Charger Panasonic BQ-CC57






Panasonic has a line of NiMH chargers, some are fast and smart, others dumb. This one here is fairly fast smart charger with power bank functionality.
I found this charger on ebay from jp-prime-mk (Japanese dealer).



I got the charger in a blister pack.



The pack included the charger and a fairly long instruction sheet. Not the usual multi language one, only Japanese (I assume), with a lot of explanation on.



The charger has a foldable US plug.



The charge status indicators are more than just a red/green led, they start from red and slowly changes to green while charging (A bargraph would have been more practical, but not looked as fancy).



The charger has a usb output, it will work both as power bank and as usb charger. The button must be pushed to turn the usb output on, the green led beside the button will be on when usb power is on.




The charger has the typically two level slots used for AA and AAA batteries.







Measurements charger

• When not powered it will discharge the battery with below 0.01mA
  
• If the charger detect an error the red led for that channel will flash fast.
  
• Charge will restart charging after power loss, or battery insertion.
  
• Power consumption when idle is 0.3 watt
  

• Output turns off after about 100 seconds with below 70mA load.
  
• The power bank requires four cells to be activated.
  
• Output is coded as Apple 1A
  
• Batteries are used in series for usb output.
  

MIBoxer sent a copy of their new C2-3000 Smart Charger for review. It has a lot of the capabilities of the C4 Smart Charger (internal resistance and capacity calculation), some limitations (no LiFePO4, only 2 slots) and some enhancements (car charging). I was out of town when it arrived and came down with some plague that was going around shortly after that so this is a quick review to add to the others that have already been done.

The Package

The Contents

Comparison with MiBoxer C4

The Display

Charging
The C2-3000 is smaller than its four-slot older brother as one would expect since it has half the number of slots as you can see from the picture. There are some user/reviewer requested improvements and a few added limitations but in general, this is a new and improved version. The user interface is simpler: there is only one button to switch display focus between the two slots and everything else is automatic: battery type between lithium ion and NiMH and associated charging profile. This is perhaps the reason the charging of LiFePO4-type batteries was removed. Both slots now have the ability to determine internal resistance and battery capacity which are automatically calculated. Each slot is completely independent from the other; one can have an AA-sized NiMH battery and the other can have a 26650-sized lithium ion rechargeable. The slots fit all of the batteries we tend to want to recharge. The charger can trickle-charge lithium ion batteries in an effort to bring them back from the dead. The power has been switched to a USB-based DC input, so don’t lose the included power cord (although a suitable replacement can be readily found.) It would be nice if there was a way to store the cord with the unit to keep them from being separated, like attached clips or an internal storage compartment. The USB charging can be 5V or 12V meaning you can use a regular USB power plug or a higher powered one like the ones that come with the new USB-C phone chargers. The included 12V car charger adapter delivers 12V so you can have quick charging in your car if you need it – a definite plus. It would have been nice if the cord ended in a USB-C or even micro-USB and the charger had this power input option just to help reduce the different types of cables and adapters one needs but it’s not a major negative.
As far as I know, the price of the unit has not been released and as we all know that will determine if the improvements have the chance to be successful.

P.S. I’ll add the pictures when I figure out the changes on Imgur.

Charger 1.5A 3.6-4.2V (TP5000)



This is a charger module from ebay, it is based on the TP5000 charge controller, depending on settings it can either charge with 4.2 volt or 3.6 volt.
The official specifications from the ebay page is:

• PCB size:21.5*14.5*4.2mm
  
• Input voltage: DC 4.5-9V(Recommended not to exceed 7V)
  
• Output voltage: DC 4.2V/3.6V(default 4.2V)
  
• Output current: 1A(Default max)
  
• LED Indicator: Charging-Red/Green Flashing,Charged-Green
  
• Features: Charging for Lithium battery(4.2V) and Lithium iron phosphate battery(3.6V)
  

• Power consumption when idle is 0.1 watt
  
• Discharge with 3uA when not connected to power.
  
• Discharge with 8uA when connected to power (5 volt supply).
  
• Will restart if battery voltage drops to 4 volt (4.2V setting).
  
• Will restart if battery voltage drops to 3.45 volt (3.6V setting).
  
• From 0 to 1 volt it will charge with 0.4A (1A setting).
  
• From 1 to 2.9 volt it will charge with 0.1A (4.2V/1A setting).
  
• From 1 to 2.4 volt it will charge with 0.1A (3.6V/1A setting).
  

Charger Miboxer C2 3000 updated

This review will not be a full review only a supplement to the original review.





After my first review Miboxer changed the software in this charger. The change added a manual current adjustment.



The charger can now be bought in two versions, one with car adapter and one with mains adapter.



I did not get the full package, but Miboxer supplied a picture of the contents: The charger, a power supply and a manual.
There are 6 manual settings and automatic.



Holding down the button will show the current, a press on the button will step the current one value. A few seconds after the last press the charger will start charging with the selected current.









With the selectable current there is no problem with small batteries.




Measurements

Charging LiIon

Current settings: 0.20A, 0.30A, 0.50A, 0.80A, 1.00A and 1.50A (Automatic has more levels).



Lowest setting, it is a nice CC/CV charge with about 100mA termination current. The termination current if fine for larger cells, but on the high side for small cells.



With an older cell it did have a few problems around the termination, but it do terminate.






With manual selection I can charge this old cell with 1.5A, but most of the time will be used in the CV phase with lower current.



A newer cell will charged fairly fast (3 hours).



My oscilloscope pickup adds 100mOhm to the circuit, this means the current will be fairly low on automatic.
Notice that before I power on the charger the red current line is below zero, the charger discharges the batteries when it is not powered!



When the SLOT button is held down the current will start to flash and it is possible to move between the current selection, during this time the charge current is off.
Even with my 100mohm resistance I could select 1.5A and charge with it in manual mode.



Charging NiMH

Current settings: 0.10A, 0,20A, 0.30A, 0.50A, 0.80A and 1.00A (Automatic has more levels).



At low current the charge has a problem terminating the charger, it do terminate, but first after a few hours.



At 0.5A the termination works fine.



And the same at 1A.



The charger analyses the internal resistance in the battery, before selecting a charge current.



Again I can change the current with the SLOT button.



Conclusion

With this upgrade Miboxer has remove most reservation with the charger. I like the 1.5A charge current for LiIon, it is useful for most 18650 cell and will charge them fast (3 hours is fast for that type of cell). I will mean that the combination of automatic and manual current selection makes the charger easy to use for most people: Automatic can always be used, but for special needs (Fast charging or lower wear on small cells) you can always go to manual.
The charger will discharge LiIon batteries when not connected to power, i.e. the charger must not be stored with batteries in it.

The possibility to buy it with a main power apdater is an improvement, but I would have liked the usb cable included (or even better a usb connector on the charger).

Now I will call it a good charger for all size LiIon and NiMH batteries.



Notes

The charger was supplied by a Miboxer for review.

Here is an explanation on how I did the above charge curves: How do I test a charger

Klarus K1 Smart Charger





Klarus has lately made some chargers, this is a fairly small one that can handle 3 LiIon voltages and NiMH batteries with two different charge currents, this makes it a fairly universal charger.



It arrived in a small cardboard box with specifications on it.



The box included the charger, a usb cable and the instruction sheet.



The charger has a micro usb input for power.



The user interface is a couple of leds and a single button.
A fast press on the button will select battery type, when a battery has just been put into a slot.
A long press (2 seconds) will change current at any time.



There is 4 blue leds, they are used to show charge state and when selecting battery type.
There is two red led to show selected charge current.



The slots uses the classical slider construction and it works fine.

The slots can work from 32 mm to 73mm. This means that it will handle even very long 18650/26650 batteries.






The charger can handle 73 mm long batteries including flat top cells.



Measurements

• When not connected to power it will discharges with less than 0.1mA.
  
• When power is connected with a full battery, the charger will charge with 0.5mA
  
• Below 0.1V the charger will report error (All blue leds flashing) and charge with about 3mA
  
• Between 0.3V and 1.6V the charger assumes NiMH
  
• Between 1.6V and 1.9V the charger will not recognized a battery, but chargers with about 2mA
  
• Above 2.0V the charger assumes LiIon
  
• Charger will not restart when voltage drops.
  
• It will restart charging on reinsertion of the battery or power cycling.
  
• Usb power consumptions when idle without battery is 38mA, with battery about 50mA
  

Charger Crelant CD80





This is a universal charger, i.e. it can do LiIon and NiMH batteries in a couple of sizes.


The charger comes in a retail box. There is some specification on the box.



The pack contained the charger, a mains led and a instruction sheet.



The charger has universal mains (100-240VAC 50/60Hz) and 12VDC input.



The user interface is two leds, one for each channel. They are red while charging and green at all other times.
The cosmetics is not that good, the sticker with the brand name looks like it will fall off soon and on of the leds are considerable lower then the other led.



The battery slot are the slider construction.
It handles batteries form 31.4 to 75mm.









The current is on the high side for smaller batteries.



Measurements

• Power consumption when idle is 0.6 watt
  
• Between 0V and 1.9 volt the charge will use NiMH charging
  
• Above 2V the charger will use LiIon charging.
  
• When charger is without power it discharge the a LiIon with about 1.3mA and a NiMH with 0.4mA.
  
• If the battery voltage drops the charger will resume, both on LiIon and NiMH, but led stays green.
  
• Charge will restart charging after power loss, or battery insertion.
  

Charger Fenix ARE-X1+





Fenix has upgraded the ARE-X1 charger, there is now support for NiMH in adition to LiIon and it also includes a display. It has lost the power bank function.



The charger comes in a blister pack with specifications on the back.



The pack contained the charger, a usb cable and a instruction sheet.



The micro usb power input connector.




The user interface is a display and a single button, the button is only used to select what to display and turn the display off.



On the first picture I have captured the power up display that shows all segments, the next it the default charging display for LiIon.



Current and time can be selected by the button.



The charger uses the classical slider construction, it will handle from 33mm to 69.5mm long batteries. This prevents the longest 18650 and 26650 cells from being charged in it. The new 21700 cells will not fit either.







The charge current is too high for smaller cells.



Measurements on charger

• LiIon batteries will be discharged with up to 0.3mA when power is either on or off.
  
• NiMH batteries will be discharged with up to 0.1mA when power is off.
  
• Below 0.3 volt the charger will charge pulse current trying to start battery and report “Err”
  
• Below 2.2 volt the charger assumes NiMH batteries.
  
• At 2.2 volt and above the charger assumes LiIon and charge with 250mA.
  
• Above 3.2 volt the charger will use full charge current on LiIon
  
• Meter is within 0.02V measured with current off.
  
• Meter has a smoothing function, making voltage changes very slow with NiMH.
  
• Meter will not reduce reading, except if the battery is removed.
  
• Meter stops updating when battery is full.
  
• Idle current with display on is about 20mA and 7mA with display off.
  
• Charger will not restart if battery voltage drops.
  
• Charger will restart on battery insertion and power cycling.
  

Charger Varta LCD 57070/57170





Varta makes both batteries and chargers, here I am looking on a four channel charger with a LCD display.



I got the charger in a blister pack. As can be seen on the pack the charger needs two hours to charge batteries, but is this correct?



The pack contained the charger, a power supply, a car adapter, a usb adapter and a instruction sheet.



This unmarked connector is for 5V and 12V input (The label on the bottom of the charger says 5V and 12V). The charge current is reduced with 5 volt input.



The user interface is a LCD display with four battery symbols.
With no batteries in the charger no battery symbols are shown, while charging animated symbols are shown and when full filled symbols are shown.



The charger has the typically two level slots used for AA and AAA batteries.







Measurements charger

• When not powered it will discharge the battery with 30mA
  
• Charge will restart charging after power loss, or battery insertion.
  
• Power consumption when idle is 1.1 watt
  
• Can only charge in pairs.
  

Charger Xtar MC4





This is a fairly small 4 slot charger with usb power input from Xtar. It can only charge LiIon batteries.




The cardboard box lists lot of specifications, battery types and features.



The box contains the charger, a usb power supply, a usb cable and a manual.



The charger has a micro usb power connector.



The charger has a red/green led for each slot.
When using only the outer slots the charger will charge with 1A, when charging in any of the center slots the current will drop to 0.5A for all slots.



The slots uses the usual construction and works well. They can handle batteries from 31mm to 71.7 mm long.






The charger can handle two 26xxx battery at a time.
The charger can easily handle 70 mm long batteries, inclusive flat top cells.



Measurements

• Discharges with less than 0.005mA when not connected to power
  
• Discharges with less than 0.005mA when powered with a full battery
  
• Will restart if battery voltage drops below 4.10 volt.
  
• Below 0.5 volt the charger will charge with about 5mA
  
• Below 2.8 volt the charger will charge with about 50mA
  
• Above 2.8 volt it will apply regular charge current.
  
• Charge will restart charging after power loss, but not on battery insertion.
  
• Power consumption when idle is 0.26 watt for adapter and charger (The charger uses 28mA).
  
• When center slota are full, outer slots will automatic increase to 1A
  

• Idle power is 0.06 watt for adapter.
  
• Output is coded as Apple 2.1A
  

Charger Hexinyu HXY-H1





A single cell universal charger with voltage display and two currents that is powered from usb.






I got it in a cardboard box with specifications on it.



The pack contained the charger, a usb cable and a instruction sheet.



The micro usb power input connector.



The user interface is a display and a single button, the button is used to select chemistry and charge current.
Pressing the button wil show charge current, pressing again will change current. Holding the button down for 10 seconds will change chemistry.



On the first picture I have captured the power up display that shows all segments, the next is the voltage display.



During charging it will change between voltage, current and time.



The charger uses the classical slider construction, it will handle from 35mm to 70.5mm long batteries.








The slider is too loose for 16340 batteries.



Measurements on charger

• LiIon batteries will be discharged with up to 0.3mA when power is either on or off.
  
• NiMH batteries will be discharged with up to 0.1mA when power is off.
  
• Below 0.3 volt the charger will charge pulse current trying to start battery and report “Err”
  
• Below 2.2 volt the charger assumes NiMH batteries.
  
• At 2.2 volt and above the charger assumes LiIon and charge with 250mA.
  
• Above 3.2 volt the charger will use full charge current on LiIon
  
• Meter is within 0.02V measured with current off.
  
• Meter has a smoothing function, making voltage changes very slow with NiMH.
  
• Meter will not reduce reading, except if the battery is removed.
  
• Meter stops updating when battery is full.
  
• Idle current with display on is about 20mA and 7mA with display off.
  
• Charger will not restart if battery voltage drops.
  
• Charger will restart on battery insertion and power cycling.
  

Charger CoilMaster Smartcharger A4





This is a simple charger that is specialized for 65mm long batteries, i.e. unprotected 18650 and 26650 LiIon cells.



The charger comes in a cardboard box with specifications on the back.



The pack contained the charger, a power supply and a instruction sheet.



The charger has a 5V input that is used with the supplied power supply.



The power supply can supply a lot of current.



The user interface is 4 red leds for each battery, they will be animated when charging and all four will be on when battery is full. The leds are not very bright, i.e. they are difficult to seen in sunshine or bright light.



The charger has two different charge current depending on slot used and this is marked in the slots.



The charger has a fixed length slot and it fits unprotected 18650 and some 26650 cells (only center slots). The problem with 26650 is the button top that some cells have, there are not space for that.







Measurements on charger

• LiIon batteries will be discharged with 24mA/150mA in 1A/2A slots when power is off.
  
• Below 0.9 volt the charger will charge with about 10mA
  
• Below 2.9 volt the charger will charge with about 100mA
  
• Above 2.8 volt the charger will use normal charge current
  
• Power consumption when idle is 0.21 watt from mains.
  

• The current is much lower than rated.
  
• The charger never stops, this is called float charging and is not a good idea for LiIon. To avoid any damage from the float charging, batteries must be removed within a few hours after they are charged, never leave them on the charger for days.
  
• The charger will discharge batteries when not powered.
  
• The length requirement is rather strict, not all unprotected cells will fit.
  

Charger Miboxer C2 4000





Miboxer has made a universal analyzing charger this time, that can handle larger batteries.



The charger comes in a retail box. There is some specification on the box.



The pack contained the charger, a power supply and an instruction sheet.



The power input is a 12V barrel connector, besides the connector is a fan. This fan is only used during discharge and keep the charger and battery very cool, but it is noisy.



The charger will usual select charge current based on internal resistance and chemistry based on voltage (Only LiIon 4.2V and NiMH), but it is possible to manually override the current selection and also select LiFePO4 or LiIon 4.35V. Chemistry and analyze function requires a special key sequence to select.



The C1/C2 labels show what slots is selected.



Some example of the readout. The charger can display: Estimated charge time, used time, current, voltage, internal resistance and mAh



The battery slot is the typical slider construction, but are made to work with both small and large round cells. The slot accepts from 32mm to 72mm long cell and up to 32mm diameter, both LiIon and NiMH.













The current may be too high for small cells on automatic and requires manual override.



Measurements

• Power consumption when idle is 0.15watt from mains.
  
• Will discharger a LiIon battery with about 1.2mA when not powered.
  
• Will discharger a NiMH battery with about 0.05mA when not powered.
  
• Assumes NiMH below 1.9 volt and LiIon above.
  
• Voltmeter is within 0.01 volt
  
• Voltmeter stops updating when battery is full.
  

Charger Soshine T2





This is a usb powered universal charger.





The charger comes in a cardboard box with specifications on the back. The display showed on the box do not match the display on the charger!



The pack contained the charger, a power supply cable and a instruction sheet.



The charger has a usb power input that can be used with the supplied usb power supply or any other usb power supply.



The supplied usb charger has a 1.5A rating.



The user interface is a display and two buttons, one for each slot. The buttons is used to turn on the backlights, select display and select chemistry (Done without a battery in the slots).



Here is all elements on the display.



The charger is missing a NiMH text, but supports them anyway.



Charged capacity display.



Charge percent and timer display.



The charger is rated to use up to 2A.



The charger uses the usual slider construction, they slide smoothly. The can be used with batteries from 31mm to 71mm










Measurements on charger

• LiIon batteries will be discharged with 5mA when power is off.
  
• NiMH batteries will be discharged with 1.5mA when power is off.
  
• LiIon batteries will be discharged with 5mA when charging stops.
  
• Charger will silent recharge batteries when voltage drops below 4.12V
  
• Voltmeter is within 0.1V
  
• Below 0.6V the charger will not see a battery
  
• Below 2.2V the charger assumes NiMH
  
• Above 2.2V the charger assumes LiIon.
  
• Power consumption when idle is 0.25 watt from mains with supplied power supply.
  

Efest LUC V4 Charger 2017





This is a advanced four slot mains powered LiIon charger with 3 different current settings and power bank function.



It arrived in a cardboard box with specifications on it.



The box included the charger, a power supply, a car adapter, a warranty card and the instruction sheet.



The car adapter is a fairly standard one.



But has Efest colors on it and a nice sensible warning label.



The charger has a 12V power socket and the usb output on the back.



The user interface is a display and one button. When charging it can be used to select current or turn the display off with a long press.
When the charger is unpowered it can also be used to turn on the usb output with a long press.



During power on all the segments are shows: Current selection, Channel 1 & 2, usb output, channel 3 & 4



Here I am charging 3 batteries at 0.5A.



Specifications are on the bottom, but not very easy to read.



The slots uses the classical slider construction and it works fine.
The slots can work from 30mm to 69mm. This will give trouble with some long protected batteries.







The charger can handle 69 mm long batteries including flat top cells.



Measurements

• When not connected to power it will discharges with about 0.1mA (0.2 on usb slot).
  
• Below 1V the charger will not detect a battery
  
• Between 1V and 3V the charger will charge with about 150mA to 50mA
  
• Above 2V the charger will use regular charging.
  
• At 2A only the center slots can be used.
  
• Batteries below 2.5V will not show correct on voltmeter (I often saw 1.64V).
  
• Above 2.6V the meter is within 0.02 volt.
  
• Charger will restart when voltage drops slightly.
  
• It will restart charging on reinsertion of the battery or power cycling.
  
• Power consumptions when idle without battery is 0.3 watt (0.2 with display off)
  

• Output will turn off after 10 seconds when load is below 100mA
  
• USB output is coded as Apple 1A
  
• Usb output will turn off when charger is powered.
  
• Only slot #2 will supply current to usb output
  
• Will discharge battery with 0.2mA when usb output is off
  

Ich habe eine kostenlose Warenprobe dieser Ladegeräte erhalten, um ein eine Rezension zu schreiben.

Der C2-6000 Charger ist noch ein Vorserienmodell, dürfte aber fast identisch zum finalen Produkt sein.

Der C2-4000 ist ein Seriengerät und dessen genaue Spezifikationen können unter http://www.miboxer.com/eng/p4.html angesehen werden.

Die 2 Ladegeräte wurden mit DHL Express geschickt.
Diese waren in einer Umverpackung für 2 Stück, beide Karton der Ladegeräte waren leicht beschädigt, da keine Luftpolsterfolie oder ähnliches zusätzlich zum Schutz vorhanden ist.

Der Karton des Ladegeräte enthält jeweils:

- Ladegerät
-12V Euro-Stecker-Netzteil
- Bedienungsanleitung auf englisch

C2-4000

C2-6000

Die Bedienung ist beim 4000-er Smartcharger etwas komplexer und recht gut im Manual beschrieben.
Der 4000-er hat ein ausführlicheres Manual, da er ein Analysing Lader mit mehr Funktionen ist.

Die Ladegeräte laden alle gängigen Lithium und NiCd/NiMh Akkus.
Der C2-4000 lädt zusätzlich noch 3,6 und 4,35V Lithium Akkus.

Der C2-6000 ist zudem mit einem Lithium Akku als Powerbank nutzbar

Vom Design her ähneln sie anderen 2 Slot Chargern, allerdings sind diese recht breit auch für D bzw. 32650 Akkus in beiden Slots breit genug, wo mancher Konkurrent nur einen Akku laden kann.

Die Ladegeräte werden über 100-240V Steckernetzteil mit 12V DC betrieben, 2A für den 4000-er und 3A für den 6000-er.

Beide Netzteile liefern knapp über 12V und stammen von guten chinesischen Herstellern.
Sie verfügen über alle gängigen Prüfsiegel, das 2A vom 4000-er hat sogar die TÜV ID Nummer.
Beide Netzteile sind gut verarbeitet.

Die Ladegeräte verfügen über gute Ladeverfahren für Lithium und NiMh Akkus.
Die Ladegeräte haben nach vollständiger Ladung keine Erhaltungsladung, welche zum überladen führen könnte.
Wenn man nur sehr wenige Lithium Akkutypen mit identischen Alter hat, dann funktioniert auch die gespeicherte Ladekurve gut und die Restzeit und Gesamtkapazitätsanzeige während des Ladens funktioniert gut.

Dabei haben beide Geräte unterschiedliche Ladeströme.
C2-4000 Smartcharger
Der Lade-/Entladestrom kann für Lithium Akkus mit 0,2/0,3/0,5/0,8/1,0 und 1,5A separat für beide Slots eingestellt werden.
Für NiMh Akkus sind 0,1/0,2/0,3/0,5/0,8 und 1A als Lade-/Entladestrom einstellbar.
Beim Laden wird die nicht die geladen Kapazität gemessen, sondern anhand Lithium Ladekurve die Gesamtkapazität hochgerechnet.
Der 4000-er Smartcharger hat zudem eine Entladefunktion mit 0,2/0,3/0,5/0,8/1/1,5A separat einstellbar für beide Slots, wobei er die Kapazität der Akkus ermittelt.

C2-6000
Der Ladestrom kann für Lithium Akkus mit 0,1/0,2/0,3/0,5/0,8/1,0/1,5/2,0/2,5 und 3,0A separat für beide Slots eingestellt werden, zudem kann das Ladegerät auch automatisch über den Innenwiderstand den Ladestrom einstellen.
Für NiMh Akkus sind 0,1/0,2/0,3/0,4/0,5/0,6/0,7/0,8/0,9 und 1A als Ladestrom einstellbar, zudem kann das Ladegerät auch automatisch über den Innenwiderstand den Ladestrom einstellen.
Beim C2-6000 handelt es sich um einen Prototypen, die Kapazitätsmessung der geladen Wert, keine Hochrechnung anhand der Ladekurve.

.

Teradown

Das erste was ich gemacht habe ist die Lader aufzuschrauben, um mir das Innenleben genau anzusehen.

Sie verfügen über die bekannte Kombination aus Schiene und Schieber mit Zugfeder, wobei alle Teile aus beschichteten Stahl sind,

Kupfer wäre natürlich von Vorteil gewesen, aber der Spannungsfall im Metall ist sehr gering.

Dieses System mit Schieber führt oft zu etwas zu niedrigen Spannungsmessungen bei höheren Strömen, da es Kontaktwiderstände zwischen den Batteriepolen zum Ladegerät und der Schiene zum Schieber vorhanden sind.

Die Konstruktion kann auch die Messung des Innenwiderstands leicht beeinflussen.

Bei direktem verlöten des Akkus ist die Spannungs- und Innenwiderstandsmessung absolut zuverlässig und konstant.
Beide Ladegeräte haben zur tatsächlichen Akkuspannung eine maximale Abweichung von 12mV zu meinem Multimeter, was vermuten lässt, dass diese ausreichend gut eingestellt sind.

Ich habe die Schienen mit 0,25mm² Drähten wie bei meinen andren Ladegeräten direkt zum negativen Kontakt gebrückt.

Die Bedienungsanleitung ist nur in Englisch, es kann sein, dass noch eine deutsche folgt, die Schrift ist groß und gut lesbar.

Das Display kommt mit einer Schutzfolie der zur Erkennung auch eine Fahne hat, damit man diese nicht übersieht und abzieht.

Der optische Eindruck der Ladegeräte ist auf Augenhöhe zu anderen Qualitätsladern, alle Teile sind gut verarbeitet und ohne Macken.

Die Ladegeräte sind relativ leicht, da das Netzteil extern ist, somit ist auch die Wärmeentwicklung geringer.

Teardown C2-6000

Die SMD Teile sind noch von Hand bestückt, da sie Teile leicht schief sitzen, es ist noch ein Vorseriengerät ist.
Zudem sind beim 6000-er 2 Teile von Hand nachgelötet.
Die Platine des Ladeteils ist einseitig bestückt, die Schienen sind direkt verlötet.

Die Zugfedern sind nicht wie bei anderen Ladern verlötet, also besteht auch keine Möglichkeit, dass diese einfach abreißen.

Die Ladeplatine sieht sauber aus und die Kontakte sind aus beschichtetem Stahl. Die Ringkern Induktivitäten sind zusätzlich mit der Platine verklebt.

Die Batteriekontakte haben 3 erhöhte Punkte um mit 14500, 18650 und 32650 zu passen, leider fehlt 26650.

Zur Messung der Batterietemperatur sind 2 zusätzliche Metallkontakte mit Thermowiderständen bestückt.

Die 12V Buchse ist hochwertig wie bei Laptops.

Zusätzlich verfügt der Lader noch über einen USB out mit 1A.

Die Displayplatine sieht gut aus.

Der Schieber hat zwei erhöhte Kontaktpunkte.

Teardown C2-4000 Smartcharger

Der auffälligste Unterschied zum C2-3000 und C2-6000 ist der verbaute Lüfter, der zum Abtransport der Wärme beim entladen benötigt wird.

Die SMD Teile sind alle perfekt gesetzt und sauber reflow gelötet.

Die Platine des Ladeteils ist einseitig bestückt, die Schienen sind direkt verlötet.

Die Zugfedern sind nicht wie bei anderen Ladern verlötet, also besteht auch keine Möglichkeit, dass diese einfach abreißen.

Die Ladeplatine sieht sauber aus und die Kontakte sind aus beschichtetem Stahl. Die Induktivitäten der Laderegler sind massive SMD Teile.

Die Batteriekontakte sind genauso wie bei den anderen C2 Geräten.
Das Display hat ein paar mehr Anzeigeelemente für die 3,6V LiFEPo und 4,35V Li Ionen Akkus.

*Timelapse *

Laden von NimH und Lithium Akkus mit verschiedenen Einstellungen.

Bedienung:

Die Ladegeräte sind im Automatikmodus, was durch ein blinken des A Symbols angezeigt wird, wenn man den Slot Knopf druckt.
C2-6000
Er ist von der Bedienung identisch zum C2-3000 2. Revision. Zusätzlich hat er eine Temperaturabschaltung, wenn der Sensor für die Batterie 60°C erreicht.
Alle Funktionen werden über kurze und lange Klicks gemacht und sind im Handbuch ausführlich und genau beschrieben.
Das Ladegerät kann den Ladestrom automatisch zum internen Widerstand regeln oder manuell eingestellt werden.
C2-4000
Zusätzlich können noch 3,6 und 4,35V Lithium Akkus geladen werden indem man Slot lange gedrückt hält, bis mAh Anzeige blinkt, dann nochmal lange drücken, um den Akkutyp zu ändern.
Für die komplexere Bedienung ist ein zusätzlicher Taster verbaut.
Das Ladegerät kann zusätzlich Charge-Discharge-Charge Zyklus für beide Slots unabhängig durchführen, Lade und Entladestrom sind dabei gleich (max. 1,5A Lithium bzw. 1A NiMh), dabei wird die Entladekapazität ermittelt und der Lüfter aktiviert.

Schlussfolgerung

Man sieht deutlich eine Verbesserung von ihren ersten C4 zum C2-3000 erste und zweite Revision hin zu den neusten C-4000 und C-6000 Ladegeräten, wenn noch die Verpackung für Versand verbessert wird und ein deutsches Handbuch dazu kommt sind diese Ladegeräte sehr gut. Was für mich ein No-Go ist, ist, dass die Ladegeräte versuchen Tiefentladene Lithium Akkus zu regenerieren, aber tiefentladene Zellen werden intern geschädigt, was zum Ausfall des Separators führen kann, was unweigerlich zum Abbrennen des Akkus führt, wenn dieser ausreichend geladen ist.

.

Positiv:

- hohe Qualität

- C2-4000 kann eine Entladekapazitätsmessung machen

- einfache Bedienung mit verständlichen Anweisungen im Manual

- beide Ladegeräte können alle gängigen NiMh und Lithium Akkugrößen laden
- C2-6000 kann die gängigen 1,48V und 4,2V Akkus laden
- C2-4000 kann zusätzlich noch LiFePo und 4,35V Akkus laden

- langsamer Anstieg des Ladestromes

- Messung des Innenwiderstandes
- C2-6000 zusätzlich Powerbank mit Lithiumakku
- manuelle und automatische Einstellung des Ladestromes

Negativ:

- Reparaturfunktion tiefentladener Lithium Akkus, solche Zellen gehören in die Recycling Tonne
- kein deutsches Handbuch
- Verpackung beim Transport leicht beschädigt, wie so oft bei Waren aus China

The Zanflare C4 is Zanflare's entry into the Battery Charger market. The C4 is a 4 bay multi-functional smart charger which can charge and analyze NiMH, NiCd and Li-Ion batteries. The C4 is great for anyone looking to upgrade from their non-analyzing chargers.

I was provided a copy for review by Zanflare (GearBest PRC stock).

 

http://bit.ly/2vql0aZ (vendor-provided link to Zanbase.com - non-aff)

 

 

Official Product Specifications

Main Features:
- 4 different charge current options to choose from ( 300mA / 500mA / 700mA / 1000mA )
- It can charge simultaneously rechargeable batteries of different specifications ( 18650, 26650, 26500, 22650, 18490, 17670, 17500, 17355, 16340, 14500, 10440, A, AA, AAA, SC sizes )
- Provided with integrated LCD display to monitor battery parameters including voltage ( V ), current ( mA ), time ( h ), capacity ( mAh ), internal resistance ( mR )
- Overcharge and overdischarge protection
- Short circuit protection
- Overheat protection
- 0V voltage activation function
- Smart identification of damaged batteries
- Battery reverse polarity protection
- The 4 slots work independently
- CHARGE, FAST TEST and NORMAL TEST, three modes to select from

Specifications:
- Input: AC 100 - 240V, 50 / 60Hz, 0.6A max, DC 12V, 1.5A
- Output: USB 5V 2A
- Charge current: rechargeable Li-ion batteries 4.2V, 300mA / 500mA / 700mA / 1000mA, rechargeable Ni-MH batteries 1.48V, 300mA / 500mA / 700mA / 1000mA
- Discharge current: 300mA, 500mA
- Material: ABS
- Environmental conditions of use: humidity: 5 percent -90 percent; temperature: 0 Deg.C - 40 Deg.C

Product weight: 0.2700 kg
Package weight: 0.5700 kg
Product size (L x W x H): 18.00 x 10.00 x 4.00 cm / 7.09 x 3.94 x 1.57 inches
Package size (L x W x H): 20.00 x 18.00 x 5.00 cm / 7.87 x 7.09 x 1.97 inches

 

Packaging and Contents
1 x Battery Charger
1 x Power Adapter
1 x Car Charger
1 x Manual

 

 

Both a wall plug and car plug were provided. I really like the inclusion of the car plug so that I can charge my batteries on camping trips.

 

 

Fit and Finish
The C4 is made out of ABS plastic and has a mild "texture" which gives the appearance of a subtle sheen as well as helping to reduce the visibility of finger prints.

Size-wise, this charger is significantly bigger than the Opus, Littokala Lii-500, Xtar VC4 and Nitecore D4 among others.

All 4 slots are evenly spaced, which helps make it easier to insert/remove batteries from the center slots.

 

 

Mode and current buttons.

 

 

Power input and USB output.

 

 

Individual buttons for each slot.

 

Lots of ventilation keeps the charger cool. Additionally, since the vents are on the bottom you could set this on top of a laptop cooler for heavy use.

 

 

User Interface and Modes
Each slot can operate completely independently (for example, slot 1 can be set to charge, slot 2 can be set to Fast Test and slot 3 can be set to Normal Test). In order to set different modes for each slot, you have to insert each battery one-at-a-time, set the mode and then wait a few seconds before inserting the next battery. Each slot can also have separate a current setting. The mode and current is set within 10 seconds of a battery being inserted.

Operation:

* When battery is inserted, press MODE within 10 seconds to rotate through the modes (Charge, Fast Test and Normal Test).
* When battery is inserted, press CURRENT within 10 seconds to rotate through the current options (300/500/700/1000mA for Charge and 300/500mA for Test). 500mA is default.

* Once charging/analysis has started, press the individual buttons (1, 2, 3 and 4) to rotate through the display for each slot.

Modes:

* CHARGE - Basic battery charge mode (300/500/700/1000mA)

* FAST TEST - Discharge then re-charge and measure capacity (300/500mA)

* NORMAL TEST - Charge, discharge than re-charge and measure capacity (300/500mA)

 

Display:

Each also has it's own individual display and can display:

* mA - Charge/Discharge Current (Shows the setting, it does not fluctuate in real-time)

* V - Voltage

* mAh - Cumulative charge

* mR - Internal Resistance

* Time - Cumulative charge/analysis time

 

Battery Chemistries:
* NiMH and NiCd
* Lithium-ion (4.2V ICR, INR, IMR, etc.)
x Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo) Not Supported

Battery Sizes:
* 18650, 26650, 26500, 22650, 18490, 17670, 17500, 17355, 16340, 14500, 10440, A, AA, AAA, SC sizes
* Protected 18650s Fit. The Protected Panasonic NCR18650GAs fit at about 70mm. I estimate that it can fit cells up to about 72mm in length. Someone with a proper caliper will need to measure this.
* Like most chargers, 26650s will fit but only 2 will fit at a time in non-adjacent bays (width constraint).

Power Bank:

With 1x18650 battery, and main power disconnected, the unit can output 5V 1A via the USB port. With 2 or more batteries, Zanflare states that the output can hit 5V 2A.

 

 

Always good to be able to see the actual voltage while charging.

 

 

Charging a single battery works fine.

 

 

Li-ion batteries charge to 4.16V on the charger. When taken off, the battery measured 4.13V. I consider this a positive as I prefer charging batteries around this range. For comparison, batteries off my VC4 are 4.17V and off my Lii-202 are 4.13V.

 

Resistance measurements can vary significantly between readings for the same batteries in the same slots. I observed this with both Li-ion and NiMH batteries. Compare values in next 3 pictures.

 

 

 

Some NiMH tests.

NiMH ends around 1.45V.

 

1st Gen Eneloops

 

 

Size Comparison

The Zanflare C4 is one of the largest chargers of its type on the market. It is significantly longer than the VC4. Although the VC4 is a little wider and has more spacious outside bays.

 

Wish List / Recommendations
I would recommend the following changes to make this my ideal charger. Maybe Zanflare can create a "C4 Plus" model.
1) I feel like the existing design is "upside down". Change it so that the display is on top, the batteries "point up" and the power plug goes on the top (side with the display). Examples: Nitecore D4 and Xtar VC4.

2) I would "indent" the positive connection where the battery touches. This would make it so that button-top batteries would stay in place better (like the Liitokala). Otherwise, I felt like it was easy for batteries to slide out of place, especially when trying to fit 4 batteries at once.
3) Make the whole unit about 2-3cm wider so that 4x26650 fit and also so putting in 4 batteries is easier. Since this charger is already big, I don't think this would be a problem.
4) Make the individual slot buttons (1, 2, 3 & 4) illuminated with a color LED or put an LED above each slot. Make Green=Charged & Red=Charging/Analyzing. This would make it easier to tell if charging/analysis is complete because it can be hard to see the display from a distance.
5) Make it possible to change the display for all 4 slots at the same time with the MODE button once charging/analysis is started. This would be better than having to click the button for each slot if I want to change the display.
6) Make it possible to have the display rotate through all the information automatically (auto rotate = ON/OFF).
7) Make it possible to keep the display illuminated when main power is connected (always on = ON/OFF).

8) Maybe have a separate "DISPLAY" button which controls recommendations #5, 6 & 7.


Summary and Conclusion

The C4 is a nice analyzing charger both in terms of function and appearance. It supports up to 4 18650s simultaneously and can charge up to 2 26650s simultaneously (non-adjacent slots). It can also support charging NiMH and NiCd so this makes it a good universal/family charger. It can also fit protected cells up to about 72mm in length although longer and wider cells like GAs feel cramped and tight. It does not support LiFePo or C/D cells.

I like the charge and discharge current options (300/500/700/1000mA for Charge and 300/500mA for Test). I know that some people prefer chargers that can support more than 2A+ for charging or 1A for discharging. However, I prefer charging/discharging my cells at lower speeds for better longevity and less heat. I normally charge my 18650s at 500mA regardless of charger used. The 300mA charging option is also great for people charging smaller cells like 14500s.

The charger has good size and ventilation and does not need a built-in fan. When charging 4 cells at 500mA, the charger gets warm. When charging 4 cells at 1A, the charger gets very warm (but not overly hot). If someone wanted to add cooling for heavy use, you could set this until on top of a cheap laptop fan since there are a lot of vents on the bottom.

 

I like the display options and the ability to view actual voltage on top of accumulated charge. I also like that there is individual information for each cell so that I can monitor voltage for all 4 cells at the same time. However, I would prefer if the unit/interface was not "upside down" (design preference).

I like that the unit is powered with a proper wall/car plug and not USB-powered.

 

The sliders move well (not too stiff or too sloppy).

The power bank functionality works well and charges my phone pretty quickly even on one cell (1A charge). Using cells as a power bank is also a good way to discharge cells (either for storage or testing) without "wasting" energy.

My unit terminates charge around 4.16V and the voltage accuracy is within 0.3V when removing cells and measuring them with a voltmeter.

Efest LUSH Q2 Charger 2017





This is a simple dual cell mains powered LiIon charger without any settings.



It arrived in a small cardboard box with specifications on it.



The box included the charger, a usb cable, a warranty card and the instruction sheet.



The charger has a mains socket for power and is universal power (100-240VAC 50/60Hz).



The only user interface is a led light for each channel, white when charging and blue when finished.



Specifications are on the bottom, but not very easy to read.



The slots uses the classical slider construction and it works fine.
The slots can work from 27.5 mm to 70mm. This means that it will handle most 18650/26650 batteries, except the longest ones.





The charger can handle 70 mm long batteries including flat top cells.
The charger current is on the high side for regular small cells, but close to acceptable for IMR batteries



Measurements

• When not connected to power it will discharges with about 8mA.
  
• When power is connected with a full battery, the charger will discharge with 0.05mA
  
• Below 0.55V the charger will not detect a battery
  
• Between 0.55V and 2.75V the charger will charge with about 170mA to 200mA
  
• Above 2.75V the charger will use regular charging.
  
• When one cell is full, the other will be charged with the full current.
  
• Charger will restart when voltage drops slightly.
  
• It will restart charging on reinsertion of the battery or power cycling.
  
• Power consumptions when idle without battery is 0.17 watt
  

Zanflare C4





Zanflare is a new name in chargers and starts with an analyzing charger. It can handle LiIon and NiMH at a few different currents. The user interface is very simple and easy.



It arrived in a cardboard box with and image of the charger and not much more.



The box included the charger, a mains adapter, a car adapter and the instruction sheet.



The charger has a 12V input and a usb output connection, on the bottom of the charger it says the usb output is rated at 2A.



The user interface is a lcd display and 6 buttons.
The 4 round buttons select display for that slot (mA, Volt, mAh, mR(Internal resistance), Time)
The MODE button select between charge, fast test and NOR test.
The CURRENT button select the charger or discharge current depending on mode.




The display is simple and easy to read.



As usual there are specifications on the bottom, but they are not easy to read.



The slots uses the classical slider construction and it works fine.
The slots can work from 30.7 mm to 70.3mm. This means that it will not handle the longest 18650 and 26650







The charger can handle 70 mm long batteries including flat top cells.



Measurements

• Discharge LiIon battery with 10mA when not connected to power.
  
• When power is connected with a full battery, it will charge with about 1mA.
  
• Between 0.0V and 2.1V the charger will assume NiMH
  
• Above 2.1V the charger will assume LiIon.
  
• Minimum voltage reading is about 0.79V
  
• Voltmeter is within 0.02V
  
• Voltmeter stops updating when charging is stopped
  
• Charger will not restart when voltage drops.
  
• It will restart charging on reinsertion of the battery or power cycling.
  
• Power consumptions when idle without battery is 0.4 watt
  

• USB output is coded as usb charger (DCP).
  
• USB output is turned when loaded, it cannot be turned on with a button press.
  
• USB output will turn off 5 seconds after load is dropped below about 60mA.
  
• USB output is turned off when charger is powered
  
• Discharge LiIon battery with 10mA when not connected to power (Not very good).
  
• When battery is down to 2V it will discharge with 7.5mA (Bad).
  

Choetech usb 5V 2.4A SMT0008



Official specifications:

• USB Ports: 1
  
• Type: Desktop
  
• Output Interface: USB
  
• Model Number: SMT0008
  
• Quality Certification: FCC,CE,RoHS
  
• Input: 100-240V/0.3A
  
• Power Source: A.C. Source
  
• Output: 5V/2.4A
  
• Support Quick Charge Technology: No
  
• Plug Type: EU,US
  
• Material: Anti-fire PC
  
• Feature 2: USB Charger
  
• Feature 3: Universal USB Charger
  
• Function 1: Charger for Phone
  
• Function 2: Smart Phone Charger
  
• Type : Charger for iPhone Samsung Xiaomi
  
• Function 4: Mobile Phone Charger
  
• Function 5: Travel Wall Charger
  
• Feature 4: Charger for iPad
  

• Power consumption when idle is 0.06 watt
  
• Output is auto coding with Apple 2.4A as max.
  
• Weight: 38.2g
  
• Size: 83.4 × 42 × 22mm