Become a Patron!

Chargers that will "condition" NiMH batteries

VinnySem

Silver Contributor
Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Are there any chargers that work with our li-ion batteries, that will also condition NiMH batteries? I got some Panasonic eneloop AAs, and to mitigate the "memory effect" I've been putting them in a mini Maglite for a short time to fully deplete them. Wondering if any of our chargers do NiMH/NiCd conditioning.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

KingPin!

In my defence, I was left unsupervised ^^
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
VU Challenge Team
Reviewer
I know the xtar dragon VP4 has a refresh mode for NiMh cells ...there will be others out there no doubt

my dragon crapped out after about 2 years heads up :) ...But they are pretty user friendly plug and play chargers
 

Vape Fan

_evil twin_
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Press Corps
Member For 5 Years
Xtar has some 2 bay chargers with the function you want for about $10 shipped.(US)
Ohm Base has battery Dr as well.
 

Jon@LiionWholesale

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Unlisted Vendor
Xtar has some 2 bay chargers with the function you want for about $10 shipped.(US)
Ohm Base has battery Dr as well.
Which one is that? I don't think any of the cheap XTAR have refresh functions on them, only the Dragon. I could definitely be wrong though, XTAR has so many models it's hard to keep track of. Lots of XTARs will charge Eneloops but I think the dragon is the only one with a refresh mode where it cycles them.

Off the top of my head, there are 3 chargers that will refresh NiMH batteries while also working with li-ion. It's all the pricier full analyzing chargers. XTAR Dragon VP4, Opus BTC-3100, or the Vapcell S4.
 

Vape Fan

_evil twin_
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Press Corps
Member For 5 Years
It doesn't indicate anywhere on the product page that it has a refresh mode, as does the Dragon.
There's 2 products there. But anyways...

How would a charger achieve a "refresh"? What has to happen?
 

Vape Fan

_evil twin_
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Press Corps
Member For 5 Years
So - this refresh / conditioning / cycling,,, is..... really just making sure the battery is depleated, like "in a mini Maglite for a short time to fully deplete them". Check with a meter or the charger if it has it.
Then having a charger that will trickle charge [like the OV function of those 2 - 2bay Xtar's],,instead of rejecting the battery with a 'too low', 'error', or other.
 

Jon@LiionWholesale

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Unlisted Vendor
The refresh function is not just making sure it's depleted, it actually depletes it itself. Even if the battery is fully charged it will deplete it and then charge it, to get rid of any memory effect. It makes it much easier to just put a battery in the charger, press a button, and then it's good, no matter how it's charged.

The VC2 Plus and VC2S do not have refresh functions so if you wanted to cycle the battery you'd have to discharge it manually on your own using something else if you wanted to use those.
 

VinnySem

Silver Contributor
Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Yes, same brand even. The Opus was sold out on Li-Ion's site, and I had a credit on Amazon. I opted for two separate chargers, the smaller Opus, and a Gyrfalcon All-88 for my 18650s and 21700s.
 

Jon@LiionWholesale

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Unlisted Vendor
Yes, same brand even. The Opus was sold out on Li-Ion's site, and I had a credit on Amazon. I opted for two separate chargers, the smaller Opus, and a Gyrfalcon All-88 for my 18650s and 21700s.
Great choice! Yeah we actually sold a lot of Opuses recently, we do have more coming in but it'll likely be a couple weeks. We do have the Vapcell and the Dragon.

The Gyrfalcon is a great charger.
 

Syythe

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
ECF Refugee
Yes, same brand even. The Opus was sold out on Li-Ion's site, and I had a credit on Amazon. I opted for two separate chargers, the smaller Opus, and a Gyrfalcon All-88 for my 18650s and 21700s.
If I get another charger that gyrfalcon is high on the list. Can't fault you for the decision you made, it was pretty smart really.
 

VinnySem

Silver Contributor
Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
If I get another charger that gyrfalcon is high on the list. Can't fault you for the decision you made, it was pretty smart really.
I usually make bad decisions, so I'll take this as a win!

I had originally ordered a Nitecore I8, but it came defective. And, it doesn't quite fit certain 21700s. So I exchanged the defective I8 for the Gyrfalcon.
 

Vape Fan

_evil twin_
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Press Corps
Member For 5 Years
So - this refresh / conditioning / cycling,,, is..... really just making sure the battery is depleated, like "in a mini Maglite for a short time to fully deplete them". Check with a meter or the charger if it has it.
Then having a charger that will trickle charge [like the OV function of those 2 - 2bay Xtar's],,instead of rejecting the battery with a 'too low', 'error', or other.
None of this ^ , was a question.
The refresh function is not just making sure it's depleted, it actually depletes it itself. Even if the battery is fully charged it will deplete it and then charge it, to get rid of any memory effect. It makes it much easier to just put a battery in the charger, press a button, and then it's good, no matter how it's charged.

The VC2 Plus and VC2S do not have refresh functions so if you wanted to cycle the battery you'd have to discharge it manually on your own using something else if you wanted to use those.

Ahh, but with just one of the 2 abilities, the ability to charge an overdischarged, you could refresh. So actually, those 2 chargers do have a refresh function. And since cycle is synonymous with completing a process, saying they don't have a cycle function would make better sence than saying they don't have refresh.

The only charger XTar makes that does that is the VP4 Dragon.
As far as depleting the battery, that may be. They've stopped making it. Seems like they would continue with some things that VP4 does. I like the choice you made.
 

VinnySem

Silver Contributor
Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
6cc78bd7e21cba4449fc4550f79977d1.jpg


5f2494a0a2532b2cc1eac74069e05f63.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

KingPin!

In my defence, I was left unsupervised ^^
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
VU Challenge Team
Reviewer
6cc78bd7e21cba4449fc4550f79977d1.jpg


5f2494a0a2532b2cc1eac74069e05f63.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

how easy is it to get those batteries out of the All-88 without spring snapping back?

Thing I liked about the dragon is you could get in there easy to remove the cells ...VC4 though is a pain for the middle two bays haha
 
Last edited:

VinnySem

Silver Contributor
Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
how easy is it to get those batteries out of the All-88 without spring snapping back?

Thing I liked about the dragon is you could get in there easy to remove the cells ...VC4 though is a pain for the middle to bays haha

It's not too bad, I kind of naturally started taking batteries out in a way that the spring loaded contact doesn't snap back. I learned this by accidentally launching an 18650 across the room and hitting someone in the head lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

VU Sponsors

Top