Can I charge LiFeP04 batteries on a regular Li-Ion charger?

[g33k]

Hey experts,
First off thanks to all of you for giving great information in this forum. I've learned quite a bit from all of you in my vaping venture!!

My question is this...I recently purchased a BSB from altsmoke and wanted to go 6v. I purchased the RCR123a 3.0v batteries as I've seen recommended in ECF. When my batteries arrived (mind you I work in IT and this is not my field....batteries that is) they were shipped wrong. I rec'd the RCR123a 3.0v 750mAh ones instead of the RCR123a 3.0v 900mAh protected Tenergy's I ordered originally. I contacted the vendor and started thinking...and searching for info. I read that the LiFeP04 are safer to use with each other as the chemical makeup is better to run 2 together than the other protected 900 mAh ones. This being found I decided to keep the ones I rec'd (and ask for a refund on the price difference on the vendors site) but noticed that the charger I got was a Tenergy Model PH-123a-3.0A and says Li-Ion on the front. Every other kit I've seen for the LiFeP04 did not have a Li-Ion charger.

All that out of the way, is it safe to use this charger on the LiFeP04 batteries?

Any help is GREATLY appreciated!!

Thanks in advance!!

 

[Kurt]

They are all 3.0V batts, and thus all Li FePO4. The voltage is due to the material. The mAh is often a different number for the same type of batt. That number is whatever the manufacturer wants it to be. Some sites even state openly that their 10440s are measuring at 350 mAh, but the label claims 600 mAh. Other, more common, Li-ion batts, like normal PV batts and those used in PTs and other mods, use a different electrochemical material which gives 3.7-4.2V at max charge. Given the name of the charger you got, your batts are what it was meant for.

Protected high capacity batts in HV PVs have problems because the voltage drop causes the protection circuitry to kick in. You are certainly better off with unprotected batts, at least with most of the HV devices today. The issue will be if your charger has protection circuitry to not overcharge, and it almost certainly does, but in case it doesn't, I would watch the batts for the first charge or two. The chances of a problem are slim, but not zero, and when they go, they really go.

 

[DonDaBoomVape]

You cannot use the Li-Ion charger to charge the LiFePO4 batteries! [Although I am a bit puzzled. My "Tenergy LiFePO4 RCR123A Charger" is labeled such on the front, but the model number on the back is the same as the one you mention, i.e., "PH-123a-3.0A."]

From the Battery Junction page for the Li-Ion charger/battery kit:

Warnings:

• You must use the 3.0V RCR123A battery charger included to charge these 900mah RCR123A 3.0V batteries, please do not use other chargesr nor charge other batteries with this charger.
  
  
• This Charger can not be used to charge any other 3.0 or 3.6V RCR123A cells or they may explode!

The bold emphasis is theirs (as is the misspelling of 'chargesr'). NOTE: The Tenergy page for this charger is less alarming. It merely states: "This charger only works with our Tenergy RCR123A 900mAh and not compatible with Tenergy RCR123A 750mAh batteries"