apollo vtube kit battery charger question?

[EricGQ]

just got my chrome vtube in the mail from apollo (yay vapemail!!! haha) and i have a question about the batts/charger. i got one 18650 with the kit and an extra one. i was under the impression that they come about 70% charged but when i put either on the apollo kit charger, the charger is already fully green. how can this be? would apollo have sent me fully charged batts? or is the kit charger a POS outta the box? (the charger quickly flashes red for a second when you plug it in but then stays green while plugged in empty; upon adding either batt from the kit, it stays green; remove the batt, stays green) therefore, how the heck am i supposed to know when they are charged? anyone else have any issues like this? thanks!

 

[KugelFanger]

I would say vape the battery for some time then try to charge it, are you also sure u are putting the battery in right way arround. i myself have not had this issue

 

[That_Dude]

Mine needed to be charged for an hour or so out of the box. Put the battery in the vtube and hit the red button 7 times to check the charge reading.

 

[That_Dude]

I should mention if it reads under 4 it could be charged. I usually charge mine when they get down to 3.3, thats when the power drop becomes noticeable to me. They come out charged usually around 4.1 -- I however dont pop them in right away, they usually sit for several hours before I pop them in.

 

[EricGQ]

yeah, i made sure the batts were in the charger correctly. it's reading 3.8 after pressing the red button 7 times.

 

[That_Dude]

Sounds like a charger issue then, my charger goes red under 4 till it charges fully. Maybe someone with some more extensive usage of it will chime in, ive had mine for a couple weeks. And both batteries needed some degree of charge out of the box. Good luck.

 

[EricGQ]

maybe they just need to be run down a little bit before the charger will recognize them as needing charged and give me the red light? idk. i just was curious becuase i know that the charger the kit comes with is cheap, so i want to make sure it's not faulty outta the box. don't want a charger that can't charge my batts (or tell me when they are fully charged) or a charger that is gonna burn down the house!

 

[bmiller70555]

The charger that comes with it is really crappy. Try rolling the battery while in the charger to see if you can get a better connection. When i first used mine it was green but then once i messed with it some the light changed to red and charged normal.

 

[Flyer]

I arguably have a cheap charger, but it has a switch for 3.8V and 4.2V. It came set at 3.8V and all my batteries looked charged. Then I switched it to 4.2 V and the batteries started charging properly.

 

[That_Dude]

Other chargers I have had for pen style units, when they cease to function they usually always read green. Which seems like your situation. You could try running the battery down and trying again, but sounds like the charger to me.

 

[EricGQ]

by the way i'm surprised at the size of the standard-sized vtube. it's a lot smaller than i thought... yeah i know the specs say how long it is but i guess until i had it in my hand i was expecting some massive tube lol!

 

[Mega the Pretty Boy]

I just got the chrome v tube and I have the Lava. I got only the unit so I don't know about THEIR charger. But I have noticed with some chargers you have to "roll" the batteries in place until you get the red light. If you've tried vaping on it, tried doing one battery at a time, tried both sides, vaped and still can't get the charger to read, contact Apollo. They have live chat sessions so you can actually speak to someone through IM right on the site.! hope this helps

 

[Mega the Pretty Boy]

by the way i'm surprised at the size of the standard-sized vtube. it's a lot smaller than i thought... yeah i know the specs say how long it is but i guess until i had it in my hand i was expecting some massive tube lol!

LOL actually, It's bigger than the Volcano Lavatube, because of the chrome and ego fitting. But the mini is a good size for those who find the lava too big. If you think the lava is too big, get the vtube in the mini. BUT CHROME if you want the ego connection

 

[EricGQ]

and thanks for your help! i emailed apollo customer service already about the issue so we'll see what they have to say. by the way, do you know where to buy a decent charger for the 18650? i mean somewhere i can run to today and get one (radio shack; walmart; best buy; etc.) i don't want to torture myself by using the vtube until both batts die and then being forced back to the ego becuase i have no way to recharge them until a replacement charger comes in the mail, lol!

 

[That_Dude]

I recall reading a post about camera shops and RC hobby shops carrying these type of chargers.

 

[EricGQ]

no 3.8/4.2V switch on my charger... rolling it around does nothing to change the light from green to red... i'm thinking it's just a bad charger.

 

[Mega the Pretty Boy]

I've found that I cannot find one locally, but depending on where you live, there are websites I'm familiar with and trust that could deliver in a couple of days. You should get about two days per battery, I'm on and off between my Vtube and my mini and my vtube lasts three days my mini two. So if you're vaping primarily the vtube, I'd assume you can get two days out of it. What state are you in?

 

[tj99959]

I will never understand why manufacturers will bundle a nice PV with the cheapest batteries and charger that they can find.
To be blunt, I'm glad your charger doesn't work, I wouldn't use the cheap charger that came with my chrome LT on a bet!
Pick up a TR-001 or better charger like this one. Almost every vendor has them.
TR-001 MULTI FUNCTION CHARGER

 

[Mega the Pretty Boy]

I will never understand why manufacturers will bundle a nice PV with the cheapest batteries and charger that they can find.
To be blunt, I'm glad your charger doesn't work, I wouldn't use the cheap charger that came with my chrome LT on a bet!
Pick up a TR-001 or better charger like this one. Almost every vendor has them.
TR-001 MULTI FUNCTION CHARGER

tj is totally right, you find a vendor relatively close by (on the net) so the shipping time is cut down, and order a TR-001. If the vendor carries trustfire batteries, then there trustfire chargers are probably legit. We have to remember, almost ALL of the ecig stuff we buy is essentially from china. In order to increase their profits, the vendor and the manufacturer use crappy chargers, batteries, etc. to make the kit cheaper. you can fake a battery, even a charger, but you can't fake a lavatube, know what i mean?

 

[panhandleguy]

no 3.8/4.2V switch on my charger... rolling it around does nothing to change the light from green to red... i'm thinking it's just a bad charger.

I had the same problem with the charger they sent me.
I did the "live help" and they are sending a new one. After the internet experience I was a little bored and banged it on the desk a few times. Not very hard. Seems to be working fine now though.