DX-5837 1A single 18650 charger

[Raymond]

I received my DX shipment today, which included a pair of 18650's and a 1 amp single 18650 charger, which costs $7.

Because I had to change the powercord, I took some pics of the insides.

The IC in this pic reads LM358:

some rough test results:
charge current at 4V: 0.97A
charge current at 4.12V: 0.56A
charge current at 4.19V: 0.2A
light goes green at 4.22V. There's almost as much time between 3.8V->4.19V as there is between 4.19V->4.22V.
My dmm shows a current of 2mA at 4.22V. I took the battery of the charger at that voltage, so I don't know if the current ever gets to 0A. The voltage between the contacts, with no battery installed is 4.24V. I guess that that would be the "end" voltage on this charger. Maybe a bit on the high side, but I don't think dangerously high. After reading all the stories here on CPF on li-ion chargers, I'll just connect my li-ion chargers to a timer, which I'll set to about 2.5-3 hours. That would be both safe and enough time to charge even a completely discharged battery.

I think I'll order another one and use the shell of that one to make a battery tray for use with the RC charger that's underway to me.

 

[glenda17]

I ordered one of these yesterday. It seems to be the safest charger 2mA trickle on a 18650 is practically zero.

 

[Bigsy]

Was going to get one a few months ago as my current charger takes so long I have to leave it overnight which makes me uncomfortable even with a li-po charge bag...

Anyway, my point is that I didn't because the comments on DX suggested it gives a 12ma trickle, which worried me, now you say its 2ma...hmm I'll probably order one see what I get, it's dirt cheap after all.

 

[Raymond]

Maybe there's a small difference between each charger? I don't know why others measure different results. I am pretty sure about mine, and I like it for the money. After reading all the warnings on CPF, I don't trust it to leave it alone. But it can charge an almost empty 18650 to near full in about 2 hours, so babysitting it is easy.