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Design flaws expose lithium lifepo4 batteries to overvoltage - hazardous - Nitecore Intelligent USB Superb Battery Charger
by
Ron F,
Verified Owner
from GA, United States
Written on May 2, 2022
Ron F's Review of Nitecore Intelligent USB Superb Battery Charger
I was glad to get this product and was looking forward to charging some LiFePO4 batteries to use in flashlights, etc. The product initially looked good and impressive. The print in the manual is EXTREMELY small. It took several read through's to figure out the operating sequence. It's easier to do than to read ultimately. Some features turn on only with Lithium batteries. Take some time to learn the controls. The unit has a serious design flaw which exposes Lithium batteries to overvoltage. This is hazardous and could result in a fire. There are 3 types of Lithium batteries that the unit supports. LiFePO4 batteries are nominal 3.2 V and charge to 3.7 V. Normal Lithium Ion batteries are nominal 3.6 - 3.7 V and charge to 4.2 V. And higher voltage Lithium Ion batteries are nominal 3.7 - 3.8 V and charge to 4.35 V. (Do not try to recharge non chargeable Lithium primary batteries.) One design flaw is that the system assumes you're putting in a normal Lithium Ion batteries if the voltage is in the right range rather than LiFePO4 batteries which use lower voltage. Therefore, if you just put the battery in and leave it, it can overcharge and it could catch on fire or explode. This is stated in the manual. You could possibly work around that by correctly setting the charger mode, but I feel that this assumption of the higher voltage is the wrong choice. There is a worse problem. I was charging some LiFePO4 batteries. I specifically went through the process of setting both slots to be in the proper LiFePO4 mode and the proper 3.7 V charging voltage. At this point, the battery should NEVER be subjected to a voltage higher than 3.7 V. However, at one point, I looked at the voltage and it was 4.13 V. Later, with a different battery, I looked and it ended at 4.2 V. What MAY be happening is that slight vibrations in the battery and spring when picking up the charger may cause it to reset. Regardless, this is dangerous and I do not trust the unit. I'm returning it.
Would Recommend:
No
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