Batteries: Any damage done?

[jaytex1969]

My batteries have been acting weird for the last 3 days.

I've been working long hours and not really paying attention.

I noticed today that the voltage switch on the charger had gotten bumped from 3.6 to 3.0. I estimate each of the 3 batteries in my regular rotation got 1-2 charges at the improper voltage setting.

They seem okay. Just thought I'd ask for a second opinion.


Thanks.


Jay

 

[Mooch]

So they have been charged to a lower voltage by accident? No problem at all.

I'm confused by the 3.6V/3.0V settings on a lithium ion charger though. What charger is this?

 

[jaytex1969]

Trustfire Multifunctional Charger TR-001.

Yeah, I know its cheap and has mixed reviews. Its what was sold to me way back when and it works fine, when I pay attention...


Thanks!


Jay

 

[Mooch]

Ahhh, ok. That charger doesn't label itself with the charging voltage but uses the "nominal" battery voltage....3.6V for IMR/INR/ICR and 3.0V for LFP (lithium-ferrous-phosphate, like the A123 batteries).

The 3.0V setting only charges to about 3.65V. So, perfectly safe but you'll be charging your batteries very, very often.

 

[sonicbomb]

Trust-(it-will-cause-a)-fire

 

[rurwin]

Get a new charger. There are unconfirmed reports that some of those don't stop charging, which will wreck your batteries.

It's safe to charge a battery up to 4.2V, which any charger has to to get any life at all from it. But if it even goes 0.1V higher the life of the battery is degraded. That's quite a high accuracy to ask electronics to distinguish; it takes precision components in well-designed circuits. I think these cheap chargers don't have a hard stop; they just put less and less current into the battery as the voltage rises. At 4.2V they still trickle in just a very small amount and if you leave them too long you could be in trouble.

 

[jaytex1969]

Well, I DID buy a new charger a month or two ago, a Nitecore.

Are you guys implying that I'm also supposed to remove it from the packaging and USE it?

Jeez, you ask so MUCH....


Thanks, all for the help.


Jay

 

[Mooch]

Well, I DID buy a new charger a month or two ago, a Nitecore.

Are you guys implying that I'm also supposed to remove it from the packaging and USE it?

Jeez, you ask so MUCH....


Thanks, all for the help.


Jay

You have a Nitecore and you still use the Trustfire?
Ohhhhhh...the shame.

Seriously, dump the Trustfire and don't pass it forward. It's a unit that can get you or someone else in trouble.

 

[rurwin]

If you search the forum for TR-001, you will find a lot of worries, but no hard evidence that it is a problem. Personally I wouldn't trust a cheap charger. The difference between a full charge and an over-charge is only 0.1V, which requires high precision electronics to distinguish. Cheap and high-precision don't tend to make comfortable bed-fellows.

Added to which, I think it was this charger or one like it that failed to do anything sensible with my protected cells.

Also, I wonder what current it charges at. Unless you know, then it could be charging either too fast or too slow. Too slow is at least safe.

 

[madangus]

Which nitcore did you get @jaytex1969

 

[jaytex1969]

Intellicharger i2, 2014 version.

Not sure if 2014 version is significant, but they printed it prominently on the front.

Jay

 

[madangus]

I've been happy with my nitecore, never had to change a setting. Silly but the last time i had a battery charger was late 90s, single red light. When i first git the nitecore and it had all the animations etc ... Blew my mind a wee bit lol