[REVIEW] MiBoxer C4-12 (NiMH/NiCd/Li-ion Smart Battery Charger)

 

Size is approximately 4.5"x6" (12cm x 16cm)

 

OCD ALERT: The plug from the wall to the adapter does not seat all the way in. No impact on functionality.

 

* When multiple batteries are inserted, press button to cycle display between slots.

* When batteries are inserted, long-press button to enter current selection mode. Once in current selection mode, press button to cycle through the charge current options. The range is from 0.1A (100mA) to 3A. After you cycle past 3A, there is also an "Auto" which will determine the appropriate charge current automatically. When using 18650GAs, it determined that the best charge rate was between 1.3A - 1.7A.

 

0.10A

 

3A

 

 

The display automatically cycles through stats for the selected slot.

* Temperature

* % Capacity

* Time - Cumulative charge/analysis time

 

Voltage

 

Charge Current

 

Internal Resistance

 

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

Battery Sizes:
* 10340, 10350, 10440, 10500, 12340, 12500, 12650, 13450, 13500, 13650, 14350, 14430, 14500, 14650, 16500, 16340(RCR123), 16650, 17350, 17500, 17650, 17670, 18350, 18490, 18500, 18650, 18700, 20700, 21700, 22500, 22650, 25500, 26500, 26650, AA, AAA, AAAA, C, SC, D

* Protected 18650s Fit. The Protected Panasonic NCR18650GAs fit at about 69-70mm. 

* You can charge 4x26650 simultaneously.

 

 

With 1x18650 battery, and main power disconnected, the unit can output 5V 1A via the USB port. The battery has to be inserted in the 4th bay and only the 4th bay will provide power.

 

Wish List / Recommendations
1) Quick Test - I wish that this charger also had a drain and test function to determine capacity for all 4 bays.

2) Storage Mode - I wish that this charger had the ability to automatically drain or charge to 50% for storage.

3) LEDs - I wish that each bay had an illuminated color LED (Green=Done, Red=Charging, Flashing Red=Error) This would make it easier to tell if charging/analysis is complete from a distance.

Overall, the MiBoxer C4-12 is a good smart charger. It works well, especially for people looking to charge their cells quickly and it also looks very nice. My favorite aspect of this charger is all of the information available on the display. For example, I like that it shows both capacity in percentage as well as the voltage. I also like that this charger displays cell temperature which is something most chargers do not do. You can charge cells at up to 3A but make sure that your cells are able to support that much current first.

 

Since this charger can also support charging NiMH and NiCd and it is straight-forward to use, it is a good universal/family charger. It can also fit protected cells and the bays and nice and spacious. This is one of the few chargers which can fit 4x26650. When charging 18650s, there is a nice amount of space in-between each cell. You can even charge C and D cells, which is also rare. It does not support LiFePo cells.

I like the wide range of charging options. You can charge as slow as 0.1A (100mA) all the way up to 3A. This provides tremendous flexibility. For 18650s, I normally charge them at 1A. For smaller cells like 14500s, you'll want to use a smaller current, more like 300mA. Charging multiple cells at 3A would get pretty warm, though.

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

 

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

The power bank functionality works well and outputs 1A although it only uses the 4th slot. So, if you need a ton of energy you will need to swap batteries to the 4th slot. Using cells as a power bank is also a good way to discharge cells (either for storage or testing) without "wasting" energy.

 

The only thing that I wish this charger did was automatically drain and charge batteries in all 4 slots to analyze the battery capacity. This charger will show you the cumulative charge but you would need to drain the battery first in order to get a good approximation of capacity.