Which 4 bay 18650 charger - Nitecore I4 faulty :- (

[coiler]

Hi guys,

First post :thumbsup: I'm a mountain biker and love lighting up the trails.


My Nitecore I4 is faulty and gets stuck in a flashing yellow fault loop. Checked polarity, switched the radio power around etc I've sent it back for a refund.

I'm after a recomendation for a quick safe charger for x4 18650's unprotected from Torchy the battery boy, 3400mah, to charge together.

I like the Efest Luc V4 but can't find gaurenteed version 2 stock and the Xtar WP6 seems to get ok feedback apart from the first charge cycle?

Any standout go to 18650 chargers which will suit?

 

[coiler]

I've done some more reading and would it be better to charge x2 18650 3400mah in a x2 bay charger, i'm home for around 3-4 hours after work, and from my understanding i'd have to leave a 4 bay going when I sleep overnight for 8-10 hours?

 

[UnderPar]

Xtar has a new 4 bay charger. XP4c. You may check its specs on their site


Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums

 

[RI Chevy]

Welcome to the Forum! :welcome:

Take some time to read through some of the chargers in this link. Some of the best reviews that you will ever read are done by fellow member HKJ.

I have an XTAR VP1 and am very satisfied with it.

http://www.lygte-info.dk/info/indexBatteriesAndChargers UK.html

 

[ChrisGarrett]

If you're going to go with a two bay charger, for a few bucks more than the Xtar VP1, get the VP2. It charges up all three chemistries, charges up all three common li-ion voltages, has a 250mA, 500mA and 1A charging rate, has built in volt meters and charging status bars, does USB charging and comes with a 12v car/solar adapter, all for about $50 shipped.

Chris

 

[xed888]

Opus BT C3100

 

[coiler]

Thanks guys, how long would the vp2 and opus take to charge 2 18650?

Looked at over 10 hkw reviews and they were great but left me more confused as to what i need!

 

[sc00b]

I like my intelicharger d4.

 

[RI Chevy]

Welcome to the Forum! :welcome:

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Thanks guys, how long would the vp2 and opus take to charge 2 18650?

Looked at over 10 hkw reviews and they were great but left me more confused as to what i need!

Well, that depends on how depleted they are.

The VP2, like many Xtar chargers, has a 1A charge limit, so 3.4 hours on a completely dead NCR-B, but you'll most likely never have completely dead cells, as that's dangerous.

If you want 2A charging, buy two Xtar SP2s and run them in tandem, for 2A charging.

Chris

 

[tatasal]

I have both the Xtar VP2 and the Opus BT-C3100 v2.1. Both are good chargers.

The VP2 has 2 bays, selectable 3 charging rates (max 1A each) but rate selected applies to both bays always. Heats up the cells @1A on the remaining quarter of a charging session (just like my Pila IBC).

The Opus has 4 bays, selectable 4 charging rates (max 2A when only 2 outer bays are used, max 1A when 1 to 4 bays are used). All 4 bays can can be individually programmed for charge/discharge/analyze at different rates and different modes in the same session. Fan-cooled (when temp rises to 40C,) so fan noise can be an issue if you are used to a dead-quiet one.

See what is applicable to your requirements.

 

[Wiggle]

I also had my I4 go faulty and after some digging and input from here I decided to go for the Opus BT-C3100 V2.1. It is currently in the post so I can't comment on it yet but it certainly seemed to have all the features I needed.

 

[StandardBattery]

XTAR Just announced the VP4 a 4 bay charger, so if you can wait it might be worth it.

gearbest has a coupon right now for the OPUS BT-3100 v2.1 for $42 and that's a pretty decent price right now, but I'm not sure how long it takes to get here with their free shipping option.

 

[ven]

yeh baby



:naughty::naughty::naughty:

$40 too........bargain and looks good to order

 

[RI Chevy]

 

[UnderPar]

I think this is worth the wait.

 

[coiler]

Wow thanks for all the replies guys, didn't expect so many


I ordered the VP2 before I seen the VP4 was due out But I was so impressed last night with the VP2 I don't think i'll have any regrets!



I have four 18650 3400 unprotected cells to charge, some questions :thinking:

1. I set to 3.6 volts on the selector switch and settled on 1amp for the charging mode, all ok? or would 0.5 amp offer any better longevity?
2. Both cells were around 3.72v to start with, how low can this go without being dangerous?
3. I read about discharging a lot, the VP2 doesnt do this, can I simply top up charge after every use (most bike rides around 1-3 hours) I read about guys on bike forums putting lights in fridge and leaving running to drain batteries!
4. I'm charging in a biscuit tin with lid on, good idea? it didn't get that hot. Or lid off better? or no biscuit tin better? :sick2:


Some pics on the various amp modes...

Full charging to 4.2 / 4.19 took 2.45 hours :twothumbs:twothumbs

The 4.2 dropped to 4.19 after a few minutes on the left cell...

Thanks guys, and thanks for reccomending the VP2, love it a lot more than my Nitecore I4!

 

[ven]

I have four 18650 3400 unprotected cells to charge, some questions :thinking:

1. I set to 3.6 volts on the selector switch and settled on 1amp for the charging mode, all ok? or would 0.5 amp offer any better longevity?----------------- 1A is fine and all i use on 18650
2. Both cells were around 3.72v to start with, how low can this go without being dangerous? -------------------Thats what they should be around 40% charge for storage
3. I read about discharging a lot, the VP2 doesnt do this, can I simply top up charge after every use (most bike rides around 1-3 hours) I read about guys on bike forums putting lights in fridge and leaving running to drain batteries! -------------I would just get used to the times,check V in charger and top back off,dont allow them to get too low.
4. I'm charging in a biscuit tin with lid on, good idea? it didn't get that hot. Or lid off better? or no biscuit tin better? :sick2:------------- I charge on kitchen side with no box or lid

Just dont leave on overnight(will or should be ok but keep an eye on the cells just in case) The xtar vp2 is a superb charger and stops charging at 4.19-4.2v and does not continue. Best method is to remove soon after imo as anything can fail........just being extra careful basically and dont become too reliant on electrical equipment to work 100% all the time.

Congrats on an awesome charger

 

[UnderPar]

Perfect choice!


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[StandardBattery]

.....
2. Both cells were around 3.72v to start with, how low can this go without being dangerous?
3. I read about discharging a lot, the VP2 doesnt do this, can I simply top up charge after every use (most bike rides around 1-3 hours) I read about guys on bike forums putting lights in fridge and leaving running to drain batteries!
....

Discharging the LiIon cells makes no sense. Just top them up as needed, that is best for these.

The cutoff voltage is a little tricky since it seems doing the measurement under load is the most reliable way to do it. I'm assuming you measured the resting voltage at 2.7V with your meter unloaded or as displayed on VP2 display. If this is the case then this would likely be considered a bit low. It would be better if the cells had sat for a while that their voltage was above 3V or slightly higher say 3.6 if you are using them typically with a high discharge rate. Others might have better answers for this one.

Since you are using unprotected cells the tin might not be a bad idea, i'd leave the lid off though and would not charge them unattended.