Charger LiitoKala Lii-PD4





This is a universal charger for four chemistries with current selection based on slots and number of batteries.



I got the charger in cardboard box with the specifications printed on it. The box was a bit damaged during shipping, but the charger was fine.



In the box was the charger,a mains cable and a sheet.



The charger can be powered from mains or from 12V.



The user interface is a display and a button for each slot to select chemistry, turn on the display and select what slot to show data for.



When powered on the display will show all segments.



Without batteries in the charger the display shows null.



Here it is charging a NiMH battery in slot #1



And a 4.2V (Nominal voltage is 3.6V to 3.7V) LiIon battery in slot #4



There is a easy readable specification on the back of the charger.



The charger can handle both button top and flat top batteries.
The slider moves smoothly and can hand cells from 32mm to 71mm long.



The 2A slot is marked with a 2A text.







The charger can handle 71 mm long batteries, including flat top cells.
It requires 3 or 4 cells in the charger to charge smaller cells at an acceptable current.



Measurements charger

• Display turns off in 30 seconds, but will turn on when a battery is full.
• Charge current is 2A in slot #4 when only this slot is used for LiIon.
• With 1 or 2 cells the charge current is 1A only exception is above.
• With 3 or 4 cells the charge current is 0.5A
• Charger will not increase current when some cells are full, i.e. it is possible to reliable charge 3-4 cells at 0.5A
• Power consumption when idle without batteries is 0.2 watt when display is off.
• Below 0.3V the charger will not recognize a battery and charge with about 3mA.
• Between 0.3V and 2V the charger assumed NiMH
• Above 2V the charger assume LiIon
• When charge is finished the charger will charge with 0.6mA for LiIon.
• Charger will not restart if voltage drops
• Charge will restart charging after power loss, or battery insertion.
• When not connected to power it will drain about 1.2mA from a LiIon battery and 0.3mA from a NiMH battery.
• Voltmeter will show up to 0.3V wrong below 1V, above it is usual within 0.01V
• Minimum reading on voltmeter is 0.58V
• Voltmeter stops updating when charging terminates.

Charging 4.2V LiIon



This is a fine CC/CV charge curve with about 160mA termination current, but the mAh display is rather optimistic.
Display shows: 3348mAh in 3:45



Second slot is the same
Display shows: 3338mAh in 3:40



And also the 3. slot.
Display shows: 3270mAh in 3:40



Slot #4 will charge LiIon with 2A when used alone, it uses same termination current as above.
Display shows: 3166mAh in 2:25



Display shows: 2710mAh in 3:24



Display shows: 3037mAh in 3:29



Display shows: 2243mAh in 3:05



Display shows: 2768mAh in 1:33



Display shows: 3052mAh in 1:42
There is not much to say about the above cell, they are all charged fine.




With a full load of cells the charge current is only 0.5A.
Display shows: 3406mAh in 7:03
Display shows: 3491mAh in 7:09
Display shows: 3284mAh in 6:47
Display shows: 3210mAh in 6:40



Using an external 12V supply the charger needs less than 1A current.
Display shows: 3352mAh in 8:54
Display shows: 3399mAh in 6:59
Display shows: 3364mAh in 6:56
Display shows: 3188mAh in 6:38




M1: 34.1°C, M2: 36.6°C, M3: 36.2°C, M4: 34.1°C, M5: 44.1°C, HS1: 50.0°C



HS1: 51.8°C



The charger needs some time to start, this is because it is waiting for the user to select chemistry. When charging is started this is locked in.



Charging 3.6V LiIon (LiFePO4)



The LiFePO4 charge looks fine.
Display shows: 1252mAh in 1:26 3.65V


Charging 4.35V LiIon



The 4.35V charge also looks fine.
Display shows: 3144mAh in 3:40 4.35V



Charging NiMH



With NiMH the charger uses voltage termination and is slightly early (there is not an obvious temperature raise on the black line) and the charger do not use a top-off charge to compensate for this.
Display shows: 1732mAh in 2:03



Display shows: 1758mAh in 2:05



Display shows: 1716mAh in 2:02



All slots looks similar, with NiMH there is no 2A charge on slot #4
Display shows: 1753mAh in 2:04



On the eneloopPro there is the start of a temperature raise, i.e. the cell is just about fully charged.
Display shows: 2381mAh in 2:49



This cell has a slightly lower voltage and the charger uses -dv/dt termination on it, this means it is completely full.
Display shows: 2671mAh in 3:09



The AAA is also just about full.
Display shows: 630mAh in 0:44



A full cell is stopped very fast when using voltage termination, here in about 4½ minute.
Display shows: 65mAh in 0:04



With four cell the current is about 0.5A.
Display shows: 1738mAh in 4:07
Display shows: 1898mAh in 4:29
Display shows: 1870mAh in 4:25
Display shows: 1757mAh in 4:09



The charger needs less then 0.5A from 12V for NiMH
Display shows: 1770mAh in 4:11
Display shows: 1853mAh in 4:23
Display shows: 1732mAh in 4:06
Display shows: 1673mAh in 3:57



M1: 33.9°C, M2: 35.4°C, M3: 35.3°C, M4: 32.2°C, M5: 35.8°C, HS1: 46.9°C



M1: 43.1°C, HS1: 45.9°C



With NiMH it is not possible to select chemistry, but the charger uses the same time to start. As usual with NiMH the current is stopped to measure the cell voltage.


The charger passed the 2830 volt and 4242 volt test, this means it is it is fairly safe.



Conclusion

The charger charged both LiIon and NiMH fine (I would have preferred a top-off charge on NiMH), but the lowest current for 1 or 2 cells is 1A, this limit the usage a bit. A single 2A slot is fine for an occasional fast charge of a single cell. The mAh display may not be the most precise.


I will call it a good charger.



Notes

Here is an explanation on how I did the above charge curves: How do I test a charger