# Nitecore D4 vs. i4?



## d.weglarz13 (Jul 9, 2014)

So, right to the point....... Just bought a new toy, the TK75vnKT, and still need to get batts and maybe a new charger. In fact, since I already have the light in hand, i am just DYING to try it.
I already have the i4 intellicharger. But, I now see the D4 digicharger for sale, and wondering if the upgrade is worth it or not. I am not the most technically advanced guy on here lol, so I don't usually test my voltages with a multimeter like many say is a good thing. Now Im wondering if the upgrade is good for someone like me, who can now see whats going on with the voltage without needing the dmm.

Hope I explained this right, but kind of want a new setup. The i4 is ok, but takes a long time to charge, especially 18650s, and just the 3 lights got old pretty quick. The d4 looks pretty cool. Is this much better than the i4? And, if you feel like suggesting others, if I am missing any other great ones with lcd screens like this that are trusted, please do tell.

I will be using Eagletac 3400mah 18650s with this light. If for some reason I shouldn't please tell me. but, I have used these batts before with my SRT7 that got stolen the other day, so I do like these batteries. I figure it is best to have 4 fresh cells, so I will be buying 4 even though I still have a few from the Srt that have a bunch of cycles on them already.

And, Im guessing illumination supply is a good place to buy? I hear good things about them. You can PM me if its not ok to talk about vendors here.

Thanks for any help/advice. Im kind of in a rush to get these batts, and need to order asap due to my impatience and my new light sitting on my lap, poor old thing is empty inside....


dave



edit: I didn't see it anywhere, but does the D4 Digicharger come with an option for Car adaptor 12v? Thanks


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## cistallus (Jul 10, 2014)

How can you stand having that light without batteries? 

If you can't wait, maybe a local vaping shop has some batteries and even a charger, though you'll likely pay more.

Otherwise, Illumination Supply (IS) or MtnElectronics are good, as well as other common CPF vendors. I like the ET 3400s too but if you are ordering from IS they have Soshine 3400s at $10 each and I believe it's the same Panasonic cells inside.


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## HKJ (Jul 10, 2014)

I believe that the D4 is charging at the same speed as the i4, i.e. very slow.


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## ven (Jul 10, 2014)

I would look at the xtar xp4 ,0.25/.5/1A charge options.


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## Casey Guo (Jul 10, 2014)

Hi Dave 

Actually there is not much different between Nitecore D4 and I4 , The only different is that D4 with a LCD screen , the charge speed are the same, but if you think the nitecore cost long time to charge 18650 battery, you can choose the Xtar ,AWT Battery charger, which with LCD screen and also it can option 0.25A,1A,1.5A when charging your battery. so it may be more faster when charging .


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## d.weglarz13 (Jul 10, 2014)

Okay, thanks for the replies. I do kinda like the look of that D4, but too bad its just as sloooooowwwww.
Anyways, does anyone actually use their chargers in the car? I don't hear about anyone really doing it any other way but in the wall.

side note, for camping and hiking trips, can any of these hook up to some sort of solar charger? That is probably next thing to buy, so just thinking a bit in advance. 

Those soshines look good, perhaps I will try them.



And yes, I am just going nuts waiting to try this light. To be honest, I ordered from Vinh on Saturday, the light got here monday. I figured he would need some time to get it shipped out, but I was wrong. Fastest service I've ever seen really. Can't wait to post a thread about the light with some pics. I am actually carrying this light on me in the car everywhere i go, even without the batts, because I am so happy with it! Don't worry though, I now bring it in my bag if I leave the car, as to not get this light stolen too.....
They will have to kill me to get this light from me this time!

Thanks guys

dave


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## thedoc007 (Jul 10, 2014)

cistallus said:


> Otherwise, Illumination Supply (IS) or MtnElectronics are good, as well as other common CPF vendors. I like the ET 3400s too but if you are ordering from IS they have Soshine 3400s at $10 each and I believe it's the same Panasonic cells inside.



+1. Though the SoShines aren't green and white , they are a LOT cheaper, and offer the same capacity. Either shop is excellent, in my experience, and they both offer fairly quick shipping.

I did get a couple Nitecore d4s, since I really like having the display. But the i4 is a fine charger...just plan ahead a little, and the slow charging shouldn't matter. It is also gentler on the cells than a rapid charger. I have both types available, but I use the i4/d4 a lot even so.


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## d.weglarz13 (Jul 10, 2014)

Perfect. Thanks again. Yea Eric, green/white lol, ....Sounds great though, putting my order in right now!!!

btw, are the readings on the D4 pretty accurate? Lets say, could you substitute that for using a DMM all the time? That is my biggest thing I guess. Thanks


dave


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## MBentz (Jul 10, 2014)

While I'm always a fan of having options, I'm not sure why anyone would choose the D4 over the Efest LUC V4. You can charge two cells at two amps, or four cells at a half amp or one amp. And it's cheaper.


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## d.weglarz13 (Jul 10, 2014)

That Efest looks really nice too. Nice to have those options, but is it bad to charge the cells at a faster rate? As far as battery life that is...?


My biggest thing, is that all you guys speak of not letting your cells go below 3.7v or whatever, and so far since I got into Li-ion, I have kind of just been letting them run down to maybe half power, then throwing back on the charger. I want to be more responsible with my cells, but just always in a rush and can't always whip out the DMM every time I charge batts, which is usually every other day for my EDC. Not sure yet about the TK75vnKT.

My edc though, my Sc52w with 14500, seems to run out almost completely sometimes, or at least down to 1 out of the 4 blinks for "low battery warning." So, I think this is bad from what I understand, and I would like to avoid this now with a LCD screen that tells me the voltages more easily. Thanks

dave


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## thedoc007 (Jul 10, 2014)

MBentz said:


> While I'm always a fan of having options, I'm not sure why anyone would choose the D4 over the Efest LUC V4. You can charge two cells at two amps, or four cells at a half amp or one amp. And it's cheaper.



1. Appearance...I like the d4 much better. And it has a much larger and brighter screen.
2. No LiFeO4 support on the Efest.
3. No support for NiMH or NiCad with the Efest.
4. In HKJ's review, his charger consistently overcharged, even to the point of tripping protection in some cases. This was true on all slots. That is not only going to increase wear on the cells, but is potentially unsafe. Edit: I read the updated review, and apparently they fixed this problem. 
5. In HKJ's review, he found the voltage read .06V too low on the Efest.
6. HKJ feels that 500ma is too high for 10440, except for IMR. If you pair two 10440s in the d4, 375ma is less hard on the cells.

If you get the updated version, the Efest seems good for li-ion (except 10440). But it isn't a universal charger like the d4, which can handle NiMH, LiFeO4, and NiCads in addition to the standard 4.2V li-ion.

To each his own, I say. But I'm very happy I went with the d4.


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## MBentz (Jul 10, 2014)

d.weglarz13 said:


> That Efest looks really nice too. Nice to have those options, but is it bad to charge the cells at a faster rate? As far as battery life that is...?
> 
> 
> My biggest thing, is that all you guys speak of not letting your cells go below 3.7v or whatever, and so far since I got into Li-ion, I have kind of just been letting them run down to maybe half power, then throwing back on the charger. I want to be more responsible with my cells, but just always in a rush and can't always whip out the DMM every time I charge batts, which is usually every other day for my EDC. Not sure yet about the TK75vnKT.
> ...



Generally you can charge any cell at a 1C rate. For example, a 3,400 mAh 18650 cell can be charged safely at a rate up to 3.4 amps. Some higher quality cells can be charged at a 2C rate (which would be 6.8 amps in this example) or higher. 

I've been using my V4 to charge everything from 16350 cells up to 26650s. They have all been pulled off the charger at 4.19v or 4.2v per my DMM. I wouldn't consider any charger to be a substitute for a DMM.

Efest updated the V4, and you can read HKJ's updated review here: http://lygte-info.dk/review/Review Charger Efest LUC V4 2014 UK.html


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## HKJ (Jul 10, 2014)

MBentz said:


> Generally you can charge any cell at a 1C rate. For example, a 3,400 mAh 18650 cell can be charged safely at a rate up to 3.4 amps. Some higher quality cells can be charged at a 2C rate (which would be 6.8 amps in this example) or higher.



Have you explained to Panasonic that their data sheets are wrong?
They specify 0.3C for NCR18650 and NCR18650A, according to you they must be really low quality cells.


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## thedoc007 (Jul 10, 2014)

MBentz said:


> Generally you can charge any cell at a 1C rate. For example, a 3,400 mAh 18650 cell can be charged safely at a rate up to 3.4 amps. Some higher quality cells can be charged at a 2C rate (which would be 6.8 amps in this example) or higher.



You may be able to do that safely, but charging at high rates does shorten the life of a cell. There is a reason that there aren't any chargers (other than hobby chargers) that have several amp charge currents. Heat also becomes a bigger issue when the charge current is high. And heat degrades a li-ion cell in itself, even if everything else is within acceptable limits.

Edit: Wasn't aware that Panasonic recommends .3C. So you are well outside the recommended charge at even two amps, for an 18650. Thanks HKJ!


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## MBentz (Jul 10, 2014)

HKJ said:


> Have you explained to Panasonic that their data sheets are wrong?
> They specify 0.3C for NCR18650 and NCR18650A, according to you they must be really low quality cells.



No, I wouldn't bother wasting my time talking to Panasonic when their lawyers are more concerned about liability rather than how quickly a cell can be charged. 

I don't recall saying charging below 1C means a cell is of low quality. Please quote me so I can see it and make the necessary changes.


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## HKJ (Jul 10, 2014)

MBentz said:


> No, I wouldn't bother wasting my time talking to Panasonic when their lawyers are more concerned about liability rather than how quickly a cell can be charged.



Yes, the probably want the cell to live as long as specified and not explode while charging.



MBentz said:


> I don't recall saying charging below 1C means a cell is of low quality. Please quote me so I can see it and make the necessary changes.



You do imply it by saying "Some higher quality cells can be charged at a 2C rate". The high charge rate has nothing to do with quality, but with chemistry. Even a low quality IMR cell may have a 2C charge rate.


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## MBentz (Jul 10, 2014)

If that's how you want to infer what I said, that's fine. I won't argue that. 

I've only been using LiPo batteries for the past decade, so I'm no expert. I have however charged every cell at a 1C rate when possible and have yet to experience an issue. I've never had a bulging, smoking, hot, etc etc cell from charging at 1C, and that's not because I've been lucky.


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## Bucur (Oct 4, 2014)

I have both chargers. The D4 is more informative, period. And its sliders are in another league: as smooth as any slider should be. I was thinking that both would charge my batteries the same way but according to my DDM (Milwaukee 2216-20), they don’t. 

All of my Li-Ion batteries come out of my i4 at a higher voltage than they do out of my new D4. Measured just after charge cycle termination, my brand new Keeppower 3400’s are at 4.20+V via the i4 whereas 4.18+V via the D4. An hour later, the ones from the i4 drop to 4.18+V and the ones from the D4 drop to 4.16+V. 

The same happens with older Li-Ion batteries, albeit at slightly lower voltages. I don’t know if this is a typical difference between the i4 and D4. I wonder if this may be an acceptable manufacturing tolerance between any two units… Therefore, I tend to use my i4 for charging my batteries which will be used soon and my D4 for the ones that will sit for a while without being actually used.


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## precisionworks (Oct 12, 2014)

Bucur said:


> I have both chargers. The D4 is more informative, period. And its sliders are in another league: as smooth as any slider should be.



Totally agree & I also have both the D4 & the I4. 

I currently have a dozen of the Panasonic protected 3400 mAh cells. All came from R-L Sales on eBay & cost $22.65 per pair. One caution on these is sizing because of the protection circuit - the seller states:


> [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Size: 69.35mm tall including button top x 18.73mm wide.[/FONT]


 I don't have any new AW cells for comparison but they may run smaller. 

The only time I see an issue with stacked length is when running 2x18650 in the Fury P3X with extender. Some do OK with the factory tailcap but on others the tailcap cannot screw down far enough to make contact. The easy solution is to use a Z59 tailcap & that works 100% of the time. 
__________________________________________________

Back on topic ... I read somewhere that both the I4 & D4 have two charging channels. If slots 1&2 (or 3&4) are used the charge current on both cells is 500 mA. If slots 1&3 (or 2&4) are used the charge current is 750 mA ... which is what the display reads on the D4. Is this correct?


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## Illuminaria (Oct 18, 2014)

I have both..or did have. The D4 Lithium termination was 4.153 across all 4 of my 18650, my i4 nails it at 4.204 when fresh off charger. The display of the D4 is nice but the voltage reading are off as per mentioned termination voltage, as it reads higher than my fluke meter.

I have some 3 cell NiMH lights but both these chargers fail due to improper charger contact with cells and IMHO, way to high charge current, 375ma, for the 900ma AAA cells. I'm not a fan of fast hot charging. My old MAHA can only do 2 or 4 AAA cells so was hoping the Nitecores would be better at being single, small cell friendly.

Hopefully my D4 was just an odd one but would hope that someone sends on to HKJ for testing in the future.


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## Casey Guo (Dec 10, 2014)

Hi Dave, 

actually no mattery AWT charger and also the Nitecore D2 D4 i2 i4 are all can charged in Car not only in Wall, but rerely used them in car , any way, the more funtions it with , always make it more suitable for market , and it will be workable when it needed to be under urgently conditions.


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## night.hoodie (Jan 21, 2015)

Casey Guo said:


> Actually there is not much different between Nitecore D4 and I4 , The only different is that D4 with a LCD screen , the charge speed are the same



One difference to note is the D4 uses constant current, not pulse charging like the i4.


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## HKJ (Jan 21, 2015)

night.hoodie said:


> One difference to note is the D4 uses constant current, not pulse charging like the i4.



Where do you get that from?
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-Review-of-Charger-NiteCore-Intellicharger-D4


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## night.hoodie (Jan 21, 2015)

HKJ said:


> Where do you get that from?
> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-Review-of-Charger-NiteCore-Intellicharger-D4



Very funny, HKJ. Ladies and gentleman... Mr. Elvis Presley! :twothumbs



> With a empty battery the charger will flash the 3 yellow leds and pulse the current.





> The charger does a simulated CC/CV charger with a 50mA termination, this is fine.



When you engage in philanthropy, you're likely already predisposed to accept the humble compensation. FWIW, I was trying to pad my post count to get rid of the yellow banner, and get access to my settings. I wasn't trying to steal your findings and claim them as my own. My apologies for stepping into your work. If my interpretation is incorrect, let me know... but this and what you said about D4 and small cells was what made me put the Opus/Ambient Weather analyzer on hold for now (because with my limited experience, I figured I'd be more likely to do more harm with the analyzer than be able to do any harm with the D4).


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## HKJ (Jan 22, 2015)

night.hoodie said:


> Very funny, HKJ. Ladies and gentleman... Mr. Elvis Presley! :twothumbs



Not intended to be funny, just a pointer to some real measurements that shows pulsing current exactly like the i4.


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## night.hoodie (Jan 22, 2015)

HKJ said:


> Not intended to be funny, just a pointer to some real measurements that shows pulsing current exactly like the i4.



Hmm... I misinterpreted :/

Mind dumbing it down a bit? To be clear, both charger models use a pulsed current (NOT CC/CV) to charge? Or is there some mixing between the type of charging in the profile for certain cell types?


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## HKJ (Jan 22, 2015)

night.hoodie said:


> Hmm... I misinterpreted :/
> 
> Mind dumbing it down a bit? To be clear, both charger models use a pulse current to charge? Or is there some mixing between the type of charging in the profile for certain cell types?



Any charger where the current line (green) is a area instead of a line is pulsing the current. The light green line shows the average of that pulsing.


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## night.hoodie (Jan 22, 2015)

HKJ said:


> Any charger where the current line (green) is a area instead of a line is pulsing the current. The light green line shows the average of that pulsing.



Did I at least correctly interpret that YOU prefer a charger that is CC/CV, as opposed to pulse, for any chemistry?

IOW Which type of charger do you prefer? CC/CV or pulse?


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## HKJ (Jan 22, 2015)

night.hoodie said:


> Did I at least correctly interpret that YOU prefer a charger that is CC/CV, as opposed to pulse, for any chemistry?
> 
> IOW Which type of charger do you prefer? CC/CV or pulse?



That answer is a bit complicated:

With LiIon the usage of pulsing is normally a sign the charger is using simulated CC/CV (Measuring voltage with current off and adjusting current accordingly) and I prefer real CC/CV (Using constant voltage with current limit and let the current adjust itself, all my LiIon battery tests uses this).

With NiMH chargers it also means the voltage is measured with current off, this makes -dv/dt termination more difficult and many chargers will use voltage termination.

Some pulsing chargers with current adjustment will use the same high current pulse, when charging small cells, I do not really like that.

With chargers that has voltage readout the pulsing makes it possible to show the battery voltage, without any ohmic looses in connections, this is an advantage.


As you can see from these points there are both advantages and disadvantages with pulsing current.


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## night.hoodie (Jan 22, 2015)

HKJ said:


> That answer is a bit complicated:
> ...
> As you can see from these points there are both advantages and disadvantages with pulsing current.



Yes. The more I learn (about cells and charging) the more hairy it gets, the details get finer and finer, like the informational equivalent of a fractal, never smoothing out to a single underlying answer, just more detailed information. Its incredible that something so deceptively simple is in fact, apparently, infintely complex. But even this realization would be outrageously difficult for me to discover if you weren't testing and freely publishing.

I know others have been down this road and found their destination completely different from their intention. I forget who wrote this (paraphrased):


> I just wanted a good flashlight... and now I want to kill myself.


How did my simple quest get birdnested? This comes to mind:


> Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.


I'm unworthy of the privilege, but filled with gratitude at my great fortune of having not only your work available, but you available as a resource. Its like running into the author of the book you happen to be reading just when you come across a passage that you wish was more clear. 

Thanks, HKJ


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## loimpact (Jan 23, 2015)

*"I just wanted a good flashlight... and now I want to kill myself."* ROTFLMAO!!!

Oh if it weren't so friggin' close to the truth!!! 

P.S. In fact.....I apologize in advance & will revert if anybody owns it but I'm stealing this as my sig!! It's too good to not show daily!!

P.P.S. I'm almost 100% certain I can start another forum with great success....something like.... CPFSuicideSupport.com or maybe TacticalTorchTreatmentCenter.com... .net errr.. .org.


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## loimpact (Jan 24, 2015)

Illuminaria said:


> I have both..or did have. *The D4 Lithium termination was 4.153 across all 4 of my 18650, my i4 nails it at 4.204 when fresh off charger*. The display of the D4 is nice but the voltage reading are off as per mentioned termination voltage, as it reads higher than my fluke meter.
> 
> I have some 3 cell NiMH lights but both these chargers fail due to improper charger contact with cells and IMHO, way to high charge current, 375ma, for the 900ma AAA cells. I'm not a fan of fast hot charging. My old MAHA can only do 2 or 4 AAA cells so was hoping the Nitecores would be better at being single, small cell friendly.
> 
> Hopefully my D4 was just an odd one but would hope that someone sends on to HKJ for testing in the future.



Did we ever get this clarified??

And is one or the other more preferred?? (In other threads I've heard HKJ argue an approx 4.17 final voltage was best but this user seems to think 4.20 is better. And actually finds 4.15 to be the D4's cutoff?)

I can't say I much care if I have a display or not but would buy whichever charger would be considered best for charging. I usually charge overnight for the next day's use so time is not usually a consideration for charging....for me.

TIA


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## thedoc007 (Jan 24, 2015)

Illuminaria said:


> I have both..or did have. The D4 Lithium termination was 4.153 across all 4 of my 18650, my i4 nails it at 4.204 when fresh off charger. The display of the D4 is nice but the voltage reading are off as per mentioned termination voltage, as it reads higher than my fluke meter.
> 
> I have some 3 cell NiMH lights but both these chargers fail due to improper charger contact with cells and IMHO, way to high charge current, 375ma, for the 900ma AAA cells. I'm not a fan of fast hot charging. My old MAHA can only do 2 or 4 AAA cells so was hoping the Nitecores would be better at being single, small cell friendly.
> 
> Hopefully my D4 was just an odd one but would hope that someone sends on to HKJ for testing in the future.



I'd much prefer a 4.15 volt termination to 4.2, read after the charge has completed, and you have removed the cells. If you get an actual reading of 4.2, either your meter is not accurate, or the charger is overcharging slightly. There is always a little bit of voltage sag once you stop sending current to the cells. This is a fact, not a matter of opinion. Separately, my opinion is that a slight undercharge is much better than a slight overcharge. While a 4.2 reading after charge is nothing to be alarmed about, it is not ideal.

375 mA charge current is not at all high for AAA NiMH cells. In fact, charging NiMH at low current can make it more likely for a charger to miss termination. Cells should not get hot at that rate. The D4 also has a hidden function, designed to lower the current for small cells, so if you wanted lower, you could get it. Check your manual.

HKJ has tested the D4. Linked here again for your convenience.


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## Illuminaria (Feb 12, 2015)

thedoc007 said:


> I'd much prefer a 4.15 volt termination to 4.2, read after the charge has completed, and you have removed the cells. If you get an actual reading of 4.2, either your meter is not accurate, or the charger is overcharging slightly. There is always a little bit of voltage sag once you stop sending current to the cells. This is a fact, not a matter of opinion. Separately, my opinion is that a slight undercharge is much better than a slight overcharge. While a 4.2 reading after charge is nothing to be alarmed about, it is not ideal.
> 
> 375 mA charge current is not at all high for AAA NiMH cells. In fact, charging NiMH at low current can make it more likely for a charger to miss termination. Cells should not get hot at that rate. The D4 also has a hidden function, designed to lower the current for small cells, so if you wanted lower, you could get it. Check your manual.
> 
> HKJ has tested the D4. Linked here again for your convenience.



From testing, I would think the I4 overcharges but not stated in the review. As I posted My D4 displays 4.20 but reads about 4.15 after termination with my Fluke meter. So no mater what one prefers, my I4 terminates at 4.20 and the D4 terminates around 4.16. Agree the lower term voltage should be better for battery life but then I see a lot of people want 4.20, no?

The manual states 375ma x 4. "hidden" button? You mean for just 2 or three cell? Your AAA don't get hot? My Maha 212f gets theses very hot at 125ma per cell x 4? My Maha and LaCross have missed termination, so like my iCharger, I tend to keep an eye on the time. Thanks for link.

Edit, I forgot these were new old stock Sony and Samsung 18650 and several would be lower after 12 hours or so of resting, fwiw.

Cheers


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## G. Scott H. (Feb 12, 2015)

Illuminaria said:


> From testing, I would think the I4 overcharges but not stated in the review. As I posted My D4 displays 4.20 but reads about 4.15 after termination with my Fluke meter. So no mater what one prefers, my I4 terminates at 4.20 and the D4 terminates around 4.16. Agree the lower term voltage should be better for battery life but then I see a lot of people want 4.20, no?
> Cheers



My new D2 does the same with Orbtronic protected Panasonic 3100 mah ICR: 4.2 displayed, actual voltage (according to multimeter) right at 4.15 consistently. My CGR Panasonic hybrids also show 4.2 on the display and 4.19 on the meter. My old i2 would charge these cells up to 4.2-ish (ICR) and 4.23 (hybrid), respectively, fresh off the charger. 

NiMH's: I charge all my aa and aaa nimhs on my stock Eneloop chargers, but I've charged numerous Tenergy 4/3AF's and 4/5A's on both the i2 and D2. They always came off the i2 pretty toasty, but are just moderately warm out of the D2. It looks like Nitecore has made some good changes with the D series.


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## uofaengr (Jul 1, 2015)

I was charging up my 14500s in preparation for the weekend and also noticed that the D4 reads 4.20 but my meter read 4.16 on both my Zebralight wrapped 850 mAh 14500s. Am I losing that much capacity and is this preferred? The charger also consistently reads 0.2V higher than my meter upon immediately testing my batteries right before putting them on the charger. 

Also appears it charges Eneloops up over 1.5V but off the charger they seem to settle out at 1.35V. Not sure why at 1.34V or so it only shows 1 bar on the screen?


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## thedoc007 (Jul 1, 2015)

uofaengr said:


> I was charging up my 14500s in preparation for the weekend and also noticed that the D4 reads 4.20 but my meter read 4.16 on both my Zebralight wrapped 850 mAh 14500s. Am I losing that much capacity and is this preferred?



Some people prefer 4.2 volts, just because they want the advertised voltage. 4.16 is better, though, in my opinion. If you actually get a reading of 4.2 when a cell is removed from the charger, it was at least slightly overcharged. There is ALWAYS a small voltage drop when you stop applying current. 4.16 might lose you two to five percent capacity...but that is a pretty small difference - unless you monitor your runtime very carefully, I'd be willing to bet you would never notice. The slightly lower charge is also a little gentler on your cells, to make up for the loss. Nothing to complain about. 



uofaengr said:


> The charger also consistently reads 0.2V higher than my meter upon immediately testing my batteries right before putting them on the charger.



It reads .2 volts higher immediately, or after the charge has begun? Once you actually start to apply a charge current, voltage will increase quickly. The faster you charge, the more voltage will increase during the charge. I.e., if you charge at .25 amps, it might only increase by half as much (or even less) compared to the increase at a one amp charge. (This is much easier to see on a charger with selectable current, like the Xtar VP2, but it will happen on any charger.)



uofaengr said:


> Also appears it charges Eneloops up over 1.5V but off the charger they seem to settle out at 1.35V. Not sure why at 1.34V or so it only shows 1 bar on the screen?



Voltage during charge and voltage at rest are two different things...they cannot be directly compared.

Summary...all this sounds pretty normal, and nothing to worry about.


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## uofaengr (Jul 2, 2015)

So a resting fully charged battery at 1.35V is considered low? Just trying to understand what the charger is thinking.


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## ChrisGarrett (Jul 2, 2015)

uofaengr said:


> So a resting fully charged battery at 1.35V is considered low? Just trying to understand what the charger is thinking.



Just jumping in here, but remember that your charger is charging and even when it's stopped applying the full charge, it might be trickle charging your NiMH Eneloops. However, when that battery is removed, it might measure a bit less. Some chargers will terminate at 1.50v+, like my LaCrosse BC-700 and other chargers like my Maha C-9000 will terminate at 1.47v. 

If you let those batteries sit for a few hours, you might be down to the mid 1.4xv range and if they sit for days, they might be down in the high 1.3x v range. Nominal voltage for NiMH is 1.20v, but by then, they're mostly empty, with the ability to go further down under light loads, to 1.10v.

There are variables between what the charger is measuring under charge, what the charger is measuring at the end of charge and what your particular charger is measuring whenever you measure the battery.

It's not an exact science, is I guess, my point, so don't sweat the minor discrepancies.

Chris


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