SkyRC — IFA 2014 — MC3000 charger-analyzer

[kreisl]

The beep setting does not stick. After power off, it's back to 1.

I saved "Beep Tone: 10" with long-pressing ENTER button.
I powered off, waited 20sec, powered back on.
Beep Tone was still "10".

 

[C & R]

Kreisl,


I have an I don't understand /feature request / bug for the MC3000 Monitor V1.01.

It appears that the values for the different battery chemistries are not kept separate.


Example: If I select slot 1, and set it for LiIon with the correct parameters, and then switch to NiMH the same now incorrect parameters are showing there.


From my thinking each different battery chemistry would be stored separately, perhaps in a configuration file so that when the program is restarted they would not have to be reentered.


A better approach if possible, that has already been suggested, is to be able to upload / download the 30 programs to the charger.


Even as is the software makes the charger easier for me to use at this point in the learning curve.

 

[jpasint]

Got mine on order and it should be here tomorrow.

 

[mrQQ]

I saved "Beep Tone: 10" with long-pressing ENTER button.
I powered off, waited 20sec, powered back on.
Beep Tone was still "10".

Seems to work now.

Time display is still incorrect though:

And one more strange issue:

I did a NiMH discharge at 100mA which took 6 hours 31 minutes and 6 seconds to 0.9v, after which it terminated. Exported CSV file, and it correctly contained 23466 lines of data (6 * 3600 + 31 * 60 + 6), each every second. So, if it was discharging for 23466 seconds @ 100mA, then the expected reported capacity should be 23466 / 3600 (hours) * 100mA = 651mAh. Instead, the device reported it at 677mAh. This might not seem like a lot, but with higher capacity batteries the difference grows larger. So which of those numbers is correct?

 

[kreisl]

Hi, i don't have any such discrepancies, neither with PCLS time axis, nor with PCLS log and mAh-check calculations, not even with 14 or 41 hours. I win.

I don't know why things are different on your system. You could share the log file and i'll have a look at it. Original *.CSV, RAR-compressed or so.

 

[chemEJoe]

I just got my NCR18650B protecteds after 5 weeks in transit from GB. Next time it will be US supplier.

To get started, should I run C>D>C to learn of initial starting capacities? I plan to build 2 4-cell battery packs for my bike lights. Can't wait.

So far until this main application, I've sorted through about 30 NiMH with mixed understanding but I was able to recycle 3 duds. Nice to be on an analyzing charger with so much capabilities, thanks you SkyRC and Kreisl, this community.

 

[retrocon]

Question related to overdischarging. I overshot the li-fe minimum discharge, and so the MC3000 says "check voltage." I did, it was 1.6, 1.7. I realize that i may have damaged it, and i realize that i should use care if i choose to charge it. I also understand that li-fe is somewhat safer than 3.7 volt li-ion.

Still, if i want to recharge it, how do i override the objections of the charger? I noticed that Devon boosted his voltage by putting it on a NiMh charge for awhile. Seems with an advanced charger, i shouldn't have to "fool" it. It's a small CR2 lifepo4 cell.

So far, i love the charger, had it since December, but this seems like a case where they dumb it down too much, unless i am missing something. I can't find anything in this thread, HKJs review thread, or the manual, on overriding this error. Did i miss something?

also, why can't i set up a charging solution without regard to chemistry, assuming i accept the risk? Then, at least, i could do a slow build charge between my choice of upper and lower limits, with cutoff parameters to experiment with these cells.

anyway, again, love the charger otherwise, i suspect that i am just missing something somewhere.

Thanks for any insight.

 

[billcushman]

Question related to overdischarging. I overshot the li-fe minimum discharge, and so the MC3000 says "check voltage." I did, it was 1.6, 1.7. I realize that i may have damaged it, and i realize that i should use care if i choose to charge it.

How did you over-discharge? The MC3000 should have limited your discharge to 2.00 volt (2.40 volt default) according to the manual.

 

[bosko90]

Question related to overdischarging. I overshot the li-fe minimum discharge, and so the MC3000 says "check voltage." I did, it was 1.6, 1.7. I realize that i may have damaged it, and i realize that i should use care if i choose to charge it. I also understand that li-fe is somewhat safer than 3.7 volt li-ion.

Still, if i want to recharge it, how do i override the objections of the charger? I noticed that Devon boosted his voltage by putting it on a NiMh charge for awhile. Seems with an advanced charger, i shouldn't have to "fool" it. It's a small CR2 lifepo4 cell.

it's for safety reason. they do not want to be responsible for any accidents. I do not know if you can do anything. I definitely wouldn't.

 

[tjh]

Question related to overdischarging. I overshot the li-fe minimum discharge, and so the MC3000 says "check voltage." I did, it was 1.6, 1.7. I realize that i may have damaged it, and i realize that i should use care if i choose to charge it. I also understand that li-fe is somewhat safer than 3.7 volt li-ion.

Still, if i want to recharge it, how do i override the objections of the charger? I noticed that Devon boosted his voltage by putting it on a NiMh charge for awhile. Seems with an advanced charger, i shouldn't have to "fool" it. It's a small CR2 lifepo4 cell.

So far, i love the charger, had it since December, but this seems like a case where they dumb it down too much, unless i am missing something. I can't find anything in this thread, HKJs review thread, or the manual, on overriding this error. Did i miss something?

also, why can't i set up a charging solution without regard to chemistry, assuming i accept the risk? Then, at least, i could do a slow build charge between my choice of upper and lower limits, with cutoff parameters to experiment with these cells.

anyway, again, love the charger otherwise, i suspect that i am just missing something somewhere.

Thanks for any insight.

They do this, not to stop people like you who know what you're doing, but rather people like me who are muppets and might put in a AA and then try to LION charge it.
Once it's discharged down to that level, the cell should be considered unsafe and it's up to you to "hack at it" to get it back to a voltage the charger will consider non-insane

Maybe a feature request for kriesl though, a "Yes I know I'm insane. Let me hold down the 'up' arrow while I press enter to override the "check voltage" check" option.

 

[mrQQ]

Hi, i don't have any such discrepancies, neither with PCLS time axis, nor with PCLS log and mAh-check calculations, not even with 14 or 41 hours. I win.

I don't know why things are different on your system. You could share the log file and i'll have a look at it. Original *.CSV, RAR-compressed or so.

Very strange indeed. See this file: https://onedrive.live.com/redir?res...3324&authkey=!AN854k6fvNC6q04&ithint=file,zip

You'll see that math does not add up.

 

[dssguy1]

Can't you just use another Li-Fe 3v battery (or two AA's in series) to charge it via wires for a minute or two? Just enough to get it above the "I think you are a NiMH battery" voltage level of the MC3000?

I have done that a bunch of times to jump start a battery that my chargers thought was dead when they had actually just discharged too much. These were NiMH and NiCd batteries but I think the theory is legit as long as you don't go crazy.

 

[retrocon]

How did you over-discharge? The MC3000 should have limited your discharge to 2.00 volt (2.40 volt default) according to the manual.

I over discharged in my flashlight... Not the charger

sometimes i do use the batteries for that which they are intended, though playing with the discharge cycle on the charger is fun, too.

 

[retrocon]

I was thinking about trying that, but was hoping the charger would have an override or mode to do it without gerryrigging something. It seems lime it would be a common problem with all the vape and flashlight mods around.

 

[kreisl]

Very strange indeed. See this file: https://onedrive.live.com/redir?res...3324&authkey=!AN854k6fvNC6q04&ithint=file,zip

You'll see that math does not add up.

Log shows 1.616V.
Which battery is that? Exact model/make, all details please. I will try to test run the same battery on my system in order to see if my log differs from yours.

Even better, try to test standard Eneloop and NCR18650's and see if you get again a math mismatch. These are the batteries which i have at hand.

 

[kappa7]

@retrocon
If you keep pressed the slot button the protection reset feature will pulse endlessly some current. You should see the battery voltage slowly rise, keep it pressed until the voltage is enough to be recognised as lithium battery.

 

[retrocon]

I will try that and get back with the results, thanks!

 

[retrocon]

Ok, this was interesting... I left the battery in the charger, but did not start it, while i was researching this situation. The voltage read about 1.6v. charger was, and continued to flash, the red/green ready lights. [edit, i cleared the error by removing the battery, and put it back in to wait for ... Whatever i might try next, it was showing voltage.]

After about a half an hour away, i just went back to try the pulsing. i didn't have to pulse. The battery has been charged to 2.45v while in the waiting mode. It allowed me to start the li-fe charge without the "check voltage" error?

did the charger trickle charge this while waiting for me to initiate the program? If so, very smart charger!

if not, what could be going on?

Going to intentionally drain the battery again in the light, and see what happens with a dmm attached.

 

[Devon]

Looks like it ran a program on the battery that contained trickle.

To get my LiIons going I used the NiMH with the target voltage as high as it would go and used a very low current. Only took 20 to 30 seconds or so to bring them up above 2v I think it is to do away with the check voltage error on the LiIon programs.

I'm sure there are other ways of achieving the same result using this charger.

Be very careful what you use that battery for now as the damage done may not be apparent until it all goes wrong.

 

[retrocon]

Well, what's interesting is that i had staged the battery, but had NOT initiated a program, so it seems like it noticed it was low, and took the initiative without a program being activated. One was selected, the battery was inserted, but i never started the Program (this time).