Best way to recharge my Molicel P26A

[Nuvola]

LONG STORY:
Following a previous thread (Question about battery and coils (Swag II)) I have been using Molicel P26A with my two Swag II's for a couple of months.
I purchased four batteries but I have been using only two of them. I always keep them in the Swags, since I use the Swags to recharge them. Practically I keep one of the Swags under charge while I am vaping with the other one.
I find this routine very convenient however I am wondering if that is the best way to recharge them. While a the begining both batteries were working quite well until they reached a 20% level, now one of them seems to be very weak as soon as it reaches 50%, and for that reason I have decided that it was time to replace it.
The other one is still Ok.

SHORT STORY:
Is it ok to recharge the P26A's with the Swag II's or should I use an external charger? Would an external charger significantly improve the life of the batteries?
Also, can an external charger fix a battey that seems to have lost 50% of its capacity.

 

[Territoo]

I don't know that an external charger will bring back a weak battery, but I sort of doubt it. It's always better to charge your batteries externally. The reason is that onboard chargers are smaller and more cheaply made, thus are more like to catch fire. The only time I'm charging via the port is when I'm on a long road trip and may not be able to stop because of a dead battery. That's like once or twice a year.

 

[Richard Winter]

Its always recommended to charge your batteries in an external charger. There are some very good and reasonable priced chargers out there.
The safety features in these devices far outstretch those in a mod.
They will charge your batteries safely and will give you a level of detail on how the battery is performing. They give you option to charge your batteries at different current ratings, slower charge prolongs battery life.
As Territoo said, ok to charge in the mod in an emergency.
The other plus with an external charger, some have the option to revive an over discharged battery.

 

[Nuvola]

Thank you guys! I will buy a small portable charger.

Do you know if the ALLMAYBE XTAR PB2S Type C Dual-Role is a good charger?

https://www.amazon.com/ALLMAYBE-Dual-Role-Portable-Function（Not-Included/dp/B07WMQCWBF/

 

[Dudeman]

Thank you guys! I will buy a small portable charger.

Do you know if the ALLMAYBE XTAR PB2S Type C Dual-Role is a good charger?

https://www.amazon.com/ALLMAYBE-Dual-Role-Portable-Function（Not-Included/dp/B07WMQCWBF/

Xtar is a decent brand. I've been using the VC8 for a couple months now.

 

[Mordacai]

@Mooch has some charger reviews, but you can also find a lot here as well.

https://lygte-info.dk/info/indexBatteriesAndChargers UK.html

By the looks of it though, you'll have to copy and paste the address.

 

[DaveP]

MiBoxer C4 has been my favorite for a while. I own several other chargers, but the MiBoxer C4 is a 4 bay charger that also measures and displays internal resistance to check cell condition.

 

[Nuvola]

Thank you. I have already ordered a Nitecore UMS2 but I need a second charger so I may try that one.

 

[Mordacai]

The SkyRC MC3000 is good. The price, not so much.

 

[Richard Winter]

The SkyRC MC3000 is good. The price, not so much.

Definitely the ultimate in chargers, does everything but wash the dishes, but is 5x the price of the others.

 

[Mordacai]

That's why I did say that the price wasn't so much @Richard Winter.

But every review and personal experience say that it's well worth considering if you need a charger, just unfortunately it doesn't make Tea.

 

[Richard Winter]

That's why I did say that the price wasn't so much @Richard Winter.

But every review and personal experience say that it's well worth considering if you need a charger, just unfortunately it doesn't make Tea.

Definitely a very impressive charger. Was amazed when I've seen reviews on it just how good it looks and what if does.

 

[DaveP]

Definitely the ultimate in chargers, does everything but wash the dishes, but is 5x the price of the others.

Which is why I decided on the MiBoxer C4. Does it all for a reasonable price. It wins out over the other chargers I own that are 4 bay devices. It's also the only one I own that does repeatable and supposedly accurate internal resistance calculations.

 

[Richard Winter]

Which is why I decided on the MiBoxer C4. Does it all for a reasonable price. It wins out over the other chargers I own that are 4 bay devices. It's also the only one I own that does repeatable and supposedly accurate internal resistance calculations.

I've not got the MiBoxer C4, did see it a little while ago but was put off by not being able to charge 21700's in it. Also I read that when the batteries have been charged, the bays do not terminate I.e. they will discharge the batteries if they are not taken out.
The one I've been impressed with for the price is the Xtar VC4 plus, takes all batteries, fully cuts off at end of charging, full LCD readout on all slots and helps revive over discharged batteries.
Edit. Just read it does take the 21700 batteries.

 

[DaveP]

I've not got the MiBoxer C4, did see it a little while ago but was put off by not being able to charge 21700's in it. Also I read that when the batteries have been charged, the bays do not terminate I.e. they will discharge the batteries if they are not taken out.
The one I've been impressed with for the price is the Xtar VC4 plus, takes all batteries, fully cuts off at end of charging, full LCD readout on all slots and helps revive over discharged batteries.
Edit. Just read it does take the 21700 batteries.

My Miboxer C4 does charge 2x700's. It also charges 26650's that I use in my lithium flashlights. It looks like 4 26650's wont fit, but they do. I'm charging two 26650's and two 18650's right now. It will do 4 x 26650. also

I just checked mine by putting a fully charged cell in one slot with the other 3 cells charging. The full cell slot trickle charged at around .2A. That's good protection in case you go to bed and forget to pull the cells and turn it off.

 

[Richard Winter]

My Miboxer C4 does charge 2x700's. It also charges 26650's that I use in my lithium flashlights. It looks like 4 26650's wont fit, but they do. I'm charging two 26650's and two 18650's right now. It will do 4 x 26650. also

I just checked mine by putting a fully charged cell in one slot with the other 3 cells charging. The full cell slot trickle charged at around .2A. That's good protection in case you go to bed and forget to pull the cells and turn it off.

Glad to hear that it charges the 21700's. I did edit my post as some reviews said it does and some said it didnt.

 

[madstabber]

Xtar makes lots of solid chargers, can’t really go wrong.
XTAR PB2S Black 18650 Battery Charger and Power Bank
Xtar PB2S QC 3.0 + PD 3.0 Portable Li-ion Charger and Powerbank (Red)
These two vendors are solid and have that charger for !16.99. Also 18650store is my go-to for cells, great selection and usually the cheapest price or tied for it.

I use the Miboxer C4-12 which can charge all 4 bays at 3 amps. Also the slots are one of the roomiest of the 4’bay chargers which I appreciate. Measures IR and monitors temperature so if the cell gets too hot it will cut power to it.

Oh and for the OP: the GYRFALCON ALL-44 battery charger Is an excellent choice for a charger along with the others that have been mentioned. They also have an All-88 with 8 slots. Good Luck with your search

 

[DaveP]

The SkyRC MC3000 is good. The price, not so much.

Agree.

I looked at the SkyRC 3000 and it's a great charger that's used by a lot of model plane and car hobbyists, but for the price I chose the lower priced 4 bay chargers and ended up with 4 or 5 of those. I don't need 3A charging. 1A is fine for me. Model airplane and model car hobbyists want to get back to flying in a hurry, so it's a great charger for them with the 3A quick charge mode.

 

[Mordacai]

@DaveP, the charge rate on the MC3000 can be set in +0.01A increments from 0.05A to 3.00A. So it's possible to set the optimal charge rate.

Also you can set the cut-off in mA, which is very unusual as it's a feature that I have never seen before on any other charger.