Deeming Regulations have been released!!!!

[UncLeJunkLe]

Looking at the Gyrfalcon All-44 and All-88 chargers on a couple sites.

Looks like they don't have user defined termination voltage, rather selectable preset termination voltages of
Ni-MH 1.5V
LiFePO4 3.6V
Li-ion 4.2V / 4.3V / 4.35

The LiFePo4 termination setting could be used as a storage voltage setting for Liion batts, but no setting for 4.1v termination.

 

[englishmick]

Reputable brand batts come shipped at 3.5-3.6 volts so I suspect that's the proper storage voltage range.

Good point. For cold storage just throw them straight in the fridge as soon as they arrive.

The next question is whether to buy a bunch now, or wait until a ban appears on the horizon. Trouble with waiting is that if they announce a ban is coming everyone is going to be looking for them.

 

[Rossum]

Should that happen, this will also be a good place to find info on which power tool batteries to take apart and scavenge the batteries. Most tool power packs are just high drain 18650s daisy chained in various series/parallel configurations.

That's my plan "C" as well. The hassle with pulling them out of power-tool packs is that they will have tabs or flat conductors spot-welded onto both ends. It's a pain to get those off cleanly, and even of if you get them off reasonably cleanly, the spots where they were welded will be highly prone to rust because the (nickel?) plating there has been damaged.

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

Good point. For cold storage just throw them straight in the fridge as soon as they arrive.

Best to check voltage first, though. My Epoch batts came with a 3.8v charge. I would not call those "reputable" brand, but they are a decent battery (the 18350). They are Chinese cells if I'm not mistaken (YDL18350D?). Best to check even on Samsung, LG, Molicel, etc.

The next question is whether to buy a bunch now, or wait until a ban appears on the horizon. Trouble with waiting is that if they announce a ban is coming everyone is going to be looking for them.

A ban won't happen over night. Will take months or more. People here on ECF will get wind of something on the horizon months before any law would take effect, they always have.

 

[Rossum]

Rossum's testing

Room temp, fully charged: 3.2% loss
Room temp, ~50% charged: 2.3% loss <-- about 70°F +/- I'm guessing
Fridge, ~50%^ charged: 1.1% loss
Freezer, ~50% charged: 0.9% loss

Battery U.

Temperature/40% charge/100% charge
0°C 98% (after 1 year) 94% (after 1 year)
25°C 96% (after 1 year) 80% (after 1 year) <--- 77°F a bit warmer than room temp
40°C 85% (after 1 year) 65% (after 1 year) <--- 104°F who stores any batt at this temp
60°C 75% (after 1 year) 60%(after 3 months) <--- 140°F ... likewise

FWIW: A big difference between your tests and Batt U. at "room temp". You show a 2.3% loss and Batt U. shows a 20% loss.

I would speculate the Battery U data is based on early Li-ion cells, and that battery chemistry has improved since then.

However, their data is what motivated me to run storage tests at different temperatures.

 

[Rossum]

How do you check internal resistance using a multi-meter? I can't figure it.

I don't really trust multimeter parlor tricks for this.

I use a dedicated meter:
Playing with a Vapcell YR1030 AC Resistance Tester

And in case anyone is skeptical about my capacity measurements, I'm using a WMR CBA-HR:
Tease

 

[Horselady154]

Are batteries included in the vape material that can no longer be shipped by USPS, FedEx and UPS in March?

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

Are batteries included in the vape material that can no longer be shipped by USPS, FedEx and UPS in March?

The only issue you should see for battery shipments is if it is shipped by a retailer identified as a vape retailer or tobacco retailer. If you buy your batts from a battery retailer, you would be safe since batteries are, well, batteries, just like wire is wire unless it is branded as vape wire, just like cotton is cotton unless it's branded as vape cotton.

On the other hand, if you're buying Tim's Tobacco Battery brand of batteries, then you should worry. But then, you should probably not be using them anyhow

 

[Rossum]

Are batteries included in the vape material that can no longer be shipped by USPS, FedEx and UPS in March?

I pretty much agree with @UncleJunkle, with two caveats:
1) Li-ion batteries are always supposed to ship ground, never by air.
2) The agency that may cause a problem for battery availability isn't the FDA, but rather the CPSC. They've been making noises of late. Thankfully, bureaucracy tends to move at a glacial pace.

 

[Kent C]

How long have you kept batteries in the fridge?

So far when the batts I've been using start to fail (not hold charge well), I ditch the whole batch and start another batch. So far each batch has lasted @2 1/2+ years, but I'm MTL and am vaping 4 mods during the day at 8 to 11.5W depending on the juice - lighter juices - lower watts, etc, ... so ... some will be in the fridge 3-5 years - maybe more if I think there's a need to stock up, but because of the other uses mentioned, I don't think that will be the case.

 

[Kent C]

Thanks. The only charger I ever had fail on me was an xtar. It was two bay and over charged two 18650 batteries. One battery launched about 15 feet and the charger melted. Thank god it was in the garage and not in the house. It took a long time to clean up and the garage smelled for quite a while.

Same here with xstar failing, but not like that :- ) went back to nitecore. I've always had one nitecore - got the xstat as a second - now 2 nitecore "new i2".

 

[Katya]

Same here with xstar failing, but not like that :- ) went back to nitecore. I've always had one nitecore - got the xstat as a second - now 2 nitecore "new i2".

Oops. My old Nitecore just died peacefully in its sleep. I was planning on replacing it with an Xtar.

Now I'm not so sure...

Which Nitecore did you get?

 

[Bronze]

Oops. My old Nitecore just died peacefully in its sleep. I was planning on replacing it with an Xtar.

Now I'm not so sure...

Which Nitecore did you get?

I own two xtars and have had no problems.

 

[Katya]

I own two xtars and have had no problems.

Yeah, I own an Xtar too, and it's been flawless. Thanks, Bronze.

 

[Kent C]

Oops. My old Nitecore just died peacefully in its sleep. I was planning on replacing it with an Xtar.

Now I'm not so sure...

Which Nitecore did you get?

"new i2" from illumn:

Nitecore New i2 Intellicharger Li-ion, NiMH/NiCd Charger - Batteries, Chargers, Battery Holders, PVC Wrap, and Terminal Protectors (illumn.com)

 

[Katya]

"new i2" from illumn:

Nitecore New i2 Intellicharger Li-ion, NiMH/NiCd Charger - Batteries, Chargers, Battery Holders, PVC Wrap, and Terminal Protectors (illumn.com)

Thanks, Kent! Looks like the newer version of the one I just lost. It was really old, poor thing.

 

[Bronze]

Yeah, I own an Xtar too, and it's been flawless. Thanks, Bronze.

I have one that’s gotta be 5-6 years old. The display screen has faded down to almost unreadable. Got another one (needed two) and I keep the screen off. Turn it on only when I want to change a setting.

 

[Katya]

I have one that’s gotta be 5-6 years old. The display screen has faded down to almost unreadable. Got another one (needed two) and I keep the screen off. Turn it on only when I want to change a setting.

Good tip, thanks.

I like this Xtar--reviewed by Mooch here: Bench Test Results: Xtar ST2 dual-4.1A charger

Thank God they are not banning chargers any time soon--yet.

 

[Bronze]

Good tip, thanks.

I like this Xtar--reviewed by Mooch here: Bench Test Results: Xtar ST2 dual-4.1A charger

Thank God they are not banning chargers any time soon--yet.

Not yet, anyway.

 

[Kent C]

Thanks, Kent! Looks like the newer version of the one I just lost. It was really old, poor thing.

So were my old ones - stood up for years. Easier to place batts on the new ones, which was also a plus for the xstar - don't know what happened - just quit working - did a few things, but nope. It was about 2 years old. The old i2's were the first ones I had, and they still were working when I changed over. In storage :- )