18650 batt charger

[donnah]

I'm on vacation (tent camping) and my trustfire charger just blew! I plugged it in (thankfully no batt was in it) and there was a " pow" and a puff of smoke..the cord blew off the charger. So now I have one fully charged 18650 batt. I get home Thursday night. I have a couple vv devices that use 14500 batts and I do have a charger for them so I'm not gonna suffer too much. But it wont charge my 18650 batts. So the provari is out off commission.

My question..the trustfire charger I was using for my 18650 batts (for the provari) was the charger that came with my lavatube kit (it was the only thing I kept)

Ive checked at provape and their charger is $17...it is stated that it will auto shut off when the batt is charged to prevent over charging. The trustfure charger from madvapes is $10 and doesn't say anything about an auto shutoff. I don't mind paying extra for a safer charger. But I don't want to pay more if I don't have to.

Any thoughts on what I should order? For that matter..could I buy a charger at radio shack?

 

[SnIpEsYMcGeE]

I don't know about radio shack but try the xtar wp2 II charger. you can get it on ebay for 17 dollars and it is an intelligent charger like the pila but is receiving more good review on the flashlight forums. it has trickle charge, constant current, and constant voltage. also if you put two batteries in it has a usb port that you can charge usb devices with the two batteries you have installed. don't know if you will ever use that feature but it is a good charger so far for me. here is a review from geekgirlvaper

 

[jkmtwo]

You can get the Xtar at Lighthound and Orbtronic, one of them has it for $15 I believe, way better than any trustfire

I don't know about radio shack but try the xtar wp2 II charger. you can get it on ebay for 17 dollars and it is an intelligent charger like the pila but is receiving more good review on the flashlight forums. it has trickle charge, constant current, and constant voltage. also if you put two batteries in it has a usb port that you can charge usb devices with the two batteries you have installed. don't know if you will ever use that feature but it is a good charger so far for me. here is a review from geekgirlvaper

 

[jkmtwo]

I have the 6 bay Xtar and the 2 bay one in the video above Xtar is great and easy on the wallet.

 

[jkmtwo]

XTAR WXTAR WP2II Charger - 2 Bay Charger for 14650 / 17670 / 18650 etc

 

[donnah]

Thanks guys! I'll order tonight.

Shipping was $10 at lighthound! I got it on ebay for $18 shipped. Thanks!

 

[WA3PNT]

You said that you were camping, and plugged it in. Just curious, but were you using an Inverter? It's quite possible that the charger is not compatible with some of the inverters that do not have an output that is close to a sine wave.

It that's the case, we should post a caution here on the Forum about using chargers with Inverters.

George

 

[jkmtwo]

Thanks guys! I'll order tonight.

Shipping was $10 at lighthound! I got it on ebay for $18 shipped. Thanks!

Holy cow, I didn't realize it was that much, I got mine at Super T so eh you know.

 

[donnah]

I don't know about an inverter. I have a heavy drop cord with a power strip on it. The drop cord is plugged in to the electrical box here at the campsite. We've been using it to charge our laptops, kindles, phones, batts and a gameboy. It should be fine.

 

[WA3PNT]

I don't know about an inverter. I have a heavy drop cord with a power strip on it. The drop cord is plugged in to the electrical box here at the campsite. We've been using it to charge our laptops, kindles, phones, batts and a gameboy. It should be fine.

If you are plugged into shore power, you are okay.

Since you said that you were camping, I thought an Inverter might have been involved.

Sound like the Charger just gave up the ghost.

George

 

[markfm]

xtar wp2 II is a 12V input, actually comes with a car cig lighter adapter in the box

(I like my wp2 II, it works well, just make sure to buy the extra set of spacers, $1, if you want to use it with short batteries like 350s.)

 

[donnah]

I think that the power cord that attatched to the charger might have gotten bent too much..and had an exposed wire that was in contact with the bottom of the tent. When I plugged it in and it blew, it left a black spot (that I could rub away) on the tent floor. My new charger has already been shipped!

 

[ChrispyCritter]

I think that the power cord that attatched to the charger might have gotten bent too much..and had an exposed wire that was in contact with the bottom of the tent. When I plugged it in and it blew, it left a black spot (that I could rub away) on the tent floor. My new charger has already been shipped!

You probably could have replaced the cord for a couple bucks if the board in the charger wasn't burnt. I'm sure they come apart with a couple screws or it snaps together or both and if it was the cord away from the board a replacement cord, a couple twist caps and some black tape it could be good as new. If the cord burnt away from the charger it could be even easier...

 

[donnah]

Thanks I'm all for saving money! But I feel safer just getting a new one.

 

[ChrispyCritter]

Thanks I'm all for saving money! But I feel safer just getting a new one.

Well even for a quick fix..but if you're not experienced or not sure you're better off just buying a new one anyways. I've been working on electronics and with electricity since I was a little kid. I've repaired power supplies in a few devices..early XBox's had a design flaw where the solder would come loose because the socket where the plug went in wasn't secured good and burn the board a little..I used to solder them if they weren't too damaged.

It's pretty easy to replace a damaged power cord though..maybe you should pull it apart just to look so in the future if you were in a pinch you could fix one..that's how I learned to do a lot of things. A lot of times in the older stuff the cord was just tied on the other side of the hole where it goes in and a couple twist caps attaching it.

 

[donnah]

You would be handy to have around! Hey! What are you doing on the provari forum! Surely you're not coming over to the dark side LOL.

(Says Eve with the apple)

 

[ChrispyCritter]

You would be handy to have around! Hey! What are you doing on the provari forum! Surely you're not coming over to the dark side LOL.

No I just saw the thread through the VV forum and checked it out I like to help people with issues (I don't just argue about devices on here lol)..I do come in this forum on occasion though. I don't think it's a dark side..I never thought it was a bad device either I just got sick of some people ripping on a decent device that I own Still no plans on getting one though...

 

[donnah]

Thanks for all the suggestions! For those of you who have this charger....I use 18650 and 14500 batts..on the charger, there is a switch, I know the 0 is for charging something with a 18650 batt. And then there a is a 1 and a 2. Do I need to use different settings to charge my different batts? Ive been setting the switch to 1 for the 14500 batts and 2 for the 18650 batts that my provari uses. Can I just charge both types of batts on just one setting? Its getting a bit tedious trying to remember to switch the settings for the different batts.