SkyRC — IFA 2014 — MC3000 charger-analyzer

[kreisl]

Re: 2nd gen dreamcharger presented on IFA Berlin 2014…

their experience with that charger will go a longway towards making this one pretty fine at the starting gate.

there are some obvious improved exterior details e.g. on the backside the quality/noise of the cooling fan, its smart control (can be adjusted in general settings menu), the kickstand mechanism:

Above was a backside comparison with the Nietcore i4. The white scuffs and scratches on these old pics are from the 3D-printer model prototype. See now the backside comparison with the BT-C3100. Can you tell some difference?

Height comparison maha C9000, xtar XP4, nietcore i4, and (shorter) prototype:

 

[Chloe]

Thanks for the pictures! ^^ It looks a lot bigger than current bay chargers on the market. I wonder about the noise levels compared to Opus BT-C3100 since it also has an internal fan.

SkyRC, I guessed right! (*´▽`*) It would be very interesting to see how it performs in terms of accuracy beside some hobby chargers.

Do you know if it has user-adjustable hysteresis control for the fan? Given so many different charging conditions I think it would be a nice feature. I wonder too, how friendly the UI is?

I admit I am a little disappointed to hear no PC link for Apple and Linux users. Do you know if support for these platforms is planned?

 

[kreisl]

Hello Chloe, you're asking the right questions, thanks for your interest! :wave:

I'll have 1 or 2 more of the old pics posted by tomorrow, they may serve as reference for now. The final production version is a bit longer and comes in a fully dark color scheme :huh:

While the internal fan of BT-C3100 sounded like a motor and the one of NC2500 like a high-pitched flyer, the MC3000 fan noise is much lower in pitch and volume. It is still very audible at full speed, say 4x(-1.0A) discharge, but i would call it a clear improvement. It is not as loud as iCharger's internal fan at 1x(-4.0A) discharge! The fan speed (=noise) varies with the internal temperature. At lower temps the fan rotates slower and rather silent.

I've seen firmware with user-adjustable fan control hysteresis in the general settings menu yes. Afaicr the default setting is automatic On at 40.1°C internal temperature and automatic Off at 34.9°C.

The device is imho clearer to operate than a hobby charger. In the general settings menu, beginners can turn off the Advanced Menu of SPV (Slot Programming View) in order to hide some of the (unnecessary? ;=) advanced parameters in SPV. Since this basic operation mode hides default values, personally i prefer to operate the charger with "Advanced Menu: On" for full control and knowledge over all ~17 parameters and their respective options. Imho the UI is user-friendly and well-designed and an improvement over hobby chargers. And to me, it is much fun to operate! Or, you can operate the charger from your WinPC. That's even more user-friendly.

I don't know if support for Apple and Linux users is planned. iCharger's PC Link software (Logview/Logview Studio) is for WinPC only, so I sold my Linux and Apple and got an Android instead. Remote control via smartphone, Apple/Linux connectivity problem solved, so please don't be disappointed

The topic of accuracy is taken seriously and constantly being addressed. Once we're getting closer to release date, i should be able to detail on it and present a comparison to dedicated hobby chargers and also BT-C3100. Stay tuned :thumbsup:

 

[Dubois]

Nice photos Kreisl, thanks. One question on the battery holder. I'm fed up trying to squeeze my longer 18650 cells into (and out of) my I4 charger - what are the sliders like on the MC3000? Will longer cells fit easily?

 

[richardcpf]

Looks good... I'm not a fan of mixed chemistry charging and fancy bluetooth and functionality though...

This company makes more than chargers, they also have bluetooth controlled watt-meter and led bulbs.

The display seems to be very detailed, showing chemistry, capacity, mode and current at the same time.

I think this is just too much for some..

 

[tatasal]

Massively-sized...I love it, looks very authoritative. Best-looking multi-bay and chemistry charger so far. I'd like to own one, even just for its looks alone! ( I thought my C9000 was big )

 

[kreisl]

One question on the battery holder. I'm fed up trying to squeeze my longer 18650 cells into (and out of) my I4 charger - what are the sliders like on the MC3000? Will longer cells fit easily?

the sliders are thick, long and robust. really different from the standard fare, compare XP4:

or compare i4:

the sliders are built in such a way that, in theory, it would be possible to stack 2 cells (2xAA, 2x17650, or possibly 2x18650) and charge both in parallel in the same slot: thus one could charge 8xAA in the 4-bays of the charger! but this theoretical possibility was not intended by the maker and is not a recommended procedure at all, so don't even think about it!

as to the max. length of cells supported by the battery holder, batteries up to a length of 73.0mm fit. Protected Panasonic NCR18650B are 71mm long, they are a very comfortable fit. And as mentioned earlier, flat top batteries are no problem either.

In fact, with its secure stand and nice quality sliders it is possible to insert and remove 71mm-cells safely and comfortably single-handedly! oo:

 

[Dubois]

Thanks for that info Kreisl. Good to hear that it's easy to get cells in and out of the charger.

 

[ChibiM]

When will your review be ready and online? I assume it's already finished for 99% (knowing your testing data online)… also, will they sell only under SkyRC brand?

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk

 

[kreisl]

Massively-sized...I love it, looks very authoritative. Best-looking multi-bay and chemistry charger so far. I'd like to own one, even just for its looks alone! ( I thought my C9000 was big )

please note that the pics with the gray color scheme are old pics from the prototype testing model.

charger model	max dimensions W×H×L	weight	comments
XTAR XP4	92.4 × 34.6 × 125.0 mm³	170g unit + 149 mains adapter	tiny. heat issues.
Nitcore i4 V2	96.3 × 36.6 × 136.5 mm³	160g unit + 67g mains cable	light. cheap. it is!
Opus BT-C3100	100.1 × 42.9 × 150.0 mm³	230g unit + 194g mains adapter	likable product, no doubt.
Maha MH-C9000	109.8 × 41.7 × 165.0 mm³	364g unit + 153g mains adapter	2006 release. big.
Skyrc MC3000	124.0 × 68.8 × 200.3 mm³	601g unit + 215g PSU + 67g mains cable	whopper. 2014 release?

 

[N8N]

Maybe this has been mentioned and I missed it, but if this unit uses a separate power supply does that mean that it runs on 12VDC and therefore could also be used with a cig lighter adapter if necessary?

 

[kreisl]

if this unit uses a separate power supply does that mean that it runs on 12VDC and therefore could also be used with a cig lighter adapter

Like any good hobby charger the device measures and displays your momentary input voltage which has to be in the wide range between 11-18V, thus the charger is able to accept a whole variety of PSU adapters from your household (12V, 15V, 18V, whatever you got!). In addition, the lower admissible limit can be set by the user, for example if you wanted to protect the health of your power source by limiting/matching the min. admissible charger input ("> 12.0V") to the adapter output specs ("12VDC").

So yes, if necessary, the charger would be able to run off a car cig lighter adapter (18Vmax > 12VDC > 11Vmin). You may need a plug converter and your generated electrical load should be within reason.

I've got the SK-200008 PSU (20$ retail value) which works harmonically with the test unit. Again, it is unclear if such a (similar) PSU is supplied with the MC3000 retail shipping unit.

 

[Dubois]

You may need a plug converter and your generated electrical load should be within reason.

I've got the SK-200008 PSU (20$ retail value) which works harmonically with the test unit. Again, it is unclear if such a (similar) PSU is supplied with the MC3000 retail shipping unit.

Any idea what type of plug is needed on the charger for the power supply? Is it a mini usb, or one of the round types typically found on (old) kit?

 

[HKJ]

Any idea what type of plug is needed on the charger for the power supply? Is it a mini usb, or one of the round types typically found on (old) kit?

Probably the round type that is used on all chargers that need some power or a custom connector.
USB would only work if it is the new type with high power capabilities, but it is a bit early for that.

 

[StandardBattery]

Probably the round type that is used on all chargers that need some power or a custom connector.
USB would only work if it is the new type with high power capabilities, but it is a bit early for that.

I sure hope it is the standard round type, or they can have two; the standard one, and a custom one for better connections with high amperage source.

 

[Dubois]

Thanks HKJ, that's what I'm hoping. I thought I had a spare power supply that might work, but on checking, it's only 10v and 2.8A, so probably no good anyway.

 

[kreisl]

When will your review be ready and online? (...) will they sell only under SkyRC brand?

Hello ChibiM, when one gathers all my posts from this thread, it'd pretty much read as a review, wouldn't it hehe :goodjob:

It was true that the original NC2500 got licensed to TechnoTrade "BC2500" and AccuCell "A-ULTRA", both Geman or Austrian trade companies afaik who also distributed the original BC700 under their own label technoline, but it is afaik unclear at this point if such companies are after a similar coup with the original MC3000.

Erm .. anyone worried about the price?

 

[shelm]

The display seems to be very detailed, showing chemistry, capacity, mode and current at the same time.

i can poorly see anything.

why is the LCD background lighting off, what's wrong?

 

[flashflood]

I want this so hard. Google turns up basically nothing. Argh...

 

[kreisl]

why is the LCD background lighting off

here a pic with background lighting turned on, i call the screen "TOV" for Total Overview:

When you don't play with the buttons and leave the device under normal operation, the screen automatically returns to the above screen after a while of user's inactivity. As you can see, TOV shows in tabular format the most essential quantities about the 4 slots: voltage, current, capacity, and also indicators of the ongoing MODE and program routine such as charging, discharging, resting, or trickling (Do you like trickle charge? :huh. For example, slot#4 shows the symbol for the (NOT COMPLETED) REFRESH mode and the fact that it says "0.40", that is 400mA momentary charge rate, instead of "-0.40" tells us that the slot is in the charging routine, and not the discharging routine, of the REFRESH MODE.

When REFRESH has completed, the double arrow char ↕ gets inverted, i.e. its background becomes black:

. There are additional indicators of mode completion such as a loud beeping melody (can be turned off in General Settings) and the SNB LED (Slot Number Button LED) which turns from full red to full green. A full green LED means that 'officially' the MODE has completed but that the slot program continues to be observant for eventual further actions, such as trickle charging or restarting the last program routine of the MODE, here: CHARGE, once the "offline voltage" has dropped under the user-set threshold, etc.

In TOV, clicking one of the lower buttons forwards you to the DDV (Diagram Drawing View) where the logged voltage is being graphed in real-time . DDV could graph further quantities of interest such as cell temperature i guess. Let me know if you want a photo of DDV.

For more details of the slot under operation such as target voltage, elapsed time, battery temperature, CYCLE history, etc., the user needs to click on the SNB's to get forwarded to SOV (Slot Operation View) where the list of details can be scrolled through. On the iCharger, power and energy is only displayed on the PC screen through the PC Link software LogView/LogView Studio.
I have never seen a charger before which displays POWER (Watts) and ENERGY (mWh) on the LCD besides counting the CAPACITY (mAh).