Best Charger for 18650 Battery

[KiwiMark]

Are iCharger a Kiwi company? I might get one eventually... Is there a kind that can just plug into a normal power point?

Nah, we don't really do any electronics manufacturing here - they're probably made in China like everything else (including Apple iPhones). The iCharger is a better quality charger than the cheaper ones though and has better features and a better UI - I find it easier to use than my Turnigy charger.

Normal power isn't too much of a problem, you can buy a power adapter for ~$10 that will work pretty well. I have a computer PSU that easily runs 2 hobby chargers that worked out to be the cheapest option. You can also buy power adapters like this one: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__9205__25A_14v_DC_Power_Supply_for_Chargers_350W_.html that will supply up to 350W, so you can use the charger to it's limits. The cheap $10 power adapters are usually ~60W which works fine as long as you don't try to charge 6 cells @ 10A (I usually charge 1 cell at 1A which only needs 4.2W).

I bought this: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__6792__iCharger_106B_plus_250W_6s_Balance_Charger.html
Even with shipping it was under $100 for me.
There are power adapters like this: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__6477__IMAX_Power_Supply_100_240v_5A.html
One of these should be all you need. They don't seem to have stock currently, but I'm sure you could hunt around and find the same sort of thing elsewhere.
Here is a quick Ebay search: http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_from=R...ower+adapter+12V+5A&_sacat=See-All-Categories
Having the power adapter separate from the charger means less heat in the charger and also if the power adapter fails you can replace it easily without having to buy a whole new charger.

 

[snakyjake]

Pila IBC, and I'm looking at Orbtronic.

Hobby chargers aren't for me...too much fooling around. I'm more utilitarian. And I really think in 2011 there should have been a simple, inexpensive, and high quality battery charger by now!

 

[rmteo]

Pila IBC, and I'm looking at Orbtronic.

Hobby chargers aren't for me...too much fooling around. I'm more utilitarian. And I really think in 2011 there should have been a simple, inexpensive, and high quality battery charger by now!

You can get a hobby charger for less than half the price of a Pila IBC (that probably does 5x as much ) but as you said, it will require some effort on your part.

 

[HKJ]

And I really think in 2011 there should have been a simple, inexpensive, and high quality battery charger by now!

Have you checked the 4Sevens charger?

 

[infinus]

I considered the 4sevens charger but I was turned off by it's high termination current. I ultimately decided that for how anal I generally am about these things a hobby charger was the way to go for me.

Other than it's high termination current however it does seem like a convenient and well made unit.

 

[samgab]

I considered the 4sevens charger but I was turned off by it's high termination current. I ultimately decided that for how anal I generally am about these things a hobby charger was the way to go for me.

Other than it's high termination current however it does seem like a convenient and well made unit.

The 160mA termination point is an issue for you?
I've found it to be a fantastic charger, small, simple, and very capable.
Looking at the curve charts, there is such a tiny, negligible amount of capacity put in at the end of a charge curve between 160mA and, say, 50mA, that it is really of no concern to me. I can just use the battery, and charge it again another time.

Edit, having said that, of course the iCharger is better, but they're different beasts, and I think the 4Sevens charger serves a purpose, and performs that task very well.

 

[infinus]

Hey now.... I agree, I did say it's due to how anal I am!

 

[HKJ]

Looking at the curve charts, there is such a tiny, negligible amount of capacity put in at the end of a charge curve between 160mA and, say, 50mA, that it is really of no concern to me. I can just use the battery, and charge it again another time.

That is true for a 18650 cell, but with a RCR123/16340 cell it is much more significant.
It would have been nice if the 0.5A range had a lower termination current.