# New Nitecore Superb Charger - SC4



## lonelyboy (Jul 1, 2017)

I would be interested to see any review or evaluation report on this:

http://charger.nitecore.com/CHARGER/SC/SC4/


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## Mr Baz (Jul 1, 2017)

I'll probably buy one to review on my channel, looking as the specs it would appear to be closer to a D4 replacement in terms of functionality. Could be a while before it's available to buy, let's hope they've sorted out their termination issues and heat problems. The last batch of chargers new i2/i4 were not as good as they should have been. Price might be a problem the SC2 is relatively expensive it also lacks any testing capabilities which probably won't fly if it's priced too high - if so it won't be the new D4 because it will be at a different price point.
Far as most buyers are concerned there won't be a lot of demand for an expensive charger if it can't test cells


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## tripplec (Jul 2, 2017)

lonelyboy said:


> I would be interested to see any review or evaluation report on this:
> 
> http://charger.nitecore.com/CHARGER/SC/SC4/




Looks good and seems to do it all. I am not sure if the default charge current is adjustable or not. I expect this is a 4 channel charger but I could not be certain. Looks quite good and a top candidate to buy once some questions are answered. I have an I4 and other than speed or rather lower current rate for more than two cells its an excellent charger. Now with a useful display and significant charge rate increase it has to be a top contender if they got it engineered right.

I'll be watching for more on this one.


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## Xiphex (Jul 19, 2017)

Got my SC4 in the mailbox today. It charges my NL189 batteries very fast, silent and cool. I'm not sure why the unit buzzes on standby so i can't leave the unit plugged in 24/7


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## ChrisGarrett (Jul 19, 2017)

I'll await HKJ's testing, otherwise, it's still a NiteCore charger.

Chris


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## hatman (Sep 1, 2017)

Comments from any other users?


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## terjee (Sep 1, 2017)

I'm happy with mine so far, but like Xiphex mentioned, it buzzes on standby.
That buzzing can be from vibration in a coil or similar, and more mechanical stress means shorter life, so I'm suspecting it's not a "buy it for life"-type of thing.

Would I recommend it? Probably not to a newbie, default charge current on an 18650 is 2A, while I'd want a configurable default, factory-set to 1A or less.

If you know what you're buying, have had a few Nitecore chargers before, and reasonable expectations, then it's not a bad purchase

If charging at 2A is fine for your cells, I'd rather buy this than a D4 charger for example.


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## vadimax (Sep 2, 2017)

I've got one. Sure -- the buzz on idle. And UI is not even close to intuitive. Starting at 2A is an issue as well: in case of wall socket voltage drop you may find your 16350 in a very dangerous condition. Or does it manage to reidentify a cell?


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## terjee (Sep 2, 2017)

vadimax said:


> Starting at 2A is an issue as well: in case of wall socket voltage drop you may find your 16350 in a very dangerous condition. Or does it manage to reidentify a cell?



Just tested two 18490 cells, and it started charging them at 500mA, so there seems to be some kind of smart choice involved, but not even all 18650s should be charged at 2A, even though most can take it. 

Would have been cool with a charger that automatically took IR/voltage rise into account, as well as temperature, and automatically adjusted charge current. Dual sensors, perhaps at top and center, with a safety cutoff as well, and things would be very interesting. Might be just about possible with the hardware of the MC3000, if they added support in software.


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## vadimax (Sep 2, 2017)

terjee said:


> Just tested two 18490 cells, and it started charging them at 500mA, so there seems to be some kind of smart choice involved, but not even all 18650s should be charged at 2A, even though most can take it.
> 
> Would have been cool with a charger that automatically took IR/voltage rise into account, as well as temperature, and automatically adjusted charge current. Dual sensors, perhaps at top and center, with a safety cutoff as well, and things would be very interesting. Might be just about possible with the hardware of the MC3000, if they added support in software.



I guess there might be some size measurements involved. Have no idea how might they evaluate expected capacity otherwise.


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## HKJ (Sep 2, 2017)

vadimax said:


> I guess there might be some size measurements involved. Have no idea how might they evaluate expected capacity otherwise.



Nitecore started selecting current depending on length some time ago.

The user interface is not that bad, but then I did not read the manual, I just tried (I am testing on it at the current time).


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## terjee (Sep 2, 2017)

HKJ said:


> The user interface is not that bad, but then I did not read the manual, I just tried (I am testing on it at the current time).



Having giving it some thought, I'll second this. It's not bad. 
But it's not good either. Too much work if you're regularly charging a bunch of 18650s at 1A for example. I'm using mine at 2A for cells that are happy there's so it's not a huge issue for some users, just something to be aware of when making a buying decision.


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## terjee (Sep 2, 2017)

Addition: The SC4 has a button to select which channel you're configuring. Having a fifth channel called default, that was the active channel for configuration when no batteries are in, would solve this. Set it to 1A, and any batteries you insert (that isn't too short) starts out at that voltage, until you change the default. Have default be remembered between power cycles, and things are good.
Would take no extra buttons, one extra field on the display, which is already custom, and a few non volatile bits, which are likely available already, and cents if not.


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## david57strat (Sep 14, 2017)

I have two of the new SC4s, and two more on the way  (I liked them so much). I picked them up, for a fantastic price, through a Group Buy on Budget Light Forums.






These two SC4s have replaced my D4s (which I used for three years), and those D4s replaced my i4 V2s. Pretty drastic improvements have been made, from model to model. These SC4s are the nicest, most elaborate Nitecore chargers I've ever owned. 

I still have sixteen XTAR chargers (I'm a charging fanatic), but Nitecore have really stepped up their game with this SC4, or I wouldn't have even considered this new model. As it was, my D4s pretty much ended up being relegated to strictly AA Nimh charging duties.





A pair of D4s, pictured next to the retired i4 V2 (which was my very first lithium ion charger purchase. 



tripplec said:


> Looks good and seems to do it all. I am not sure if the default charge current is adjustable or not. I expect this is a 4 channel charger but I could not be certain. Looks quite good and a top candidate to buy once some questions are answered. I have an I4 and other than speed or rather lower current rate for more than two cells its an excellent charger. Now with a useful display and significant charge rate increase it has to be a top contender if they got it engineered right.
> 
> I'll be watching for more on this one.



It is a four-channel charger, and the charge rate can be adjusted, for each of the four channels (from 300 mA to 3000 mA, not to exceed 6 Amps, in total, for all channels, combined). You can even set priority for the first two channels to remain at what you've set, and the other channels will re-adjust themselves automatically, based on how much amperage is left (if that makes sense). You can't exceed 6 Amps, total output, between the four channels - a nice safety feature.





The display is super clean, and gives a lot of extremely useful information.





Not the greatest color picture I've taken of these, and it does not do justice to the clarity of the display.





The heat sinking on these units is substantial. They're also physically larger than the D4s, but it's worth it, for the _far _superior heat sinking.



terjee said:


> I'm happy with mine so far, but like Xiphex mentioned, it buzzes on standby.
> That buzzing can be from vibration in a coil or similar, and more mechanical stress means shorter life, so I'm suspecting it's not a "buy it for life"-type of thing.
> 
> Would I recommend it? Probably not to a newbie, default charge current on an 18650 is 2A, while I'd want a configurable default, factory-set to 1A or less.
> ...



I'm in total agreement with you, about choosing the SC4, over the D4. I never liked how slow the D4 (or, the i4 V2, before that) charge rates were (375 mA x 4 was pretty awful). It was like watching the grass grow. Trying to charge 18650 batteries on that charger was a painful process.

One of my two units has that barely audible (and only when no batteries are installed; or the batteries, fully charged)..more like a _whining _sound, than a buzzing. It's really hard to notice, and the charger seems to be functionally as good as the other one, which has no whine (It's dead silent).

Edit - 09-19-17 - The additional chargers arrived in yesterdays mail. I went ahead and fired them up, then threw some batteries in them. Good deal. The whine is actually now on all four chargers; but, to me, at least, it's a negligible amount of sound. 



vadimax said:


> I guess there might be some size measurements involved. Have no idea how might they evaluate expected capacity otherwise.



They do assume a certain battery capacity, based on size.

According to the manual, batteries less than 60mm (2.4") are assumed to have a capacity of less than 1200 mA, and the default charge rate for those is 500 mA. You can override any setting, at any time, though, which is nice.

Also, if your battery just barely needs a top off charge, the 2000 mA default won't be set; but it'll adjust itself down to a more reasonable (lower) charge rate, which is very nice (easier on the battery). I figured all good smart chargers do this, now days, but I'm not sure. It's definitely a welcome feature, though.

So far, no complaints. Charging has terminated reliably, no matter what batteries I've placed in the chargers (AA and D NiMh, 14500, 16340, 17650, 18650, 26650. I've put protected and unprotected batteries in these, and have had zero termination problems. 

The i4s were known to have termination issues, which was one reason I was prompted to pick up the D4s. Both were dog slow, to charge anything, though.


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## david57strat (Sep 14, 2017)

vadimax said:


> I've got one. Sure -- the buzz on idle. And UI is not even close to intuitive. Starting at 2A is an issue as well: in case of wall socket voltage drop you may find your 16350 in a very dangerous condition. Or does it manage to reidentify a cell?



I found the opposite to be true. I feel it's _very _intuitive; but I've been using the D4s, prior to this, for three years, so I guess the learning curve wasn't an issue for me. The instructions seem to be clear, though, which is a plus. Some instruction manuals are terrible. 

When you say wall socket voltage drop...are you talking about a power failure? Why would the voltage drop, from a wall outlet?

When the unit is plugged (or power, restored), it re-initializes, and re-assesses the batteries. But, if you've set the charge rate to a lower one, it won't remember that, so smaller batteries would automatically be reset to a 500 mAh charge rate - if that's what you're asking...?


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## david57strat (Sep 14, 2017)

HKJ said:


> Nitecore started selecting current depending on length some time ago.
> 
> The user interface is not that bad, but then I did not read the manual, I just tried (I am testing on it at the current time).


I am, very much, looking forward to reading your review, HKJ!


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## HKJ (Sep 14, 2017)

david57strat said:


> It is a four-channel charger



This can always be discussed. You could also call it a four slot charger with two charge channels. This is the same system Nitecore uses in the i4 and D4, here the current is just higher.


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## david57strat (Sep 14, 2017)

HKJ said:


> This can always be discussed. You could also call it a four slot charger with two charge channels. This is the same system Nitecore uses in the i4 and D4, here the current is just higher.



I'm confused. I've always thought slots and channels were one in the same. Would you please elaborate?

In both, the i4 V2, and the D4, the charge rate drops in half (from 750 mAh, to 375 mAh), within moments after I stick a third battery in the charger, regardless of which slots are used.

With the SC4, for the first three batteries (assuming they're larger batteries, like a 18650), the charge rate stays at 2000 mAh (well...1998, oddly). Once the _fourth _battery is installed, the charge rates starts re-adjusting. It takes_ considerably longer_, on this unit, than on the D4s, but it does happen; and it doesn't just chop the charge rates in half. 

Just for clarity's sake, how is the new SC4 a two channel charger?


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## HKJ (Sep 14, 2017)

david57strat said:


> I'm confused. I've always thought slots and channels were one in the same. Would you please elaborate?



Depends on how you interpret the word channel. I look at it as number of charge circuits and the 4 channel charges SC4, i4 and D4 all has two charge circuits that timeshares on four slots, on the SC4 you can disable the time-sharing by selecting priority on a slot, then it will do it in sequence instead.


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## terjee (Sep 14, 2017)

HKJ said:


> Depends on how you interpret the word channel. I look at it as number of charge circuits and the 4 channel charges SC4, i4 and D4 all has two charge circuits that timeshares on four slots, on the SC4 you can disable the time-sharing by selecting priority on a slot, then it will do it in sequence instead.



I would think number of circuits to be irrelevant, in itself?

I mean, I see no problem with a concept like a dual-channel circuit?

I've always seen the distinguishing thing between one and two channels to be if the channels are operated independently, and fed independently, as a matter decoupled from how that is accomplished.

As an example:

If you set a charger for 2A, and insert a full and a nearly empty battery, a dual channel would charge the empty at 2A, and the nearly full at a reduced rate, while a single-channel would have to feed either the same current or voltage to either cell.

And thus the dual channel are operated as independent channels, and the single is operated as one single channel, both cells getting the same electrical treatment.

How many circuits are used to drive it, would then become just an implementation detail, and not a defining characteristic in terms of number of channels.

Obviously some bits would have to be pr. channel, but that'd be the case with most single-channel chargers as well.

Not trying to complain or be difficult here, the terminology is just interesting in itself. Am I off here?


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## HKJ (Sep 14, 2017)

The number of circuits is relevant, because it will affect the charge current. When time-sharing on two slots you have to double the charge current to maintain the same average current or you can maintain the same current and halve the average current (This is what SC4, i4, D4 does). This also means if you set all 4 slots to charge with 0.5A, the average current will be 0.25A due to the time-sharing.
With time-sharing chargers I try to use slot to describe the slots  and not call them channels. You can also have chargers with a circuit for each slot that will reduce current, but they usual only reduce the maximum current and do not change current when charging at lower rates (In this case I may use slot/channel interchangeable).


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## tripplec (Sep 14, 2017)

I'd like to know if any of you with the SC4 have tried and or use various Protected 18650 cells (which are longer). From the spec's and my own measurement of my cells they either would not fit or would be so tight removing/inserting may break the plastic.


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## david57strat (Sep 14, 2017)

tripplec said:


> I'd like to know if any of you with the SC4 have tried and or use various Protected 18650 cells (which are longer). From the spec's and my own measurement of my cells they either would not fit or would be so tight removing/inserting may break the plastic.



I have been able to fit longer protected 18650 batteries in this charger, that didn't fit in any of my others, except for my XTAR VP2. Also, the spring tension on the SC4 is fairly light, compared to all of my other chargers, so I don't get the feeling I'm going to overstretch the spring and make it snap apart lol.

How long are your longest 18650 protected cells?


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## TinderBox (UK) (Sep 14, 2017)

The charger i have my eye on is an "Gyrfalcon All-44" HKJ gives it 3 smiley faces.

http://lygte-info.dk/review/Review Charger GyrFalcon All-44 UK.html

John


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## terjee (Sep 14, 2017)

TinderBox (UK) said:


> The charger i have my eye on is an "Gyrfalcon All-44" HKJ gives it 3 smiley faces.



I have the big brother, the All-88. It's a tiny bit quirky, slightly odd interface, weird choice in LED-colors, but it's worked flawlessly, and so far never given me any grief.


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## HKJ (Sep 14, 2017)

terjee said:


> I have the big brother, the All-88. It's a tiny bit quirky, slightly odd interface, weird choice in LED-colors, but it's worked flawlessly, and so far never given me any grief.



The user interface has change a bit on the new generation of the All chargers (I believe), I have them in queue and will look on them after a few chargers more.


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## markr6 (Sep 14, 2017)

4x1.5A...I like it!


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## tripplec (Sep 14, 2017)

david57strat said:


> I have been able to fit longer protected 18650 batteries in this charger, that didn't fit in any of my others, except for my XTAR VP2. Also, the spring tension on the SC4 is fairly light, compared to all of my other chargers, so I don't get the feeling I'm going to overstretch the spring and make it snap apart lol.
> 
> How long are your longest 18650 protected cells?



They just under 71mm but for sure more than the 70mm in the review. I posted about it then but don't have my calipers handy to do it again.


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## david57strat (Sep 15, 2017)

terjee said:


> I have the big brother, the All-88. It's a tiny bit quirky, slightly odd interface, weird choice in LED-colors, but it's worked flawlessly, and so far never given me any grief.



I need more chargers, like I need a hole in the head lol (I have 20, to date; well, 22, if you count the 2 D4s, which haven't entirely been put out to pasture) - 7 (or 9, if you count the D4s) of which are 4-slot chargers, and 1 is a 6). But, for the hell of it, I went ahead and watched a few YouTube video reviews on the All-88, and wasn't very impressed with the interface, or the overall appearance of the charger. The quality seemed a little bit cheesy. 

There were also some complaints about the wells not properly making contact with larger batteries like D NiMhs. They kept falling out of place, and had to be continually re-adjusted (pressure put on the batteries) to make a positive contact. This seems like a serious design flaw, to me.

Maybe they worked out this issue. I certainly hope so.

On the other hand, I like that the readouts seem to give you a host of information, for all channels simultaneously, without having to toggle through separate screen displays. That's a nice touch. 

Do you really have to pre-program _each _and _every _slot, for the specific battery type and voltage with which you're going to charge that battery, before you can even install the battery? That would be a pain in the neck, for me. I have way too many batteries to be bothered with that. 

I'm happy to manually override a preset (default) charge rate, etc., when I feel like it's warranted, but to have to do that with each and every insertion of a battery...oh, hell no. 

Lastly, evidently, the charger comes with spacers, to accommodate the smaller batteries. I am vehemently against using spacers in any of my chargers, I feel the spring tension should be adequate that it can accommodate any size battery I want to use in it (assuming the battery is on the specified compatibility list for that charger, naturally), without adding even more parts, in between my batteries and the charger, itself.

I also believe a smart charger ought to be to automatically distinguish the type of battery chemistry in a battery you insert in each its wells, and all independently of each other, so you can mix and match chemistries, _without _ever having to tell it what you're installing in any given slot. I thought all mixed-chemistry chargers did this. 

They don't?


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## david57strat (Sep 15, 2017)

tripplec said:


> They just under 71mm but for sure more than the 70mm in the review. I posted about it then but don't have my calipers handy to do it again.



Unfortunately, I don't have digital calipers, either, to take a length measurement on my oversized batteries, or I would.

I have a question for those people who have measured their battery length, with calipers. How do you do this, accurately, without shorting out the battery? It seems, to me, that with both ends of the calipers, making contact with both ends of the battery, that would cause it to short/fail. Using any kind of spacer would defeat the purpose of calipers, unless you had something that was s fixed width, and subtracted that width, from the overall measurement...?


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## scintillator (Sep 16, 2017)

Plastic Vernier Caliper google that.


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## HKJ (Sep 16, 2017)

david57strat said:


> I have a question for those people who have measured their battery length, with calipers. How do you do this, accurately, without shorting out the battery? It seems, to me, that with both ends of the calipers, making contact with both ends of the battery, that would cause it to short/fail. Using any kind of spacer would defeat the purpose of calipers, unless you had something that was s fixed width, and subtracted that width, from the overall measurement...?



The answer is tape. Put some tape on the jaws of the caliper and then zero it before measuring.


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## archimedes (Sep 16, 2017)

Yes, I have a vernier caliper with fiberglass jaws


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## terjee (Sep 16, 2017)

tripplec said:


> I'd like to know if any of you with the SC4 have tried and or use various Protected 18650 cells (which are longer). From the spec's and my own measurement of my cells they either would not fit or would be so tight removing/inserting may break the plastic.







This is a Keepower and an Eagtac protected cell, the two longest I have. Next to them is a VTC5A and an AA Eneloop, for scale.

It didn't feel like any problem to use the charger with these cells.


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## vadimax (Sep 16, 2017)

I guess a merge between SC4 and Xtar SV4 (hypothetical) would be an ideal charger. SC4 is too noisy and "relaxed" on termination voltage. Sometimes it finishes at 4.16V, sometimes at 4.13V...


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## david57strat (Sep 16, 2017)

vadimax said:


> I guess a merge between SC4 and Xtar SV4 (hypothetical) would be an ideal charger. SC4 is too noisy and "relaxed" on termination voltage. Sometimes it finishes at 4.16V, sometimes at 4.13V...



I have four SV*2*s. I only _wish_ they made an SV4, that could actually charge four 18650s at 2 Amps/Hr./slot lol.

Even my Dragon won't do that - but only 2 at 2 Amps, or 4 at 1 Amp.

The SC4 is the _closest _thing I've come to, that can actually charge as many as three batteries, at 2 Amps, each.


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## david57strat (Sep 16, 2017)

scintillator said:


> Plastic Vernier Caliper google that.



I would love one that has a nice, super clear digital readout, and could measure in English or Metric, and that would measure up to maybe a foot, or so. This would measure most of my lights, and of course, all of my batteries.

Also, who makes a really high quality set of vernier calipers, with non-conductive "teeth" (not sure what they're really called). I subscribe to the "Buy once, cry once" mentality, and I prefer buying super high quality tools that are going to last me a long time.


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## tripplec (Sep 17, 2017)

My digital calipers have a zero button to ensure its reading zero when closed and are not metal. They should not be hard to find but depends on your area. Not specified in the post.

I got mine from Princess Auto or Auto parts places should carry something.


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## scintillator (Sep 17, 2017)

I got these;
Ares6-Inch Composite Vernier Digital Caliper with LCD Screen | ARES 70019 | Measure and Convert in Inches and Millimeters,on the huge marketplace named after a jungle.
I have been happy with them,but no case and you will have to replace the battery once a year or so.
Of course Mitutoyo 500-474 Digital Calipers is the best in my opinion but they will really hurt the pocketbook.


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## ChrisGarrett (Sep 17, 2017)

tripplec said:


> My digital calipers have a zero button to ensure its reading zero when closed and are not metal. They should not be hard to find but depends on your area. Not specified in the post.
> 
> I got mine from Princess Auto or Auto parts places should carry something.



Just put two strips of Scotch tape on the blades, zero out the caliper and go to town.

No reason to buy a special plastic set.

We're not building space shuttles here.

Chris


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## archimedes (Sep 17, 2017)

Mine are by Wiha ... about ~ $30

( I have Mitutoyo's, too, but those are metal )


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## tripplec (Sep 18, 2017)

vadimax said:


> I guess a merge between SC4 and Xtar SV4 (hypothetical) would be an ideal charger. SC4 is too noisy and "relaxed" on termination voltage. Sometimes it finishes at 4.16V, sometimes at 4.13V...



Could you clarify? Noisy


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## terjee (Sep 18, 2017)

vadimax said:


> I guess a merge between SC4 and Xtar SV4 (hypothetical) would be an ideal charger. SC4 is too noisy and "relaxed" on termination voltage. Sometimes it finishes at 4.16V, sometimes at 4.13V...



Finish at those voltages? Or drop to them after charging terminates?

It's a faster charger, so I'd expect the post-charging voltage drop to be much more pronounced than with a slower charger like the Nitecore D4 for example.


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## tripplec (Sep 18, 2017)

Ok, as per a much earlier question. *My protected batteries are 70.4mm as per my digital calipers and are NCR18650B Li-ion*

I moved the calipers more open to 71.0mm and that isn't a lot of wiggle room. HJK as I recall in his review spec's the slots at 70mm. If that is a constant in manufacturing it isn't going to work for Protected cells as mine are not especially long. Why are oem's making them so short when they're intended for diverse set of batteries. I have and I4 Nitecore charger as well and never had cell fit issues but its slow for more than two Li-ion at once.

PS: I just took the cell to the I4 which was in a drawer. Yep it goes in, but no wiggle room as its in very snug going in and not more than 70.4mm 
Maybe a revision on this will come out by the end of the year. SC4 could use some improvements from post comments.


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## HKJ (Sep 18, 2017)

tripplec said:


> Ok, as per a much earlier question. *My protected batteries are 70.4mm as per my digital calipers and are NCR18650B Li-ion*



Your protected batteries are some of the longest, the shortest are around 68mm.


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## vadimax (Sep 19, 2017)

tripplec said:


> Could you clarify? Noisy



With power supplied, but without any load (empty slots or all batteries full) it emits an audible hiss. Most likely a high frequency transformer resonates.


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## vadimax (Sep 19, 2017)

terjee said:


> Finish at those voltages? Or drop to them after charging terminates?
> 
> It's a faster charger, so I'd expect the post-charging voltage drop to be much more pronounced than with a slower charger like the Nitecore D4 for example.



As NKJ noted with other Nitecore chargers they suffer high termination current issue (~250mA):







At the same time Xtar high current charger terminates at nice 75mA:






As a result its fully charged batteries come out with 4.18-4.19V.


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## tripplec (Sep 19, 2017)

HKJ said:


> Your protected batteries are some of the longest, the shortest are around 68mm.



Hmm, when I was looking for high capacity & current 18650 for almost a year off and on. I did look at cell length from the sources I was considering in their options. Only flat top and/or non protected were below 70mm. I however were focusing on Protected Cells only and saw the others when the type was vague, then realized they were not protected as was the case many times for the 18650GA I came across. The major problem was finding a source that was not selling a extortion rates to Canada. I settled on the next best solution for my light as 4 of these 18650B max'd out would pump enough current to drive the 11 Cree chubby light. (They do...having used it now)

It took at least 4 months for the cells to arrive and they are quite common on many selling batter sites If there are other shorter I'd expect they would have to use an extremely thin protected cap of fake one to achieve a length near 69mm or less. I have been changing these and my other Sanyo 18650's in my SH4 charger almost exclusively since I got it which does a good job pushing 1A to each cell whether 2 or 4 in it. 

Hence my next charge would need to support these 18650 with detailed display and 1A min on all 4 slots (non pulsing current, just stops for voltage sampling and on again). The SC4 does appear to have some refining to be done in its charging termination phase in the least. Fit is key and not likely that it will be changed. I am sure many others are using these cells as well.


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## terjee (Sep 19, 2017)

Take a look at the picture I posted higher up. Those are Keeppower and Eagletac cells, both protected, but quality, both are shorter. Also available through NKON, which ships almost world-wide.


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## HKJ (Sep 19, 2017)

I measure length on all cells I test/review, but sadly there have not been many protected recently. My general impression is that only a few batteries are longer than 70mm.

The SC4 would benefit from a couple of fixes/updates.
In this table you can see how long batteries the different chargers support: http://lygte-info.dk/info/roundCellChargerIndex UK.html


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## tripplec (Sep 19, 2017)

terjee said:


> Take a look at the picture I posted higher up. Those are Keeppower and Eagletac cells, both protected, but quality, both are shorter. Also available through NKON, which ships almost world-wide.



Sorry, I did see that but did not mention. My search was for 3400mAh cells and this was what I have. I have twice as many as I really need since it was do difficult to get I went beyond my requirements.

As for other source I have to consider the landed cost. What they charge to ship and dollar conversion. Knowhere in North America were they competitive. Most would floor you at their prices with shipping.

Thanks for all replies. I am not in a rush for a charger and will keep abreast of what become available and viable in a Universal charger. Cheers and thanks again.

PS: FYI I have 4 of these NCR18650B in use as well as 3 other different 18650's all in lights. With that I have 8 of these new ones as spares!!! Clearly now I need a fit for these as I am not looking for any more 18650's now.


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## david57strat (Sep 19, 2017)

tripplec said:


> My digital calipers have a zero button to ensure its reading zero when closed and are not metal. They should not be hard to find but depends on your area. Not specified in the post.
> 
> I got mine from Princess Auto or Auto parts places should carry something.



I'm in Southern California (Land of smog and Traffic). Everything should be easy to find, here, except for clean air lol.


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## Doko (Sep 22, 2017)

I have the SC4 and to be honest, it is absolutely fantastic !! So far i have been charging AA Eneloop Pros 3HC*D, *18650 and 26650 on it and this thing is a monster at 2Amp charging for the Li-ion ! I've charged my Keeppower 5200's in about ~3 hrs since i got them from about 3.6v when they came in. I love the charger ! Not sure how HKJ would review it but the thing is damn fast at charging ! :thumbsup:


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## david57strat (Sep 23, 2017)

I just used two of my SC4s to charge up some newly-acquired IKEA LADDA LSD 2450 NiMh batteries that received positive comments; both, here, and on Flashlight Subreddit. They're supposed to be comparable to Eneloop Pros, but at a far more competitive price. As an added bonus, IKEA is only maybe ten minutes away from me; so - no waiting time, or shipping charges 






Here is a review on the batteries, by HKJ:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...w-of-Ikea-Ladda-AA-2450mAh-(White)-703-038-76


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## david57strat (Sep 23, 2017)

Doko said:


> I have the SC4 and to be honest, it is absolutely fantastic !! So far i have been charging AA Eneloop Pros 3HC*D, *18650 and 26650 on it and this thing is a monster at 2Amp charging for the Li-ion ! I've charged my Keeppower 5200's in about ~3 hrs since i got them from about 3.6v when they came in. I love the charger ! Not sure how HKJ would review it but the thing is damn fast at charging ! :thumbsup:



Agreed. These are the fastest chargers I own, and are feature rich, reasonably priced (got a deal on them), for the features offered, and with the nicest back lit displays I've ever seen before on a Nitecore charger. I had two of their i4 V2s, then a pair of their D4s. But this new model really stepped things up, for them.

Enjoy your new purchase


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## david57strat (Sep 27, 2017)

vadimax said:


> I've got one. Sure -- the buzz on idle. And UI is not even close to intuitive. Starting at 2A is an issue as well: in case of wall socket voltage drop you may find your 16350 in a very dangerous condition. Or does it manage to reidentify a cell?



The charger does not start at a 2 Amp setting, initially, unless you stick a higher capacity (great than 1200 mAh, per the manual) battery. Batteries with less than 1200 mAh capacity default at a charge rate of 500 mA. 

I grabbed a partially depleted EagleTac 16340 750 mAh battery, then I threw it in one of my SC4 chargers, re-programmed the charge rate to 300 mA. Then, leaving the battery in the slot, I powered off the charger, then powered it back on. 

As expected, the charger reset itself to the 500 mA default rate for a low capacity battery.

I personally prefer to run my smaller batteries at that 500 mA rate, so that's not a deal breaker for me. The 16340 is the smallest battery I have to charge, anyway.

I hope this clarifies things


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## tripplec (Sep 29, 2017)

Just the curiosity, I did a search for the SC4 on eBay and ouch. Around $69 CND plus shipping and higher for this charger. Not in my lifetime, not way would I pay that. I sorted for the best price & shipping and the price go a lot higher as well. My I4 was well under $30 when I bought it and the Soshine SH4 I used the most was around $30 (a real guess now). Its got bugs needing fixing in a revision I am sure will come out but at the moment they're overpriced.

Fortunately I don't really need one to charge my cells but it would have been nice to have one more informative and a bit faster.


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## terjee (Sep 29, 2017)

At this point, it seems the main reason to consider an SC4 would be to get a medium-priced fast charger. If that's not your thing, there are plenty of better choices.

Personally I've gotten two SC4 chargers, because the faults are compatible with my use cases. I'm fine with early termination for example (would prefer it even), and just wanted them to dump charge into cells fast.


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## david57strat (Sep 29, 2017)

tripplec said:


> Just the curiosity, I did a search for the SC4 on eBay and ouch. Around $69 CND plus shipping and higher for this charger. Not in my lifetime, not way would I pay that. I sorted for the best price & shipping and the price go a lot higher as well. My I4 was well under $30 when I bought it and the Soshine SH4 I used the most was around $30 (a real guess now). Its got bugs needing fixing in a revision I am sure will come out but at the moment they're overpriced.
> 
> Fortunately I don't really need one to charge my cells but it would have been nice to have one more informative and a bit faster.



I hear you. There is no way, on Earth, I would have paid full retail on even just one of these, no matter how many wonderful features it has. But, I also would not trust eBay as a source for lithium ion batteries, or battery chargers.

There are _way _too many sellers, selling fake Nitecore chargers, and charging the same price for them. Same holds true with re-wrapped used batteries that have come from laptop pulls, and the customer is none the wiser, until they test the batteries (at which point, it's too late), and find that they have far lower capacity than what was advertised.

It's just not advisable, buying these types of items through eBay, unless it's from a trusted vendor and authorized seller of the product. 



terjee said:


> At this point, it seems the main reason to consider an SC4 would be to get a medium-priced fast charger. If that's not your thing, there are plenty of better choices.
> 
> Personally I've gotten two SC4 chargers, because the faults are compatible with my use cases. I'm fine with early termination for example (would prefer it even), and just wanted them to dump charge into cells fast.



Agreed. I got my four because the price was right (through a Group Buy on Budget Light Forums - which made the price not that much higher than I paid for my D4s), the features vs. price was acceptable (the feature set of this charger is remarkable, for that price), Nitecore had made vast improvements in the charger (or I would never have even considered buying one, let alone, four, no matter what the price), _ and _I wanted to phase out the use of my dog slow D4s, that I had been using for the past three years - even for use as just AA NiMh chargers.


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## david57strat (Sep 29, 2017)

They just keep multiplying, like rabbits


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## tripplec (Sep 30, 2017)

I have bought a number of chargers on eBay. No problem, but I do look at the seller carefully and no problems. There are few choices locally, few places even offer quality units for a lot of these selections. A battery selling site I guess would be another option if the price and shipping were acceptable. Amazon Canada is a total rip off for most stuff. Sellers are asking 3 to 6 time retail for may items and many sellers are shipping from the orient which caught me off guard one figuring I'd get the item in a couple of days.


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## Doko (Sep 30, 2017)

david57strat said:


> I just used two of my SC4s to charge up some newly-acquired IKEA LADDA LSD 2450 NiMh batteries that received positive comments; both, here, and on Flashlight Subreddit. They're supposed to be comparable to Eneloop Pros, but at a far more competitive price. As an added bonus, IKEA is only maybe ten minutes away from me; so - no waiting time, or shipping charges
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Thanks for the LADDA 2450 suggestion !!! I picked up 8x from my local IKEA. What a great deal !!! Also, i noticed that you charged your 2450s on the default current which gave you only 1.4v full charge. You can change the current to 1A or more manually and will charge them up to 1.5v and give you more capacity this way. Keep in mind that they will warm up slightly this way. Cheers


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## david57strat (Sep 30, 2017)

Doko said:


> Thanks for the LADDA 2450 suggestion !!! I picked up 8x from my local IKEA. What a great deal !!! Also, i noticed that you charged your 2450s on the default current which gave you only 1.4v full charge. You can change the current to 1A or more manually and will charge them up to 1.5v and give you more capacity this way. Keep in mind that they will warm up slightly this way. Cheers



Thanks for the tip


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## Doko (Oct 1, 2017)

david57strat said:


> Thanks for the tip



No worries at all !!! Tomorrow i am going to get a pack of AAA 4x Ikea Ladda 900 mAh. Looks like these are just re-branded Eneloop Pros for cheaper !


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