In general, on the Internet and on this site there are many, like the original SkyRC IMAX B6, as well as various clones and “variations on a theme”. But I would like to tell you why you do not need it, why you should not buy SkyRC IMAX B6 and what to choose instead.
SkyRC IMAX B6 was designed for a specific task - charging power model rechargeable li-po and li-ion batteries, incl. in the "field conditions", and for other tasks adapted only conditionally.
Even in the instructions from the original SkyRC IMAX B6 there is only one picture about connecting batteries
But let's talk about everything in order.
The SkyRC IMAX B6 charger I bought in the Banggood store came to me in this box 
On the reverse side there is a lot of different information, mainly about what and where to connect 
Inside the top box were instructions. 
Charging is under the instructions. 
And next to it, in a pocket, there are cables for connecting 
This is what the charging itself looks like, the 16x2 LCD screen is sealed with a warning. 
On the reverse side there is a hologram with a security code for authentication and a sticker with a serial number 
On the left side is the power connector and the thermal sensor / UART connector 
On the right - power connectors for connecting the battery and balancer ports hidden under a sticker with a warning inscription 
Wrong Li-Ion voltage.
The SkyRC IMAX B6 charger works with three types of lithium batteries, and each type has its own voltage:- - Li-Fe (3.3 V)
- - Li-Ion (3.6 V)
- - LiPo (3.7 V)
Does not catch delta when charging Ni-MH / Ni-CD.
At all, all imaxes are bad at catching delta, and here's why: by default, the device tries to catch a delta of 7mV, although the hardware and software cannot measure more accurately than 10mV. Sometimes it helps to change the delta value to 10-12mv. But in any case, it is better to set a capacitance limit and use a temperature sensor.Recharge Pb.
AGM ( Absorbent Glass Mat), like gel batteries, also belonging to the class of maintenance-free batteries, you need to charge up to 14.4V, and they are extremely sensitive to excess charge voltage (however, this applies to all lead-acid batteries), and SkyRC IMAX B6 in Pb mode charges up to 14.8 B, which leads to the "boiling" of the electrolyte (the process of electrolysis of water).Maximum discharge current 1A
Alas, this current is not enough to reject the batteries that you use in flashlights or electronic cigarettes. About electronic cigarettes there is generally a separate conversation, they use high-current batteries, because. the current there can easily exceed 10A.And about flashlights, everything is simple: if in the most powerful mode the consumption of the flashlight is more than 2A per battery, then a discharge with a current of 1A will be indicative. Explanation: a battery with a capacity of the popular 2600mAh with a current of 2A bursts for a little more than an hour, and this is a normal mode for it, because the discharge current is less than 1C. But as the battery ages (as it “wears out”), the internal resistance of the battery grows, and the higher the discharge current, the greater part of it will go to overcome the internal resistance of the battery, or simply, to heat it. And if we recall a couple of formulas, namely P=I*U and I=U/R, then we get that P=I²R, i.e. this "lost" power grows proportionally to the square of the current, which means that what may still be barely noticeable at low currents will already have a rather large effect at high currents.
Incorrect voltage definition.
There are two reasons for this:- Not accurate calibration
- Voltage drop at high currents on thin wires and connectors/contacts
Of course, you can use a clone of a clone, but only a clone on a nuvoton chip not only does not calibrate, but also charges the batteries somewhat “crookedly”, so this is nothing more than cool capacity meter in conditional parrots, and can only be used for comparative measurements. The main thing is to observe the condition of "sameness" of everything, except for what is being compared.
By the way, about SkyRC IMAX B6 calibration: in order to get into the SkyRC IMAX B6 calibration mode, it is necessary to hold down the Start and Dec (-) buttons before turning on the power, and after the calibration menu appears, wait 20 minutes to reach the operating temperature and only then calibrate the readings using a known accurate voltmeter.
Well, as for the voltage drop at high currents on thin wires and in contacts, then everything is the same as above, I wrote about the internal resistance of batteries: the power expended to overcome the resistance and going into heating increases in proportion to the square of the current.
The inconvenience of simultaneously charging multiple batteries.
It stems from its main purpose: charging model batteries. And because elements of the same capacity are assembled into a battery, then for them it is possible (and sometimes necessary) to first perform balancing and only then carry out the charging process. But, the balancing process itself for high-capacity batteries will be quite long, because the swap current for a lithium battery balancer is 300mA per cell, but even after balancing, during the charging process, what happens if you put cells of different capacities? Or the elements that were originally “the same”, but operated differently, and as a result of this, having a different degree of wear?If you have a set of batteries of 1-6 pieces working together in one device, then yes, they will have approximately the same wear, and if you have three different flashlights, two of them use one 18650 element each, and the third - couple, etc. the lights will be used in different ways, then the wear and tear of the batteries will be different.
And if you put on charge a pair of batteries of different degrees of discharge, then either connect the balancer, and then the charging process will be delayed, and the greater the difference between the charge levels, the longer the balancing process will take, or it may turn out that one battery will be overcharged, the second - undercharged .
And so, summing up all of the above, SkyRC IMAX B6 is a charger rather for experiments, a hobby charger. Excellent for charging and balancing li-po and li-ion batteries used in R / C models or airsoft guns, and only conditionally suitable for measuring battery parameters:
- to decide whether to buy these more or not,
- to pick up a set
- to throw out the tired ones from the kit and replace them with suitable ones,
- to charge :)
- not to be bored
- to...
Now let's talk about SkyRC IMAX B6 alternatives.
And so, in relation to "household use":- If you do not need to charge and balance 2S-6S li-po/li-ion or 2S-15S NiCd/NiMH rechargeable batteries, there is no need to build charge/discharge graphs, a charge current of 1-2A is sufficient, but there is a need to charge up to 4x batteries, especially of different types (li-ion / NiCd / NiMH), different capacities and different form factors, .
- If there is no need to measure the capacity, but you just need to charge li-ion / NiCd / NiMH cells, and you like “numbers and indicators”, buy something simpler, for example.
- If buns in the form of "indicators with numbers" are not needed, buy something simpler, but well-known and reliable. Indeed, in fact, the process of charging li-ion / li-po according to the CC / CV algorithm is only a limitation of current and voltage, which even microcircuits of the type can easily cope with, you can also adapt a pair of LM317 (one as a current stabilizer, the second as a voltage stabilizer), and even a laboratory PSU with current and voltage limitations will do. And for NiCd/NiMH, it is better to use something separate and something good is better, for example, MAHA or LaCrosse/Technoline, because NiCd/NiMH are more “capricious” both in terms of operation and maintenance.
Not so long ago, on a Chinese site, I bought myself an IMAX B6 mini universal charger (there is also a regular version, but I still tend to compact). The original ones are manufactured by SKYRC. Many of my regular readers or viewers began to write to me - why did I take it, because it is not suitable for charging car batteries, but only suitable for RC (Radio Controlled - radio-controlled models) batteries. Guys, this is not so, the functionality of this “charger” is great and I bought it consciously, namely for large starter batteries. However, there are subtleties and nuances. Today I will provide you with step-by-step instructions on what to do and how to do it, and there will also be a video version at the end ...
At the very beginning, I want to say that today we will not talk about charging various types of batteries with which it can work, but there are really a lot of them (for example, LiPo, LiFe, LiHV, etc.). We are interested in "Pb" that is, acid-lead variants.
By popular demand, I leave a link to a trusted seller on ALIEXPRESS - , even just come and have a look.
Can it charge car batteries?
Friends, of course it can, I don’t understand why such a question arises. Not even the box itself has the inscription Pb 2-20V (that is, lead options from 2 to 20V). Moreover, there is no binding to capacity, that is, hypothetically, at least 200Amp batteries can be charged (I am already silent about the usual 50 - 60Ah).
Many may say - yes, it will warm up and melt from prolonged work, but not. The charge currents are not so large (more about them below), there is also a cooler for cooling the entire system, even if the heating has begun, all this is leveled by forced cooling.
So IMAX B6 mini is perfect for preventive charging of car batteries, take it - you won't regret it.
Plus, it has some cool features that other chargers simply don't have (or if they do, they'll cost a lot more).
So, of course, everything is fine, but now I want to tell you about the pros and cons of this gadget, well, let's go.
Charge currents
Some are trying to squeeze out of the IMAX B6 - 5 or even 6 Amps of charge current. But this does not always work out, and how to understand what current to set.
I would like to note that in the configuration of the “charger” itself, there may not be a power supply, or rather, it is bought separately (there is an original one from the same SKYRC company). I took a complete set, that is, a gadget + food
Why am I saying this, there are several approaches:
- You take the original power supply. Then we look at its characteristics, we are interested in such indicators as V-4 A . That is the maximum current that you can recharge the battery only 4A (and even then ideally) , DO NOT give more current than the “charger” can pull.
- You are using a third party block. I saw on the Internet that some are connected from a computer, ideally it can give out up to 8-10A.
- The limit in the "B6 MINI" itself is only 6A, so it will not give out more (even if a third-party source allows it)
Charging from another battery
There is one indisputable plus of this device, this is when you can take a charge from one battery and transfer it to another. Say - "sounds cool, but how"? YES, it's very simple.
IMAX has a special wire in front of the power input, that is, instead of a power supply, you can connect the battery with special “crocodiles” (this will be a donor), and on the other hand put an already charged battery (recipient). And charge will flow from one to the other.
How many times have you tried it - it works very cool and simple. For example, you can take a battery from a UPS (12V) and use it as a donor, and power a large car battery. It will transfer some capacity (albeit small, but sufficient for launch, say in winter).
big crocodiles
There are no large "crocodiles" for the car battery in the kit (only small crocodiles) - THIS IS A MINUS. They can not be connected in any way, they can even be broken! What is the way out, everything is very simple - we go either to a hardware store or to an automobile one and buy alligator clips (clips) for chargers (or for lighting wires). They are expensive copper (brass), there are also cheap metal ones. We don’t need expensive ones, yet we don’t have starting currents (only 4A), ordinary metal ones are also suitable for us. The cost is approximately 30 - 50 rubles.
Now we can connect to the current terminals of a large battery and charge it normally.
Charging instruction
Well, now the most interesting thing is the instruction on how to properly charge the car battery through the IMAX B6 mini (there will be no translation, but everything is clear in English).
WE connected the terminals, applied power to the device itself, our display lit up.
Usually it stands on LiPo (or some other types), we need it, so we press “STOP” and by brute force (right and left keys) we find the subtitle “Pb” (lead)
Press ENTER and we find ourselves in the charge menu for lead types
Here we can set the current strength and voltage (pressing once on "ENTER" enters the parameter, use the arrows to scroll to the desired value). You need to know that here the voltage ranges from 2V (1 bank - "1P") and up to 14V (7 cans - "7P"). Of course, we need to choose 12V (6P). The current strength, as I said, I recommend from 1 to 3A (but the settings allow you to set 0.1A as well).
Further, according to the instructions, you need to start charging, just press START and hold, the process will automatically start. As you charge, the amps will fall, that is, if you set 2A, they will go to zero closer to the end of the charge (the process will automatically stop). Moreover, in the lower right corner you will see how much charge the battery has taken (measurements in milliamps, that is, 1A = 1000 mA). The voltage in the process is 14.4V (for 12V mode).
It is worth noting that the IMAX B6 has such functions as measuring the voltage at the current leads (if you do not have a multimeter), and you can also measure the battery resistance, the lower it is, the better.
Deep discharge battery
Another minus that I want to tell you. More precisely, this is a slight inconvenience, if, say, up to 7V, then it will not be possible to charge it with a 12V mode (an error will be generated). This mode works with discharges only up to 10V, if it is lower, THEN IT DOES NOT WORK.
Hello dear friends!
Last year I bought an IMAX B6 mini charger at an ebay auction, and finally got around to writing a review. I will briefly describe how I chose the original device:
1) Among the many stores, I chose Tomtop, based on the experience of previous purchases and based on the number of sales.
2) Also an important factor in the choice was the cherished word "Original" in the name of the product. This is a good reason to catch on in a dispute if a clone is sent.
In the review, photos, description, tests and my impressions of the operation of this gadget. A week ago, quite unexpectedly, I learned from a friend from work that he has several similar chargers of the previous generation (IMAX clones) at home, so I decided to supplement the review with a comparison with them.
Specifications iMAX B6 Mini
Delivery LiteMF intermediary to pickup points in my city. The parcel has been in their warehouse since December, they can store the parcel for free indefinitely. During the holidays, I had no time for parcels, so I decided to postpone the whole thing until January and, in general, I was not mistaken. By the way, they had a tariff with points of issue, the parcel was sent for only $ 12.36.
After I took the parcel, first of all I checked the originality of the device. To do this, in a special section on you must enter a digital code. On the hologram on the back of the case, I erased the protective layer and received a code of 16 characters, which I drove into the appropriate fields. The authenticity of the charger was confirmed, which I was incredibly happy about. 
Equipment
White cardboard box. Inside the cradle and a compartment for wires. 
Complete set: Imax B6 mini, instruction, power cord with crocodiles and adapters for different batteries. 
A set of wires and adapters is typical for an Imax charger. 
Detailed instructions in English. 
Charger weight 228 grams. 
4-part aluminum body, upper and lower parts are connected with screws through the side plates. In the upper part there is a backlit screen and 4 control buttons. 
On the right side there is a USB connector for connecting to a computer, a fan, a power socket and pins for connecting an external temperature sensor. 
On the left side are output "+" and "-" for connecting "bananas" of a universal plug with nozzles for different batteries, as well as balancing connectors from 2 to 6 cells. 
At the bottom there are rubber feet, ventilation slots and a holographic sticker with a security code. 
The case is disassembled quite easily, you need to unscrew 4 screws on the right and left sides. In the center on one of the side plates you can see a miniature fan. 
The whole case, and especially the lower part, act as an additional heatsink through thermal spacers with aluminum heatsinks on the board. 
The universal charger is based on a controller from megawin. 
Board release date and number. 
On the manufacturer's website, you can download to work with the device via the USB interface. For correct operation, you first need to run the program, then connect the switched on device to the PC. In the program, you can control the battery voltage, the voltage of individual elements in the assembly. Get up-to-date information about the state of the battery during charging or discharging. In addition, on the computer screen, you can see real-time graphs of the state of the battery in the process of charging / discharging. Through the ChargeMaster program, you can manage the charger and update the firmware. 
I assembled a small stand by connecting a universal adapter from Cadex C7200 to Imax B6 mini through an adapter from the kit. 
With the help of pliers, heat pipes and alligator clips, I made outgoing wires from thick ground electrodes of server cabinets for safe charging of powerful batteries, for example, lead batteries in UPSs or car batteries. From the side of the crocodiles, you need to slightly expand the copper clips with pliers and hammer the crocodile into them. 
From the side of the charging plugs, you need to squeeze it to the state of sausages (dreary work, but it's worth it), so that they fit tightly from the seats and do not fly out. Naturally, it is desirable to close all bare parts with thermotubes. 
These wires have low resistance and can be used without modification, for example, as accurate multimeter probes (plugs of the same diameter). 
It turned out a little clumsy, but I was pleased with the result. 
Notebook power supplies did not fit (19V is a lot for the IMAX B6 Mini), but the power supply from the monitor (14V_3A), with a good power reserve (40W), worked perfectly. 
When I was testing the charger, quite by chance a friend who has been involved in airsoft for 10 years (actively charges the batteries of his drive in AK74) came to visit me. He saw Imax b6 mini on my table and said that he also has such chargers, but more. I asked him to bring his devices for a week to compare. In fact, it turned out that he has two clones of different versions of IMAX. I took some comparison photos to show the difference in size. From left to right: IMAX B6AC (clone with built-in power supply), IMAX B5 clone and IMAX b6 mini (original). 
I made a full charge and discharge to determine the capacity of the same battery on the IMAX B6AC (copy), the indicators are approximately the same: 
And the new IMAX b6 mini (original) drew attention to an interesting feature: the capacity calculated when the battery was discharged exceeded the capacity when charged by about 10%. 
I decided to deal with this issue and tested in all modes a more capacious battery (passport capacity - 2300 mAh) from a smartphone. 
The results turned out to be interesting, now the difference in the determined capacity in the charge-discharge modes turned out to be 2.6%. All this is very similar to a calibration bug, which I hope will be fixed in the next firmware update. 
Graphs of charge and discharge of the battery (voltage and capacity). 
I made several measurements of the battery voltage in the "battery meter" mode, there is a difference with the multimeter, but it is not significant (0.03-0.04V): 
Conclusion: Imax B6 mini charger is original, fully functional, the declared functions are normal.
Pros:
1. Compact size
2. Good build quality
3. Built-in fan (not noisy)
4. Device control from PC via USB cable (programs, software update, graphics)
5. Bright screen
6. The sound of the beginning and end of the charge / discharge
7. Ability to add your own battery programs
8. Balancer up to 6 cells
9. Connector for connecting an external temperature sensor
10. Unlike the classic Imax B6, the charging current is increased from 5A to 6A, the discharge current is increased from 1A to 2A
11. Measurement of the internal resistance of batteries of various chemistry
Minuses:
1. Instruction in English
2. There are no adapters for charging Li-ion batteries for phones, tablets, etc. (do it yourself)
3. No power cables to charge car batteries (DIY)
4. Raw firmware (bug with capacity readings during discharge / charge)
Some time ago, I was able to conduct live tests and form an opinion on the Imax B6 universal charger using the example of a Chinese clone with an integrated power supply, which was called the Imax B6 AC. I really liked the idea and decided to go further. Having sold the clone, I purchased the original SkyRC iMAX B6 Mini charger, which will be discussed in my review.
I was attracted to this device by one single detail, namely, the presence of a PC-Link port in micro USB format, which provides full control, control and monitoring of charge from a computer. But first things first.
To complete the picture, I'll start with the package, just 1 photo - 
Everything is packed to the conscience, the parcel came in perfect condition, as you can see from the photo of the box: 
This charging, when buying the right accessory, even supports control from a smartphone. as described on the bottom of the box. 
Let's start unpacking. 
For everyone who is familiar with these chargers, the package bundle will not be anything new. Everything is standard. 
Namely - in addition to the charger itself, a power cable with crocodile connectors, an output cable with banana plugs and a T-shaped connector, and a set of cables for a T-shaped connector, the most valuable of which is a cable with alligator clips. 
I will not bore you much with the dimensions, I will give only one overall size, for understanding the scale. In short - the charger is very small. 
Appearance, as it was already possible to understand from the previous photos, is a classic for this type of chargers. Same Controls - Stop/Mode Select, Value Switch Keys, Start/Enter 
The same two-line screen, with information about the type of battery, current, voltage, operating mode, time and capacity. 
On the left side, in addition to the usual power connectors and a temperature sensor, there is now a PC LINK connector in microUSB format - which became the reason for buying this charger. On the same side, the fan turns on automatically as needed and is quite noisy. 
On the right side - no changes, the output - in the form of "banana" connectors and balancing connectors for 2,3,4,5 and 6 elements. 
On the bottom of the device is a holographic sticker confirming its authenticity. 
To work with this charger, you need to download the Charge Master program from the manufacturer's website. 
When working, you need to remember 1 important detail - First, we launch the program, THEN we connect the charger to USB, otherwise the program will crash at the start of work.
Appearance of the program and default settings. 
Now all settings can be selected from a user-friendly interface, without long button switching.
And the type of charged elements: 
And their number: 
Charge/discharge current 
Working mode: 
There are also a large number of pre-installed programs for selection in one click: 
Which can also be edited for yourself in the Program menu 
you can also make all the settings from the program, and even, judging by the lower right corner of the program, update the firmware. 
After selecting the mode and starting work, the program displays time graphs for current strength 
Including full screen display 
voltage 
Capacities 
Information is duplicated (to the best of functionality) on the charging screen.
As an example, the completion of the charging process and the determination of the capacity of 985 mAh in the program 
And on the charging screen 
I mentioned in the title of the review also a balancer for 4 18650x. Having such a charge, of course, it would be rational to do something else on its basis. For the test, I decided to make an "additive" to charge and balance 4 18650 cells. Why - firstly, it is more convenient to charge 4 at once, and to maintain the integrity of the batteries, it must be balanced for proper distribution between more and less discharged cells.
For this, a balancing cable for 4 elements was purchased in the same store 
And a cassette for 4 18650 batteries 
Now the photo is live - 
A little blurry, sorry, it was filmed on the phone. 
The contacts are placed so that the + and - wires are side by side. It is necessary to take into account the location and order of the elements in the manufacture of the balancer. 
Cable - 
On the one hand, a female connector for connecting to a charger 
On the other hand - "dad", which has undergone refinement. 
Balancer scheme: 
15 minutes with a soldering iron, electrical tape (not blue but white) and my version of the balancer is ready: 
We connect to the charger - to the output connector and a balancer for 4 elements 
As we can see from the data shown by the program, the 3rd element is more discharged than the others. 
the charger works in such a way that, first of all, to ensure a uniform degree of charge of all elements - the voltage of the third element is equalized relative to the others 
Charging automatically adjusts the current strength (in this case 0 - 0.1 A). The voltage of the elements gradually equalizes 
After it becomes approximately the same - 
Charging begins to increase the charging current, moving more to the process of charging and not balancing.
As a conclusion, I can say that I really liked this charge, management and data collection, time dependence graphs - all this will be a good help for testing, writing reviews and other things.
