** Summary
The Charge Manager 2016 is an absolutely practical universal charger for battery sizes from Micro to Mono, and may also charge 9V blocks. And as a treat "understands" it even the new Nickel-Zinc technology!
Operation is simple, only the unsupported mixed operation of NiMH and NiZn is necessary to observe. In automatic mode, also simple batteries can be charged with up to 2A. If the battery is not tolerated, it is necessary to limit the charge current manually. The almost usual programs loading, unloading, capacitance measurement and refresh function mostly as expected. You can even watch the battery during charging and possibly make a histogram for important cells via the USB interface. Unfortunately, there is only the software for Windows, Linux I have not yet found it.
The display is very informative and easy to read, the buttons respond precisely, only the insertion and removal of small round cells can be anything hakelig when the cells become stuck.
Overall, highly recommended, if you work a lot with batteries and want to maintain orderly.
** Long version:
Many years ago I put me for the gentle treatment a battery Voltcraft IPC-1 (identical to Technoline BC 1000). Opposite my previously used "Universal Battery Charger", affectionately known battery Grill, the IPC-1 almost magical things could do: unload batteries and increase the usable capacity of older batteries again even by repeated charge-discharge cycles. This has saved some of my already sorted batteries before disposal. But there was also a serious disadvantage: it could only Micro (AAA) and mignon (AA) Charging the batteries. For My Baby (C) and mono (D) cells I still had to use the unregulated Universal charger and aiming of thumb, how long may I leave the battery in it. After interim bad experience with RAM cells (iGo Green) I read some good advice on the new nickel-zinc batteries, which points to an open circuit voltage of 1.6V and fabled to be even higher current. Looking for a suitable charger then I came across the Charge Manager 2016. For the one you wanted 100 certainly not a bargain, and in some details also in need of improvement, but at last a charger that accommodates all my current battery and also can withstand the new NiZn batteries In the following I will go in particular comparing the CM2016 with the IPC-1.
Commissioning is very simple: connect power supply, insert battery and ready. If you want to do anything special with the batteries, starts charging with automatically adjusting charge current after a short time. Interestingly, of course, the testing and care programs. Compared to the IPC-1 a program has been added, with the designation of almost all programs, however, has changed. Here is a comparison of the program name (L = loading, unloading E =):
Program: CM2016 / IPC-1
L: CHARGE / CHARGE
E (excluding L): DISCHARGE /
EL: CHECK / DISCHARGE
LEL: CYCLE / TEST
LELEL ....: ALIVE / REFRESH
A real innovation is thus discharging a battery without subsequent charging. This may seem useless at first glance, but I already have a very good purpose for it: in my Gigaset DECT phone stuck two common micro cells. Since the charging electronics of the Gigaset is not very smart, the capacity decreases continuously and I fresh cells about once a year. After inserting into the phone that will charge the battery once completely change in order to determine the capacity. For a pure discharge program is helpful.
The display is a bit strange compared to the IPC-1. But one understands the location and meaning of the display, there is a phone very complete picture of the respective charge state. When IPC-1, the display for several details must be switched, but otherwise offers nearly the same information. Pleasant I find the permanent display of discharge, while it is displayed only in the test program at the IPC-1 and otherwise the load capacity is to be seen.
Without switching is not about the 2016, also. In the Standardanziege it gives an overview of all the occupied slots. By pressing the left or right button you will then step through all populated bays and provides the relevant details. The keys react this quickly and cleanly. By pressing the center key to go back at any time to search. Compared to the IPC-1 much more pleasant.
The facilities there's not much to say. Four bays for round cells and two slots for 9V block (unfortunately not lying and standing), a large, easy to read display and three buttons. Thus even an inexperienced user should not be overwhelmed. The cover over the four bay is a nice idea, but has the problem that he is no longer fully fold down when inserted mono cell. He then lies on the edge of the cell and extends diagonally upward. That is not dramatic, but could be prevented by a little clevereres style. As has been noted in other reviews, but it is advisable anyway to remove lid during operation or at least leave it open because at charge currents of up to 2A, the cells can be very warm.
Somewhat annoying is the design of the charging bays. That the 9V blocks were standing easier to handle, was already noted. But even the bays for the round cells are far from optimally designed. Once the loading direction is the other way around as one would expect of chargers: the positive pole facing forward, so the charger and the negative pole to the rear. Because sitting on the negative spring-supported retention mechanism must be so pressing that when you insert the cell away from you. Have to do it so as not to move the machine in turn hold properly. In chargers that "right side up" take the batteries, it extends a simple pressure from the front against the housing. But that's not my real gripe. The tensioning strap for the negative pole is viewed from the side a lying U. The distance between the two front-facing arms is exactly the size of a AA battery thick. The rest I leave to the imagination of the reader .... (for me it is just a matter of time before I have the first cell leveraged broken).
Another point of criticism is the charge current: the minimum current is already at 0.5A! At a micro cell with 800mAh Nominal Capacity the 0,63C what is already recommended in the instructions are only for explicitly fast rechargeable batteries corresponds. My very old Mignon baby with 600mAh Nominal Capacity (now over 20 years old), I would certainly not fry with 0,83C. The IPC-1 is much better suited as a minimum charge current 200mA, making it less of battery capacity. Anyone who uses only current batteries, but you should not worry, because these are fast charging normally and should survive the charging current of 500mA harmless. If necessary, the power to this 500mA would be limited, so that the device does not boot it automatically.
An important question has remained open to me even after repeated study of the manual and the operating behavior. If the ALIVE-cycle of a fixed program (According to manual LELEL) or the cycle is continued dynamic as the IPC-1? The IPC-1 checks namely in each pass the discharged capacity and compares it with the previous value. If the value is greater than before, the capacity has thus increased once again in the current cycle and it starts another run. This can be quite five or more cycles in older batteries. Only when the capacity is no longer (or not much) differ, the program ends with the final charging and displays the last measured value than capacity. In the manual of CM2016 however is of no more talk, it is merely an apparently fixed cycle called. If indeed only this cycle are executed, this would represent a step backwards compared to the many years older IPC-1.
Finally, a word to read the data on the USB port. It is very commendable that this option installed and also a certainly useful software was provided. But unfortunately it is only available for Windows and the data interface seems to be not publicly documented. At least I have been able to find anything. A use under Linux is for the time being so only indirectly via the Windows software and wine possible. An incoming test is still pending.
Conclusion: a great device, not cheap, but not necessarily inexpensive and with the one or other Macke, but definitely recommended if more than just a handful of batteries in continuous use are. For the design error, the marginal software support and in my opinion, too high charging current of 500mA I subtract a star.
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Addendum:
Apparently regulates the charger to charge and discharge under certain circumstances quite further down. The set as current values are thus more likely to be regarded as maximum values which must not be exceeded, but are not necessarily achieved. Thus, the "limit" to 500mA charge current is quite alright.
Meanwhile, I also noticed that when ALIVE cycle apparently so many runs as necessary are processed. What exactly the frequency is to be made, but I can not say. A set of batteries had at several times forced ALIVE achieved the higher capacity, even though the device itself had the Zylkus terminated after LELEL respectively. Contrast Another battery was certainly 7 LE-cycles in the same ALIVE Pass.
For the problem of wedging itself mignon cells I have now made it a habit to press the metal bracket itself with the thumb to the back and then in setting the cell to remove or. I guess as long as you do not simultaneously touching the heater or other highly conductive metal part that should make no difficulties.
Because ultimately the only design error remains a major criticism of this and I think for not so serious that it justifies a star deduction, I now give full five stars.
