USB Battery Chargers

[+Mineral2]

I use eneloop batteries to power my GPS, and when I'm out on long trips, I carry extra batteries with me and then charge them all when I get home. At home, I have a couple of smart chargers that charge each battery independently and know when the battery is full. But these plug directly into a wall socket. I'd like suggestions for a high quality smart charger that plugs into a USB socket so that when I'm out on extended trips, but don't have access to AC power, I can recharge my eneloops from a power bank or the usb ports in my car.

[jimlarkey]

My method might not exactly align with your thoughts exactly, but the charger I reference will charge eneloops directly.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?415403-Test-Review-of-LiitoKala-Lii-100

 

I use Eneloops in my OR700 and charge them in situ....I don't remove them.  I charge 18650 Li-ions in the Li-100 charger, and charge the Eneloops from that.  I use other devices that are 18650-based, so I'm a real fan of and commited to 18650s.  You may not be.

 

You can of course charge your Eneloops directly in the LiitoKala charger and load them into your GPSr, or other Ni-MH based devices.

 

I use the single cell Lii-100 because of it's light weight in a backpack.  There is a 4-cell unit, as well as a 2-cell unit (below).

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?425279-Test-review-of-Charger-LiitoKala-Lii-202

[+Mineral2]

I suppose that's one solution. I wonder, though, how much efficiency is lost going through an intermediate battery. 

[+L_M_58]

Hey,

I use this one to charge my eneloops.
For that price is it a good charger.

 

LINK AMAZON

 

 

Edited June 17, 2018 by LiLu15

[jimlarkey]

23 minutes ago, Mineral2 said:

I suppose that's one solution. I wonder, though, how much efficiency is lost going through an intermediate battery. 

 

You can charge your Eneloops directly.....

 

[+Mineral2]

5 minutes ago, jimlarkey said:

 

You can charge your Eneloops directly.....

 

 

That's all fine and good, but then I have to recharge the charger, and if I'm charging from a power bank, I'm wondering how much extra power from the bank I'm losing due to charging the battery of the battery charger.

I'll add that I'm not really interested in using my Oregon as a charging device. I have other devices that use AA and AAA batteries that I'd like to charge up if I'm on a long trip, so I'm mostly interested in a battery charger that I can connect to a power bank or my car's usb ports (which all support quick charging, btw).

Edited June 17, 2018 by Mineral2

[jimlarkey]

...." that I can connect to a power bank or my car's usb ports "....

 

[+Mineral2]

ok. I thought this thing had its own internal battery to charge batteries while not plugged in.

[jimlarkey]

No internal battery....not a powerbank.

 

But...if you load a pre-charged high energy density cell like an 18650, it will function as a powerbank.

Edited June 17, 2018 by jimlarkey

[+Red90]

You can use a Lacrosse BC-700 with a 12V outlet in a car.  They are 12V DC input.  A USB to 12V converter is another $10 if you need to go that route.

 

https://www.lacrossetechnology.com/bc700n-battery-charger

 

https://www.amazon.com/Crosse-Technology-BC700-CBP-Battery-Charger/dp/B000RSOV50/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1529277257&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=lacrosse+bc700N

 

https://www.amazon.com/ARECORD-Cigarette-Lighter-Socket-Converter/dp/B01J67JIOQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1529277165&sr=1-3&keywords=usb+to+12v+adapter&dpID=41EdLN%2B-2yL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch