts. Though the prices are higher than they were a few years ago (for me in the US), it’s still reasonable.
If the charger still works, you could just use it as a charger in default mode or remember the key combinations to change modes, but that would not be easy and prone to error 
.
You could attempt to contact LiitoKala through AliExpress or elsewhere to see if they would sell you a replacement LCD, but I doubt that they would offer much assistance and I seriously doubt that it would save you money or time compared with just buying a new bare unit unless they offer free shipping, which they won’t.
Sorry about your charger and good luck.
Yes I 100% have this same problem! And dislike this charger because of it, and more so just because of how hard it is to get the cells out from the side slots or when it’s full. It has shredded MANY of my cells wrappers if I hastily removed them.
I’ve used this charger for years, it has never failed but I’ve about had it with this issue, unless someone suggests a simple solution, I’m going to start looking for a new charger.
A big help would be if the negative side contact tabs were extended higher to rise above the cells, then we could use the tab extension to push back the spring and relieve pressure when removing cells. That would help stop the tearing of cell wrappers, I thought about soldering extenders on to the tabs, but it would still be hard to get the cells out when it’s full, there’s just no room to get your fingers in there, a total PITA!
A few plastic crowbars around the charger will certainly solve the problem.
As a workaround, set a thick enough, folded cloth or towel beneath the charger, turn it upside down and hit… ;-)