Can you choose cut-off voltage when you do a discharge? I know many chargers has a fixed cut-off voltage at 3.0v for 18650 batteries even though the datasheet for many of them specifies 2.5v.
For all the readers wanting to know if you can fit 21700 in the BT-C3100 V2.2. YES, YOU CAN! I already did charging and discharging of about 100 cells - 21700 and so far all good.
Just got this charger as I am venturing into lithium cells! Very good review and easy to understand even when I have very little knowledge of this. Thanks for sharing buddy!
Brilliant charger the resistance test is invaluable, I didn't know about the permanent light on the display feature I'm lazy and didn't read the manual fully, also found it difficult to learn at first but once you get used to it it's very easy
@@adeharris4457 Low voltage if it's under 1.0V most chargers won't charge cells (for Ni-MH). Some can activate them with a low current, this doesn't have that feature
I own one of these guys. Amazing. It is nice to be able to confidently utilize ALL of your rechargeable battery's power and to know when to retire one. This device delivers everything it claims to be able to do. You can serive 1, 2, 3 or four at a time. With most other chargers you must do it in pairs. Highly recommended.
Nice review! I just bought one based on your feedback. There are other 'newer' models out which do the equivalent, but this one only has the higher discharge rate of upto 1Ah in comparison of up to 500mA. +1 on your channel subscription 😊
This is the most versatile charger on the planet! Nothing else to me compares! Nitecore SC4 will do up to 3 amps but it will not discharge batteries. Too bad! That's a deal breaker for me.
At this price yes it's probably one of the best out there. The SC4 is pretty good it's aimed more at those who want fast charging, agree I would have liked to have had a test/discharge mode on the Nitecore. I am getting an Xtar DRAGON VP4 Plus in for review soon I hope so I can look at that as well!
@@microtechglobal5020 Nope - Littokala max charge rate is 1 amp - even in one slot (half the rate of the Opus). Also max discharge rate is only 0.5 amps for any slot. The Opus can do 1 full amp discharge on all 4 slots at once. That mean the Opus is 2 times faster analyzing capacity on two cells and 50% faster on 4 cells. Opus has the most total charge/discharge capacity than anything except the $100+ SkyRC MC3000. The MiBoxer C2 4000 looks better at first glance, but it only does 2 cells, so it falls behind too.
In researching LiIon battery charger/analyzers I quickly came to the conclusion that the Opus BT-C3100 and BT-C3400 were the best value. The Zanflare C4 and even the highly rated XTAR Dragon VP4 Plus are technically inferior. The Opus charger is the only one that can discharge at 1.0 amp on 4 cells at once. The others are limited to 500ma or less. This makes capacity checking much faster on the Opus. It is also the reason why the Opus needs a cooling fan and the others don't. The Liitokala Lii - 500 is also limited to 1 amp charging even in 1 slot just like the Zanflare C4 is. The Opus can do 2 amps in two slots.
The opus is faster for discharging the only downside might be sometimes with smaller cells the contacts (as mentioned) and it can't activate 0 volt cells. Apart from that it's a decent choice
I like the discharge function because unlike my other digital style chargers it doesn't automatically go into charge after discharging. I don't like the quick test/millohm test as the results vary by up to 50% even when testing the same battery in the same slot without even moving it.
Many chargers have inaccurate internal resistance measurements, this isn't the worst but it's not great either. Only the SkyRC one I looked at was very accurate
Great review! I got this over the Powerex, because it can do Li-ion. But I wish the Opus had more control over the REFRESH cycles like the Powerex does.
Mr Baz.... Many thanks for all your reviews... I learned a lot from you... I m trying to order a charger&discharger and I found the following... the Youshiko YC6000 and the DL YFULL T5. Both stating better performance than the Opus... Which one you recommend .... Second question what is the difference between the Youshiko YC4000 and the Opus BT C3100 v2.2
I have not used Youshiko chargers, but the YC4000 I used a similar model (identical but re-branded) it is for AA/AAA and it a tester, but it does not have 0 volt activation. YC6000 is based on another type of charger Youshiko are re-badging chargers not uncommon but that is what it appears to me (you can buy the same ones from different makers). The Opus is Li-ion and Ni-MH/Ni-CD for what it is it's decent at this price
btw i just found out that you can buy the fan on it's own.. i was a bit worried about that moving part breaking but it seems you can buy it for around 7 euro.
How this charger can charge batteries at 2 amp each in slot 1&4 and the power supply can only deliver 3 amps ? It charges the batteries in parallel or in series ? Im confused.
Adapter runs at 12V which is how it's able to provide faster charging (v the more normal 5V you see quoted on some chargers). 1 and 4 can hit 2.0 amps or all 4 slots at 1.0 amp. Channels are individual not shared
Nice overview. I had mine for many years, and it works great. Until I dropped it on the ground. It was totaly dead :/ Ordered a newone today :) I wish there was an option to have the backlight on all the time.
@@SuperHebbe Connect a good battery positive to positive and negative to negative to the low voltage battery for about a minute. Then it will accept them.
After 9:20 you showed the capacity of each battery in mah , but never told how you did it I have tried on my device, but is unable to test the capacity ....
a few pointers please - When you increase and decrease the charging amps, you did not say how it was done; also you skipped on what do one look for in the testing mode - it is the modes operations that one is looking for not what do they mean (they are self-explained on the display) Thanks!
When it's doing the test and it's on discharge stage, my unit seems to stop discharging periodically, is that normal? Quite disappointing as I bought it for grading of a lot of 3400mAh cells for electric skateboard and it will take a while to do all 84 if it only discharges half of the time...
You probably already figured this out by now, but this may help someone else that hasn't. This is a known problem with the Opus and actually it's the only problem I've come across with them. There are three ways to remedy this problem with the heat. 1) you can add a larger fan (40x10mm) to the base of the charger where the vents are located and you must enlarge or remove some of the vent openings if this is done. 2) you can add a larger fan like a 60 by 60 by 10 mm fan on top of the batteries and power it with a USB cable blowing down onto the batteries and charger. 3) you can buy an additional charger and only discharge two batteries at once at 1 amp. It's just too much heat discharging 4 batteries at 1 amp all at the same time and that tiny little fan just can't extract enough heat from the charger, so it pauses periodically until it cools down. I added a 2 pin 40x10mm ball bearing fan to the bottom of my Opus and removed the vents creating an unrestricted opening for air flow. I also removed the stock fan and plugged the new fan on to the pins where the stock fan was plugged in so it only runs when the charger tells it to. You must also remove the small plastic female guide that the stock fan plugged into, leaving only the 2 pins exposed, it slides off the motherboard easily. Use a few drops of hot glue to hold the new fan in place, and add some thick self adhesive pads to the end of the charger where stock fan was located to give some clearance underneath the charger for air flow. Mine blows air into the charger directly on the motherboard. The new fan is louder, but I don't think it's excessive, it sounds like white noise, but it keeps everything much cooler, even the batteries, because air comes up through the slots in the slides too.
@@craigs7181 Yes I already figured it out, had a 120mm fan on the bottom and the issue went away. Once I figured out the thermals are the issue and was looking at the vents, I've realised that they are not designed right, so what I have done is I've put tape on the middle vents and it helped. Basically what happens is that most of the air pulled by the fan comes by the middle vents and skips most of the PCB left uncooled, by blocking the middle vents you force the air to go through side vents and this way almost entire charger is cooled.
their is a switch on the in side on the right hand side when its up side down looks like it changes the voltage 4.2 and 4.32 and 3.7 volt is labeled on the board
what is the min. V, start to charge voltage while charge test. guess 3.2V~ something but can't catch the min. turning point? max. 4.2V, ok that's written everywhere. just bought new 18650 vtc6 batts 3000mah. but opus tested 2750mah 1batt. 2800mah other batt. hard to figure out they are fake or original. don't have 15~20A draining devices so guess hard to understand. also 100~ mohm resistance is high for new vtc6, right?
It has been a while since this review came up, but I have a short question. Do you notice any rapid (faint) clicking / ticking while discharging 18650 cells? It's not the fan, the noise is audible while the fan isn't moving.
I just bought 2 brand new BT-3100. The (quick test) internal resistance reading is different from my other separate digital internal resistance tester. Is the interal resistance accurate on the OPUS? I trust my other digital internal resistance tester.
Considering this unit as the first I bought was the XTAR DRAGON and a bit disappointed in the difference between slots! Wondering if you've done a slot to slot discharge test with the SAME battery and getting different results with this? I noticed the manual said 10-20% discrepancy, which I think is huge so maybe the XTAR is within the same specs
I use Eneloop Pro battery in this charger. When I put the batteries into it, sometimes the display show "null" and does not change. Why? Is that battery is full? If yes, why not show "Full"? I think it is not the problem of the batteries, because some days later I can charge them. Work normal way. I don't know what is happening.
@@MrBazReviews Thanks the fast answer man! I tried everything of course, but nothing. Some hours later I tried again: 1. the first started to work 2. the second started, but some seconds later gave it up. I changed the slot, and started work. 3. the third still does not do nothing. (But I think will work later) I am confused! Something wrong with my batteries? Almost brand new. I bought 1-2 months ago.
Hi Mr Baz, nice video! I have a question, how efficient is this as a battery dis-charger, considering it doesn't appear to have any type of heat sinking? Should I simply buy an Imax B6 AC as a dis-charger, considering I already have an XTAR VC4?
It can discharge at 1.0 amp which is quite quick. They are using the fan to get rid of the heat rather than a heatsink (such as the VP4 Dragon which has no fan discharges at 0.5 amp though). I've never seen heat an issue either fast charging or testing/discharging. I rarely use the discharge feature because it wastes energy usually for Li-ion cells I just use them in a power bank/charger and charge up a phone or something like that. Though it would be useful for Ni-CD which has a memory effect. Depends what you are doing really the VC4 is a decent charger, this offers some testing/fast charging abilities which may or may not be important to some users
Mr. Baz, I'm looking for the very best charger on the market, which one is that? I find speed less important because it also shortens the life of my batteries. I want to be able to independently charge standard AA and AAA batteries and also 26650, 21700 and 18650. Mr. Baz what is your personal preference for being the best charger when money does not play a role? Is that this Opus, the XTAR VC4, or another?
They all have their good/weak points. The Opus is one of the better ones, but can be fiddly with smaller cells and can't activate 0 voltage batteries. The Dragon can, but it doesn't have individual charging control per channel (there is a new version coming out soon evidently). The Opus will probably suit most users best
Opus BT - C3100, Nitecore UM4, Zanflare C4 or Xtar VC4 ? I will use for charge eneloops and chinese batteries. Also I want test the real capacity of my batteries (in mah) and charge when i am not at home.
2 ways to test fully discharged batteries and count the capacity charged into them, or discharge capacity test the VC4 and UM4 will do the first one, the C4 and Opus can do both charge and discharge depends what's important the discharge test is more accurate, though the charge count is adequate for this. Opus has a trickle charge for NiMH (it's not high stops the voltage dropping not a problem unless you leave cells in there for days etc)
@@tcfialho VC4 uses a top off charge (not a constant trickle charge), Opus has the trickle charge on Ni-MH/Ni-CD others use delta V not trickle. For cost the UM4 is the most obvious choice also faster charging speeds/more choices, though the C4 is decent enough for a low cost charger. VC4 is fine for what it is there is no issue with the charging it's excellent just a different termination compared to the other 2
Hmmm, I can get AAA & AA to D Battery Adapter Holders. ?But there are no AAA & AA to 9Volt Battery Adapter Holders? So ?how might I charge a 9Volt battery with the C3100? If I can't, ?what 9Volt battery charger to you recommend in combination with the C3100? My ultimate goal is to transition to rechargable batteries with the least number of chargers.
Hi Tom problem is very few chargers work with 9V cells which is a shame so I use this one for those batteries - ruclips.net/video/fPStOnRK9gQ/видео.html It's a simple charger but doesn't cost much and does a decent job. I do hope makers add more 9V charging it's not the most common cell but I have batteries and it's useful to have that option. Wished the i8 from Nitecore did 9V too suggested that in the video review I did. Might have made it a must have all round charger ;-)
Li-ion, non-rechargeable do not recharge ever. The rechargeable ones are normally USB C or micro-USB, they don't usually accept a charge in a charger, only via cable
@@MrBazReviews I fully agree with you. Only Rechargeables are in my consideration. No doubt most Li-Ion AA & AAA are typically charged by USB cable, yet as an alternative these may be put in 8's or 4's in XTAR BC-8 & Delidow DLP-515 respectively. Your Vlogs are new for me and certainly proved to be helpful for me. Thanking you 💕 very much!
thanks for your reviews. Looked at the "NiteCore D4 i2" and "Xtar VC4SL" and this one "BT-C3100" Both the nitecore are arround 27 euro. and the Opus one is 38 euro.. comming from the "POWEREX MHC9000 PRO MAHA CHARGER/ANALYZER" that only does NiMH and NiCD but can also analyze i think i prefer the Opus one.. i heard you mention the "xtar dragon vp4 plus" but that's a 72 euro charger/analyzer. That's twice as much as this Opus one. Question when i charge my NiMH batteries i always charge at 50% of the mAh so for a 2000mAh i charge at 1000mAh. this increases the life of that battery so i have read online. is there a same rule for lithium ? i plan on first using it for regular AA and AAA lithium cells and then for 18650. Thanks again greetings from The Netherlands.
The 50% rule is pretty good and works fine for Li-ion too. The OPUS is pretty good, it only lacks the activation for low voltage cells, and some newer ones can charge protected 20/21700 cells. I've not seen another tester for longer cells other than a new Vapcell one which I have not used. I had hoped Nitecore would at some time come out with a tester/charger.
The 50% rule is pretty good and works fine for Li-ion too. The OPUS is pretty good, it only lacks the activation for low voltage cells, and some newer ones can charge protected 20/21700 cells. I've not seen another tester for longer cells other than a new Vapcell one which I have not used. I had hoped Nitecore would at some time come out with a tester/charger.
Thank you for the review. I have. question. Is there a way to check the progress of the battery being charged as far as how much time is left? Some much cheaper chargers will have red, yellow, and green lights to let you know how far along the charging is. Is there anyway for me to check how much time is left on charging?
There is the voltage display other than that no bars or time left to charge on this model. The Xtar chargers usually have the LED's showing the charge state (ie red charging green done/empty) quite useful, though this is excellent value
Depends what you want to do the D4 is a decent charger it can't test batteries and it doesn't have fast charging like this one does. If that's important I'd certainly go for this over the D4 I like both but this is a more advanced charger with some very useful functions. My main gripe with the D4 is slow charging when more than 2 cells are used
I have a question about this charger if anyone can answer? What is the lowest voltage on a battery it can detect? (I suspect the lowest is 0.5V but I would like confirmation.) I ask because I have some NiCd batteries that are showing up as NULL. I suspect the voltage has gotten so low that the charger can no longer detect the batteries.
It's around that level so voltages even lower it won't detect a cell. The solution is to put some current into the cell just contact across it with a paper clip with a live cell - that will do the job
Very nice review.can i ask something i just bought one opus charger.i put mode to 'discharge' a lion battery and then 'charge' it again to see the capacity .I guess its the same with 'charge test'? In some cells it stops discharging at 3,8v .why is this happening? I use 500mah at each slot
@@MrBazReviews i am not curtain if the cells are good or not.But i think it gives accurate capacity voltage etc because after testing eqch cell more than one times gives same results
SC4 has faster charging speeds, but this can do a discharge capacity test and I find the 2 x 1.0 amp or 4 x 1.0 amp fast enough, both are good depends what you want.
Maybe you can see it as a stupid question but I got to ask for this. Is it technically possible to charge a smartphone battery with this or any other charger whose main purpose is to charge NiCd, NiMH, Li-Po, and Li-Ion batteries? Including the change of 3.7/4.2/4.35v switch on this Opus or any other charger. I got some spare smartphones as well as some extra batteries for them. On some smartphones, the back cover isn't easily removable so I need to force open them with plastic pray tools, disconnecting tapes, connectors, taking some components out of them, changing the battery, putting all components back except the back cover back, charge it the normal way, and then doing everything in reverse to have the old battery as it was before and the spare one charged before it discharges itself on the shelf. This process takes at least 1 hour for 1 phone and I'm wondering if I simply could save that time buying a new NiCd, NiMH, Li-Po, and Li-Ion charger like this Opus one (I do have Technoline BC 700 since 2014), or maybe any other charger which could do this for me? I was thinking if I could solder two cables to the battery (Li-Ion or Li-Po) +/- and then clamp the other cables ends with a crocodile clip in the charger and charge them this way? All these batteries aren't bigger than max. 3500mAh. Thank you in advance. Enjoyed your review a lot.
Like any charger it works off voltage so for Li-ion it cuts when it hits it's determined end of charge voltage. So yeah it will work but you'll have to adjust the output (the default termination is 4.2V) and you'd have to jimmy up some kind of rig that can connect to this? Is it worth it? For me I'd say no but if you want to play around.
@@MrBazReviews Thank you for your answer. I don't know so much about batteries and their chemistry to be honest, but I try to learn more about them since 2 days ago and also looking for a new charger to exchange for my Technoline. I found this Opus and the capability of charging Li-Ions batteries (didn't even know such chargers even exists). I own a couple of AAA and AA batteries and that Technoline BC 700 charger and just charge/refresh them when it's needed. That's all I've been doing. I guess I'll need to switch to 4.35v? Will this work for Li-Polymer batteries as well? I wasn't thinking about building a rig for it but as I told you earlier, but about soldering 2 cables to the + and - pole of a battery and then wire the other end onto 2 crocodile clamps and attach them to the + and - pole on the charger and start charging like that since I guess, there's no need for anything else between the connection, like eg resistors?
Just wondering, if you made a cable using crocodile clips / cigarette socket could it be used to fast charge AAA in the car? (im thinking for RC model usage whilst out)
Mr Baz, would you still recommend this charger now, after one year of testing it? I am in the market for a smart charge after my Maha Powerex 9000 failed. Many thanks in advance.
Yes at this price point it's a good charger with testing features so I would recommend it. There are alternatives Xtar Dragon more expensive, good for larger cells though, also I have the Zanflare C4 in for testing just arrived it is similar to the Opus in some ways, though it can't take unprotected 20/21700 cells that is worth considering too (so far based on usage)
Hi. Nice video. Do you suggest this Opus BT C3100 v2.2? As far as I learned after many hours of searching this is one of the best chargers on the market. I'll mainly use it for charging 18650 3500 mah, 14500 750 mah Li-ion, eneloop aaa 750 mah ve eneloop aa 1900 mah Ni-MH batteries, discharging them for maintaining (don't know whether I need it), learning how much energy inside them and their how much life span left and other issues which I don't know. Because I don't enough have knowledge on the subject, batteries. Is it possible to do these things with this machine?
You can try the Vapcell S4+ which can do 3 amps on all 4 slots simultaneously. but its hard to find and got some mix reviews about the accuracy of the test. but you can try if you will.
So... It says that batteries can be charged at 2 Amps when slot 1 or 4 is selected. Does that mean I could charge two batteries at 2 amps and another two at a lower amperage at the same time?
Hi as shown at 7:14 if you have slots 1&4 charging at 2 amps if you insert another cell it drops down the 1/4 slots to 1 amp so you can charge 2 cells at 2 amps but not any other slots in use doing it, if you charge at 1.5 amps on 1/4 it drops it down to 1 amp once another cell is inserted. Hope that helps. I find that OK overall as you can quick charge 2 cells or if using 3 or 4 slots up to 4 at 1.0 amp. Hope that helps the Nitecore SC4 is faster just did a review on that up to 3 amps (max 6 amps output this one is up to 4 amps overall output). I still like the Opus because it has testing functions
No you just have to look at the display it's not like the Dragon where a light shows you discharge or charging. Backlight will stay off until press again (or cell inserted)
It's running at 12V which explains why it can hit the charging speeds. Voltage is important hence higher volts faster charging. This is why the VC4 has slower speeds it's 5V, as it is USB powered. Quick charge on phones uses higher voltage too, that's how they get the quicker charging speeds.
Is it normal for it to very from the mah you set it to charge at sometimes I see it set at 500 later look and one or two has lowered to 200 something or if at 1000 they drop like half or more after a few seconds
There is the Sky charger is the most complete out there, in terms of functions and spec ruclips.net/video/0bAs2iBV9cw/видео.html But it is quite a bit more expensive, the Opus is quite good apart from not having activation (the sky has this manual), it's about the best bet at that price point
Links can't be posted (it's a protection anti spam thing only I can post links lol) The charger has it's flaws, but has had hardware/software updated since those reviews (quite a few changes) I'm now using it as my main charger/tester. Is it worth the price? For most no, only if you want complete control
This is a great charger if you get a 4A or 5A power supply for it - the 3A power supply it comes with is absolute garbage and unreliable at best - it is only producing 36 watts which is simply not enough when you are charging four 18650 batteries at 1 amp, and a matter of fact it will start blinking out with all four slots at 700mA - I have bought two of these with the same exact problem - once I used the stronger power supply they were flawless - worth the extra expense if you need a good all around analyzer and tester.
@@MrBazReviews Unfortunately I didn't have the same experience - the first one exhibited those problems and then the power supply died completely. The second unit was actually an Ambient Weather branded BT-3100 charger (called a BC-3000 - but it's the same model) and it came with the same stock 3A power supply and it started blinking out as well. I use regulated 5A amp power supplies on them now and they work just fine.
Can i charge AA batteries 1.2v each with 4.35v switch on?...Can it makes the battery explode?...my english is bad, hope you can understand 😁...thanks...
It won't make any difference for AA cells because the charger knows it's Ni-MH/Ni-CD, the switch only effects Li-ion cells with the termination voltage
I have not used the SMOK charger, did have a quick look at the product page. It doesn't seem to have the testing or higher speed charging of the Opus, though it might be a decent charger in other areas
@@MrBazReviews Kind of a shame it doesn't allow the trickle charging to be disabled. I'm thinking of ordering one of these chargers. Would be nice if it beeped so I know to take it out cause I don't want eneloop's being trickle charged, especially not at ~50mA lol.
Depends what you want the Lii-500 is quite good it has similar functions (Opus can discharge quicker due to fan 1.0 amp v 0.5 amp ie testing can be faster on larger cells). Display I'm not crazy about on the Lii-500 it only shows one cell at a time v all the cells shown on the Opus. At their price points both are worth checking out the Opus is a bit more in price, but has faster charging up to 2.0 amps for both outer bays. Not sure what you need either will probably prove useful for testing. Hope that helps
Thanks for the very quick answer! I want to use them with 18650 4.2V lithium and 1.2V AA eneloop batterys. Now i can get them for the same price, 22dollars. So Opus will be a better purchase. Thank you!
@@MrBazReviews I thought you once said you charge at 0.5A and not 1.0 or 2.0, so why worry about slower charging on the Liitokala? you content providers flipflop every comment on every video.
@@czpetya I am having problems with my new battery charger and batteries, can you please watch my video to see if I am doing anything Wrong ruclips.net/video/USvnOy8McXs/видео.html
@@kay19833 I am having problems with my new battery charger and batteries, can you please watch my video to see if I am doing anything Wrong ruclips.net/video/USvnOy8McXs/видео.html
I got this Opus charger about 3 weeks ago and the features are exceptional for the price. However, I saw another video of a guy complaining about the fan wearing out on him after 6 months or some crap, so when I bought mine I also ordered a spare fan and was like cool, I am set for a good bit. Errr, not so much. 3 weeks of typical use and my fan sounds like a garbage disposal, winding up and down in their crazy ass cycling cooling RNG spin up phases. I guess I better go order about 20 more of those elcheapo chinese quality bubble gum machine fans, so 20 fans x3 weeks of puzzling, erratic use... maybe by then I can save up enough for an Xtar Dragon.
Hows it goin Mr Baz. If you could help me out. I just got this today and there seems to be a very faint very fast ticking sound coming from the charger when charging. I was wondering if this is normal. The ticKing sound got me paranoid. Lol
Mr Baz Reviews Hey thanks for the reply~ No its not the fan. I have pin pointed the sound. Its coming from where the positive side of the battery is. It sounds like an extremly fast pulsing sound. Like when kids put a playing card against bike spokes and it makes that fast tap tap tap sound.🤣
Hi just checked yes when charging a fast feint rapid pulse sound (not present when no cells loaded) I don't think it's anything to worry about it's not loud and I've used this solidly since the summer (no issues to date)
So, before you insert the battery you choose to charge or discharge etc. Once the mode is set the Opus will automatically carry out that mode once you insert the battery. You can then set the current to suit. Is this correct?
It's shown very clearly you can change current/mode when a cell is inserted for a limited time (it flashes) then you can't change it. I can't really add more to a 15 minute video on a charger!
@@MrBazReviews Thanks for the reply. Your video helped and al I had to do is wait for the charger to start charging to answer my question. Great video by the way.
Sounds like you have a problem unit, it certainly does charge 4 bays at 1.0 amp, that's why the fan is there to keep things cool. I'd return it and get a replacement or refund
Does anyone make something like this but with the capabilities to charge batteries not in the unit, wired in series but use each bay to charge each of the series batteries individually ? Run wires from each socket to the remote batteries that are in series, charging them individually.
Hi after reviewing your vids on batteries chargers I need a little help on them. I have a mixed box of rechargeable batteries including 18650s, I lost most of the chargers for those batteries. Will this charger be the best one? And is the discharge function important for the 18650. any help thanks
Discharge works on any cell but really only useful for NI-CD (they have memory effect), not Li-ion which can be charged at any level same for Ni-MH. At this price it's one of the best options out there for a charger/tester, it doesn't have 0 volt activation though
WOW! £41.07 and delivered from Germany, there must be a sale ban here in the UK. Ebay only got these charges from china. What about the imax b6 lipo charger is that any good.
I've not used it so cannot say it might be fine. Do you need the testing ability? Some chargers such as the VC4 will count the charge put into a cell, not as good as a full discharge test but it can be useful. The Foxnovo F-4S has a discharge test but also an annoying buzzer it's fairly accurate for Li-ion (but not for Ni-MH) that's an option though.
DON'T BUY THE OPUS. I am here because I am looking at videos to replace my 3 opus bt-c3100 chargers with something else. They are version 2.2. I will never buy them again. They have had slot failures one after another over a few years of use, and now one went buggo and overheated a cell almost to the point of exploding it in a fire ball. I was afraid it destroyed the cells. There were so hot the wrapping melted and shrunk and the voltage read almost zero on the display.
@@MrBazReviews ok I guess it's because capacity decrease over time and ni-cd is the old king of battery we have been told to use fully before recharging to maintan lifespan. thanks
Wasn't this the same man preaching he only charges at 0.5A(500mAh) and next thing you know, he is in the comment section pushing we charge at 2.A with the OPUS. This is just hypocrisy. Content providers are as loyal as their sponsors. Stick to your guns and stop confusing folks. I bought the Liitokala thinking I only need the slow discharge rate at 0.5A and max charge rate at 1.A and next thing you know, he's here talking about benefiting from OPUS fast charge and discharge. Stop misleading us please.
What are you on about? You must be confusing me with someone else, I don't only charge at 0.5A. Most 18650's I charge at 1.0A, not all cells are 18650 you have 21700 and 26650 hence some may need fast charging or want it. Small cells I charge at 0.5A 16340 etc as do most Nobody is confusing anyone it's very clearly laid out what I like and don't like, so people can make up their own minds. Unless you want to watch many of the numerous other videos which failed to point out the weak points or basically didn't show it to you properly at all.
@@MrBazReviews ok. So, would you charge at 2.0A and discharge at 1.0A with the opus or it's ok using the Liitomala at 1A charge and 0.5A discharge? of course 18650 cells.
Amazon USA - amzn.to/2IPzQNv UK - amzn.to/2IEmkvW
Can you choose cut-off voltage when you do a discharge? I know many chargers has a fixed cut-off voltage at 3.0v for 18650 batteries even though the datasheet for many of them specifies 2.5v.
For all the readers wanting to know if you can fit 21700 in the BT-C3100 V2.2. YES, YOU CAN! I already did charging and discharging of about 100 cells - 21700 and so far all good.
21700 protected cells won't fit.
Yes protected won't fit
Just got this charger as I am venturing into lithium cells! Very good review and easy to understand even when I have very little knowledge of this.
Thanks for sharing buddy!
Brilliant charger the resistance test is invaluable, I didn't know about the permanent light on the display feature I'm lazy and didn't read the manual fully, also found it difficult to learn at first but once you get used to it it's very easy
For the price point it's one of the best chargers for what it can do. It doesn't have an activation feature though, apart from that not much to fault.
@@MrBazReviews what's an activation feature for dormant batteries?
@@adeharris4457 Low voltage if it's under 1.0V most chargers won't charge cells (for Ni-MH). Some can activate them with a low current, this doesn't have that feature
Thanks for the review. Decided to procure one, because it can preform 4 different functions, independently. Very smart device.
It's good!
I own one of these guys. Amazing. It is nice to be able to confidently utilize ALL of your rechargeable battery's power and to know when to retire one. This device delivers everything it claims to be able to do. You can serive 1, 2, 3 or four at a time. With most other chargers you must do it in pairs. Highly recommended.
At the price it's one of the better ones out there, and you have individual control over the channels (hello Xtar I'm looking at you!)
Nice review! I just bought one based on your feedback. There are other 'newer' models out which do the equivalent, but this one only has the higher discharge rate of upto 1Ah in comparison of up to 500mA. +1 on your channel subscription 😊
Glad I could help!
Mr Baz Reviews
i just wanted to thank you as ive been reading the comments thankyou for taking the time to help and answer so peoples questions!
It's not a problem I like to try to help people as much as I can. Thanks for the comment/support
This is the most versatile charger on the planet! Nothing else to me compares! Nitecore SC4 will do up to 3 amps but it will not discharge batteries. Too bad! That's a deal breaker for me.
At this price yes it's probably one of the best out there. The SC4 is pretty good it's aimed more at those who want fast charging, agree I would have liked to have had a test/discharge mode on the Nitecore. I am getting an Xtar DRAGON VP4 Plus in for review soon I hope so I can look at that as well!
The best charger is the littokala lie 500
@@microtechglobal5020 Nope - Littokala max charge rate is 1 amp - even in one slot (half the rate of the Opus). Also max discharge rate is only 0.5 amps for any slot. The Opus can do 1 full amp discharge on all 4 slots at once. That mean the Opus is 2 times faster analyzing capacity on two cells and 50% faster on 4 cells. Opus has the most total charge/discharge capacity than anything except the $100+ SkyRC MC3000. The MiBoxer C2 4000 looks better at first glance, but it only does 2 cells, so it falls behind too.
In researching LiIon battery charger/analyzers I quickly came to the conclusion that the Opus BT-C3100 and BT-C3400 were the best value. The Zanflare C4 and even the highly rated XTAR Dragon VP4 Plus are technically inferior. The Opus charger is the only one that can discharge at 1.0 amp on 4 cells at once. The others are limited to 500ma or less. This makes capacity checking much faster on the Opus. It is also the reason why the Opus needs a cooling fan and the others don't. The Liitokala Lii - 500 is also limited to 1 amp charging even in 1 slot just like the Zanflare C4 is. The Opus can do 2 amps in two slots.
The opus is faster for discharging the only downside might be sometimes with smaller cells the contacts (as mentioned) and it can't activate 0 volt cells. Apart from that it's a decent choice
I thought we all want to charge slowly say 0.5 rather than ruining batteries by charging at 1.0 or even higher like in the opus.
I like the discharge function because unlike my other digital style chargers it doesn't automatically go into charge after discharging.
I don't like the quick test/millohm test as the results vary by up to 50% even when testing the same battery in the same slot without even moving it.
Many chargers have inaccurate internal resistance measurements, this isn't the worst but it's not great either. Only the SkyRC one I looked at was very accurate
Great review!
I got this over the Powerex, because it can do Li-ion.
But I wish the Opus had more control over the REFRESH cycles like the Powerex does.
It's not a perfect charger as you say it lacks some options (also doesn't activate low voltage cells) but it is good value for what it offers
@@MrBazReviews Do you know if Powerex can reactivate cells?
@@ZapDash no it won't nor will it charge a battery that it determines to have "HIGH" internal resistance :(
Mr Baz.... Many thanks for all your reviews... I learned a lot from you... I m trying to order a charger&discharger and I found the following... the Youshiko YC6000 and the DL YFULL T5. Both stating better performance than the Opus... Which one you recommend .... Second question what is the difference between the Youshiko YC4000 and the Opus BT C3100 v2.2
I have not used Youshiko chargers, but the YC4000 I used a similar model (identical but re-branded) it is for AA/AAA and it a tester, but it does not have 0 volt activation. YC6000 is based on another type of charger Youshiko are re-badging chargers not uncommon but that is what it appears to me (you can buy the same ones from different makers). The Opus is Li-ion and Ni-MH/Ni-CD for what it is it's decent at this price
btw i just found out that you can buy the fan on it's own.. i was a bit worried about that moving part breaking but it seems you can buy it for around 7 euro.
The fan can be bought on it's own, I don't find it too annoying
How this charger can charge batteries at 2 amp each in slot 1&4 and the power supply can only deliver 3 amps ? It charges the batteries in parallel or in series ? Im confused.
Adapter runs at 12V which is how it's able to provide faster charging (v the more normal 5V you see quoted on some chargers). 1 and 4 can hit 2.0 amps or all 4 slots at 1.0 amp. Channels are individual not shared
Nice overview.
I had mine for many years, and it works great. Until I dropped it on the ground. It was totaly dead :/
Ordered a newone today :)
I wish there was an option to have the backlight on all the time.
Fair point about the back light would be nice to have that
There is!
Hold DISPLAY for 3 seconds to keep on. Press and hold for 5 seconds to return to normal backlight function.
@@ZapDash Thanks. I will try when I get mine in a few days now :)
Yeah it works :)
But it still can't detect if I put in a battery with very low voltage...
So I had to buy another charger :(
@@SuperHebbe Connect a good battery positive to positive and negative to negative to the low voltage battery for about a minute. Then it will accept them.
I have this charger but wonder why it only fully discharges li ion to 3.67v. Is it my unit is faulty or is that the way they should operate?
That's not right!
After 9:20 you showed the capacity of each battery in mah , but never told how you did it
I have tried on my device, but is unable to test the capacity ....
I smell BS the entire section of using the charger explains it. Unless you can't work out what the mode button does, then you are SOL I'm afraid! lol
Thanks for the great review Mr Baz!👌 I bought it immediatley when i saw your video!😁 And send back the Nitecore New i4
How is it working?
Do you find the refresh mode inprove the cells very much? or is it a waste of time using this refresh mode?
It can help I'd suggest a discharge test to see how the real capacity stacks up, if it's really low then refresh isn't going to help
Exactly what I needed, thank you sir!
Glad it helped!
Great video! I have a question, how do you know if a process is done like for example refresh. how do you know its finished?
You have to check the LCD display, it would be better to have had some LED's that light up - but it's not present here
a few pointers please - When you increase and decrease the charging amps, you did not say how it was done; also you skipped on what do one look for in the testing mode - it is the modes operations that one is looking for not what do they mean (they are self-explained on the display) Thanks!
perhaps you need to re-watch the video it shows it in detail and the operation. Nobody else is complaining
Solid review. Thanks!
Thanks for the comment appreciate it
When it's doing the test and it's on discharge stage, my unit seems to stop discharging periodically, is that normal?
Quite disappointing as I bought it for grading of a lot of 3400mAh cells for electric skateboard and it will take a while to do all 84 if it only discharges half of the time...
I didn't see that on this unit so it sounds as if something isn't quite right
@@MrBazReviews I'm testing 4x 18650 set to 1A each, can you try that on yours pls?
@@Arek_R. I don't have it with me a friend has it I gave it to them, I didn't notice a problem when I used it for months
You probably already figured this out by now, but this may help someone else that hasn't. This is a known problem with the Opus and actually it's the only problem I've come across with them. There are three ways to remedy this problem with the heat. 1) you can add a larger fan (40x10mm) to the base of the charger where the vents are located and you must enlarge or remove some of the vent openings if this is done. 2) you can add a larger fan like a 60 by 60 by 10 mm fan on top of the batteries and power it with a USB cable blowing down onto the batteries and charger. 3) you can buy an additional charger and only discharge two batteries at once at 1 amp. It's just too much heat discharging 4 batteries at 1 amp all at the same time and that tiny little fan just can't extract enough heat from the charger, so it pauses periodically until it cools down.
I added a 2 pin 40x10mm ball bearing fan to the bottom of my Opus and removed the vents creating an unrestricted opening for air flow. I also removed the stock fan and plugged the new fan on to the pins where the stock fan was plugged in so it only runs when the charger tells it to. You must also remove the small plastic female guide that the stock fan plugged into, leaving only the 2 pins exposed, it slides off the motherboard easily. Use a few drops of hot glue to hold the new fan in place, and add some thick self adhesive pads to the end of the charger where stock fan was located to give some clearance underneath the charger for air flow. Mine blows air into the charger directly on the motherboard. The new fan is louder, but I don't think it's excessive, it sounds like white noise, but it keeps everything much cooler, even the batteries, because air comes up through the slots in the slides too.
@@craigs7181 Yes I already figured it out, had a 120mm fan on the bottom and the issue went away.
Once I figured out the thermals are the issue and was looking at the vents, I've realised that they are not designed right, so what I have done is I've put tape on the middle vents and it helped.
Basically what happens is that most of the air pulled by the fan comes by the middle vents and skips most of the PCB left uncooled, by blocking the middle vents you force the air to go through side vents and this way almost entire charger is cooled.
Kick ass review had mine 2yrs strong
For the price it's solid
GREAT REVIEW AND INSTRUCTIONS !!!!!~~~~~~~
Glad it was helpful!
their is a switch on the in side on the right hand side when its up side
down looks like it changes the voltage 4.2 and 4.32 and 3.7 volt is labeled
on the board
I am hoping they do a revised version with longer slots and the switch or control for voltage termination on the outside
what is the min. V, start to charge voltage while charge test. guess 3.2V~ something but can't catch the min. turning point? max. 4.2V, ok that's written everywhere. just bought new 18650 vtc6 batts 3000mah. but opus tested 2750mah 1batt. 2800mah other batt. hard to figure out they are fake or original. don't have 15~20A draining devices so guess hard to understand. also 100~ mohm resistance is high for new vtc6, right?
Great! Thanks for your review. Where should I buy the right one from the Aliexpress, etc.?
Up to you they are alright from what I hear
On the quick test, what reading should I get for a healthy battery?
Depends on cell size an 18650 should be under 100 (well under 50 for a good new one), AA battery maybe 40-50 or less
Is there a way to make it beep when finished? I don't want it float charging charged LSD cells.
Not that I am aware of
It has been a while since this review came up, but I have a short question. Do you notice any rapid (faint) clicking / ticking while discharging 18650 cells? It's not the fan, the noise is audible while the fan isn't moving.
There is a slight ticking sound but it's not very obvious and doesn't seem to be causing a problem
Excellent review! Very professional! Thank you!
Glad it helped
I just bought 2 brand new BT-3100. The (quick test) internal resistance reading is different from my other separate digital internal resistance tester. Is the interal resistance accurate on the OPUS? I trust my other digital internal resistance tester.
The IR measurements are not as accurate as I would like, there is a bigger spread than I would like
Considering this unit as the first I bought was the XTAR DRAGON and a bit disappointed in the difference between slots! Wondering if you've done a slot to slot discharge test with the SAME battery and getting different results with this? I noticed the manual said 10-20% discrepancy, which I think is huge so maybe the XTAR is within the same specs
See my other response
I use the internal switch to charge lifep04 26650 batteries
You can do that, would be nice if it was easier to get to though
I use Eneloop Pro battery in this charger. When I put the batteries into it, sometimes the display show "null" and does not change. Why? Is that battery is full? If yes, why not show "Full"?
I think it is not the problem of the batteries, because some days later I can charge them. Work normal way. I don't know what is happening.
Null means not charging so either they don't detect them or the voltage is very low (ie under 0.9V). Clean the contacts on the charger try that
@@MrBazReviews Thanks the fast answer man!
I tried everything of course, but nothing. Some hours later I tried again:
1. the first started to work
2. the second started, but some seconds later gave it up. I changed the slot, and started work.
3. the third still does not do nothing. (But I think will work later)
I am confused! Something wrong with my batteries? Almost brand new. I bought 1-2 months ago.
Hey Mr Baz - I purchased this charger as per your suggestions: thanks! BTW do you know of a decent D battery charger?
Not too many take D cells Xtar probably the best bet VC2 Plus or VC4, most only go up to C size
Hi Mr Baz, nice video! I have a question, how efficient is this as a battery dis-charger, considering it doesn't appear to have any type of heat sinking? Should I simply buy an Imax B6 AC as a dis-charger, considering I already have an XTAR VC4?
It can discharge at 1.0 amp which is quite quick. They are using the fan to get rid of the heat rather than a heatsink (such as the VP4 Dragon which has no fan discharges at 0.5 amp though). I've never seen heat an issue either fast charging or testing/discharging. I rarely use the discharge feature because it wastes energy usually for Li-ion cells I just use them in a power bank/charger and charge up a phone or something like that. Though it would be useful for Ni-CD which has a memory effect.
Depends what you are doing really the VC4 is a decent charger, this offers some testing/fast charging abilities which may or may not be important to some users
Thanks for the reply, Mr Baz :)
Mr. Baz, I'm looking for the very best charger on the market, which one is that? I find speed less important because it also shortens the life of my batteries. I want to be able to independently charge standard AA and AAA batteries and also 26650, 21700 and 18650. Mr. Baz what is your personal preference for being the best charger when money does not play a role? Is that this Opus, the XTAR VC4, or another?
They all have their good/weak points. The Opus is one of the better ones, but can be fiddly with smaller cells and can't activate 0 voltage batteries. The Dragon can, but it doesn't have individual charging control per channel (there is a new version coming out soon evidently). The Opus will probably suit most users best
Opus BT - C3100, Nitecore UM4, Zanflare C4 or Xtar VC4 ? I will use for charge eneloops and chinese batteries. Also I want test the real capacity of my batteries (in mah) and charge when i am not at home.
2 ways to test fully discharged batteries and count the capacity charged into them, or discharge capacity test the VC4 and UM4 will do the first one, the C4 and Opus can do both charge and discharge depends what's important the discharge test is more accurate, though the charge count is adequate for this. Opus has a trickle charge for NiMH (it's not high stops the voltage dropping not a problem unless you leave cells in there for days etc)
@@MrBazReviews Opus BT has 0V voltage activation function, over-discharged battery?
When battery is fully charged VC4, UM4 and C4 stop charging. But the Opus start a trickle charge? Right?
About the temperature should be a concern in Opus BT - C3100 or Zanflare C4?
@@tcfialho VC4 uses a top off charge (not a constant trickle charge), Opus has the trickle charge on Ni-MH/Ni-CD others use delta V not trickle. For cost the UM4 is the most obvious choice also faster charging speeds/more choices, though the C4 is decent enough for a low cost charger. VC4 is fine for what it is there is no issue with the charging it's excellent just a different termination compared to the other 2
Hmmm, I can get AAA & AA to D Battery Adapter Holders. ?But there are no AAA & AA to 9Volt Battery Adapter Holders? So ?how might I charge a 9Volt battery with the C3100? If I can't, ?what 9Volt battery charger to you recommend in combination with the C3100? My ultimate goal is to transition to rechargable batteries with the least number of chargers.
Hi Tom problem is very few chargers work with 9V cells which is a shame so I use this one for those batteries -
ruclips.net/video/fPStOnRK9gQ/видео.html
It's a simple charger but doesn't cost much and does a decent job. I do hope makers add more 9V charging it's not the most common cell but I have batteries and it's useful to have that option. Wished the i8 from Nitecore did 9V too suggested that in the video review I did. Might have made it a must have all round charger ;-)
Opus BT-C3100 can manage 1.2 NiMH NiCd AA AAA Batteries with ❓ on 1.5V. I suppose it cannot do so with 1.5V Li-Ion AA AAA one.
Li-ion, non-rechargeable do not recharge ever. The rechargeable ones are normally USB C or micro-USB, they don't usually accept a charge in a charger, only via cable
@@MrBazReviews
I fully agree with you. Only Rechargeables are in my consideration. No doubt most Li-Ion AA & AAA are typically charged by USB cable, yet as an alternative these may be put in 8's or 4's in XTAR BC-8 & Delidow DLP-515 respectively.
Your Vlogs are new for me and certainly proved to be helpful for me. Thanking you 💕 very much!
@@mahmoodmirza3301 Yes it is not a problem have a nice day!
strange i have same charger but fan (original one) does not spin up when powering on charger
Does it still work the fan? I heard some stopped working and there are replacements
thanks for your reviews. Looked at the "NiteCore D4 i2" and "Xtar VC4SL" and this one "BT-C3100" Both the nitecore are arround 27 euro. and the Opus one is 38 euro.. comming from the "POWEREX MHC9000 PRO MAHA CHARGER/ANALYZER" that only does NiMH and NiCD but can also analyze i think i prefer the Opus one.. i heard you mention the "xtar dragon vp4 plus" but that's a 72 euro charger/analyzer. That's twice as much as this Opus one. Question when i charge my NiMH batteries i always charge at 50% of the mAh so for a 2000mAh i charge at 1000mAh. this increases the life of that battery so i have read online. is there a same rule for lithium ? i plan on first using it for regular AA and AAA lithium cells and then for 18650. Thanks again greetings from The Netherlands.
The 50% rule is pretty good and works fine for Li-ion too. The OPUS is pretty good, it only lacks the activation for low voltage cells, and some newer ones can charge protected 20/21700 cells. I've not seen another tester for longer cells other than a new Vapcell one which I have not used. I had hoped Nitecore would at some time come out with a tester/charger.
The 50% rule is pretty good and works fine for Li-ion too. The OPUS is pretty good, it only lacks the activation for low voltage cells, and some newer ones can charge protected 20/21700 cells. I've not seen another tester for longer cells other than a new Vapcell one which I have not used. I had hoped Nitecore would at some time come out with a tester/charger.
Just ordered one today.
Let me know how you find it others might find it useful too
I just ordered one of these..Is the capacity testing accurate
It's quite accurate, certainly it is fairly close to the SkyRC model which is much more expensive
Thank you for the review. I have. question. Is there a way to check the progress of the battery being charged as far as how much time is left? Some much cheaper chargers will have red, yellow, and green lights to let you know how far along the charging is. Is there anyway for me to check how much time is left on charging?
There is the voltage display other than that no bars or time left to charge on this model. The Xtar chargers usually have the LED's showing the charge state (ie red charging green done/empty) quite useful, though this is excellent value
Mr Baz Reviews So is there any way for me to know how much time may be remaining to charge a cell?
When are my AA rechargeable batteries junk? What reading will I see in the display?
Do capacity test
This review is quite informative. Thx!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Would this be the most sophisticated charger out now? Or can I settle for just the Nitecore D4?
Depends what you want to do the D4 is a decent charger it can't test batteries and it doesn't have fast charging like this one does. If that's important I'd certainly go for this over the D4 I like both but this is a more advanced charger with some very useful functions. My main gripe with the D4 is slow charging when more than 2 cells are used
I have a question about this charger if anyone can answer?
What is the lowest voltage on a battery it can detect? (I suspect the lowest is 0.5V but I would like confirmation.)
I ask because I have some NiCd batteries that are showing up as NULL. I suspect the voltage has gotten so low that the charger can no longer detect the batteries.
It's around that level so voltages even lower it won't detect a cell. The solution is to put some current into the cell just contact across it with a paper clip with a live cell - that will do the job
Very nice review.can i ask something i just bought one opus charger.i put mode to 'discharge' a lion battery and then 'charge' it again to see the capacity .I guess its the same with 'charge test'? In some cells it stops discharging at 3,8v .why is this happening? I use 500mah at each slot
Doesn't sound right if it's doing it with some cells and not others? Shouldn't be that way
@@MrBazReviews i am not curtain if the cells are good or not.But i think it gives accurate capacity voltage etc because after testing eqch cell more than one times gives same results
How would you compare this to the Nitecore SC4?
SC4 has faster charging speeds, but this can do a discharge capacity test and I find the 2 x 1.0 amp or 4 x 1.0 amp fast enough, both are good depends what you want.
Do you mean the D4? SC4 has only just come out. To date no issues with the Opus and it gets used a lot
Maybe you can see it as a stupid question but I got to ask for this. Is it technically possible to charge a smartphone battery with this or any other charger whose main purpose is to charge NiCd, NiMH, Li-Po, and Li-Ion batteries? Including the change of 3.7/4.2/4.35v switch on this Opus or any other charger.
I got some spare smartphones as well as some extra batteries for them. On some smartphones, the back cover isn't easily removable so I need to force open them with plastic pray tools, disconnecting tapes, connectors, taking some components out of them, changing the battery, putting all components back except the back cover back, charge it the normal way, and then doing everything in reverse to have the old battery as it was before and the spare one charged before it discharges itself on the shelf. This process takes at least 1 hour for 1 phone and I'm wondering if I simply could save that time buying a new NiCd, NiMH, Li-Po, and Li-Ion charger like this Opus one (I do have Technoline BC 700 since 2014), or maybe any other charger which could do this for me?
I was thinking if I could solder two cables to the battery (Li-Ion or Li-Po) +/- and then clamp the other cables ends with a crocodile clip in the charger and charge them this way? All these batteries aren't bigger than max. 3500mAh.
Thank you in advance. Enjoyed your review a lot.
Like any charger it works off voltage so for Li-ion it cuts when it hits it's determined end of charge voltage. So yeah it will work but you'll have to adjust the output (the default termination is 4.2V) and you'd have to jimmy up some kind of rig that can connect to this? Is it worth it? For me I'd say no but if you want to play around.
@@MrBazReviews Thank you for your answer. I don't know so much about batteries and their chemistry to be honest, but I try to learn more about them since 2 days ago and also looking for a new charger to exchange for my Technoline. I found this Opus and the capability of charging Li-Ions batteries (didn't even know such chargers even exists). I own a couple of AAA and AA batteries and that Technoline BC 700 charger and just charge/refresh them when it's needed. That's all I've been doing.
I guess I'll need to switch to 4.35v? Will this work for Li-Polymer batteries as well? I wasn't thinking about building a rig for it but as I told you earlier, but about soldering 2 cables to the + and - pole of a battery and then wire the other end onto 2 crocodile clamps and attach them to the + and - pole on the charger and start charging like that since I guess, there's no need for anything else between the connection, like eg resistors?
Nice video! Keep it up!
Can you choose how much voltage you want to put into the battery? Like if id like to put my 18650s at 3.8v to balance them..
No you can't set the voltage level except if you change the type of cell charge which is shown at the end of the video
Just wondering, if you made a cable using crocodile clips / cigarette socket could it be used to fast charge AAA in the car? (im thinking for RC model usage whilst out)
I've not tried to do that or use it in car not sure if there is a car adapter available might be
I would just make one up rather than buying, fused cigarette socket, some 2 coree 3 amp cable and 2.5mm power plug. easy enough.
So can you discharge/test 4 batteries at 1000mA at the same time and read their capacity at the end?
Correct
Mr Baz, would you still recommend this charger now, after one year of testing it? I am in the market for a smart charge after my Maha Powerex 9000 failed. Many thanks in advance.
Yes at this price point it's a good charger with testing features so I would recommend it. There are alternatives Xtar Dragon more expensive, good for larger cells though, also I have the Zanflare C4 in for testing just arrived it is similar to the Opus in some ways, though it can't take unprotected 20/21700 cells that is worth considering too (so far based on usage)
Hi. Nice video. Do you suggest this Opus BT C3100 v2.2? As far as I learned after many hours of searching this is one of the best chargers on the market. I'll mainly use it for charging 18650 3500 mah, 14500 750 mah Li-ion, eneloop aaa 750 mah ve eneloop aa 1900 mah Ni-MH batteries, discharging them for maintaining (don't know whether I need it), learning how much energy inside them and their how much life span left and other issues which I don't know. Because I don't enough have knowledge on the subject, batteries. Is it possible to do these things with this machine?
It's a charger and tester so yes it does what you want. For it's price it's a good choice
@@MrBazReviews Thank you.
Any suggestions for a 4x2A 18650, AA/AAA NiMH analyzer charger??
I've got to have 4 simultaneous banks (slots) of 2A charging.
Thanks 👍 😊
SkyRC MC3000 is an option but it's quite expensive, there isn't much around if you want 2A per slot and 4 slots
You can try the Vapcell S4+ which can do 3 amps on all 4 slots simultaneously. but its hard to find and got some mix reviews about the accuracy of the test. but you can try if you will.
So... It says that batteries can be charged at 2 Amps when slot 1 or 4 is selected.
Does that mean I could charge two batteries at 2 amps and another two at a lower amperage at the same time?
Hi as shown at 7:14 if you have slots 1&4 charging at 2 amps if you insert another cell it drops down the 1/4 slots to 1 amp so you can charge 2 cells at 2 amps but not any other slots in use doing it, if you charge at 1.5 amps on 1/4 it drops it down to 1 amp once another cell is inserted. Hope that helps. I find that OK overall as you can quick charge 2 cells or if using 3 or 4 slots up to 4 at 1.0 amp. Hope that helps the Nitecore SC4 is faster just did a review on that up to 3 amps (max 6 amps output this one is up to 4 amps overall output). I still like the Opus because it has testing functions
Mr Baz Reviews Ok, thanks for the quick reply.
That seems reasonable, I might get one.
How to see when the discharge is finished, when you want a capacity test of the battery? ... is there a blinking or red light ?
No you just have to look at the display it's not like the Dragon where a light shows you discharge or charging. Backlight will stay off until press again (or cell inserted)
Isn't there a way to see it done ?
11:25
it shows full on the LCD when done (if it's been charging it will cycle between this and the other readings)
Yes, but how about discharge, when do you know when it's finished ?
You look at the LCD display it will show the voltage there are no LED's to tell you it's finished it's cycle
How do you know when a battery is finished charging?
Comes up "full" on display
10:47
@@MrBazReviews Thanks. I totally missed that
Can anyone explain how this charger is able to charge 4 batteries at 1000mA with the standard 3A power adapter? I don't get it...
It's running at 12V which explains why it can hit the charging speeds. Voltage is important hence higher volts faster charging. This is why the VC4 has slower speeds it's 5V, as it is USB powered. Quick charge on phones uses higher voltage too, that's how they get the quicker charging speeds.
Oh, silly me, did't took the higher voltage in consideration, enough power in that case, I'm considering buying one :)
Thanks...
No worries
Is it normal for it to very from the mah you set it to charge at sometimes I see it set at 500 later look and one or two has lowered to 200 something or if at 1000 they drop like half or more after a few seconds
As the charge goes on, the rate will drop if it's filling up or closer to finishing
@@MrBazReviews ok wanted to make sure cus I didn’t remember the instructions saying anything about it
This opus vs xtar dragon. Which is better in capacity and resistance test? thanks in advanced!
Maybe the Dragon is a bit more accurate, that is my experience
@@MrBazReviews Ah thanks Baz! I will go to the Opus. That extra bit of the xtar is not worth for a $65 vs $36 price tag of the opus 😊
@@ibringthelastwords1358 Yes I agree the Opus is the best bang per buck
When im on test mode charger don't display charged maH into cells DURING THE PROCESS its normal or not?
It has to complete the discharge to show the mAh
Mr Baz Reviews my Opus is good, thanks a lot!
Is There any better , more functional charger than this? If yes which one and why?
There is the Sky charger is the most complete out there, in terms of functions and spec
ruclips.net/video/0bAs2iBV9cw/видео.html
But it is quite a bit more expensive, the Opus is quite good apart from not having activation (the sky has this manual), it's about the best bet at that price point
Links can't be posted (it's a protection anti spam thing only I can post links lol)
The charger has it's flaws, but has had hardware/software updated since those reviews (quite a few changes)
I'm now using it as my main charger/tester. Is it worth the price? For most no, only if you want complete control
@@MrBazReviews I even don't know the meaning of mah, wolt, watt.. So I thing opus is enough for me. Okay.
This is a great charger if you get a 4A or 5A power supply for it - the 3A power supply it comes with is absolute garbage and unreliable at best - it is only producing 36 watts which is simply not enough when you are charging four 18650 batteries at 1 amp, and a matter of fact it will start blinking out with all four slots at 700mA - I have bought two of these with the same exact problem - once I used the stronger power supply they were flawless - worth the extra expense if you need a good all around analyzer and tester.
I didn't have a problem with the power supply on this one, but it's possible some are weaker and not up to the job
@@MrBazReviews Unfortunately I didn't have the same experience - the first one exhibited those problems and then the power supply died completely. The second unit was actually an Ambient Weather branded BT-3100 charger (called a BC-3000 - but it's the same model) and it came with the same stock 3A power supply and it started blinking out as well. I use regulated 5A amp power supplies on them now and they work just fine.
Can i charge AA batteries 1.2v each with 4.35v switch on?...Can it makes the battery explode?...my english is bad, hope you can understand 😁...thanks...
It won't make any difference for AA cells because the charger knows it's Ni-MH/Ni-CD, the switch only effects Li-ion cells with the termination voltage
👍👍
How does this compare to the BT-C3400?
C3400 is the same as the C3100 they just used a different number no hardware differences
How is this compared to Smok intelligent charger ?
I have not used the SMOK charger, did have a quick look at the product page. It doesn't seem to have the testing or higher speed charging of the Opus, though it might be a decent charger in other areas
Thank you !
How hot do nimh AAAs get when charging at 200ma?
Not real heat at all 200mA is a very low charge
@@MrBazReviews Kind of a shame it doesn't allow the trickle charging to be disabled. I'm thinking of ordering one of these chargers. Would be nice if it beeped so I know to take it out cause I don't want eneloop's being trickle charged, especially not at ~50mA lol.
@@jimmybrad156 Yes it is a shame 10mA would be alright. An option to turn it off would be better.
How does it compare to the imax b6 mini?
I've not used that so can't really say
Hello!
Should I buy this or the Liitokala Lii - 500?
Depends what you want the Lii-500 is quite good it has similar functions (Opus can discharge quicker due to fan 1.0 amp v 0.5 amp ie testing can be faster on larger cells). Display I'm not crazy about on the Lii-500 it only shows one cell at a time v all the cells shown on the Opus. At their price points both are worth checking out the Opus is a bit more in price, but has faster charging up to 2.0 amps for both outer bays. Not sure what you need either will probably prove useful for testing. Hope that helps
Thanks for the very quick answer!
I want to use them with 18650 4.2V lithium and 1.2V AA eneloop batterys.
Now i can get them for the same price, 22dollars.
So Opus will be a better purchase.
Thank you!
@@MrBazReviews I thought you once said you charge at 0.5A and not 1.0 or 2.0, so why worry about slower charging on the Liitokala? you content providers flipflop every comment on every video.
@@czpetya I am having problems with my new battery charger and batteries, can you please watch my video to see if I am doing anything Wrong ruclips.net/video/USvnOy8McXs/видео.html
@@kay19833 I am having problems with my new battery charger and batteries, can you please watch my video to see if I am doing anything Wrong ruclips.net/video/USvnOy8McXs/видео.html
I found this charger to be noisy. The fan will switch on quite frequently and I had to set it up in a different room to avoid the noise.
It can be noisy the fans vary though, some are quieter
can it recharge a dead battery eg: 0 voltage? and bring it to life?
It Can't do that one of the downsides to the charger
@@MrBazReviews . Thank you for the reply. I was going to buy it, but decided not. I might get a XTAR charger later.
Thank you.
No problem hope it was useful
I got this Opus charger about 3 weeks ago and the features are exceptional for the price. However, I saw another video of a guy complaining about the fan wearing out on him after 6 months or some crap, so when I bought mine I also ordered a spare fan and was like cool, I am set for a good bit. Errr, not so much. 3 weeks of typical use and my fan sounds like a garbage disposal, winding up and down in their crazy ass cycling cooling RNG spin up phases. I guess I better go order about 20 more of those elcheapo chinese quality bubble gum machine fans, so 20 fans x3 weeks of puzzling, erratic use... maybe by then I can save up enough for an Xtar Dragon.
Not had a problem with this one I'd suggest getting in touch with who you bought it from and getting a replacement fan at no cost it is under warranty
James Keith what website can you order the spare fan from please? I could not see a link at Gear Best... Thanks)
Can it charge 4x 26650 at the same time?
No few can not enough space
Hows it goin Mr Baz. If you could help me out. I just got this today and there seems to be a very faint very fast ticking sound coming from the charger when charging. I was wondering if this is normal. The ticKing sound got me paranoid. Lol
Is the fan on? Sometimes it comes on at low speed the one on my sample isn't that loud (you can hear it but it's not annoying as such)
Mr Baz Reviews Hey thanks for the reply~ No its not the fan. I have pin pointed the sound. Its coming from where the positive side of the battery is. It sounds like an extremly fast pulsing sound. Like when kids put a playing card against bike spokes and it makes that fast tap tap tap sound.🤣
Hi just checked yes when charging a fast feint rapid pulse sound (not present when no cells loaded) I don't think it's anything to worry about it's not loud and I've used this solidly since the summer (no issues to date)
Aways love your great reviews. And thanks for the help~
So, before you insert the battery you choose to charge or discharge etc. Once the mode is set the Opus will automatically carry out that mode once you insert the battery. You can then set the current to suit. Is this correct?
It's shown very clearly you can change current/mode when a cell is inserted for a limited time (it flashes) then you can't change it. I can't really add more to a 15 minute video on a charger!
@@MrBazReviews Thanks for the reply. Your video helped and al I had to do is wait for the charger to start charging to answer my question. Great video by the way.
Can charging 26650 batterai?
2:38 You can fit 2 at a time
GearBest coupon expired; do you happen to have a new one available?
I can ask will update it if I do. The standard one "GB17LED" usually works
GB say it was a one off deal still it's not a bad price for a charger/tester
Right! Thanks for such an in-depth review. Cheers!
DOES NOT charge all four cells at 1 amp. It will intermittently stop to cool down.
Sounds like you have a problem unit, it certainly does charge 4 bays at 1.0 amp, that's why the fan is there to keep things cool. I'd return it and get a replacement or refund
I just got that charger aliexpressed33 shipped to my house I hope it's not a rip off
I've bought from aliexpress, usually they are pretty good
oh dear, it will take 18650 and smaller, but how about20700. no
Unprotected it will not protected
still haven't figured out what makes this a V2.2 ahhaha but what the hell it's up from 1 haha..
I'm not sure what the changes are between versions. Maybe they will being a new one out?
Does anyone make something like this but with the capabilities to charge batteries not in the unit, wired in series but use each bay to charge each of the series batteries individually ?
Run wires from each socket to the remote batteries that are in series, charging them individually.
Can this one charge 20700 battery?
Yes
as well as 21700
I bought 2 and ended up returned both when the fan was always on with only charging one AAA Ni-Mh battery at 300mA.
The fan could be better designed, the SkyRC let's you turn it off
Hi after reviewing your vids on batteries chargers I need a little help on them. I have a mixed box of rechargeable batteries including
18650s, I lost most of the chargers for those batteries. Will this charger be the best one? And is the discharge function important for the 18650. any help thanks
Discharge works on any cell but really only useful for NI-CD (they have memory effect), not Li-ion which can be charged at any level same for Ni-MH. At this price it's one of the best options out there for a charger/tester, it doesn't have 0 volt activation though
I Read great reviews on this charger, the problem is I can’t find one anywhere with a UK plug
Gearbest have a UK plug otherwise you can try Amazon UK - amzn.to/2KVl9rH. Fairly large price difference though
WOW! £41.07 and delivered from Germany, there must be a sale ban here in the UK. Ebay only got these charges from china. What about the imax b6 lipo charger is that any good.
I've not used it so cannot say it might be fine. Do you need the testing ability? Some chargers such as the VC4 will count the charge put into a cell, not as good as a full discharge test but it can be useful. The Foxnovo F-4S has a discharge test but also an annoying buzzer it's fairly accurate for Li-ion (but not for Ni-MH) that's an option though.
DON'T BUY THE OPUS. I am here because I am looking at videos to replace my 3 opus bt-c3100 chargers with something else. They are version 2.2. I will never buy them again. They have had slot failures one after another over a few years of use, and now one went buggo and overheated a cell almost to the point of exploding it in a fire ball. I was afraid it destroyed the cells. There were so hot the wrapping melted and shrunk and the voltage read almost zero on the display.
Sorry to hear that did you get any replaced in warranty?
.
Yes!
total noobs here. why do you want to discharge batteries?
To test capacity, or Ni-CD cells should be discharged before charging to avoid memory effect (not an issue on Ni-MH)
@@MrBazReviews ok I guess it's because capacity decrease over time and ni-cd is the old king of battery we have been told to use fully before recharging to maintan lifespan. thanks
Wasn't this the same man preaching he only charges at 0.5A(500mAh) and next thing you know, he is in the comment section pushing we charge at 2.A with the OPUS. This is just hypocrisy. Content providers are as loyal as their sponsors. Stick to your guns and stop confusing folks. I bought the Liitokala thinking I only need the slow discharge rate at 0.5A and max charge rate at 1.A and next thing you know, he's here talking about benefiting from OPUS fast charge and discharge. Stop misleading us please.
What are you on about? You must be confusing me with someone else, I don't only charge at 0.5A. Most 18650's I charge at 1.0A, not all cells are 18650 you have 21700 and 26650 hence some may need fast charging or want it. Small cells I charge at 0.5A 16340 etc as do most
Nobody is confusing anyone it's very clearly laid out what I like and don't like, so people can make up their own minds. Unless you want to watch many of the numerous other videos which failed to point out the weak points or basically didn't show it to you properly at all.
@@MrBazReviews ok. So, would you charge at 2.0A and discharge at 1.0A with the opus or it's ok using the Liitomala at 1A charge and 0.5A discharge? of course 18650 cells.