Help!! Is my new Vision Spinner 650mah broken?

[orbach]

I received a Vision Spinner 650mah battery a few days ago from GotVapes. I've charged it a couple of times and everything's been good until tonight.

I was charging the batt when I noticed the batt's button light had gone out but the charger (a 450ma USB charger) LED still blinked from mostly red to a flash of green, then repeat. I expectd the batt button to turn off more or less at the same time the charger LED turned green. I took the batt off the charger and vaped once or twice then put it back on the charger. At this point, the batt button flashed three times, the charger LED turned red, then the batt button flashed/blinked like 20 times.

I have no idea what the 20 flashes mean. Is this some kind of error indication? What could be wrong? The battery itself seems to work fine. I am vaping on it now.

This is what I have observed is the normal sequence of events:
1) Plug charger to USB port, LED turns green,
2) Screw batt on charger,
3) Batt button flashes 3 times and stays on then charger LED turns mostly red with short green pulses,
3) After some time, could be a an hour or more, batt button turns of and charger LED turns green

What I see now (after charging for about an hour but charger LED never turned green):
1) Plug charger to USB port, LED turns green,
2) Screw batt on charger, batt button flashes three times, charger LED begins to flash red/green, THEN BATT BUTTON FLASHES LIKE 20 TIMES and turns off. Charger LED is still mostly red with short green pulses as if it is charging.

I don't understand the 20 flashes and have read about exploding batteries and such and am a bit nervous.

Questions:
1) Should the batt be turned off (ie 5 button presses) while charging?
2) Should the batt VV control be set at some specific voltage while charging (like to minimum or max voltage or somewhere in between)?
3) And of course, why does the bat button flash 20 times?

Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks!

Update: right after posting this, I vaped a couple of times and the batt button flashed a number of times and stopped working. I know this indicates the batt is discharged. So the batt had very little charge on it as I vaped on it maybe 10 times since I took if off the charger.

 

[yiddleboge6]

Hope this helps..........it's from another thread, but I've copied it for you:

This is what I just found about charging the 'spinner'
1. When the battery has run down when first inserted, the button LED flashes quickly 3 times & then goes out for a few seconds & then comes back on & stays on. The charger light turns red.

2. Once it reaches a certain charge state, the button LED flashes rapidly 8 times & then goes out. But the charger continues charging & the charger light remains red for about 30-45 minutes, then the charger LED turns a solid green.

It seems to charge using a 2 stage process but cannot confirm if it is employing a CC/CV charge which is the correct way to charge Lithium Ion batteries, but it certainly behaves that way & is NOT a faulty battery.

It's perfectly all right to remove the battery after stage 1 has completed & use it. It may even extend the life of the battery.

Credit for this info goes to Thrasher in Florida

 

[orbach]

Thanks yiddle, I did read that on a few threads, but mine is flashing something like 20 times (hard to count exactly cause it's fast, but def much more than 8 times). I'm getting another charger just in case.

 

[yiddleboge6]

In regards to settings or being turned off or on when charging..........that shouldn't matter. What kind of charger are you using?

 

[orbach]

I'm using 450ma USB charger I got from MadVapes, I think, because GotVapes is sold out. I just found gotvapes has a kit that includes both the USB charger and a USB wall adapter, so I'll get that kit. The thing is I could swear I've read somewhere about 20 flashes on a battery but for the life of me I can't find that thread anymore and can't remember what it said about it.

 

[yiddleboge6]

wish I could be of more help.......kind of dead in the forum right now............maybe by morning somebody else will show up with better answers for you

 

[badkolo]

when did you purchase it, if its recent i would suggest to make a ticket at igotvapes.com

 

[orbach]

Thanks badkolo,

I placed the order on Dec 19, 2012, so yes very recent. Will open a ticket and will order the charger kit too just in case the charger I have is bad.

Edit: After Christmas... ticket counter is closed lol

 

[Adrena]

How long have you been using the charger? Try cleaning the inside of it and the batts pin gently with a Q tip?
I'm of the opinion your charger may be a little wet with juice? The 20 or so error flash you getting from the batt is it protecting itself as it should against a constant flow/loop of power. It reads you have the button pressed like in use wile charging. I have fixed this with other batts by cleaning the charger or adjusting charger's pin. As a last resort just replacing said charger.

 

[orbach]

Thanks Adrena. I received the charger about 4 days ago. I have cleaned it and the batt contacts, still doing the same thing. Have two chargers on order so I will be able to diagnose the problem in a couple of days. The batt seems to work fine as it will gain power while just sitting and will vape a couple of times before disconnecting for lack of charge. It doesn't seem to charge much if at all on the charger. I think the charger is suspect.

 

[dodari]

Have you tried the charger output with a volt meter? Just a thought.

 

[orbach]

No I haven't. I have to find my voltmeter first, that is a challenge in itself lol. I may have lost it, may be time for a new one.

 

[orbach]

It was the charger. The Spinner works fine with the new charger. Thanks everyone!

 

[yiddleboge6]

It was the charger. The Spinner works fine with the new charger. Thanks everyone!

Congrats!!! Happy to hear it wasn't the spinner..........thanks for letting us know