Welcome to CPF wilrader! :thumbsup:
There are a number of chargers out there that "claim" to be adequate for charging both 10440 and 14500 cells. Most of these use an improper algorithm for charging Li-Ion cells, and really shouldn't be used at all. Of the remaining few, some charge at a good rate for 14500's but too high a rate for 10440's. In most cases, this just shortens cell cycle life, and at rate of more than 1C, considerably with these tiny cells. Keep in mind also, that the "claimed" mAh printed on the side of the cell, in most cases is BS. I don't think there are
any 10440 cells that are even 300mAh, let alone 500mAh. Most are around 250mAh, regardless of what's printed on the side.
For my 14500 cells I compromised on what
seems to be a good charger for them, and while maybe having close to the maximum charge rate for a 10440, is probably OK. While this charger appears not to use an ideal algorithm, it's pretty close and should be reasonably safe to use on both size cells. I do use mine (I got from DX) for 14250 and sometimes 16340 cells as well. It's really too slow for 17xxx and 18xxx cells, but would work. I will admit though, that for my 10440's I mostly use one of three nano 10440 chargers that I bought, that actually works. The nano is a bit slow (about 90mA) but I figure it's easier on the cells. When it comes to 10440's there really aren't many choices as far as chargers.
I haven't used this charger much for charging NiMH cells, but it does in fact seem to work for them as well, albeit once again, a bit slow. It truly does seem to be a universal charger in this respect.
It is a one cell charger, but at the price point, you could always buy two or whatever. Again so far, I am pleased with my unit. It is built surprisingly well for a cheap charger and as I have pointed out elsewhere, the PCB lacks the cold solder joints and general messy appearance of most Chinese chargers in this category.
Dave
