AW battery sent back; XTAR VP4 in sight

[ed101z]

Had to send a AW 18650 2200mah back to RTD today. It would charge to a full 4.21 on a Nitecore i2 charger with no problems; but however, after sitting on a table for awhile, it slowly dropped in volts. I checked the volts 2hrs later, and it read 4.08. It's the only one of the 6 from RTD with this symptom. I'm thinking it had a dead cell not holding charge. Could be wrong though. Has anyone else had this problem??

I didn't have a short, nor did it drop below 3.70. It just quit holding the charge. I'm now concerned about the charger I'm using. There may... or may not be something wrong with it. Don't know. Kudos to Randy at RTD for allowing me to send it in for a replacement.

All this has me wondering if it's time to upgrade to a REAL charger -- xtar VP4. I know some Reonauts use the xtar VP4, and was wondering if they've had any problems with it. I hear it's the best battery charger you can buy with lots of safety features.

Thoughts?

 

[havok333]

Had to send a AW 18650 2200mah back to RTD today. It would charge to a full 4.21 on a Nitecore i2 charger with no problems; but however, after sitting on a table for awhile, it slowly dropped in volts. I checked the volts 2hrs later, and it read 4.08. It's the only one of the 6 from RTD with this symptom. I'm thinking it had a dead cell not holding charge. Could be wrong though. Has anyone else had this problem??

I didn't have a short, nor did it drop below 3.70. It just quit holding the charge. I'm now concerned about the charger I'm using. There may... or may not be something wrong with it. Don't know. Kudos to Randy at RTD for allowing me to send it in for a replacement.

All this has me wondering if it's time to upgrade to a REAL charger -- XTAR VP4. I know some Reonauts use the XTAR VP4, and was wondering if they've had any problems with it. I hear it's the best battery charger you can buy with lots of safety features.

Thoughts?

I JUST got VP4 and VP2 charger this afternoon. They read battery voltage the same as my DMM, so that's a great sign.

 

[Rickajho]

It could just be a bum battery - battery poop happens.

When there is an issue with a NiteCore killing off batteries the charger is waaaay charging over voltage when it goes bad - like to 4.35 volts. Was the initial 4.21 you got right at the end of the charge cycle, or after it had been completed for a while?

 

[K31Scout]

My Samsung, AW IMR and Panasonic and Soshine all cut off at 4.20V in my i4 Nitecore. The AW IMR is a great battery as is the Nitecore charger. I'd check the final voltage like Rickajho said.

 

[Sloth Tonight]

I've never had any problems with my Nitecore i4. My batteries only charge to 4.16 or 4.15 though, always have, even fresh - all 6 of them. I roll with it. Could be because of the way I read them, all I've got to check is a 510 voltage reader. Not sure, but it seems like a fine charger.

 

[Soignee]

I've never had any problems with my Nitecore i4. My batteries only charge to 4.16 or 4.15 though, always have, even fresh - all 6 of them. I roll with it. Could be because of the way I read them, all I've got to check is a 510 voltage reader. Not sure, but it seems like a fine charger.

A digital multi meter is well worth the 20-50 investment. Just for peace of mind...I think I spent 25 bucks at Radio Shack for mine (they may be having a sale now that their trying to declare bankruptcy). A DMM is a heck of a lot more accurate than the 510 units...

I'm not saying your in any danger or anything. It's just my OCD kicking in

 

[Sloth Tonight]

A digital multi meter is well worth the 20-50 investment. Just for peace of mind...I think I spent 25 bucks at Radio Shack for mine (they may be having a sale now that their trying to declare bankruptcy). A DMM is a heck of a lot more accurate than the 510 units...

I'm not saying your in any danger or anything. It's just my OCD kicking in

I hear you bro, I got a cheap one from RTD, but for the life of me I can't figure out how to work the daggun thing. Everytime I thought I had the right setting to check battery voltage it would read something absurd and clearly out of the realm of possibility I need to figure it out or get one that actually works right or something. I don't like constantly removing the atty from my mod to check battery voltage, especially since my REOs arent running the new indestructible 510 yet.

 

[Soignee]

I hear you bro, I got a cheap one from RTD, but for the life of me I can't figure out how to work the daggun thing. Everytime I thought I had the right setting to check battery voltage it would read something absurd and clearly out of the realm of possibility I need to figure it out or get one that actually works right or something. I don't like constantly removing the atty from my mod to check battery voltage, especially since my REOs arent running the new indestructible 510 yet.

Do you have the Cen Tech (red one) or the Hongda (black one)?

 

[ed101z]

It could just be a bum battery - battery poop happens.

When there is an issue with a NiteCore killing off batteries the charger is waaaay charging over voltage when it goes bad - like to 4.35 volts. Was the initial 4.21 you got right at the end of the charge cycle, or after it had been completed for a while?

I try to not leave the batteries on the charger once charging is complete. There have been a few times in which I've left them on it for about 1 hour AFTER charging, but for the most part, I remove them once the lights on the charger are solid. I always get a reading of 4.22 or 4.23 after charging using this MultiMetter from Staples. Then, it flashes to 4.21.

I have never gotten readings Lower than 4.21 and Higher than 4.23

The only issues I have with this Nitcore i2 is I have to use a small screwdriver to pull the slider back as I put the batteries in the compartment (which is a common issue with some i2's and i4's). The sliders just don't slide easily, and it's a very irritating as well. I want a charger that I can just insert the batteries in (with no hassle), and that is Fire Safe.

Here's a great review on the VP4.

 

[Format]

Anyone got one of these XTAR XP4 Professional Li-ion/Ni-MH battery charger with: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

Sorry for highjacking but found it interesting.

 

[ed101z]

Anyone got one of these XTAR XP4 Professional Li-ion/Ni-MH battery charger with: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

Sorry for highjacking but found it interesting.

From what I'm reading, XTAR makes the cream of the crop chargers. I've looked at the XP4, but If I'm gonna pay $35... why not just make it $40 and have the onscreen display feature the VP4 has.

 

[Alamedean]

I try to not leave the batteries on the charger once charging is complete. There have been a few times in which I've left them on it for about 1 hour AFTER charging, but for the most part, I remove them once the lights on the charger are solid. I always get a reading of 4.22 or 4.23 after charging using this MultiMetter from Staples. Then, it flashes to 4.21.

I have never gotten readings Lower than 4.21 and Higher than 4.23

The only issues I have with this Nitcore i2 is I have to use a small screwdriver to pull the slider back as I put the batteries in the compartment (which is a common issue with some i2's and i4's). The sliders just don't slide easily, and it's a very irritating as well. I want a charger that I can just insert the batteries in (with no hassle), and that is Fire Safe.

Here's a great review on the VP4.

Try a squirt of some WD-40 or equivalent on the sliders. Solved that same problem for me.

 

[Sloth Tonight]

Do you have the Cen Tech (red one) or the Hongda (black one)?

I have the Hongda bro

 

[Filthy-Beast]

Read the battery outside of the charger, it might be picking up charge voltage as well as battery.

I have had a VP2 charger for over a year and really like it.

 

[ed101z]

Read the battery outside of the charger, it might be picking up charge voltage as well as battery.

I have had a VP2 charger for over a year and really like it.

When batteries are fully chargerd... I either unplug the charger and remove the battery, or take a charged battery out, and put another one in to charge. Regardless, when finished.... it's always unplugged even when it's empty. I then use a Multimeter to test them (even test them before charging). Fully charged batteries are put on a table with no magnets around. There's no EMI, and RFI around the charger at all.

I'm getting the XTAR VP4 next pay day. Just not going to worry about chargers catching on fire; under-charging batteries, and ruining them by over-charging. XTAR is considered the best on the market. Would get the VP2, but for just $5 more, I'll grab one that holds 4 batteries. Who knows? I may eventually have 25 batteries laying around like you do.

 

[Rickajho]

Anyone got one of these XTAR XP4 Professional Li-ion/Ni-MH battery charger with: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

Sorry for highjacking but found it interesting.

If you were going to get a 4 bay charger from Xtar - I wouldn't get that one. The XP4 is a "multi charger" (Li-On & NiMh) like the i2 and i4 and cannot recover under voltage Li-On batteries because of that. The VP4 is a better idea because it has a singular purpose - charging Li-On only - and doesn't have to play a guessing game about what type of battery chemistry is in there based on the battery voltage.

 

[ed101z]

Another good feature I'm liking about the VP4 (and VP2 as well)... it has Zero Volt charging. Meaning... it can recognize a battery even at ZERO Volts, and then charge it. Most chargers won't even recognize a battery below 3.2v ...let alone ZERO. That's just sick! Unheard of. Off the charts.

 

[Sloth Tonight]

That VP4 looks like a great charger. Independent channels, in other words you could charge 1 battery, or 3 batteries - you don't have to charge 2 or 4 like on an i4?

 

[ed101z]

That VP4 looks like a great charger. Independent channels, in other words you could charge 1 battery, or 3 batteries - you don't have to charge 2 or 4 like on an i4?

I didn't think the Nitcore i4 did that. Guess you learn something new everyday.

Anyway, thought I'd post links to the XTAR VP4 (you know me, I'm a link poster. Hahaha. )


www.XTARdirect.com
or Call them directly:: 714-696-1196
Also,

RTDvapor.com (our favorite place to buy the AW has them as well - same identical price).

Video I posted earlier (to have links and video together).

 

[Rickajho]

Another good feature I'm liking about the VP4 (and VP2 as well)... it has Zero Volt charging. Meaning... it can recognize a battery even at ZERO Volts, and then charge it. Most chargers won't even recognize a battery below 3.2v ...let alone ZERO. That's just sick! Unheard of. Off the charts.

It can be a long slow process recovering batteries that have dropped below 1.0 volts but Xtars can do it. (Even the older WP2 II - but without the benefit of the display.) But whenever you run across a "multi-charger" that says it can do NiMh, LiOn and NiCd the price you pay is losing the ability to bring LiOn batteries that have been allowed to go under voltage back to life. I think the XP4 is the only one in the Xtar line right now that's a multi-charger. It's just best to avoid multi chargers.

That VP4 looks like a great charger. Independent channels, in other words you could charge 1 battery, or 3 batteries - you don't have to charge 2 or 4 like on an i4?

Completely independent. Any size battery or capacity can go in any slot - with an asterisk. On the VP4 the bigass 26650's - and even 36650s - will only fit in slot 1 and 4 - has fatter cradles to better fit those sizes there.

Technical review of the VP4 here. ~> Review of Charger Xtar VP4

Also, when buying keep in mind that any Xtar charger is backed with a two year warranty - as long as you buy from an authorized dealer. That would be a place like RTD Vapor, of course. You can also purchase directly from Xtar in the USA at www.xtardirect.com

If you go there take a look at the MC2 even - last I looked it was less than ten bucks if you buy it without a USB power supply. It's an idjut proof design and will adjust the charge current to what it detects for the power supply you plug it into. Works best with a 1 amp USB supply, but will still work with a 500 mA supply - at lower charging current. It can't hurt the charger or an "under powered" USB supply in the process. Great little charger - about the size of a Reo Grand. Still has two independent channels.

Technical review of that one here. ~> Review of Charger Xtar MC2