Test/Review of Charger LiitoKala Engineer Lii-500

[teacher]

@Pete7874

@teacher

And let me compliment you on your pictures. They are stunning!!! :+1:

LOL! Thanks. I try.

BTW, I just opened up my other cheap DMM and did find a potentiometer there.

Your welcome! I think your “trying” is paying off. :+1:

I have one more cheap DMM I have not checked yet. I’ll be interested to see if it has one.

[atbglenn]

@allcool

@atbglenn

A recently calibrated Fluke 289 compared to a $5 Harbor Freight DMM measuring an 18650 that was charged several weeks ago

Ok, you got 1 that needs a little calibration, not a problem.

Take a small phillips screwdriver and remove the battery rear cover.

You will see the area in my pic highlighted in blue hexagon.

Use a small slotted screwdriver and adjust as needed.

Use a charged battery with your calibrated Fluke and adjust the HF to the same, with the same battery.

For those that don’t have a calibrated second meter, pop your battery in your li-500 and for the first few seconds it gives an accurate battery resting voltage. Use this voltage/battery to calibrate your HF meter. Just make sure to take out the battery before it starts to charge.

Done.

note: If the adjustment slot is loose, after an accurate calibration, use 1 very very small drop of nail polish on top to lock it in.

Just got another HF meter, for free when I purchased a $4.99 ammo box. This is the best free meter i own. Actually its the only free meter. And I own thousands of $$$$ worth of meters… Yup, its a cheap meter, that won’t take a lot of abuse, but it is fused. Got to luv the budget minded free meter though…!!!

I finally opened up my Harbor Freight freebe. There’s no adjustment. There’s also no fuse holder. But it seems to have a tiny fuse soldered to the board.

[allcool]

@Pete7874

Interestingly, inspired by allcool’s earlier post, I decided to open up my free DMM. Sadly, there is no potentiometer for calibrating, unless I’m missing it. No big deal though - it is pretty accurate as is.

Never seen the yellow hF, is it new…?

[allcool]

@atbglenn

I finally opened up my Harbor Freight freebe. There’s no adjustment. There’s also no fuse holder. But it seems to have a tiny fuse soldered to the board.

Interesting, is it new…?

I know that some of the free/cheapy HF meters have a backlight and advertise ‘fused’. They are usually $1 more cost, when not free. I have at least 1 of each, backlight and a couple not, but all of them have fuses and pots. Just got a fused non backlite with pot HF dmm last week. Maybe I got some old stock…?
They don’t make them like they use too… lol

Many of us will mistakenly put voltage/amperage into the ohms mode circuit, won’t that little on board non replaceable fuse pop…?
How is the accuracy/calibration of these no pot, no fuse HF dmm…?

[Pete7874]

@allcool

Never seen the yellow hF, is it new…?

Technically, it’s not from HF. It was sent to me by VDC Electronics as a free gift after purchasing one of their BatteryMINDer battery chargers/maintainers. Must have been 2-3 years ago.

[atbglenn]

@allcool

@atbglenn

I finally opened up my Harbor Freight freebe. There’s no adjustment. There’s also no fuse holder. But it seems to have a tiny fuse soldered to the board.

Interesting, is it new…?

I know that some of the free/cheapy HF meters have a backlight and advertise ‘fused’. They are usually $1 more cost, when not free. I have at least 1 of each, backlight and a couple not, but all of them have fuses and pots. Just got a fused non backlite with pot HF dmm last week. Maybe I got some old stock…?
They don’t make them like they use too… lol

Many of us will mistakenly put voltage/amperage into the ohms mode circuit, won’t that little on board non replaceable fuse pop…?
How is the accuracy/calibration of these no pot, no fuse HF dmm…?

I got mine 4 months ago. As far as accuracy, it’s pretty close when measuring 120 volt AC outlets, but like the picture I posted comparing it to my Fluke 289, it’s off a bit. What reads 4.2 volts on the Harbor Frieght, reads 4.15 volts on the Fluke.
I’d gladly give it away but it wouldn’t be worth the shipping.

[Theodore41]

I measured four 18650 batteries with a UNI-T UT139C DMM, and found them all at 8.04V.I put them in my LiitoKala 500,and I saw 8.21V.
What do you suggest?
Edit.
When the charging was finished,the charger wrote 4.22V,the DMM 4.216V,and there were taken 317mAh from the charger.

[Pete7874]

@Theodore41

I measured four 18650 batteries with a UNI-T UT139C DMM, and found them all at 8.04V.I put them in my LiitoKala 500,and I saw 8.21V.
What do you suggest?
.

I suggest you run for cover because they are about to blow.

[CrashOne]

I thought mine was defective, as it was charging cells to 4.24-4.25 and I was afraid a cell might vent. But as I read in this thread, it might be just fine?

[Pete7874]

@CrashOne

I thought mine was defective, as it was charging cells to 4.24-4.25 and I was afraid a cell might vent. But as I read in this thread, it might be just fine?

Yep, if you look at HJK’s charging graphs, this is normal. It’ll peak at around 4.25 and then drop slightly for the remainder of the charging cycle.

Measure the voltage with a DMM after you take it off the charger and it’ll be somewhere around 4.2V.

[teacher]

@Theodore41

I measured four 18650 batteries with a UNI-T UT139C DMM, and found them all at 8.04V.I put them in my LiitoKala 500,and I saw 8.21V.
What do you suggest?

I am kinda confused Theodore…….
8.04V / 4 batteries = 2.01V for each battery, measured on the DMM
8.21V / 4 batteries = 2.0525V for each battery, measured on Lii-500

I guess my first question is how or why were they discharged that low?

Pete7874, quoted below; may have the best suggestion of what to do next.

@Pete7874

I suggest you run for cover because they are about to blow.

@Theodore41

Edit.
When the charging was finished,the charger wrote 4.22V,the DMM 4.216V,and there were taken 317mAh from the charger.

What was the voltage when you removed them from the charger and checked then with the DMM?

[allcool]

@teacher

I am kinda confused Theodore…….
2.01V for each battery, measured on the DMM

Thats nominal voltage, use a factor of /2 to get metric voltage.

JK

[teacher]

@allcool

@teacher

I am kinda confused Theodore…….
2.01V for each battery, measured on the DMM

Thats nominal voltage, use a factor of /2 to get metric voltage.

JK

:person_facepalming: :person_facepalming: … You busted my chops ‘allcool’, at first glance I thought the “JK” was in your signature line. :person_facepalming:

I had googled “metric voltage” a couple of times… with no result of course; before I realized the “JK” was not in the sig line.

.

Personally, I hopes he checks in and clarifies what he said… at least to me. Cause I seem to be lost…………. :person_facepalming: …

[allcool]

@teacher

@allcool

@teacher

I am kinda confused Theodore…….
2.01V for each battery, measured on the DMM

Thats nominal voltage, use a factor of /2 to get metric voltage.

JK

:person_facepalming: :person_facepalming: … You busted my chops ‘allcool’, at first glance I thought the “JK” was in your signature line. :person_facepalming:

I had googled “metric voltage” a couple of times… with no result of course; before I realized the “JK” was not in the sig line.

.

Personally, I hopes he checks in and clarifies what he said… at least to me. Cause I seem to be lost…………. :person_facepalming: …

Sorry, was mostly directing it at Theodore’s possible(probable)typo… and not trying to bust chops,

[giorgoskok]

@Theodore41

I measured four 18650 batteries with a UNI-T UT139C DMM, and found them all at 8.04V.I put them in my LiitoKala 500,and I saw 8.21V.
What do you suggest?
Edit.
When the charging was finished,the charger wrote 4.22V,the DMM 4.216V,and there were taken 317mAh from the charger.

Theodore you mean 4.04V and then 4.21V in your first sentence ?

[teacher]

@allcool

Sorry, was mostly directing it at Theodore’s possible(probable)typo… and not trying to bust chops,

My goodness, no apology necessary…. I thought it was hilarious when I realized what I had done/was doing!!!

It made my day………. :+1:

I was just trying to decipher what Theodore41 was talking about……………

[Theodore41]

Mea culpa.It was 4.04V,(for every one of course),not 8.04.
I charged them for measuring my TN40S ,which has returned to me by giorgoskok having bypassed the 4 springs.

[teacher]

@Theodore41

Mea culpa.It was 4.04V,(for every one of course),not 8.04.

Excellent, a typo. :+1:
My faith is restored in you ‘Theodore41’, I thought you had lost your mind there for a minute.

[2_DOGS]

Is there any way to calibrate the charging voltage on a Lii-500?
Mine reads about .4v high so when it terminates at 4.2v it’s really only 3.8v according to every other voltmeter I have.
Fine for a storage charge but useless otherwise.
Tomtop gave me a 50% refund but didn’t like my 50% review.
(said it was too harsh)

I’d like to try to fix it rather than just throwing it away.

[teacher]

Your batteries are only 3.8V when they come off the charger…. supposedly fully charged?