I think this is the new range of Nitecore smart chargers. Charges all types of Li-ion/IMR, LiFePO4, NiMH (NiCd) rechargeable cylindrical batteries. Don't forget bonus 8.00% Cashrewards.
Nitecore i2 Smart Battery Charger US $8.99 (~AU $11.92) Plus Delivery @ Zapals
110
Jezster on 19/01/2017 - 10:42 zapals.com (240 clicks)
Last edited 03/03/2017 - 03:46 by 2 other users
Last edited 03/03/2017 - 03:46 by 2 other users
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Yes
Acceptable for AA, not for AAA. See my comment below, quite a slow charger. Not as good as previous Nitecore chargers, has problems.
Why is NiCd in parentheses?
Edit: i realise it is a copy/paste from the link. Wasnt sure why they wrote it like that.
Can only do two batteries at a time? Hmmm.
If you just want to do AA batteries then this isn't really the charger to use. More for people using the large Li-ion ect like an 18650.
That said, it will work with most batteries, just 2 at a time for AA might be annoying.
If you don't mind risking your house…
"it started smoking and it smelled like an electrical fire"
"the other night I heard crackling sounds at my nightstand. After investigating I found that it was the Nitecore i2 charger making the noise. It's a good thing I was at home when it started, because the sound was the charger sparking & shorting out!"
"Lasted almost 24 hours before it burned up"
https://www.amazon.com/i2-2016-Intellicharge-EdisonBright-co…
Does this apply to the new i4 as well? I currently have that, havent used it much yet though
Amazon reviews look much better for the i4, BUT I personally won't use non-certified mains powered Chinese devices unless I am sitting in the room with them the entire time they are operating, I have seen a few fail and have dismantled a few to look at the quality or severe lack there of with some of them.
Part of the issue with buying stuff from Amazon is the risk of co-mingling and ending up with a fake (and there are certainly some fake Nitecore chargers around). I personally wouldn't buy a specialist charger or lithium battery from them
The one I have is definitely legit so I believe it's safe to use. I don't know what a safe charger even is
@jkerrigan: if you know it's legit then it will be fine. There are guides on the Nitecore website that show you how to tell if the charger is legit or not. I ended up with a fake i4 a few years ago, but it was my first charger and I didn't realise there could be fakes.
Compared to most other smart chargers, this is a slow charger for charging AA-size eneloops and other NiMh batteries. Only charges at 500mA, so it will take about 5.6 hours to charge an AA eneloop, or 7.5 hours for eneloop pro. Most other smart chargers take 3-4 hours.
It also charges AAA NiMh batteries at 500mA, which is too high a charge current in my opinion. Will make the batteries very hot, charging in about 2.25 hours, high chance of damaging the batteries due to overtemperature. Previous Nitecore chargers had an optional "low" setting that could be activated for AAA batteries, this one doesn't have that setting.
Good only for charging Li-ion/LiFePO4 batteries.
Edit: this review shows some interesting things:
http://lygte-info.dk/review/Review%20Charger%20Nitecore%20In…For the "Nitecore I2 500mA (eneloopAAA) #1" graph, it stopped charging at 70 minutes. Doing the maths, that means it pushed only 540mAh into the battery, which will leave it with about 385mA of capacity (due to charging not being a 100% efficient process). This is less than half-charged for an 800mAh battery! It didn't see the temperature "hump" at the end of the charge process, as shown on the other graphs, because it cut off charging way too early!
Even more concerning is that when a fully-charged AA eneloop was inserted, it didn't detect it was fully charged until 82 minutes later! The end-of-charge detection seems terrible on this charger, compared to previous Nitecore chargers.
The reviewer says "Usual the i2 has been a fairly good charger, but this time around it is not" and "Until Nitecore has fixed this the charger is not very good."
Sorry OP, a good price, but not a very good product.
Cheaper on AliExpress after shipping is added.
I purchased the Nitecore D4 based on OzBargain recommendations and a previous deal which is still valid ($30 delivered). Would highly recommend it (the D4) after using it, over this one.
Agreed, a better charger. When charging only two batteries, charges faster than this charger (750mA vs 500mA), although both are still slow compared to most other smart chargers. Can also select 300mA charging current for AAA batteries, which is a good current for AAA batteries. Has a much nicer display too.
Russ, no need to say sorry. I merely saw the deal. Sales from the deal does not benefit me one bit. Happy for you guys to do the research on whether the product is a good one or not!
Far better to get a LiitoKala LII-202 from Gearrbest for under AU $9.00 delivered
http://m.gearbest.com/chargers/pp_424662.html
Does everything that this Nitecore does, can charge either one or 2 cells, selectable 500MA or 1A charge current.
Review from same guy as review above…
http://lygte-info.dk/review/Review%20Charger%20LiitoKala%20L…I'd like to see the results of a discharge test after charging with that charger. All of the NiMh batteries stayed under 35 degrees (despite the thermal image somehow showing 38.9 degrees at "M2"), and there was no temperature "hump" towards end-of-charge.
Looking at the "Liitokala Lii-202 1A (eneloop) #1" graph, the average current was a little under 900mA for 127 minutes, so it only pushed 1905mAh into the battery. Given typical charging efficiency, that means the battery has 1360mAh stored - barely above 2/3rds full! Similarly, the eneloop pro graph shows 2520mAh pushed, for a stored capacity of 1800mAh, and the AAA eneloop is under 2/3rds capacity. While this charger does keep your batteries nice and cool, which is good for long battery life, it doesn't fill them up very well.
Without trying to sound aggressive, what are your qualifications Russ? HKJ, the guy that runs that site, which is peer reviewed by plenty of qualified electrical gurus (both torch nuts and vaper communities), has a well respected reputation for thoroughness and accuracy. Many manufacturers seek him out to perform tests, and there is (or was) a waiting list.
I have a BEng in electronics, and have been designing electronics for a living for 25 years.
I'm not sure why you asked - I gave my working and explanation, was there anything you disagreed with?
Even the reviewer said "This means the batteries will not be fully charged, but they are fairly close", which is probably as critical as you can get when depending on loan units from manufacturers. If the reviewer said what I said, review units would start to dry up.
@Russ: HKJ doesnt care about the makers, but he tries to be professionally unbiased. He is often critical of some products and clearly says avoid it. If he doesnt get his example from say Nitecore, Gearbest or Banggood for example will send him one. Or as often happens, fellow flashaholics or vapers will pay for one and have it drop shipped to him. I recall him saying he doesnt like when the maker sends them as they can cherry pick the unit, he prefers a random sample. At one time earely on, a particular item might have been of interest tot he orch community, and someone would send him a unit to be tested, thats harder to do now as he has a waiting list. But he still tries (or last I was partaking in the forums) to squeeze in and prioritise tests of drivers etc.
The reason I asked is to assess your understanding, and assessment of the lilokata, Id like to find a better charger for $9. And as you pointed out, the Nitecore isnt brilliant. Not that i need them, I have Eneloops smart charger, a Nitecore D4, a D2 and Xtars VP2 and VC4, a Soshine single USB I think S7 and a much forgotten iCharger. Theres about $400 in li ion cells that never get used along with 70 or so Eneloops and Fujitsus, and I just added some Ikeas to the collection. They all sit with about 30 or so torches. My qualification is Im nuts, its a sick hobby and Im very ashamed.
But I should note, if this is the new new i2, then HKJ has re-reviewed the revision model and believes they have fixed the flaws of ver 1. The question is as always, what does new I2 mean. Often the clearanced items are the flawed ver.
http://lygte-info.dk/review/Review%20Charger%20Nitecore%20In…
As for being a flashaholic, if that's the only "addiction" you have, it's a relatively cheap one and non-harmful to your health. I have quite a few torches myself, but I stopped upgrading a few years ago. My EDC flashlight is a Trustfire F25, which is a little heavy being stainless steel, but it still looks nice and shiny. Flashlights with aluminium bodies lose their appearance pretty quickly when they are attached to your keyring. The F25 doesn't have zoom so I bought a Trustfire Z8 and modded it with a 21-mode driver from dx.com - it's bright and nice, but a little too large for EDC use, and heavier than the F25.
I have only one flashlight with Li-ion batteries. It was gifted to me and it's a monster, with seven LEDs on front and four 18650 batteries. It's so bright that I have never found a use for it - maybe during a power blackout?
For chargers, I have given quite a few away, but I keep three, and they suit all my requirements:
- Maha C9000 lets me test the batteries if I think any are failing, and does a good job of charging too. I charge AA eneloops at 800mA and AAA at 300mA.
- Nitecore D4 at work, does a good job of charging but rather slow when charging four AA Eneloops. I mainly bought this one to charge the 4x18650 batteries for the above flashlight, but I am impressed with the way it can still use -dV/dT detection with such a slow charge.
- An Aldi charger from a year or two ago, it's the only one that will charge batteries that have gone high-impedance. They are still good for low-drain applications like remote controls. I discharge them through the Maha after charging with the Aldi charger, to make sure they haven't gone low-capacity too.The only other type of charger I would like is a trickle charger with timer cut-off, such chargers don't seem to exist. Charging at C/20 or below can be done on a continuous basis, because the current is so low the battery doesn't get too hot and is not damaged by overcharging - with one exception. If you leave the battery connected for weeks, the plates inside the battery will grow "dendrites" which will short out the battery. That's why I want timer cut-off, so it's set-and-forget, the batteries will be fully charged in 28 hours.
@Russ: Low current charger and a power point timer? If you dont mind spending, look at one of the iChargers, adjustable, and has timer cut off settings. A versatile charger, but some you need a PSU for, such as an early XBox PSU. But it will charge nimh, li ion, and car batteries.
Edit: Possibly not so available now… choices must have moved on
I'll probably just make one myself, to get the exact features I want. A 32kHz watch crystal + 74HC4060 + two 74HC4020 will give me a 36-hour timer, which is close enough to 28 hours. Add in an LED to indicate charging/charged status, a little bit of reset logic, and a USB power lead to power it all from a PC. I also don't want to keep the PC powered on for 36 hours whenever I use it, so I'll use the batteries under charge as a backup supply to the timer circuit, so the 36 hours could occur over four 9-hour sessions.
With an extra chip or two I could make the timing period closer to 28 hours, but I think 36 hours is good enough for me.
My battery tech knowledge is zero.
Is this charger good for rechargeable Duracell, Eneloop etc.?