Xmas Gift Idea: SkyRC MC3000 Battery Charger/Analyser

SkyRC MC3000 Smart Bluetooth Charger from GearBest
goo.gl/N39yNu
Not a review, just a Christmas gift idea. But this is a gift to give yourself - from yourself! This charger is a confusing paradox - very competent hardware and a tolerable user interface as a standalone device. But the Android app (and Windows application) are badly implemented - they add functionality but also total confusion. Full review (or more likely multiple reviews) to follow.
Note: Some items in this video were supplied at no cost

[@AlistairBuxton]

This is perhaps the first ever consumer Bluetooth LE/IoT device that I've seen that actually seems like it would be useful.

[@MrOpenGL]

The increment/decrement naming you suggested reminds me of my Garmin Geko GPS - you had to name the waypoints and key in the coordinates using only the up/down keys and the OK key (it obviously took forever) but it was better than having a big list of waypoints all named "01" "02" "03"...

[@VintageLynx]

New firmware version has just been released by SkyRC on their website. Clears some minor issues and makes it work a bit better. You just need a connecting lead and computer.

[@tf1389]

I would love to take a gift like this. Great tool. Thank you for the video.

[@Punisher-1]

I'm actually looking for a charger and this seems like a solid one to purchase despite the price. Like that it has 3 modes to use from dummy to advance. Hopefully they give an updated firmware to make better use of the Bluetooth connectivity. Very good "Xmas Gift Idea" video.

[@zaferatakan270]

Great video Julian, and congratulations on 60K subscription. I was looking for a video dealing with battery types, which one is suitable for what kind of situations and their charging circuits/mechanisms. You seem to know a lot about batteries. It looks like you can make such a video. I'm asking this as an electronics hobbyist. This kind a video can be really helpful to hobbyists like me. Thanks and have a nice christmas.

[@JulianIlett]

+zafer atakan Thanks Zafer - I did notice it hit 60k today. However I won't be celebrating until it hits 68k - it's a resistor thing ;)

[@muppetman]

Thanks for a great review!

[@EyeintheSky999]

Thank you for telling it like it is good to honest opinion about products. Looking forward to full review and seeing this quirky interface. Perhaps they will look at your review and make changes since it seems it would very easy for them to correct. I will wait to purchase until said changes are made however. Don't like being beta tester for 100 dollar products.

[@eandrews53]

Hi Julian! so, did they ever fix all this? I just received mine, though I wish I'd watched this before I made the purchase. I was all excited for the things that don't work, apparently. Thanks for your excellent efforts.

[@DENMONKEY]

went looking for one based on your review but can't seem to locate them. Did find the 2500 though and utube reviews seem to show the app showing battery charge status using the icon rather than just showing that it is charging.

[@Vector_Ze]

I liked this charger when I was reading about its features and capabilities. However, I ended up buying the less pricey device which I'm sure will do everything I need, the Powerex MH-C9000. It's an addition rather than a replacement. I'll still need my Opus BT-C3100 for the 18650's I use for vaping. The MC3000 appealed to my geek side, but my practical side won the argument, heh. If it had more interesting software to go with its USB connectivity, the geek side possibly would've won out. One 'feature' of the MC3000 which landed in the negative column was its Bluetooth connectivity, a feature I would never use and I hate paying for features useless to me. Another factor against buying the MC3000 was the fact that, in spite of its size, it STILL has an external wall wart. Both of these units are now up in age, so far as models are concerned. But if it ain't broke, don't fix it (I reckon).

[@ElmerFuddGun]

Well that is a disappointing charger! From the get go it looked OK with the graphic display (and not a predefined LCD) but then I saw those loose and connected bottom keys and my immediate thought went back to the cheap junk direction. Those types of keys that save 2 cents on a $50+ item are a real turn off and after seeing the poor user interface and lack of obvious connect-ability over Bluetooth that you pointed out it is another tech device that goes into the "disappointing junk" pile. Thanks for saving some of us from buying it, Julian.

[@Boz1211111]

Buttons do apear cheap but they apear durable as well

[@TheColinputer]

Great thing is tho. (And you mentioned it aswell) Is that the Fware can be upgraded along with updates to the windows program and phone apps. That is if they want to do that. But even if they dont. It also opens up the possibility for 3rd party Fware/apps etc to make use of the charger. Might have to get one of these for myself. I use a RC hobby charger along with a home made adapter to charge 18650s and other batteries. And this would be a much better solution.

[@ChrisHirner]

It reminds me of my rc lipo chargers. Just complicated enough that you double check it at least once.

[@dominik8040]

Please make detailed teardown with macros at pcb for this and new jump starter :)

[@SuperBrainAK]

Hey how is your unit working these years later? I just did my review of the HW version 2.2

[@SpeccyMan]

I would be awfully tempted to get into its innards to see what micro-controller they're using, etc.

[@Boz1211111]

Stm32

[@pepstein]

I wonder if that disconnect between the mobile app and the device is still present after all these years.

[@kyoudaiken]

Hi Julian, what about the fan. Is there a fan? This device looks suspiciously like the Opus BTC-3100 paired with the TechnoLine BC2500. Both of them have a noisy fan, the Opus one even goes on when it's still stone cold... Is that the case with this thing? If not, I will buy it for 109 EUR on eBay.

[@ultrapurple111]

2:35 - I see you have the Powerex. How would you compare the Powerex (especially the Pro version if you have it) with the SkyRC? These are the 2 I am considering.

[@yefetc]

I have eneloop 2000 mAh. Which setting should I use with this charger?

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

Well done! I enjoyed that very much :-)

[@KennethRosenstroem]

I have the SkyRC NC2500 - Uses the same android apk. The apk is realy only good for 1 thing, updating the firmware in the charger once connected.

[@nonshatter7]

Was there ever the subsequent review?

[@ilovefreeski]

Any idea how to get the discharge AND charge capacity with this charger for aa nimh and 18650s?

[@agonymobile]

Awesome 👍 video 📹 Now I'm looking for more reviews about that product, The charger does not update or send data to phone as I assume, so an upgrade to the phone app needs a firmware update too for sure. I bought the general one with thermo sensor and wifi module with it.. Still on the way but hope the program more better than this one.

[@oiclaconrovilsa5331]

A question A . I bought a skyrc 2500 pro charger. Practically slot 4 of the battery, whenever I insert the battery to perform charging, discharging or cycling operations, the device gives me the OVERHEATING alert. Always! I thought it was the fault of that single battery the first time. But now he does it to me with any battery in any mode. I did the factory reset and firmware update, but the problem is not solved. Slots 1 2 3 5 6 work great, 4 no. Factory problem? Can they replace it for me? Purchased 4 days ago. Damn

[@atbglenn]

Nice "review" Julian. I might end up buying one :)

[@MyStudioWork]

can i know how long does it take to complete the charging at high speed for AA battery at capacity 2500mah each pcs ?

[@gsxer13]

My slot 4 has stopped working on my MC3000. All it will do is discharge I have done a factory reset still not working..

[@pbox9642]

does it do internal resistance?

[@Corey497]

WHAT IS THE BLUETOOTH PARING PIN??

[@TeutonTwin]

Thanks, bought one. Also got a friend to buy it as well... :P

[@jorisvanschuerbeeck8654]

Damn, just had to order one after seeing this. Been in the market for a maha c9000 for ages, but couldn't spend the money as it didn't do LiPo etc...

[@james10739]

I just saw the charger on banggood and was looking for a review but they want like $105 and its 4 years old model

[@anthonyb2990]

can you go below 500mAh

[@michaelbaker5070]

Can you factory reset this?

[@subigirlawd_7307]

I want a gift from you Julian.. please upload those walkie talkie kit while using that diode tester 💖💕

[@JulianIlett]

+Subigirl Forester I was thinking about building the walkie talkies next - and I will use the component tester this time!

[@rizkyp]

i dont know why but i loves battery charger lol.

[@mshahabas]

what else for C.mas?:)

[@Luke-san]

Julian is having fun and is opening his presents way before Xmas. A bit expensive this charger. A bit overspec'ed and over the top. Frustrating too many functions it seems. Just got myself the Liitokala LII-500 which is very nice for the price. I miss something in my different chargers like the Maha etc ... some batts are in a so bad state that the Voltage is so low that they aren't being detected. I keep on using a dumb charger for a couple of minutes to get the Voltage up a bit and voila the batts are being detected in the other 'clever' chargers. I'm thinking about modding them with a like a 10K resistor and a switch and going to the 12/5/3.3 Volt of the power supply so I can just slowly get the batts up to a bit of a Voltage so they get detected. Somehow I wonder how many usable cells have been thrown away because they Voltage was a bit low. For anyone wondering most come back in full force but might need 2 charge/discharge cycles. What's next Julian?

[@abyssunderground]

+Luc Peeters I get the same issue with my "smart" AA/AAA charger so I have to use a dumb charger for a short while too.

[@JulianIlett]

+Luc Peeters I find the Technoline BL700 fails to 'see' very empty cells (so I have to dumb charge them for a minute or two), but the Maha C9000 does always seem to detect them. I've always wondered how it does it. Maybe it puts voltage pulses on the terminals and looks to see if they get absorbed.

[@JulianIlett]

+Luc Peeters I think there's just one gift idea left now... an energy storage device ;)

[@Luke-san]

+Julian Ilett We should be able to test rain, wind and darkness energy makers. Yup I also have that BL700 (Conrad other OEM branded stuff). I've had 3 lada (Ikea) AA cells that actually measured 0.1 Volt and which I was about to throw away last week. Not detected in any chargers it seems. I should try that simple resistor pull up mod that I have in my head. Even if it needs to sit for 10 minutes it would do the job. Laziness always wins in the end and in the event of not being home it might save your ...

[@DreStyle]

Im using my hobby charger for that purpose! Just set it to Cd charge , set voltage and current and you can charge it up.. After that just change mode back to what ever the battery is and voila job done.. Saved a lot of battery's that way 😁

[@MichaelBeeny]

It always amazes me that adding an app to ANYTHING doubles the amount of time it takes to do the job. A really good charger would be one that can recognize any cell placed in it and charge it to the manufactures spec, you came back later to find the cells charged and ready to go, completely free of apps. Now of course your phones battery is flat so that needs charging now. Don't you just love technology?

[@JulianIlett]

+Michael Beeny My love/hate relationship with technology will never change! Dead phone battery not a problem - this thing has a 2.1A USB DCP (dedicated charging port) on it's side.

[@DreStyle]

In the R/C world things get a little more complex when it comes to battery's. Charge times can't be 1+ hr when you are in a race.. You want to tweak the charger so that your batteries are faster charged, maybe a little over charged for some extra power.. Nonetheless your still right... It consumes a lot of time indeed..

[@toddhayslett8269]

+Michael Beeny They make one.. its called the Nitecore I4...Simple put your battery in the slot and come back later to a charged battery and it costs about $17. Now you want a charger with charge, discharge features, overcharging, programs, cycles, etc then you gotta spend a little more. This charger looks exactly what I been looking for but the 1st version of the charger, app, and pc software might be "rough" so I will use my Nitecore I4 a little longer maybe till a few months from now and the app, pc software is better. Oh the I4 can only do NiMH, NiCd, and Li-On. This charger seems to be able to do every type and size of round battery there is. So it could still be a good choice if you have diverse devices using a bunch of different types of round batteries. I only charge NiMH and Li-On....Todd

[@XxAlex93xX]

Does the SkyRC MC3000 work with alkaline batteries?

[@claudelevis695]

A gift from yourself, lol, can't agree more

[@michaelbaker5070]

Who needs all this?

[@iamamo2min595]

If santa drops this gift through the chimney, it will destroy the fireplace for sure. Its so chunky.

[@pietkaify]

Since plugging in my Sky RS16 to my PC and killing it out right! I will never try it again. since sky RC did not want to know despite me sending in my vieo footage that was due for a youtube video.

[@JulianIlett]

+pietkaify What got killed? The charger or your PC? I was a bit concerned when I plugged in the USB with no 12V on the rear connector - the display lit up with the message "not enough voltage". It was trying to power itself from USB 5V - that seems pretty stupid to me!

[@pietkaify]

Sorry it took me a while to reply, plugging the charger in to the laptop killed the charger. there was no magic smoke just blank screen. I got passed from person to person. took me 3 months to get a replacement.

[@Mtaalas]

I hope you contact the makers of this so they at least know that there are problems :P Would be my be all end all charger for sure :D

[@Screamingtut]

Julian did you make sure its a genuine SkyRC unit it should have a hologram with a SkyRC logo on it on the back if not its a fake

[@JulianIlett]

+Kristyanna Virgona It looks genuine - it has a hologram QC sticker on the back. The build quality is good (apart from the wobbly buttons). My problem is with the software (Android app and Windows application). SkyRC can fix this (and they really need to).

[@PetRatty]

$90, thats a bit over the top

[@DeeegerD]

The green phone charge scale wouldn't be able to indicate charge because it has no idea of the battery's capacity. They should make a non blue tooth version at a lower price - I cannot see any benefit to Bluetooth. Not many people want to check the status of their charger within 30 foot range ;)

[@danieltraugott7690]

Great price here - it's for 84.99 USD with coupon code: SKYRCRU8 www.gearbest.com/chargers/pp_260893.html?wid=21&lkid=10877480 I hope it will be useful kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaSboaCPrJejp7c

[@ldsffddanae9507]

I can't believe it's just for 79.99 dollars with coupon code: MCMM，www.gearbest.com/chargers/pp_260891.html?lkid=11372320 I hope this can help you.

[@ertonyrn]

It could go off voltage dummy

[@DreStyle]

It's very sadly indeed, you need a 4.0 connection thinking you can set data to the charger.. But you can't.. Besides that.. I do not really see the advantages of using Bluetooth because you are limited by range.. I would be much better when it used wifi, so you can monitor your charger outside your house..

[@TheBadFred]

It seems that the apps are an afterthought and got tacked on.

[@JJayzX]

At least the apps can be upgraded eventually, if they decide its worth it.

[@larsdahl6594]

Sounds a bit too complicated for me, even disregarding the app/device problems. I just hate buying a high-end device and not being able to wrap my little brain around it. Of course, I'm also not a techie.

[@jaywalt1311]

I don't see how the app/charger could possibly know the current state of charger or discharge of the battery when the battery isn't in it all the time. It could approximate it by the voltage but that's about it. Laptop batteries have circuitry in them that monitors the charge/discharge currrent and communicates this info to the laptop so it knows the current state of charge. This would be nearly impossible to implement in single cells unfortunately.

[@DreStyle]

I think you are quite wrong there my sir (from what I know) All batteries are charged via voltage monitoring.. If you opened a laptop battery before you will see that all cells will be charged and discharged one by one.. And mostly they are protected by a single chip witch is monitoring all cells all the time All the data that is received on your laptop is coming from that one chip with the provided information, and that is the voltage drop over a amount of time (and yes indeed the amount of power Ah) that currently is consumed by the laptop, giving you a "expected" time scale of remaining power or %

[@jaywalt1311]

+Andrew van Leeuwen Well my point exactly, single cells have no monitoring chips and no id chips for the charger to know one cell from the next making it impossible for the charger to track single cells.

[@pfeerick]

+Jay Walt Well, you'd better tell Maxim and Texas Instruments they've got it all wrong then! ;-P Basically this charger would be quite able to tell you the charge state of the battery, either by measuring the voltage or using sophisticated 'fuel guage' chips such as the MAX1704. This chip is for 4.2v lithium cells, and will give you an approximate state of charge after being connected to a battery for only a few seconds. It doesn't need to travel with the battery - it can do a quickstart reading and give you an immediate state of charge percentage. Obviously it would be more accurate if it were 'part of the battery' so it could learn that batteries charge/discharge characteristics over time. I have played with the MAX1704 chip on a few projects and it works exceptionally well for lithium cells. I also have a 'dumb user' charge for MiMH cells, and it has a LCD display showing the percentage charged, and it seems reasonably accurate. So it is certainly possible!

[@bdot02]

Did you steal your tree from Charlie Brown?

[@TechTronic9000]

Hello Julian, I've recently received a MC3000, it's working fine but I can't find anywhere the Bluetooth passkey, neither in the manual, nor in the skyrc's website. Can you help me with that info ?

[@danielhorne6042]

£118 on amazon / £135.99 on ebay . dam thats pricey

[@DatBlueHusky]

so damn expensive, would have been better if it was for $50 and not $100. Better off with a imax b6 for $20

[@donovanpl]

So I showed my wife this video of the "morning all guy"', and she remarked that he likes battery chargers, an I liked LED's! In fact some years ago when LED Christmas lights were new no the scene, while driving with my son, I saw the mall parking lot decorated with them. Suddenly I pulled into the parking lot to have a look at them.

[@browaruspierogus2182]

Chinese know how to screw up simple things and make them more expensive

[@nodoubt46able]

what a crappy lcd readout on that machine.....my god man it looks like stuff from the 80s...what junk

[@gixxerboy555]

and way too expensive...the Opus C3100 is even better and cheaper.. :)

[@whatthefunction9140]

in the US pointing with your middle finger is a passive aggressive way of saying FU.

[@DMTW]

Dylan T Hahaha..... I noticed that also