I received the Nitecore I8 for the review from Nitecore.
While I think I can provide some useful information about flashlights from a technical point of view, when it comes to chargers, I have very little knowledge. So what I can do is give you my thoughts as a flashlight user, maybe with a few years of flashlight passion on my shoulders.
The I8 is a multi chemistry charger with 8 independent slots and 2 5V 2.1 A standard USB port.

The I8 comes in this box.

Don’t forget to verify the authenticity of your charger, using Nitecore system present on Nitecore website.

Inside the box: the charger, manual, cable. The most distinctive aspect of the I8 is its design.
Most chargers are flat and slim, while the I8 has a “tower” construction.

On the bottom there are silicon pads and the list of supported cells.
The most distinctive aspect of the I8 is its design.

On the side there are the port for the universal cable, the port for the car power adapter and 2 USB ports.

Every slot has a LED light on top, that glows red when charging, and green when charging is finished.

The contact points are raised dots on both poles, and so you can charge both flat and button top cells. It fits long protected 18650 cells.

As far as the output of the charger, it can deliver 1.5 Amps on 2 channels, or 1 amp over 4 channels, or 0.75 over 6 channels, or 0.5 Amp over 8 channels. This will mean that the I8 can still charge quickly batteries the less slots are used. Some chargers can do something like that but only when a single slot is used, I like that the I8 can still deliver 1.5 Amps on 2 channels.
This comes with a caveat: you can’t charge a small number of cells with little capacity cause the current will be too high.

For what I can tell, this charger is best suited for people who needs to charge many batteries.
It is a very simple charger: you put the cell in and the charger does everything. If you forget batteries into it, it has even a built in timer of 20 hours to stop the charging process.
I also like that the charger has 2 USB with a good output.
I really like that it uses a universal cable, and that the 12V car adapter is also available for purchase (not included).

Thanks to Antoled for the camera help.

I received the Nitecore SC4 for the review from Nitecore.
While I think I can provide some useful information about flashlights from a technical point of view, when it comes to chargers, I have very little knowledge. So what I can do is give you my thoughts as a flashlight user, maybe with a few years of flashlight passion on my shoulders.

The SC4 is a multi chemistry smart charger with LCD display from Nitecore with a USB port with an 2.1 A output.

The SC4 comes in this box.

Inside the box there are the SC4, manual and power cable (Standard C7 plug).

Right from the start, I thought it looked like an updated version of the well known Nitecore D4 charger.
And that wouldn’t be a wrong statement, as you can still see the type of cell inserted, charging current, charging status, voltage of the battery, charging time, mAh charged, but also
- Select the current from 300 mA to 3000mA (the latter only in one slot) with 100mA increments for each slot,
- Receive an overall indication (Good/Poor) of the status of the battery, based on a quick measure of the internal resistance,
- Recover Over discharged li ion cells with a dedicated program,
- Select witch li ion chemistry are you using (3.7, 4.2, 4.3 Volts),

All this can be done using the C and the V buttons that are under the screen.
Well, not only Nitecore added more functions, but also made took great care in the design and animation of the LCD display.
To make justice to that I made a simple video showing the animations and going through some operations (changing current, viewing information… for detailed instructions refer to the SC4 manual).

All the digits and animations are clear and sharp, and the viewing angle is good from all directions. The display on the SC4 will automatically turn off after 3 minutes of inactivity.

The contact points are raised dots for both poles so you can charge flat and button top cells.

As far as real use, the SC4 offers more functions than other chargers and so, but it isn’t overly complicated and, with only 2 switches, it is simple to get ahold of the basic functions very quickly.

Nitecore states that the charger is able to automatically set the current charge at 500mA for Nimh cells, while for li ion, states that batteries with less than 1200mAh the standard current will be 500mA, and 2000mA for cells bigger than 1200mAh.
Now, sorting the battery chemistry between nimh and li ion is a no brainer for the charger, but for the li ion cell capacity? I believe the SC4 resorts on the measure of internal resistance of the battery.
Note that for non IMR li ion cells, it is commonly accepted 0.5 C as standard charging current.
Although the default li ion slower charge at 500mA is fine (maybe a bit on the high side) for most cells, even small ones (like RCR, 14500…), the other default faster one of 2000mA could be too much for some kind of batteries like 17670 or non IMR 18650 with low capacity.
In reality, this things really depend on your batteries. If you don’t have small (10440) or IMR 18650 with low capacity old cells, the automatic setting can work fine… and in both cases you can still set your charging current for each slot with a few clicks.
I guess that a fast standard charging current could have been in the 1200mA range, but given the increasing market of IMR and hybrid li ion cells, more people will benefit of the 2000mA standard current, resulting in cells being chargerd faster.
As far as fasting charge, the 3000mA available on one port will surely come in handy for charging bigger cells like 26650.
I like the 2.1 Amps USB port on all electronic devices. Sometimes even us flashaholics find ourselves charging our smartphones and so more often than our flashlight batteries.
I like that the SC4 has an integrated power adapter and so uses a standard, non proprietary C7 cable.
I like that is also available, although as an accessory, the 12V car adapter.

Thanks to Antoled for the camera help.

NITECORE LC10
Portable Magnetic USB Charger


The LC10 Charger was sent to me directly by Nitecore for the review.
For product features: https://flashlight.nitecore.com/product/lc10

Features:
• Portable Magnetic Outdoor USB Charger
• With charging and discharging functions
• Capable of charging cylinder rechargeable Li-ion batteries
• Integrated USB 2.0 input and output ports
• Intelligently identifies the positive and negative tips of batteries
• White light sensors for 3 brightness levels and power indicators
• 3 power indicators show the charging/discharging status
• Automatically detects the battery power status and selects the appropriate charging mode (CC, CV)
• Protection against overcharging
• Compatible with power banks, 5V solar panels and USB adapters
• Made from fire retardant / flame resistant PC+ABS material
• Certified by RoHS, CE, FCC and CEC
• Insured worldwide by Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd.

Accessory:
Micro-USB to lightning adapter

Specification:
Input: DC 5V ≥0.5A
Output: 4.2V±1% (BATTERY) / 5V±5% (USB) 1A MAX

Compatible battery types:
Li-ion/IMR: 12650, 13450, 13500, 13650, 14350, 14430, 14500, 14650, 16500,
16340(RCR123), 16650, 17350, 17500, 17650, 17670, 17700, 18350,
18490, 18500, 18650, 18700, 20700, 21700, 22500, 22650, 22700,
25500, 26500, 26650, 26700
(Compatible with 3.6V or 3.7V cylinder rechargeable Li-ion battery)

Dimension: 9.65” ×0.96” ×0.73” (245mm×24.5mm×18.5mm)
Weight: 0.98oz (27.8g)

The Nitecore LC10 battery charger is an innovative product to be used mainly outdoors. The LC10 has functions of charge and discharge, auxiliary light or emergency and is light and portable.
It has the ability to charge cylindrical Li-ion / IMR batteries and has the ability to charge other devices, such as a smartphone, through the Micro-USB / Lightning output port (Android and IOS).
With the LC10 battery charger you can charge batteries at home, in the office, in the car and in other outdoor environments. It is compatible with Notebook, Solar panel, Car adapter, Power bank etc.
The LC10 is made of fire-resistant and fire-resistant PC + ABS (VO) materials with resistance to impact and high temperatures.

The packaging:

The Nitecore LC10 Battery Charger is sold in a small carton pack with the main characteristics of the product printed on it.

Inside the package we find the LC10 charger and the manual in English and Chinese.

Charger function.

The Nitecore LC10 battery charger is composed of one side with two magnetic poles, plated to prevent oxidation, where we will connect (indifferently) the positive and negative pole of the battery to be recharged (the LC10 intelligently identifies the connected positive or negative pole) and on the other side we have the micro USB / USB sockets.
As indicated on the instructions, the Micro-USB to Lightning adapter is originally connected to the output port in the package. You must unplug the adapter before connecting it to the input port to start charging the battery.
Just then connect the USB port, after inserting the micro USB in it, to a 5V DC adapter to start charging. The battery to be recharged must necessarily have a magnetizable metal at the poles to be used with the LC10.

In the central part of the Nitecore LC10 there is a translucent plastic shell that has 3 red and 3 white LEDs inside and a switch sensor to control the 3 white LEDs.
The red LEDs, when we connect a battery to the poles, will indicate the state of charge of the battery:

• 3 permanently lit indicators indicate that the battery charge status is above 80%
• 2 permanently lit indicators indicate that the battery charge status is between 50% and 80%;
• 1 permanently lit indicator indicates that the battery charge status is less than 50%;
• 1 flashing light indicates that the battery is low and it is recommended to start the charging process. and, flashing, the progress of the recharge.

When the charging is complete, the 3 LEDs remain lit and fixed. I recharged a 3200 mAh 18600 Nitecore battery and a 5200 mAh Acebeam 21700 battery and in both cases the charge ended at 4.18V.
The Nitecore LC10 can charge up to 1A current; automatically detects the battery status and selects the appropriate charging mode (cc, cv).

Power Bank function.

The Nitecore LC10 battery charger can be used as a Power Bank to charge a device (with output current up to 1A) such as a digital camera, mobile phone (Android / IOS), wireless headphones, etc. via a battery.
Recharging is done by connecting the Micro-USB / Lightning socket (Android and IOS) to the device to be recharged.
During the charging process, the red indicator will indicate the remaining charge status of the battery in the LC10.

Auxiliary light function.

The central translucent shell also has 3 white LEDs. At the back of the shell there is a touch-controlled sensor for switching on the 3 LEDs.
By repeatedly touching the Sensor Switch we can vary the light between different positions: "Low -Medium-High-OFF-Indicator Red charge".
The LED light can not be used while the LC10 is recharging a battery.

VIDEO.



In conclusion, a great product is the Nitecore LC10 USB charger. Excellent materials and its operation. Finally with the LC10 I can also recharge long batteries 21700. Very comfortable given the size and weight always carry it with you.
Thank you for reading the review.

Efest LUSH Q8 Charger 2018





This is a simple 8 cell mains powered LiIon charger without any settings.



It arrived in a cardboard box with specifications on it and a cartoon (Efest do that on all their charger boxes).



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



The charger has a DC socket for 12V input.



The power supply is a standard small 12V supply with a Efest label.



The only user interface is a led light for each channel, white when charging and blue when finished, on error it will flash.



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 27mm to 73mm. This means that it will handle just about all 18650/26650/21700 batteries, only exception is protected 21700.



The two 2A slots are marked, but it is not a very visible marking.







The charger can handle 73 mm long batteries including flat top cells.
The charger current is on the high side for many small cells.



Measurements

• Slot #1 and #8 can charge with 2A, all other slots are 1A
  
• When not connected to power it will discharges with about 0.14mA.
  
• Below 0.55V the charger will not detect a battery
  
• Between 0.55V and 1.3V the charger will charge with a few mA
  
• Between 1.3V and 1V the charger will charge with about 100mA
  
• Above 3V the charger will use regular charging.
  
• Charger can charge with 4A total and will adjust total charge current to fit, this means first it will drop to 1A on all slots, then 0.5A.
  
• When a cell is full, the others will be charged with the higher current.
  
• Charger will not restart silent if voltage drops.
  
• It will restart charging on reinsertion of the battery or power cycling if the battery is above 4.1V.
  
• Power consumptions when idle without battery is 0.4 watt
  

Golisi S6





Golisi has made a couple of chargers, this is a 6 slot LiIon and NiMH charger that can charge with up to 2A.



It arrived in a black very stylish cardboard box, there is some specifications on the back.



The box included the charger, a power supply and the instruction sheet.



The power supply is a 12V 3A unit.



The charger has a 12V 3A DC input connector.



The user interface is one buttons and a large display.
The button do not affect the charge, but can be used to select between V, mAh and time on the display.
It will also turn on the background light after it turns off.
It is possible to keep the background light on, just hold the button down for a few seconds and the auto-off feature is disabled. This is not explained in the manual!



During power on all the segments are shown.



Default display during charge, it will show percent and voltage.



First press on the button will change to mAh



And second press to time.



On the bottom of the charger there are specifications.



3 slots are marked as 2A slot, I would have like a more visible marking. Luckily the actual charge current can easily be seen on the display when the charger is working.



The slots uses the classical slider construction and it works fine.
The slots can work from 32.5 mm to 71.5mm. This nearly covers anything.








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





Measurements

• Discharge LiIon battery with 2mA when not connected to power.
  
• Discharge NiMH battery with 0.25mA when not connected to power.
  
• When power is connected with a full battery, it will charge with about 0.6mA.
  
• Below 0.4 volt the charger will report error
  
• Below 2V the charger will assume NiMH
  
• Above 2V the charger will assume LiIon.
  
• Display turns off after 60 seconds.
  
• Below about 0.7 volt the voltmeter is not very precise.
  
• Meter cannot measure between 1.6V and 2.0V, there it will show 1.6V
  
• Voltmeter stops updating when charging is stopped and will not show above 4.20V
  
• Voltmeter is within 0.04V
  
• With only LiIon in 2A slots the charger will charge at 2A
  
• With LiIon in both 1A and 2A slots the charger current may be reduced to 1A (The total is either 4A or 5A, depending on slots).
  
• Charger will not increase current when a battery is full, only when it is removed.
  
• NiMH is always charged at 0.5A
  
• Charger will restart when voltage drops below 4V.
  
• It will restart charging on reinsertion of the battery or power cycling.
  
• Power consumptions when idle without battery is 0.3 watt
  

1. Display shows 3276mAh 3:27
   
2. Display shows 3265mAh 3:24
   
3. Display shows 3387mAh 3:26
   
4. Display shows 3473mAh 3:35
   
5. Display shows 3290mAh 3:27
   
6. Display shows 3368mAh 3:33
   
   
   
   The charger is using about 2.9A from the 3A supply when charging 6 cells.
   
7. Display shows 3223mAh 3:23
   
8. Display shows 3491mAh 3:32
   
9. Display shows 3343mAh 3:28
   
10. Display shows 3319mAh 3:34
    
11. Display shows 3355mAh 3:22
    
12. Display shows 3403mAh 3:36
    
    
    
    M1: 42.0°C, M2: 46.7°C, HS1: 56.4°C
    
    
    
    M1: 36.6°C, M2: 38.5°C, M3: 39.1°C, M4: 39.7°C, M5: 40.4°C, M6: 38.0°C, HS1: 53.2°C
    
    
    
    The charger needs about 3 seconds to initialize.
    
    
    
    Charging NiMH
    
    Charge current is always 0.5A with NiMH
    
    
    
    It looks like the charger stops on voltage here, but not before the battery is full as can be seen on the temperature curve. There is a two hour top-off charge.
    Display shows 1525mAh 3:42
    
    
    
    This looks like a -dv/dt charging and it is a bit slow stopping.
    Display shows 1863mAh 4:33
    
    
    
    Display shows 1607mAh 3:55
    
    
    
    Display shows 1934mAh 4:44
    
    
    
    Display shows 1597mAh 3:53
    
    
    
    How the charger terminates varies a bit, but all cells are terminated within an hour after they a full.
    Display shows 1881mAh 4:36
    
    
    
    Display shows 2085mAh 5:06
    
    
    
    Display shows 2294mAh 5:38
    The two high capacity cells are terminated nicely.
    
    
    
    The AAA cell look fine.
    Display shows 665mAh 1:33
    
    
    
    A full cell is detected in 10 minutes, it also gets a 2 hour top-off charge.
    Display shows 112mAh 0:10
    
    
    
    The charger can easily handle 6 NiMH cells.
    
13. Display shows 1760mAh 4:18
    
14. Display shows 1709mAh 4:10
    
15. Display shows 1694mAh 4:08
    
16. Display shows 1845mAh 4:30
    
17. Display shows 1650mAh 4:01
    
18. Display shows 1894mAh 4:38
    
    
    
    This requires about 0.8A from the power supply.
    
19. Display shows 1666mAh 4:03
    
20. Display shows 1738mAh 4:14
    
21. Display shows 1787mAh 4:22
    
22. Display shows 1685mAh 4:06
    
23. Display shows 1687mAh 4:07
    
24. Display shows 1780mAh 4:21
    
    
    
    M1: 34.4°C, M2: 35.6°C, HS1: 42.7°C
    
    
    
    M1: 32.7°C, M2: 34.0°C, M3: 34.3°C, M4: 34.9°C, M5: 34.5°C, M6: 33.4°C, HS1: 38.3°C
    
    
    
    NiMH also needs about 3 seconds to initialize.
    
    
    
    
    The top-off charge uses 1 second pulses of 0.5A about every 20 seconds, this is an average current of 25mA.
    
    
    
    
    Testing with 2830 volt and 4242 volt between mains and low volt side, did not show any safety problems.
    
    
    
    Conclusion
    
    This is a good charger for both LiIon and NiMH batteries, but due to the charger current it is not for smaller LiIon cells. The current selection depends on the used slots (for LiIon) and the display shows actual charge current, it is also nice with the charged mAh, but I am not happy about the automatic turn off of the display. You have to press a button to see if the charger is finished!
    
    
    
    Notes
    
    The charger was supplied by Golisi for review.
    
    Here is an explanation on how I did the above charge curves: How do I test a charger
    

Folomov Key Charger



This is a combined charger and power bank in the size of a car key.



It arrived in a transparent plastic box, the box contained the charger and a instruction sheet.






The charger has a usb lead stored around it, this connector on this lead fits a normal usb power supply and is used to power the charger.



The user interface is four leds that shows the charge status of the battery.





The charger uses a flying lead for connection to battery minus, when charger is not used it is stored inside the charger. It can fairly easy pop out.
The charger fits 18xxx to 21xxx flat top cells, button top are not stable.




The usb connector in the charger is both use for storing the usb input lead and for output when using the charger as power bank.








The charger can handle up to 70mm long batteries,



Measurements

• Power consumption from usb when idle with no batteries is about 8mA
  
• Will discharge a battery with about 9mA when not powered
  
• Below 2.8V the charger will charge with 300mA
  
• Above 2.8V the charger will use full current.
  
• Will restart charging if voltage drops below 4.12V.
  
• Will restart charging if battery is inserted or power cycled.
  

• Will discharge a battery with about 9mA when not powered due to the leds.
  
• Will discharge with less than 0.04mA below 2.75V
  
• Usb output is coded as usb charger (DCP)
  
• Output turns on when loaded, it is very sensitive.
  
• Cannot be used as UPS, there may be a short power break when input voltage is removed.
  

Charger Woyum ZK1a




This is a simple LiIon and NiMH charger that is powered from usb and has a fixed charge current.



It arrived in a cardboard box with a lot of specification on it.



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



The charger is usb powered with a micro usb input.



There is no buttons on the charger, only a white dome with a multicolor led behind.



The color of the dome changes with charge state, green is charging done or no battery in charger and red, blue and purple during charge.



The specifications are on the bottom of the charger.



The charger uses the classic slider construction and will handle batteries from 33mm to 77mm, this will handle even the longest protected cells.







The charger can handle up to 70mm long batteries. Some small cells can be charger, but only if they are rated for 1A or more in charge current.



Measurements

• Power consumption from usb when idle with no batteries is 13mA
  
• Charger will discharge a full LiIon battery with less then 0.1mA when not powered.
  
• Below 0.6V the charger will not detect a battery
  
• Between 0.6V and 1.2V the charger will use low charger current (About 200mA).
  
• Between 1.2V and 2.1V the charger assumes NiMH
  
• Between 2.1V and 3.2V the charger will use low charger current (About 100mA).
  
• Above 3.2V the full LiIon current will be used.
  
• Will silent restart charging it voltage drops.
  
• Will restart charging if battery is inserted or power cycled.
  

Charger Nitecore Q2




The charger is a two slot LiIon only charger than can charger with 1A or 2A.



It arrived in a cardboard box with a lot of specification on it.



The box contained the charger, power supply and instruction sheet.



The charger is powered from 12V.



The power supply is a standard 12V plug pack.



The charger has a LED for each slot and no buttons. The LED will flash red on error, light red when charging and green when done.



The specifications are on the bottom of the charger, but very hard to read on the translucent plastic.



The charger uses the classic slider construction and will handle batteries from 28mm to 75mm, this will handle even the longest protected cells.



The two slots are marked with 1A and 2A, but you have to look careful to see it.





The charger can handle up to 75mm long batteries. Some small cells can be charger, but only if they are rated for 1A or more in charge current.



Measurements

• Power consumption when idle with no batteries is 0.4 watt
  
• Charger will discharge a full LiIon battery with 1.5mA when not powered.
  
• When powered a full LiIon will be charger with less than 0.6mA
  
• Below 1.9V the charger will not detect a battery, but charger with 2mA
  
• Above 1.9V full charge current will be used.
  
• Will not restart charging it voltage drops.
  
• Will restart charging if battery is inserted or power cycled.
  

Charger Nitecore Q4




The charger is a four slot LiIon only charger than can charge with 1A or 2A.




It arrived in a cardboard box with a lot of specification on it.



The box contained the charger, power supply and instruction sheet.



The charger is powered from 12V.



The power supply is a standard 12V plug pack.



The charger has a LED for each slot and no buttons. The LED will flash red on error, light red when charging and green when done.



The specifications are on the bottom of the charger, but very hard to read on the translucent plastic.



The charger uses the classic slider construction and will handle batteries from 28mm to 75mm, this will handle even the longest protected cells.






The charger can handle up to 75mm long batteries. Some small cells can be charger, but only if they are rated for 1A or more in charge current.



Measurements

• Power consumption when idle with no batteries is 0.23 watt
  
• Charger will discharge a full LiIon battery with 0.5mA when not powered.
  
• When powered a full LiIon will be charged with less than 0.1mA
  
• Below 2V the charger will not detect a battery and not charge
  
• Above 2V full charge current will be used.
  
• Will not restart charging it voltage drops.
  
• Will restart charging if battery is inserted or power cycled.
  

Charger Nitecore Q6 quick charger




The charger is a 6 slot LiIon only charger than can charge with up to 2A




It arrived in a cardboard box with a lot of specification on it.



The box contained the charger, power supply and instruction sheet.



The charger is powered from 12V.



The power supply is a standard 12V plug pack.



The charger has a LED for each slot and no buttons. The LED will flash red on error, light red when charging and green when done.



The specifications are on the bottom of the charger, but very hard to read on the black plastic.



The charger uses the classic slider construction and will handle batteries from 28mm to 77mm, this will handle even the longest protected cells.








Many 18650 has a recommended charge current below 2A, this will usual mean extra wear on the batteries when charged.
The charger can handle up to 77mm long batteries.



Measurements

• Power consumption when idle with no batteries is 0.33 watt
  
• Charger will discharge a full LiIon battery with 0.6mA when not powered.
  
• When powered a full LiIon will be charger with less than 0.2mA
  
• Below 2.1V the charger will not detect a battery and not charge
  
• Above 2.1V full charge current will be used.
  
• The slots are grouped (1-2, 3-4, 5-6) and each group will timeshare when 3 or more batteries are charged.
  
• When a battery is full the current to other batteries are increased.
  
• Will not restart charging it voltage drops.
  
• Will restart charging if battery is inserted or power cycled.
  

The Product

Armytek Handy C1 Pro

Armytek sent me their new Handy C1 Pro to review. This is a very compact single bay charger for Li-Ion and NiMH cells. The Handy is also capable of functioning as a USB powerbank.

Spoiler

This charger has stellar powerbank performance, and great charging as well. The usual target market for this sort of device is backpackers looking for a way to use their existing cells to charge other devices without adding much weight, but the secure wings make this a great piece of kit to toss in a bag as well. The flexibility to charge NiMH also adds a bit of versatility - this would be a great first charger or charger to gift someone, as long as lower charge currents and larger cell sizes aren’t needed. It's also the charger I'm most likely to bring to work or on a trip, as it's compact and compatible with all the cell types I use most often.

Size

I measure the charger to be 93.3 mm long by 32.4 mm wide and 31.6 mm tall. The cell slot measures 31.1 mm when the slider is fully closed, and opens up to 71.3 mm. The cell slot is less than 19 mm wide, so cells larger than 18650 will not fit.

XTAR PB2, Armytek Handy C1 Pro, Rofis MR50

Build and Form Factor

The build is fairly typical of the single bay portable chargers that I’ve seen from other manufacturers. The body of the charger is made entirely of a hard plastic, and there’s a spring loaded metal slider that serves as the negative contact. Inside the bay, there’s a cell polarity indication molded into the plastic.

Top view

There are two design elements that make this charger stand out from the pack. The first are the ‘wings’ that are wrapped around the positive end of the cell bay. These wings grip 18650 cells and others of similar diameters tightly, so you don’t need to worry about the cell slipping out. This is useful in all instances, but especially convenient if you’re using the device as a powerbank and you want to toss if in a pocket or a bag. It should go without saying, but I would still suggest not tossing it into a pocket alongside keys or anything conductive, even though the cell should have no way of working itself out of the charger.

18650 held in place

The other interesting design element is the status LEDs. These 4 LEDs are placed at the negative end of the charger, just above the micro-USB power input. They are positioned inside molded channels that serve as light tubes, which allows the charge status to easily be viewed either from the top or the end of the charger.

Status LEDs viewed on end

The sides of the charger have a few of the same molded ribs and other design accents as the rest of the charger. These add some grip, but I don’t think most people will be holding the Handy for too long. From the side, you can get another view of those wings as well.

Side view

At the positive end of the charger, there’s the USB-A port for powerbank use, and not much else.

USB-A output port

The bottom of the charger holds a lot of the important labeling. The two USB ports are labeled with molded “OUT” and “IN” text. There’s a large sticker covering most of the base. In addition to the usual regulatory signs and the product name, this sticker has the supported input and output currents and voltages. Most notable is that this is the only indication on the charger itself that NiMH cells are supported.

Bottom view

What's Included

The charger came in a retail-ready box with a hang tag and an info label sticking out on the right. Inside, a thin foam bag kept the charger safe. The only accessory included is a micro-USB cable. I’m glad to see the included short cable - I find these very useful, and great for tossing into a bag without having to worry about it getting tangled or taking too much space.

Packaging and included kit

Charging

This is exactly the sort of simple charger I love to use. Plug it in and toss in a cell, and the charger will start at the correct voltage. There are 4 simple LEDs that indicate charge status.

Charging a cell in the Handy

Li-Ion:

I tested the charger by charging a Samsung 30Q twice and measuring the current and voltage supplied to the charger. In both tests, current climbed gradually from about 0.75 A to 0.9 A, before going into a CV to top off the cell. Charging terminated at 4.16 V and 4.17 V, which is good. The curve does show the current ‘pulsed’ slightly during the charge, and I’m not sure why that is. All I can say is the cell did not get warm, and overall this seems like a solid charger for Li-Ion cells.

Samsung 30Q charge curve, measured at the USB

Second Samsung 30Q charge curve

NiMH:

I charged an 800 mAh Ikea Ladda cell in the charger. Measuring from the USB input again, current into the charger was just below 0.2 A. After charging, the resting voltage of the cell was at 1.38 V.

Ikea Ladda AA cell charge curve

Powerbank

It’s not clearly listed on the product page, but powerbank functionality only works with Li-Ion cells. This makes sense. To use this feature, simply insert a cell and plug in the device you want to charge. The status LEDs will show the charge remaining in the cell.

Charging a phone with the Handy

Using the same Samsung 30Q and drawing 0.5 A stayed at a rock solid 4.95 V without any sort of variation, and output 9.089 Wh. Resting voltage of the cell at the end of the test was 3.11 V.

0.5 A Current draw

Drawing a higher 2.0 A current, the voltage was largely the same, still staying close enough to spec. Total power delivered was a slightly lower 8.129 Wh. Resting voltage at the end of the test was 3.22 V.

2.0 A Current draw

Armytek claims a maximum current draw of 2.5 A is supported. Testing increasing current shows the device can actually deliver 2.6 A, but shuts off when I tried to pull 2.7 A. The powerbank started charging even at a relatively low 0.1 A draw. Voltage is very respectable across all currents. This is a very good powerbank, and I really can’t find any flaws with it.

Testing the output with increasing current

Summary

Pros:

• Small, portable unit

• NiMH support and cell sliders make it one of the more versatile powerbank chargers

• Wings hold 18650 cells solidly in place

• Fantastic powerbank performance

Cons:

• Slight pulse noticed in the input current during charging

• No support for lower charge currents or larger cells

Charger Xtar VC2S





Xtar makes many chargers, this is a usb powered dual channel charger with display. The charger can charge with up to 2A for a channel, the current will depend on the internal resistance in the batteries. It can also work as a power bank.



I got the charger in cardboard box with the specifications printed on it.



n the box was the charger, a usb cable and a instruction sheet in many languages.



The charger is usb powered from a micro usb connector and it has a power bank output.



The user interface is a display, two leds and one button to select what the display shows or turn on the usb output.



When powered on the display will show all segments, the needle will start from zero and increase, I took the photo before the last needle was displayed.



Charging one battery, the red/green leds always make it easy to see if the charger is finished.



One press on the the button and the display shows the actual charge current.



After next press it shows the internal resistance in the batteries.



When used as a power bank the display shows the usb voltage and current.



The specifications are on the back of the charger, but you need light from the right angle to read it and maybe a magnifying glass.



The charger can handle both button top and flat top batteries.
The slider moves smoothly and can hand cells from 30mm to 70.5mm long.



The power bank function only uses one battery and the slot is marked.







The charger can handle 71 mm long batteries, including flat top cells.
The current for 10440 is on the high side even with the automatic regulation at minimum.



Measurements charger

• Charger will use about 145mA from usb with display at full brightness and 32mA with display at low brightness.
  
• When charging the last digit in the capacity displays will flash.
  
• The charger will assume NiMH from 0V to 1.7V
  
• From 1.8V the charger will assume LiIon
  
• When charge is finished the charger will charge with 0.5mA for LiIon.
  
• Charger will restart if voltage drops to 3.9 volt.
  
• Charge will restart charging after power loss, or battery insertion.
  
• When not connected to power it will drain about 1mA from a LiIon battery and 0.2mA from a NiMH battery.
  
• Voltage dial will update after the charging is done.
  
• Voltage dial is not very precise.
  
• Charge current steps down if usb voltage drops too much and may step up if usb voltage recovers (Like when one slot is finished).
  
• mAh display flashes “Full” when the corresponding battery is full.
  

• USB voltmeter looks precise
  
• When not connected to power it will drain about 1mA from a LiIon battery
  
• Usual usb output will turn on automatic, and it can be forced with the switch.
  
• Usb output is coded as USB charger (DCP)
  
• Usb output will turn off after 40 seconds with less than 220mAh load.
  

Charger Xtar D2





This is one of Xtars simple chargers, it can only charger larger LiIon batteries and is fairly fast doing it.

I got the charger without a box or accessories.



The charger is mains powered and support 100-240VAC 50/60Hz.



There is not much user interface, only a couple of blue leds that are animated during charge and will show charge state.



The specifications are on the back of the charger, but you need light from the right angle to read it.



The charger can handle both button top and flat top batteries.
The slider moves smoothly and can hand cells from 55mm to 72.4mm long, not accepting short batteries is a good idea on a 2A charger.





The charger can handle 72 mm long batteries, including flat top cells.



Measurements charger

• Charge will not transfer current to other cell when one is full, first when it is removed.
  
• Power consumption when idle is 0.08 watt.
  
• From 0V to 2.9V the charger will charge with 200mA
  
• Above 2.9V it will use regular charge current (2A).
  
• When charge is finished the charger will charge with 0.7mA.
  
• Charger will restart if voltage drops to 4 volt.
  
• Charge will restart charging after power loss, or battery insertion.
  
• When not connected to power it will drain about 6mA from a battery.
  

Hello to everyone
Thanking them for the trust, today we will review the VCL10 which was kindly provided by Nitecore itself. 

CLICK HERE to go to the official product page on the Nitecore website.

I want to clarify that my reviews are made at an amateur level, so without the aid of science fiction tools or tests in secret laboratories and cutting edge.Therefore, among the lines that follow, there will be my humble observations and even my humble opinions.

Official features:

- multifunctional USB QC vehicle charger
- Transformer Loss Compensation (TLC) enabling automatic adjustment of output voltage in accordance with the output current
- multi protection for overload, short-circuit, overvoltage, undervoltage, overcurrent and overheating etc.
- white beam and red warning light controllable with one button
- built-in photodetector enabling quickened flashes when detecting oncoming vehicles
- 90-degree tiltable head
- tungsten steel glass breaker tail design
- magnetic body
- 1 meter impact resistance
- certified by RoHS, CE, FCC and CEC


Where to buy it

The Nitecore VCL10 could be purchased from NitecoreStore.com

The packaging

The Nitecore VCL10 is sold inside a yellow cardboard box with a large transparent window that reveals the charger.
At the bottom there are the name of this car charger, a photo of it and the phrase "Multifunctional All-I-One Vehicle Gadget".Three images describe the functionality of the object.



On the back there is another photo of the charger along with the writing that highlights the compatibility with the standard Quick Charge 3.0.Further down there are the features and specifications of this charger.Then follow a QR-code that then sends back to the official page of the product on the Nitecore website, the FCC, RoHS, CEC and CE certifications and, finally, the company's data and their website.



The charger name is repeated on both sides together with the phrase "Vehicle Charger / Backup Light".



Once we have extracted everything from the package, we will find:
- the VCL10
- the warranty card
- the multilingual manual
P.S. No cables of any kind are included



Here is the manual pages.It is however possible to view (and download) the manual in its entirety from THIS address.




The charger

The VCL10 is Nitecore's first car charger.The black plastic body is neither too compact nor too large, has a magnet that allows the charger to be attached to metal surfaces and have a USB port compatible with Quick Charge 3.0.A small battery (which is automatically recharged when the charger is in the car's cigar-lighter) with a 240 mAh lithium ion that powers the LEDs on the charger is built inside of it.



The characteristics of the input and output of the charger are written on the body.



On the back there are the charger name and certifications.



As mentioned before, the VCL10 has 2 LEDs: one white (with a cold tint but with a neutral dominant) fixed, able to deliver as many as 25 lumens, and one red for emergency signals.Between the two there is a light sensor that, thanks to the magnet that will allow us to attach the charger to the chassis of the car, will react to the arrival of vehicles spots by increasing the flashing frequency of the red LED from 1 Hz (according to specifications) to 10 Hz (always according to the specifications).



The two LEDs are controlled by a switch (electronic, with a short stroke and an almost inaudible click) placed on top of the charger, next to the USB port.



The gem of the VCL10 lies in its head, in fact the part that houses the LEDs is able to tilt freely of 90°, allowing us to direct the beam where we need it most.Those that follow are the 0° position,



the 40° position



and this is the maximum extension.



Behind the LEDs there is a panel, held by 4 philips screws, whichthere have a plastic toothin its center.
At its bottom you can see the cables that power the LEDs.



The tooth has its own seat and, when you insert it, can listen a "clack".Inside the hole there is something that holds the rotating part locked.



Below there is another of the curious things about this charger, the tungsten tip that is able to break the windows of the car if needed.




How does it work

Regarding the lighting of the LEDs, the thing is simple.

Power On / Off

Holding down the switch will turn on the white LED (the first LED to be lit will always be him).Another prolonged pressure will turn off the whole thing.

Change levels

A single click (with LEDs on) on the switch will switch between white and red LEDs.

Red LED flashing

As mentioned before, the red LED may flash slowly (1 Hz) or fast (10 Hz).The flashing frequency change is automatic and due from the sensor between the two LEDs that can receive the light from an approaching light source.

For the rest, this VCL10 is a charger like any other.Just insert it into the cigar-lighter of your car and you have done it.Just connect a cable linked to a device and charge start automatically.Thanks to Quick Charge 3.0, Voltage and Amperage are automatically adjusted according to the need and, therefore, this charger is able to recharge any device within the range between 3.6 and 12 V with a maximum deliverable of 2.4A.

As soon as you insert it into the cigar-lighter, a blue indicator lights up



and a green indicator will light up when we connect any device.



As mentioned before, the charger is able to power even quick-charge devices.Here is charging the Nitecore TM10K which, as shown in the picture, is using the Quick Charge.




Dimensions: weights and dimensions

The Nitecore VCL10 is 7.85 cm long, its head measures 2.41 x 2.30 cm and weighs 45 gr.

Next here is the dimensional comparison with a big BIC lighter and a 18650



and my Blitzwolf 4 USB port car charger.




Runtime, candles and beamshot

NBThe tests below were made (obviously) with the battery integrated in the charger.Everything was done in a home environment at 21 ° without forced ventilation.Since it was impossible for me to determine the lumens, I leave it to the other graphs.

The following values have been taken with the battery charged andare considered to be peak.

NBThe discharge curves are obviously indicative, the result could vary in positive or negative depending on the batteries used by the end user or the conditions of use that may vary from mine during my tests.



The following values have been taken with the battery charged andare considered to be peak.



All the following photos were taken with the white balance set to 5200K.

These photos were taken at a distance of 40 cm from the wall.





Beam width





Simulation of use of the battery charger to view the engine compartment





or to assist us in a possible tire change / chains mounting.





Here is a video to show you the charger in detail.




Personal considerations

With this VCL10, the Nitecore also begins to make car chargers but have gone out of the box by customizing it to make a real multi-purpose tool.

In a single and small car charger we find a tungsten windbreaker tip, a flashlight for emergencies, a red signaling LED that is very useful to signal our presence and any damaged vehicle (without forgetting the magnet and the rotating head) and, last but not least, a fast-charging USB port compatible with the QC 3.0 standard ... What more could you want?
Be clear, the flashlight is for emergency so it does not have a high shot but its 25 lumens are more than enough to see where we put our feet and its 240 mAh battery offers good autonomy.
Obviously its use in rainy conditions is not contemplated since, at least officially, no resistance to liquids is declared.
Talking of the white LED, I would have liked to see an extra level with more light output, maybe 50/70 lumens (even if at the expense of the runtime).
For the rest, I promote this product to have absolutely on board of your vehicle.


What do you think of this battery charger? Would you like to buy it? 

Hello to everyone
Thanking them for the trust, today we will review the LC10 which was kindly provided by Nitecore itself. 

CLICK HERE to go to the official product page on the Nitecore website.

I want to clarify that my reviews are made at an amateur level, so without the aid of science fiction tools or tests in secret laboratories and cutting edge.Therefore, among the lines that follow, there will be my humble observations and even my humble opinions.

Official features:

- portable magnetic outdoor USB charger
- with charging and discharging functions
- capable of charging cylinder rechargeable Li-Ion battery
- integrated USB 2.0 input and output ports
- intelligently identifiers the positive and negative tips of battery
- sensory white light for 3 brightness levels and power indicators
- 3 power indicators show the charging/discharging status
- automatically detects battery power status and select the appropriate charging mode (cc, cv)
- overtime charging protection
- compatible with power bank, 5V solar panel and USB adaptor
- made from fire retardant / flame retardant PC+ABS material
- certified by RoHS, CE, FCC and CEC
- insured worldwide by Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd.


Where to buy it

The Nitecore LC10 could be purchased from NitecoreStore.com

The packaging

The Nitecore LC10 is sold inside a plastic blister almost completely enclosed in a yellow and black cardboard that shows all the information about this charger.
On the front there are the name and the photo of the product and the phrase "Portable Magnetic USB Charger".



On the back are repeated this phrase and the name of the product and we find a representation of the charger where are indicated and described the various parts that compose it.Below there are a list of compatible batteries (Li-Ion / IMR only) and CE, FCC, CEC and RoHS certifications.Finally there are the company's data and their website.



On one side it is explained that this charger is magnetic, so is compatible with all cylindrical batteries (Lithium Ion), and with Android and IOS systems and that has white courtesy LEDs and red LEDs that indicate the charge.



On the other side is repeated the writing "Portable Magnetic USB Charger" and a warn that, to download and view the product manual, you need to scan the QRcode that will direct us to the product page on the Nitecore website .



Once we extract everything from the package, we will find:
- the LC10 charger
- a white adapter for Apple devices (microUSB -> Lightning)
- the multilingual manual



Here is the detail of the adapter that has a Lightning plug on one end



and on the other end have the microUSB port.If your phone is equipped with USB Type-C, do not worry, there are obviously microUSB -> Type-C adapters available on any market.



Here below there are the manual pages.It is however possible to view (and download) the manual in its entirety at THIS address.




The charger

The LC10 is one of the more compact and lightweight Nitecore's portable chargers.The body is entirely made of black plastic that is able to delay any flames.
It works both as a battery charger (all cylindrical lithium-ion batteries) and as powerbank for the various compatible electronic devices.
At the center of the charger there is a kind of satin dome under which there are 6 small LEDs, 3 red and 3 white.



In order to recharge the batteries, you need to connect the USB adapter to any source that can supply 5V (wall charger, car charger, solar panel, powerbank, etc.).Note the Nitecore logo on the adapter and the USB symbol on the microUSB plug .



Looking sideways at this section we can see how everything is not excessively thick.



The connector contacts are not visible from the back as it is a compact USB adapter. But we find the name of the charger on the USB adapter and the word "OUT" on the microUSB plug to indicate that can be used like a powerbank.



Drawing and writing are not there by chance ... In fact, grabbing and moving out that USB adaptor, will be released the plug microUSB that we can insert in the various compatible devices with the 5V input (even Apple thanks to the adapter) and we can recharge them using this charger as a real powerbank, taking advantage of the charge of the batteries that most have.Obviously, by purchasing another adapter separately, we can also charge devices equipped with USB Type-C.



Here is the microUSB plug.





The satin dome, under which there are the LEDs, allows us to glimpse those that will then make white light.



On the side opposite to the dome there are the CE certification (top) and the input and output specifications (below).
We also find the symbol on / off because it works as a tactile sensor and will allow us to cycle the various levels of the LEDs inside the dome (when obviously they will be powered by an energy source).



On the opposite side of the USB plug there are 2 magnetic connectors with the Nitecore logo on the outer shell.



These two magnetic connectors are golden and will firmly attach themselves to the poles of the batteries that we want to recharge.There is no defined polarity to be respected because the charger will automatically recognize it and start recharging autonomously and in complete tranquility.




How does it work

As mentioned before, this particular charger allows you to recharge all types of Li-ion batteries (21700, 26650, 18650, 18350, 16340, 14500, to name a few) or to use this latter to charge other devices (for example the mobile phone in case of extreme need) just as a powerbank.

To charge the batteries

Connect the USB plug of the LC10 to a power source capable to deliver 5V (wall charger, car charger, powerbank, solar panel, etc.) and connect the magnetic terminals on the battery poles to start charging automatically.I remind you that there is not a polarity to respect

To recharge devices in case of emergency situations

Insert a battery (possibly of large capacity) between the magnetic terminals, remove the USB adaptor to reveal the microUSB plug and attach it to the device that need to be recharged to start charging automatically.I remind you that you can use the adapters if your device has the Lightning or USB Type-C port.

In any case, regardless of the use you will make of the LC10, the red indicators under the dome will light up to indicate the charge or discharge status.
3 lit indicators indicate a charge between 100% and 80%;
2 lit indicators indicate a charge between 80 and 50%;
1 lit indicator indicates a charge lower than 50%;
1 flashing light indicates that the battery must be removed as soon as possible.
NW Insert the battery between the magnetic terminals, without connecting anything else to the charger, will turn on the red LEDs to tell us, in an approximate way, the remaining charge that the cell has.

Here are the three red indicators lit.



White indicators

In addition to the 3 red indicators, under the dome there are also 3 white indicators that can act as a real emergency flashlight because we will have 3 levels available.
Just power up the system in one of 2 ways (with a battery or with a USB charger / powerbank) and leave the red indicators on. Intervening on the tactile switch we could cycle between the three light levels available.
NW If a recharge process is in progress, the white indicators can not be turned on.

Here below there are the 3 levels available (they have a variable duration depending on the used batteries or the connected USB device):

Low - 0.3 lumens - 550 hour runtime if battery powered



Mid - 1 lumens battery powered and 1.8 lumens powered through USB - 300 hour runtime if battery powered



High - 6 lumens battery powered and 10 lumens powered through USB - 100 hour runtime if battery powered



As mentioned before, you can also use the charger to turn any Li- ion battery (in the picture I used a classic 18650 from the Nitecore, the NL18350HP) into a powerbank (in this case I'm recharging the TINI Cu).



I also performed charging tests on various batteries.I used a nominal 5000 mAh 21700, a nominal 5500 mAh 26650, a nominal 3500 mAh Nitecore NL1835HP (18650) and a nominal 750 mAh 18350.Here below there are all the values with the case and the timing.




Dimensions: weights and dimensions

The Nitecore LC10 is 24.5 cm long, the dome that containing the indicators measures 4.4 x 2.42 x 1.41 cm, the magnets have a total diameter of 1.82 cm and all the charger weighs 28 gr.

Next here there are the dimensional comparisons with a large BIC lighter, a 18650



and the Olight UC (the other magnetic USB charger I have available).




Beamshot

As I said before, the white indicators can be used as an emergency flashlight, so it also the matter that their light power and shooting are very few.

The following photos were taken with the white balance set to 5200K.

These photos were taken at a distance of 40 cm from the wall and at the maximum level.



Beam width, always maximum level.



Here is a video to show you in detail the charger and how the information is shown on the display




Personal considerations

This LC10 is most compact and lightweight Nitecore's charger, perhaps even more than the F1.
In this small object you can find a charger that can also be used as a powerbank and an emergency flashlight.
The charger is compatible with all existing Li- ion cells and has an average speed of 0.80A.Remember that if you are dealing with batteries that are too small or too large, the charging times in this last case will be quite high.I remember that there is a diagram of those speed in some chapters before.

It is not a product suitable for people who need high charging speeds because it is not its strong point.It must be seen for what it is: a backup charger, perhaps as the backup charger par excellence for its qualities.


What do you think of this charger? Would you buy it?

Charger Xtar D4





This is one of Xtars simple chargers, it can only charger LiIon batteries and is fairly fast doing it.

I got the charger without a box or accessories.



The charger is mains powered and support 100-240VAC 50/60Hz.



There is not much user interface, only a couple of blue leds that are animated during charge and will show charge state.



The specifications are on the back of the charger, but you need light from the right angle to read it.



The charger can handle both button top and flat top batteries.
The slider moves smoothly and can hand cells from 31mm to 72mm long.



The charger is marked with charge current, but it is not very clear when it uses what current.








The charger can handle 72 mm long batteries, including flat top cells.



Measurements charger

• Slot #1 & #4 will charge with 1A or 2A depending on the internal resistance in the batteries and number of batteries in the charger.
  
• Slot #2 & #3 will charge with 0.5A or 1A depending on the internal resistance in batteries.
  
• Power consumption when idle without batteries is 0.13 watt.
  
• From 0V to 2.9V the charger will charge with 200mA
  
• Above 2.9V it will use regular charge current (0.5 to 2A).
  
• When charge is finished the charger will charge with 0.7mA.
  
• Charger will restart if voltage drops to 4 volt.
  
• Charge will restart charging after power loss, or battery insertion.
  
• When not connected to power it will drain up to 9mA from a battery.
  

Charger Xtar SC2





This Xtar charger looks like a simple USB charger, but that is a bit deceptive. It is a simple LiIon only charger, but it uses Quick Charge and will charge batteries fairly fast when used with a QC usb charger.



I got the charger in this packing with many languages and specification on the back.



The pack contained the charger, a USB cable and a instruction sheet also in many languages.



The charger is USB powered and can work on both a normal USB charger and one with Quick Charge support.



The user interface is four blue leds for each battery. All leds will be one when charger is empty or battery is full, when charging one led will flash and the other will show charge status.



The charger uses the typical slider construction with a metal rail and works smoothly from about 52mm to 76mm, i.e. the charger can handle long protected 18650/26650/32650 cells and it is not possible to charger shorter cells (With the charger current this charger uses this is a good design).





The charger can handle 76 mm long batteries, including flat top cells.
When supplied from a QC supply this charger is only for high current rated batteries.



Measurements

• When not powered a LiIon will discharge with less then 0.3mA
  
• When used with a QC charger the voltage will be 9V.
  
• When charging two batteries the current consumption can be up to 2A from QC 9V
  
• When charging one battery the current consumption can be up to 1.5A from QC 9V
  
• Power consumption when idle is 10mA from 5V USB
  
• Power consumption when idle is 7mA from 9V QC
  

Hello to everyone
Thanking them for the trust, today we will review the UM2 which was kindly provided by Nitecore itself. 

CLICK HERE to go to the official product page on the Nitecore website.

I want to clarify that my reviews are made at an amateur level, so without the aid of science fiction tools or tests in secret laboratories and cutting edge.Therefore, among the lines that follow, there will be my humble observations and even my humble opinions.

Official features:

- intelligent USB dual-slot charger
- QC 2.0 input available
- capable of charging 2 batteries simultaneously and controlling each slot independently
- up to 1.500 mA charging speed in a single slot
- compatible with Li-Ion and Ni-Mh/Ni-Cd batteries with automatic detection
- automatic detection of battery power level anda automatic selection of the appropriate voltage and charging mode (LiFePO4 and 3,8 V Li-Ion batteries excluded)
- automatic selection between 3 charging modes (CC, Cv and -dV/dt)
- energy-efficient LCD display for real-time charging information
- capable of manually selecting the charging cut-off voltage and the charging current
- automatic detection of large/small capacity batteries and automatic selection of appropriate charging current
- automatic termination upon charging completion
- reverse polarity protection and short circuit protection
- over-discharfed battery activation
-  Li-Ion battery restoration
- overtime charging protection
- made from durable and fire-retardant PC materials
- optimal heat dissipation design
- certified by RoHS, Ce, FCC and CEC
- insured worldwide by Ping An insurance )Group) Company of China, Ltd.


Where to buy it

The Nitecore LC10 (when available) could be purchased from NitecoreStore.com

The packaging

I received the UM2 as a preview from Nitecore but it was sent to me without the packaging.

The only things I have received are:
- the UM2
- a USB-> microUSB cable just over 75 cm long

Most likely, only the multilingual manual and the warranty card are been added to the packages for sale.



A detail of the USB / microUSB plugs of the cable.



Here is the manual in the English and Italian languages only.You can view (and download) the entire manual at THIS address.




The charger

The UM2 is a new multichimic charger (able to accept both Ni-Mh and Li-Ion / IMR / LiFePO4) of Nitecore and is able to accommodate even the long 21700 protected.The charger body is built with the usual plastic material able to delay the flames.
The charger, like other high-end products of Nitecore, has a generous screen at the top (backlit but which will turn off automatically after 10 minutes of inactivity to save energy), two keys with which you can change some settings and 2 independent slides able to recharge well 2 different batteries at a maximum speed of 1500 mA per channel when you will power it with a power supply (not included in the package) with fast charging because the UM2 is compatible with the QC 2.0.



As I said before, under the screen there are 2 keys marked with a C and a V. With them we can recall the various information of one or the other channel and, when needed, change the settings as the cut-off voltage of Li-Ion batteries (automatically detects those at 4.2 V) or adjust the charging speed.
Between the two keys we find the name of the charger.



Immediately below are the two slides.On the plastic is engraved the design of a battery with + and -, just to remind to the user the polarity to be respected.



I also add a photo of the two positive contacts



and of the two negatives.



Both slides run smoothly and do not have any jamming.Their minimum extension is 2.94 cm and maximum of 7.8 / 7.9 cm, enough to accommodate many types of batteries.
Note that the Nitecore logo is engraved on the slide.



To power everything, you need of just a simple USB-> microUSB cable (included in the package) that will be attached to the corresponding port on the top of the charger.Also note the presence of deep fins that help to dissipate any heat produced.



On the opposite side, on the bottom, stand the Nitecore logo.



Looking sideways at the product, next to the screen, there are other dissipating fins.They are not very pronounced like those on the side of the USB port, but they have very small openings that let go out the heat generated by the electronic components placed inside.



In the back there are various information about the accepted batteries and data on the inputs and outputs.The CE, RoHS and FCC certifications are not to be missed.



Here below there are in detail the various types of batteries accepted:
- IMR / Li-Ion / LiFePO4: 10440, 14500, 14650, 16500, 16340 (RCR123), 16650, 17350, 17500, 17650, 17670, 17700, 18350, 18490, 18500, 18650, 18700, 20700, 21700, 22500, 22650, 25500, 26500, 26650, 26700
- Ni-Mh / Ni-Cd: AA, AAA, AAAA, C, D

We can then recharge from the small AAAA / 16340 up to the longest 21700 or 26700 wide, so that they are Ni-Mh or Ni-Cd as they are Li-Ion (including the powerful IMR) or LiFePO4 thanks to the fact that the UM2 is a multichymic charger.



At the bottom of everything, under other holes that improve ventilation, there is a yellow sticker on which it is specified that the UM2 has an input of 5V or 9V (at 2A), depending on whether or not we will use a power supply with the QC 2.0, and an output (always if we use a QC 2.0 power supply) of 1.5A per channel, for a total of 3A.




How does it work

The UM2 can be powered by any wall or car USB power supply but to be able to use its maximum power (and therefore reach 1.5A per channel) it is necessary to use a power supply with fast charge because this charger is compatible with QC 2.0 (if you use 3.0, nothing will change).
If you do not physically dispose of a power supply at least QC 2.0 but a common power supply that delivers 5V and 1A (therefore less than 2A required) you can use however the charger but the maximum speed that we can set on the single channel will be lower and will be divided between the 2 channels if we insert 2 batteries.Doing this will increase the charging time.

The UM2 will communicate to us, thanks to a writing that appears at the top right of the display, whether or not we are taking advantage of the quick charge.

In detail the above mentioned writing when we will power the UM2 with 5V and 2A



and with a QC 2.0 power supply capable of delivering 9V and 2A (those required to operate at maximum).In the second case, the phrase "Quick Charge" will appears on the screen.



We have seen in the previous chapter that the charger has 2 keys, with the left one (C) you can switch from one channel to another to see how the recharging process proceeds.An arrow will also help us to quickly identify the selected channel.Because it is a multi-channel battery charger with independent channels, we can also simultaneously charge 2 different chemistry batteries at different speeds.

In this case on the 1st channel (Slot 1) I'm loading a Ni-Mh



while, in the second (Slot 2) I'm loading a Li-Ion.



As I said before, the charger will automatically detect if a Ni-Mh or a Li-Ion (4.2V) is been inserted on the slides but if you insert a battery with a different cut-off voltage it will may be necessary to manually set the charging parameters.
Nothing difficult.Once the battery/ies has been inserted, press C to go to the desired slot and keep pressed C again to enter the settings.Once done, the charging speed or the area concerning the cut-off voltages will start to flash.Press C will make us switch from one to the other setting.In the case of cut-off voltages, V will change the settings making us choose between 4.2V, 3.7V (LiFePO4) or 4.3V.







If we are in the recharge speed settings, with V we can instead select a speed between 100 mA and 1500 mA (with 100 mA steps) for each channel.
NW In automatic mode the UM2 detects even if the battery is more or less small in capacity, automatically setting a preset speed.500 mA for small and 1000 mA for large.





Once the voltage and the desired speed has been selected, all that remains things is to hold down C to save the settings, insert the battery and wait that the charging process come to the end.Meanwhile, we can check how the recharge proceeds by observing the information on the screen.In fact, we can see the charging speed, the voltage at which the battery is,



the mAh charged and from what time it is charging.



Here is a table with the various recharging times I found on some cells at certain speeds.
Batteries used: nominal 5000 mAh 21700, nominal 4500 mAh 26650, nominal 3500 mAh 18650, nominal 750 mAh 18350 and nominal 1900 mAh Ni-Mh AA.



In case that we insert batteries in reverse polarity or we have a dead or with the PCB blocked cells, it may happen that the message "EE EE" starts to flash on the screen.In this case, if we are sure that the battery has not been inserted in reverse and we want to restore the battery, we can hold down the V key to start the Restoration Mode that will test the battery, restore it and start the charging process.


The batteries in the sleds

I take this opportunity and also take some pictures to show how some batteries fit in the slides of the UM2.

Here is a AAA and AA Ni-Mh,



a 18350 and a 14500,



a 26650 and a 18650 (2x26650 would enter without problems)



and 2x21700, one protected (SX) and one unprotected (DX).




Dimensions: weights and dimensions

The Nitecore UM2 measures 15.1 x 7.34 x 4 cm and weighs 148 gr.

Next here there is the dimensional comparison with a big BIC lighter and a 18650,



with a 20,000 mAh powerbank,





with the Nitecore SC4,





with the Opus BT-C3100,





and with the XTAR SV2.





Here is a video to show you in detail the charger and how the information is shown on the display




Personal considerations

The UM2 confirm the quality of Nitecore products.Even the compatibility with the new and large 21700 protected batteries is guaranteed.
The two independent channels and the high recharge speed are 2 excellent qualities, you have only to remember that it requires a fast power supply to operate at the maximum of its possibilities.
The space between the two sleds can accommodate even 2x26650 side by side, 2x21700 protected and with the recovery mode you can even think to restore dead or with the PCB locked batteries.
This UM2, for what it offers, is a great charger for all the users that looking for a great product but with that something extra that the automatic battery chargers do not offer.Those looking for something more professional and with more features should turn to look to other products.
The only flaws found are that during recharging, as also happens with the big brother SC4, you can hear a little "coil whine"(or noise) but does not affect the operation of the product and that you have to pay attention to the recharging of the smallest batteries (14500/16340) because can happen that, by inserting them in a hurry, they can not touch the poles well.
Overall, however, I would like to reiterate that it is a good product and therefore promoted to me.


What do you think of this UM2? Would you buy it?

Charger Woyum ZK4




This charger supports NiMH and LiIon batteries, has adjustable charge current and is flexible with length.



It arrived in a cardboard box with a lot of specification on it.



The box contained the charger, power supply, car adapter and instruction sheet.



The charger is powered from 12V and do also have a usb charger output.



The power supply is a standard 12V plug pack with a Woyum label on it.



The charger also includes a car adapter.



The charger has a LCD display on the front, but no buttons.



There is a button hidden on the side of the charger, it will change between the 3 charger currents.



Display during power on.



No batteries in the charger, the missing 0.5A text is because it is flashing to signal it is selected. It can be changed at any time by pressing the button.



Charging two LiIon batteries and one NiMH battery, the pie chart shows the charge status.



The specifications are on the bottom of the charger.



The charger uses the classic slider construction and will handle batteries from 33mm to 77mm, this will handle even the longest protected cells.










The charger can handle well above 70mm long batteries.



Measurements

• Power consumption when idle with no batteries is 0.5 watt
  
• Charger will discharge a full LiIon battery with less then 0.15mA when not powered.
  
• Below 0.6V the charger will not detect a battery
  
• Between 0.6V and 2V the charger will assume NiMH
  
• Between 2V and 3V the charge assumes LiIon and chargers with about 150mA.
  
• Above 3V the charger use selected charge current.
  
• Voltmeter is within 0.04V (All readings are slightly low).
  
• Voltmeter is will not show above 4.20V
  
• Will restart charging it voltage drops below 4.1V.
  
• Will restart charging if battery is inserted or power cycled.
  

• Usb output is coded as Apple 1A
  

Charger Golisi Needle 1





This is one of Golisis simple chargers, it can only charger LiIon batteries and it can basically handle any size, this also means it is on the slow side for large batteries.



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



It contained the charger, a usb cable and the instruction sheet.



The charger is usb powered and fairly low power.



There is not much user interface, behind the bar is a singled red and green led, it is red while charging and green at other times.



The specifications are on the back of the charger and easy readable.



The charger can handle both button top and flat top batteries.
The slider moves smoothly and can hand cells from 34mm to 71.4mm long.







The charger can handle 71 mm long batteries, including flat top cells.
The 0.5A charge current is a bit high for a normal 10440 cell, but fine if it is a high current cell.



Measurements charger

• Power consumption when idle without a battery is 4mA from usb
  
• From 0V to 2.8V the charger will charge with 60mA
  
• Above 2.8V it will use regular charge current (0.5A).
  
• When charge is finished the charger will discharge with less than 0.1mA.
  
• Charger will restart if voltage drops to 4 volt.
  
• Charge will restart charging after power loss, but not battery insertion when battery is above 4V.
  
• When not connected to power it will drain less than 0.1mA from a battery.