Battery Questions, Help appreciated

[WalksWithWiFi]

Hello all, it's time for my newb question of the day.
Yesterday i received my 14650 e-power in the mail and so far, its been fantastic.
Good little device and i was able to pass my ego batteries onto my wife.
Here is the question though, i read that AW batteries are safer(thanks to that 18650 thread in the general forums my wife is super paranoid...and maybe me a lil too)but of course AW doesn't make a 14650 battery.
They make, as many probably know, a 14500 battery.
I read that with a spacer/perhaps stretching the spring i can use a 14500
so, first off...where can i find a spacer?
Second question, the charger that the E-power came with, linked here for possible specs:
E-Power Charger
Will that charge AW 14500 batts?

thanks for any helpful information!

 

[bjannr]

I see that no one has answered yet. I can't give you specific sites because I have never bought any spacers. However I have seen them on a few suppliers web sites that also sell the rechargeable batteries. Once you find where they are, I would contact the vendor to make sure it would work for your situation.
Sorry I couldn't be more help.

 

[bjannr]

I just did a google search. Lighthound sells spacers. I have ordered batteries from them before without any problems.

 

[Icoth]

That charger should work with an IMR 14500. I have to wonder though, if any additional margin of safety you might get by using an IMR vs a protected cell won't be undone by using a spacer. If the spacer contacts the side wall of the device you could short the battery. One look at the pics of the exploded IMR on this forum will tell you that safer chemistry is not risk free. If you do decide to use a spacer, others have posted the trick of using an O-ring or plastic washer around it to help prevent contact with the side wall. Worth looking into.

 

[zoiDman]

...
Here is the question though, i read that AW batteries are safer(thanks to that 18650 thread in the general forums my wife is super paranoid...and maybe me a lil too)but of course AW doesn't make a 14650 battery.
They make, as many probably know, a 14500 battery.
I read that with a spacer/perhaps stretching the spring i can use a 14500
so, first off...where can i find a spacer?
Second question, the charger that the E-power came with, linked here for possible specs:
E-Power Charger
Will that charge AW 14500 batts?

thanks for any helpful information!

I'm not sure if you have read this thread or not...

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-18650-battery-caught-fire-2.html#post3642561

There is some good battery info at the end of it.

As to the link to your charger, I don't think there is a problem charging either a Li-Ion or a NiMh 14500 battery with it. But I'm not a battery expert.

 

[WalksWithWiFi]

it was actually that thread that made my wife and I somewhat paranoid.
Thanks for all the responses, in particular Icoth your post made me wary about using a spacer
because of the issue you mentioned. Along with that i looked for those exploded AW batt pictures and(love the search here)found a host of information about the various battery types.
As i am mostly concerned with safety of the batteries, i might stick with just getting some trustfire/ultrafire 14650's to replace these rebranded smok tech ones as the current they are providing are just fine for me.
I am open of course for more information and i hope my question helps others that might be in the same spot as me when it comes to exploring this slightly more complicated than grabbing an ego battery part of the vaping world.

 

[WomanOfHeart]

Your charger is the same as the one I use for my Indulgence mod. There won't be any problems charging 14500 or 18650 batteries. I wouldn't be afraid of the 18650's. I've been using them for months now with my Indulgence and haven't had any problems.

 

[zoiDman]

it was actually that thread that made my wife and I somewhat paranoid.
...

That's kinda funny because I thought about batteries and chargers last night when I went to sleep.

I've always charge my batteries on a desk that has a towel on it to protect the finish. Now I'm thinking how stupid that is if a battery melted down and caught fire.

I'm thinking that charging them in a Metal Pan isn't that bad of an idea.

 

[Icoth]

I think I've caught the paranoia bug too. Apologies in advance for being picky. Just want to make sure its clear that the charger you linked can't be used with NIMH batteries. The IMR's are LIMN and are fine. Both LIMN and Li Ion charge to 4.2 volts and use the same chargers. NIMH charge to 4.8 volts, if I remember correctly, and require a different type of charger.

The only reason I mention it, NIMH are being used in some devices to get a 5 volt experience without any electronics. They're an older type of battery though and don't have the mah that the Li cells provide.

 

[WalksWithWiFi]

i think as the saying goes, "better safe, than sorry"
so i appreciate the information and the paranoia.
If nothing else, this paranoia is educational, therefore it isn't all bad.


edit:
okay, i am tacking on this question, why are the 14650 size batteries so rare?

 

[BeatSherlock]

edit:
okay, i am tacking on this question, why are the 14650 size batteries so rare?

I'm seeing that as well. There seems to bee only a hand full of sites that offer that size, let alone from different manufacturers. I'm really enjoying my e-power (least expensive higher mAh mod i've found) but it's too bad that there are few options as far as batteries go.

Also, I've noticed that if I push the battery until it's fully secure in the charger the light remains green even though it's drained. I have to fiddle with it to actually have it turn red, and then charge. Does anyone have similar issues?

 

[BeatSherlock]

^^^^^^^ bump

 

[zoiDman]

Have you tried cleaning the charger connections with some Isopropyl Alcohol or perhaps some 400 sandpaper?

 

[BeatSherlock]

It's practically brand new. No build up or corrosion.

 

[WalksWithWiFi]

sorry for the late response BeatSherlock, but yeah, i too have that issue sometimes with the charger, kinda have to fiddle with it now and then-

 

[BardicDruid]

AW does make a 14670 it only two mm longer, a 14650 is 14mm in diameter and 65mm in length. The first two digits are the diameter and the next two digits are the length. I there is a spring at the bottom of the battery tube you shouldn't have any problem using 14670 batts.

 

[BeatSherlock]

No prob. Thanks for the reply. I fiddled but it's a hassle. Seems to work on only particular outlets in my home. Does anyone know a charger that will take these (14650)?

 

[Icoth]

Any Lithium Ion Battery charger that will handle 18650's should work.

The Pila is generally considered the best. It's also the most expensive. It will handle 65 mm length plus or minus a few mm and comes with inserts for 50 mm batteries like the 14500. You have to get spacers or dummy cells for other lengths. It also has a higher charge rate and is not recommended for smaller cells like the 10440. (All info stolen from Pila IBC Charger Compendium)

The Trustfire TR-001, and Ultrafire WF-188 chargers are also commonly used.

I have two TR-001's and they've worked fine for me. I plan to buy a Pila one of these days, particularly since the price on them has dropped.

By the way, it's a good idea to have 2 chargers in case one breaks.

 

[bobsyeruncle]

MadVapes sells the 14650. I haven't had any problems with them.