All in one charger

[lightseeker2009]

I would like to get a charger that charges everything. It must detect either 1.2V, 3.6V, 3.7V batteries like AA's, 14500's 18650's etc.

The Nitecore I4 comes close, but can't charge 32600's or D cell NIMH's. I would love a charger like my Maha 808, but one that can also take 3.7V batteries. Does something like that exist? There are so many new products and I have not kept track of them all.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

They're called 'hobby chargers' and you'll need a power supply to go with one. Basically what the Radio Controlled guys use.

They pretty much do everything and do it fairly well, but they're more complicated.

Chris

 

[lightseeker2009]

Hi Chris, you are right. They do charge it all. I have one. But it struggles with single cell charging. It overcharges any cingle cell I use it with. Therefore I want a new charger and only use the hobby charger for lipo's

 

[oKtosiTe]

If there is a charger that does all that and does it well, I'd love to hear about it, but color me skeptical.
Did you check out the MCC-4?

Great review!

If you had to choose between the Intellicharger i4, and this one, which would you prefer?

Definitely this one.
I like that the charge current is constant from 1 to 4 batteries.
I like that it has two current settings.
I like the charging algorithms better.

 

[jcollett9]

I use a Triton 2 hobby charger that I bought several years ago for R/C. If you're looking to get an affordable hobby charger I would recommend a Turnigy Accucel-6. You'll need a separate 12V power supply, but one can be robbed from an old computer or purchased online for $10 or $15 bucks. You can charge most any battery chemistry with this charger at up to 6.0 amp charge rate. You'll need to get cell holders for the type batteries you plan to choose, but it gives you a lot of versatility in how you charge.

Nicd/Nihm batteries can be charged in series, so you can get a 1, 2, 4, or 8 cell holder, but lithium batteries need to be charged individually. The charger is capable of charging more than one lithium battery at a time, but you would need to wire together a balancing cell holder to do it safely.