Opus BT-C3100 2.2-Comparison-New and Exchanged.

Capolini

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I CHANGED THE NAME OF THE THREAD! YOU WILL SEE WHY AS IT PROGRESSES!

OK,,,,,,,I have sort of been on a Charger binge. More contemplation than actual purchasing. Although I have Two new ones.

I have gone back and forth with the newer chargers with this so called fancy technology and a few that I already have w/ Two or Three year old technology.I have come to the conclusion that I prefer my slightly older technology to the more recent chargers with more functions.

I had my eyes on the Opus BT-C3100 2.2,Liitokala Engineer Lii-500 and most recently the Xtar Dragon VP4. I submerged myself with as much information as my old brain could absorb! I asked questions, read reviews and measured the pros/cons.

There are several that test Internal resistance, get the capacity by charge/discharge/charge[that sounds time consuming to me!], show the actual charging current[live] and several others.

It got me thinking that for me, simplification is all I need and what works best. Below are the ONLY things I really need/want in a charger:

"THE SIMPLE SEVEN":D

1.MUST GIVE A FULL CHARGE-4.20V [NOT MANY CHARGERS SEEM TO DO THAT TODAY].

2.RELIABLE

3.DURABLE

4.HAVE AT LEAST 2 CHARGE CURRENTS, PREFERABLY 3.

5.HAVE A VOLTAGE DISPLAY ALONG WITH EITHER A CHARGE PERCENTAGE AND/OR A BATTERY W/ BARS INDICATOR!

6.CAN CHARGE A 3400mah 18650 @ 3.60V IN 2.5 HOURS OR LESS!

7.ABLE TO CHARGE MULTIPLE SIZE L.ION AND Ni-MH.



I have about Ten[10] chargers if I go back to the beginning! I use Four[4] or Five[5] of them.

1.EFEST LUC V4 [1]
2.KEEEPPOWER L2-[1]
3.FENIX ARE-C2 [3]
4.FENIX ARE-C2+[1]

My Fenix ARE-C2 is the "only" One out of those Four[4] that can do "THE SIMPLE SEVEN"!


I do not need to check the Ir and true capacity. I can tell when my batteries are degrading SIMPLY by actual use and using my DMM before charge, after charge and after resting awhile! Once I notice a battery that has a resting voltage of 4.08 to 4.11V then it is time to recycle them or save them for emergencies!

The charger just needs to have the "SIMPLE SEVEN". Charge them, put them in my Modded trail torches and repeat the process with no worries!

If not, I am the kind of guy that would obsess about ALL those tests, keep track of all the batteries and how they fared! In the mean time Poor CAPO would be deprived! He would get fat, I would get fat and that is that!
;)

I will say that out of ALL of my chargers I like the display of the L2 the best.


As you can see it has charge rate/% of charge/voltage/time elapsed and battery progress w/bars! 5 pieces of info in such a small LCD Screen!

If it gave a Full charge[only 4.15/4.16], was a little faster and had Four bays,,it would be my favorite,,,,,I still like the little guy!

image.jpg








 
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HKJ

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Re: BACK TO BASICS-SIMPLE,EFFICIENT AND DURABLE!

1.MUST GIVE A FULL CHARGE-4.20V [NOT MANY CHARGERS SEEM TO DO THAT TODAY].

Look for chargers that do not terminate the charge or charge to 4.25 volt, they are basically the only ones giving full 4.20 volt.

All chargers following the LiIon charge guidelines will give a lower voltage.
 

hiuintahs

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Re: BACK TO BASICS-SIMPLE,EFFICIENT AND DURABLE!

Right. And to add reasoning as to why that is so......... The connection impedance between the battery and the control electronics is a small voltage drop. So if the electronics is designed such that its only putting out 4.20v in the CV charging phase, then you get a smaller than 4.20v full charge at the battery. The way to mitigate that to a smaller difference is to charge at a lower rate. Thus the voltage drop through the battery connection medium is smaller. I find myself charging at a full one amp on the 18650 which terminates at 100mA and then doing it again at 250mA charge rate which terminates at 25mA. But the improvement is only a couple of tenths of a volt.

Also I found that the chargers that have the spring loaded contacts on the common side of the battery has quite an impedance drop from battery neg terminal through the spring and then back to circuit electronics ground. And that will contribute to a couple of tenths of voltage drop. So the only way to compensate for that is to put higher than 4.20v when in CV mode as HKJ has implied. But I don't think there is a lot of difference in charge capacity between a battery that attains 4.20v vs 4.18v from the charge process.
 
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Capolini

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Re: BACK TO BASICS-SIMPLE,EFFICIENT AND DURABLE!

Look for chargers that do not terminate the charge or charge to 4.25 volt, they are basically the only ones giving full 4.20 volt.

All chargers following the LiIon charge guidelines will give a lower voltage.

I guess my Fenix is an exception then!! It never charges past 4.22V and that is usually w/ IMR batteries.When it charges to 4.20V, the resting voltage is usually 4.17/18v at least. I have had brand new VTC6/30Q retain a 4.20V after a few days!

EDIT: This is from "stephenk" from BLF regarding the Xtar Dragon VP4


My XTAR DRAGON VP4 Plus charges to 4.19V.

I know you did that review. I do not recall if you mentioned the voltage at termination?That is sufficient to me and passes my test as far as ending voltage!
 
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seery

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Re: BACK TO BASICS-SIMPLE,EFFICIENT AND DURABLE!

My opinion is the XTAR VP2 is the best [basic, simple, efficient, and durable] charger for the money.

An absolute steal for ~$27 shipped to your door.
 

Capolini

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Re: BACK TO BASICS-SIMPLE,EFFICIENT AND DURABLE!

My opinion is the XTAR VP2 is the best [basic, simple, efficient, and durable] charger for the money.

An absolute steal for ~$27 shipped to your door.

That is similar to my K'power L2,,,,,,,,,,,,Both ONLY have 2 slots!;)
 
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HKJ

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Re: BACK TO BASICS-SIMPLE,EFFICIENT AND DURABLE!

I guess my Fenix is an exception then!! It never charges past 4.22V and that is usually w/ IMR batteries.When it charges to 4.20V, the resting voltage is usually 4.17/18v at least. I have had brand new VTC6/30Q retain a 4.20V after a few days!

"Do not terminate" is not the same as over voltage, there is some chargers that never turns the current off, but keeps 4.2 volt. Last one I tested of the type was Miboxer: http://lygte-info.dk/review/Review Charger Miboxer C4 UK.html (They will fix it in their next charger).

More about charging: http://lygte-info.dk/info/BatteryCharge4.2V UK.html
 

Capolini

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Re: BACK TO BASICS-SIMPLE,EFFICIENT AND DURABLE!

^^^^

Thanks for the info. I checked out your links. I knew some of it and I understand most of it!


It is a Psychological thing[4.20v]!!

I know if a new/relatively new battery comes out of the charger @ 4.14/15v it makes no difference at all as far as run time.

With that said I still like seeing a 4.20 charge! I just got done charging my VTC6 in my ARE-C2[When I have single cells they usually go in my K'Power L2]. One VTC6 Came out @ 4.22v The other at 4.21v,they are 6 months old. they will not settle too much. They would be 4.18/19V after 1 week.

What does bother is when I put my 16 month old NCR18650B in the ARE-C2+ and they came out 4.09,4.11,4.12v!! :shakehead It has resting voltages of 4.16/17v With all my other chargers!

I sent that charger back today for many reasons,,,,,,Primarily only charges at 1A! Also the inconsistencies of ending voltages w/ various batteries!
 
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Capolini

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Re: BACK TO BASICS-SIMPLE,EFFICIENT AND DURABLE!

What do you think? I have a few guesses!

Battery: VTC6

Chargers: Efest LUC V4 and Fenix ARE-C2

Batteries had Identical voltages going in: 3.78v

The battery in the EFEST was charged @ 2A. The battery in the Fenix was charged @ 1A.

THE VTC6 IN THE FENIX WAS DONE 18 MINUTES EARLIER AND NOT SURPRISING CAME OUT @ 4.20V while the Efest came out @ 4.15v!

Why do you think that is?

I have Two [2] guesses!

1.The Efest is not charging at a TRUE 2A

2.The Final phase takes much longer on the Efest than the Fenix. I am almost certain this is the reason.This was not my only comparison, just the first w/ 2A VS 1A!

HKJ REVIEWED THE EFEST AND THE THUNITE MCC4 WHICH SEEMS LIKE THE SAME CHARGER AS MY ARE-C2. HE WOULD KNOW!
 

Capolini

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Re: BACK TO BASICS-SIMPLE,EFFICIENT AND DURABLE!

My opinion is the XTAR VP2 is the best [basic, simple, efficient, and durable] charger for the money.

An absolute steal for ~$27 shipped to your door.

iirc didn't that get recalled?

I know someone who had One and he had to send it back. Something about the plastic being too brittle and could not take the heat or cold!
 

ChrisGarrett

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Re: BACK TO BASICS-SIMPLE,EFFICIENT AND DURABLE!

iirc didn't that get recalled?

I know someone who had One and he had to send it back. Something about the plastic being too brittle and could not take the heat or cold!

I was probably the first one here with a VP2 and it was recalled. There was a problem with the plastic formula for the housing that if subjected to freezing temperatures, could cause the plastic to become brittle going forward. The little housing struts and spring stays, could break, although I never worried about that.

My charger worked fine as it was, but I got the reformulated model after a month, IIRC.

It's a great charger and extremely flexible, but it really doesn't do any analyzing, so it's just for charging. The three rates of 250/500/1A are right in the sweet spot for the cells I use and it does LiFePO4 3.2v cells and the 4.35v jobbies, so it's pretty future proof for a li-ion charger.

Chris

Chris
 

Capolini

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Re: BACK TO BASICS-SIMPLE,EFFICIENT AND DURABLE!



I HAVE A CONFESSION!!! I AM NOT PERFECT,,,,,,ACTUALLY THAT IS NOT MY CONFESSION, BUT THIS IS!

My Neighbor Jon Owns L.ionwholesale .com. He lives across the street and the warehouse is 1.5 miles away!:thumbsup: Perrrrfect for a flashaholic!
.
Ok,,,,I broke down from my norm[chargers that must charge to 4.20v],

listened to HKJ's quote below regarding how I like/want chargers that charge like my Fenix ARE-C2[4.20V]

"Look for chargers that do not terminate the charge or charge to 4.25 volt, they are basically the only ones giving full 4.20 volt.

All chargers following the LiIon charge guidelines will give a lower voltage."

,,,,,,,,,,and realized I need to weigh ALL the options!

My first Two chargers were Trustfire TR-003P4.Gives a FULL charge but takes 12/14 hours for a battery @ 3.60V! Of course my Fenix ARE-C2 will charge at that same voltage in ~ 2h!

HERE IS THE CONFESSION! :mecry::faint::shakehead

Being that Jon is a great guy, he gave me a PRE B'Day discount on the OPUS BT-3100 2.2 charger!!!!! So it has Six[6] out of the "SIMPLE SEVEN" PLUS many more features! ALL I have to do is ACCEPT that these newer chargers will NOT have a voltage of 4.20v OUT OF THE CHARGER WHEN TESTED ON MY DMM.

The Voltage meter in the charger is consistent. ALL Four[4] slots "READ" 4.20V WHEN THE BATTERY IS DONE. All Four batteries measure 4.15V on my DMM.So it is 0.05v off. My K'power and Efest are about the same once the battery is charged. Depending on the age of the battery, the resting voltages will drop ~ 0.01v to 0.04v.

Right now I am doing a "Discharge test" on my 4 X ORBTRONIC 18650 3400 mah batteries that I bought on 12.21.2012!! They have 427 cycles on them! I know the test is not perfect, my guess is it will have ~ 3000 to 3100mAh capacity.

So now I have Eight[8] 4-Bay chargers!:

3 X FENIX ARE-C2
2 X T'FIRE-003P4[EMERGENCY CHARGERS]
1 X EFEST LUC V4
1 X NC I4[JUNK 2 BAYS ONLY WORK]
1 X OPUS BT-C3100 2.2
:twothumbs

and,my CUTE K'Power L2.

My ACTIVE chargers are 2 X Fenix ARE-C2, 1 x OPUS BT-C3100 2.2 AND MY K'POWER L2! They are on my MAIN desk in my Flashlight Laboratory.The others are in storage.

PLEASE DO NOT BE TOO HARD ON ME!

 

Lumencrazy

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Re: BACK TO BASICS-SIMPLE,EFFICIENT AND DURABLE!

Keep in mind that with Lithium-ion batteries if you stop at a slightly lower voltage, for example 4.0 or even 4.1 they last much longer. There is a lot of published information on that phenomenon. One place to start is Battery University. Also, look at the discharge curve (the initial rapid voltage drop). There really is not much area under the curve from 4.2 down to to 4.1 or even 4.0. So you are putting a lot more stress on the battery and getting very little energy benefit in return.
 
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Capolini

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Re: BACK TO BASICS-SIMPLE,EFFICIENT AND DURABLE!

I did the Discharge test for my Orbtronic 18650 3400mAh batteries which I bought on 12.21.2012!! They have had 427 charge/discharge cycles ALL ON MY FENIX ARE-C2!!

I understand what they are saying about charging at a lower voltage. These batteries are proof that they can last a long time w/ an "Off the charger" voltage via DMM of 4.20V!

My guess as far as their capacity was pretty close,,,,they were even a little higher! Since it was discharged down to 3.0v and NOT 2.5v it would even be a little higher. Regardless, ~3100mAh and 4years 2months old w/ 427 cycles. They may have been charged to 4.20v BUT they were NEVER discharged[until now!] below 3.5V, Rarely under 3.6v and mostly 3.6V to 3.8v,,,,,,I believe that is a BIGGER key to their longevity than NOT charging them to 4.20v! ;)


Orbtronic.jpg



orbtronic_1.jpg
 
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Lumencrazy

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Re: BACK TO BASICS-SIMPLE,EFFICIENT AND DURABLE!

Both have an effect on cell longevity. You are correct deep cycling decreases cell life. Tesla cycles within 85% of the total capacity in order to maximize battery life. The higher the voltage the greater the internal energy. We know that there are always harmful reactions occurring internally, and the higher the energy the more of them you get. You can also lower the internal chemical energy during storage by storing li-ion around 3.5v at lower temperatures. Lithium Ion (NCR) stored cold has demonstrated negligible loss even after 10 years.
 
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ChrisGarrett

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Re: BACK TO BASICS-SIMPLE,EFFICIENT AND DURABLE!

Remember, some of us figure that the Opus BT-3100/3400s read a bit high. How high? I can't really say, but I figure that a 5% range (+/- a couple points) is probably justified.

At what current did you discharge them at?

Think about it and the sample size is small, but going by HKJ's testing new Panasonic NCR-Bs test out at about 3300mAh at 200mA and go down to about 3200mAh at a 1A discharge.

http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Panasonic NCR18650B 3400mAh (Green) UK.html

http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Panasonic NCR18650B Protected 3400mAh (Green) UK.html

3300mAh when new isn't going to equate to 3300mAh after 427 cycles, regardless of how low you discharge them down to. I probably don't have 500 cycles on ALL of my NiMH and li-ions combined and if I do, it's not by much!

10% off of 3300, due to cycles/age, is 330, so that puts you at 2970mAh, as just an educated guess. 5% of that number puts you back up around that 3150 range, where you find most of your cells.

Extreme spread on that test is only 75 and your mean average is 3135.75, which is pretty close to the claimed 3400mAh and realized 3300mAh, after 400+ cycles.

Numbers are fun.

Chris
 
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Capolini

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Re: BACK TO BASICS-SIMPLE,EFFICIENT AND DURABLE!

^^^ I discharged them at 1A

I would never expect them to be the same mAh after 50 months/427 cycles! I think they are darn good batteries and it helps that I took care of them.

iirc I did a run time test on MAX w/ my BST. Cumulative run time was ~50 minutes,,when they were new it was around 62 minutes,,,,Not bad at all!

Numbers are fun,,,,,,I have charts w/ every battery and its charge/discharge cycles[how many]. I do this w/ batteries I never had before to see how long they last. Orbtronic was the first quality battery I got and they are still working!:thumbsup:
 

Capolini

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Re: BACK TO BASICS-SIMPLE,EFFICIENT AND DURABLE!

Thanks Chris,YEP,,,,,,,,,,I have several naked and BT NCR18650B.

Of course when I bought those Orbtronics[ beginning of hobby b/4 CPF!] I did not realize they were re wraps and could be gotten cheaper!
 
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