Charging Your Batteries

[mkbilbo]

Not necessarily bad (as in fritzing out and going up in smoke bad) but possibly over rated or mislabeled. The DC adapters that are typically sold with eGo charging dongles have a 500 mA output capacity. And if they are working properly that would be fine as the most an eGo charger will put out is 420 mA while charging. I'm wondering if the output capacity of the DC adapters in these problem scenarios is closer to 300 mA - like what they might manufacture for low battery capacity cell phones.

Yes, like that. Not so overtly bad but off one way or another.

Did occur to me last night that even my Joye branded adapter is rated as 500mA output and the dongle for 500mA input. Not a lot of room in that for component variance, aging, or just flaky power companies.

(Like I live semi-rural and 110 means many things here. The computer is protected by a UPS/line conditioner almost as big as the computer itself. Definitely heavier. Way heavier. )

I'm going to swap off and use the 2.1 amp USB wall adapter instead of the Joye and see if that makes a difference in charge time. I've noticed mine are taking longer lately. Not terribly bad but noticeable. And while they're not brand new, they're not that old.

 

[Intervap]

I plugged it into my desktop and it had a full charge by two and a half hours! I think I'll continue charging it on my PCs just for convenience, the only place it dies is at work or home. Is it bad for the Li-Ions to stay plugged in for long after they are charged? I know you don't want to let them die completely every single time, like a car battery, but will it hurt them to leave them plugged in?

You could try moving the charger dongle to a powered USB port (such as actually on the computer or a powered hub, unpowered ports such as on a keyboard can't drive the chargers). You could also do what I did, nab a USB wall adapter that has more capacity such as:

AmazonBasics Wall Charger with USB Outlet (2.1 Amp Output). 2.1 amps is 2100mA which is four times what the charger dongle needs. So the wall adapter isn't running "full tilt" the whole time. And, anyway, back ups are always a good idea.

 

[szot]

Like most all batteries U cannot overcharge them cuz they have shut off or low standby power circuits when they are fully charged...BUT I suggest U unplug them once they are fully charged cuz anything can happen or short circuit....no electronic device is perfectly made...

 

[BlueMoods]

No, it doesn't hurt them to leave them plugged in for a few hours. Until I got my Provari, I ran egos, often left them on while I slept, 6-8 hours) no problem, they are fine doing that. They stop charging when fully charged so, as long as there isn't a short or power surge while you leave them, it's fine. Makes another good reason to use the computer, assuming it is on a surge protector.

 

[bhswmc01]

What do y'all think of this charger?

Amazon.com: Bolse® 4 Port Premium High Output USB Wall/Travel/AC Rapid Charger (4 Amps / 20Watt / Fastest Speed) For iPhone, iPad, Samsung Android Smartphones - Black: Cell Phones & Accessories

 

[BlueMoods]

I'd ask the MAH output before buying, needs to be at least 500 for PV batteries.

 

[mkbilbo]

What do y'all think of this charger?

Amazon.com: Bolse® 4 Port Premium High Output USB Wall/Travel/AC Rapid Charger (4 Amps / 20Watt / Fastest Speed) For iPhone, iPad, Samsung Android Smartphones - Black: Cell Phones & Accessories

I don't trust their claim of "rapid charging". Li-ion batteries charge at the rate they charge. There is a stunt you can pull to make it look like they're charged "faster" by skipping the saturation phase. They reach near 100% of their voltage before they reach full capacity. They'll work and be fine but they won't last nearly as long.

I would be leery of anybody making claims about speedy charging. Also, if they are playing games, it won't work with your standard eGo charger anyway. The chip in the charger and the one in the battery control the charge. They're not going to let a wall adapter muck with things. And you don't want them to. The chips are made to protect the battery.

(Li-ions don't "explode" per se but the can overheat and "burst". Which is close enough to the same thing. Also, overheating them can cause fires. Some pretty dramatic ones at that.)

And the part about specialized ports is disturbing. There shouldn't be specialized ports. USB is supposed to be a standard. Not fiddled with to make things look "speedy" or something.

Myself, I'd stick to plain vanilla USB made by reputable companies. USB is USB is USB. You need 500mA or more to run an eGo charger. And that's pretty much that. I prefer getting a 1000mA (1 amp) or higher USB wall wart so it can "coast along". Even my branded Joye is only 500mA meaning it runs full tilt driving the charger which tends to wear components faster.