NiteCore USB charger, 'UM' 10

NiteCore USB charger, 'UM' 10

The UM10 USB charger from NiteCore has an extremely compact design and is ideal for use on the go. The UM10 charges most types of Li-Ion batteries and Li-Ion IMR batteries. All necessary information on the charging status and process is shown in the LCD display. Depending on the power adapter used, the UM10 charges a battery and a USB device in parallel or in a pre-selected order.

Properties

• Power supply of the Li-ion battery charger via USB
• High definition LCD display shows the charging status in real time
• with USB charging output
• integrated, intelligent power management system
• automatic detection of input power
• automatic distribution of charging power
• Priority mode for priority battery charging or charging via USB output
• enables data transfer via USB
• Automatic selection of the charging current based on the battery capacity
• Cable receptacle on the back for 3.0 and 3.5mm USB cables
• Made from fire retardant materials
• built-in reverse polarity protection
• Developed for optimal heat dissipation
• RoHS, CE, FCC and CEC certified
• Insured worldwide by Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd

Technical specifications

Input voltage: Micro USB, 5V DC
Output voltage: 4.2V ± 1% / 5V
Output current: 1000mA / 500mA
Compatible with
Li-Ion / IMR: 18650, 18490, 18350, 17670, 17500,
16340 (RCR123), 14500, 10440
Dimensions: 100 mm × 38 mm × 35 mm

Weight: 57 g (without battery or power cable)

Chargers for batteries from flashlights and other electrical devices help to limit the consumption of non-rechargeable batteries. That protects the environment and saves costs. Battery chargers have from a single to multiple charging positions. Intelligent chargers switch off when the batteries are fully charged.
In our practical test, we check Nitecore chargers. These charge batteries of almost all sizes. We pay special attention to the 18650 battery, which is widely used in flashlights. Here, a charger test must pay particular attention to the maximum length of the batteries to be charged, as 18650 batteries have different dimensions.

The Nitecore UM10 charger

The UM10 is the smallest charger from Nitecore. It charges a single battery and it is intended for use via USB. A charger or power cord is not included.
The UM10 is an intelligent charger. It automatically adjusts the charging current to the battery's resistance. This increases the service life of the batteries. The charging progress is visually indicated by the U10 with five LED bars in the LDC display, which light up depending on the progress of the charging process. There is also a display for 100 percent. The Nitecore UM10 recognizes through the built-in reverse polarity protection if the batteries have been inserted the wrong way round and it does not start the charging process if an inferior USB charging cable is used. An error, for example a damaged battery, is indicated with "EE" on the display. The charge level of the batteries used is measured before the start of the charging process.

Two functions of the Nitecore UM10 charger

The Nitecore UM10 charger doesn't just charge a battery. It can charge an electrical device with a rechargeable battery, for example a power bank, via the USB charging connection on the back. To do this, the USB cable of the device is connected to the charging socket of the UM10. The UM10 shows the connection optically. The symbol flashes as long as the device is being charged. When the device is charged, the flashing stops. The connection symbol is still visible as long as the UM10 is connected to the device. In order to maintain the state of charge, a low current flow is transmitted when the connection is established.

The priority mode

The priority of the charging processes is selected at a switch. If the switch is set to "Battery", the battery is always fully charged first before the electrical device is charged. If the switch is set to "USB", the device is always charged first and the battery only afterwards.

Conclusion: The Nitecore UM10 charger in the test

The UM10 is an interesting charger.
The possibility of connecting the charger to a power bank or charging it is good. It remains to be seen whether this function is needed in practice. The housing of the charger is made of fire-retardant materials. It dissipates the heat generated optimally.
If you intend to charge only one (flashlight) battery at a time and also have a (discarded) USB charger, the Nitecore UM10 is an inexpensive and technically sophisticated charger for your battery.