Help!! lookin to make a box with a usb recharge capability.

[Yellowman1972]

first off I know just enough about electronics not to kill myself and my soldering skills would be rated as passable....ya passable. with that being said could someone point me in the right direction to get started on building a box that would have the capability to charge the battery via usb? I found these boxes but they are usb out is there a way to convert it or is it more trouble than its worth?
4 X AA Battery Holder Box 1PCS 5V DC USB OUTPUT NEW!!! - eBay (item 150491211730 end time Dec-08-10 06:09:37 PST)

I really would like to make a VV bottome fed juice box that recharges via usb or mini usb. if any others have done this or if there is a thread you know about that deal with some or all of these things please pm me as I will be eternally grateful.

Thanks ahead of time for any and all help guys.

p.s I have already secured a few of the chips from the evercool VV as that looked to be the easiest switching regulator I could find and it was free so that was umm awesome. but I really don't want to use a linear regulator as I dont want to worry about a heat sink or any other heat related issues.

 

[Lee1111]

Oops, looks like we made a thread about the same thing. Well, similar at least. I am looking for help in wiring up a max1811 charging IC chip. I think that's where you're headed too.

 

[WillyB]

I really would like to make a VV bottome fed juice box that recharges via usb or mini usb.

Assuming the batteries are in series, it's not and easy task.

If you built a one cell mod with a booster you could do something like this.

MadVapes e-Cig 'How To' Tutorials • View topic - Added a USB Charger to a 3.7V Box Mod

 

[Yellowman1972]

thanks willyb. was thinking of just doing the tekkeon route and use one 18650. but thats without the VV.

 

[capecodjim]

thanks willyb. was thinking of just doing the tekkeon route and use one 18650. but thats without the VV.

The Tekk mod has a 5 volt regulated output on the USB connector.

I did the basic Tekk mod but haven't been able to get it working on one battery so I can add a juice pump.

 

[capecodjim]

first off I know just enough about electronics not to kill myself and my soldering skills would be rated as passable....ya passable. with that being said could someone point me in the right direction to get started on building a box that would have the capability to charge the battery via usb? I found these boxes but they are usb out is there a way to convert it or is it more trouble than its worth?
4 X AA Battery Holder Box 1PCS 5V DC USB OUTPUT NEW!!! - eBay (item 150491211730 end time Dec-08-10 06:09:37 PST)

I really would like to make a VV bottome fed juice box that recharges via usb or mini usb. if any others have done this or if there is a thread you know about that deal with some or all of these things please pm me as I will be eternally grateful.

Thanks ahead of time for any and all help guys.

p.s I have already secured a few of the chips from the evercool VV as that looked to be the easiest switching regulator I could find and it was free so that was umm awesome. but I really don't want to use a linear regulator as I dont want to worry about a heat sink or any other heat related issues.

This box only puts out power. It's not an AA charger.

It's so you can use 4 x AA's to power your cell or ipod or whatever via the USB. You have to take the batteries out to charge them.

I have parts for the VV too but haven't gotten that far yet..... so many mods, so little time!

 

[NuMoNiC]

I'm still looking for a charger that will charge 18650s. Maybe 14500s will charge but I can tell you that the 3 I have bought from madvapes will not charge my 18650s. They appear to charge but never finish.

 

[WillyB]

I'm still looking for a charger that will charge 18650s. Maybe 14500s will charge but I can tell you that the 3 I have bought from madvapes will not charge my 18650s. They appear to charge but never finish.

Well do those chargers have an output listed on them?

If MadVapes says "looks to contain charge components (probably 200ma output)" I'm assuming it isn't 200mA. The original Joye USB chargers only had a 100mA output.

Either way it should be charging, just very slowly.

Joye's eGo USB chargers output 420mA, which is basically the maximum of most USB fed chargers.

 

[Rocketman]

I'm still looking for a charger that will charge 18650s. Maybe 14500s will charge but I can tell you that the 3 I have bought from madvapes will not charge my 18650s. They appear to charge but never finish.

Did you let them charge for like maybe 3 days?
Rated current from a 100 or 200ma charger is peak. As battery voltage climbs toward cutoff, actual charge current drops. Monitoring voltage might help figure out what's going on. The last 0.1 volt or so could take a day to top off an 18650 with one of those little chargers, three days total.

 

[NuMoNiC]

Lol rocket! I am to impatient for that! I have tried a standard 808 charger. It actually got one of my 18650s hot and it was reading 4.26!! So I tossed it. I just recently tried one of the so called 400 mah from madvapes last week and it never fully charged. Right down to the charger getting so hot it melted a trace on the board.

 

[WillyB]

I just recently tried one of the so called 400 mah from madvapes last week and it never fully charged.

Which one?

I used this KR universal charger in the early days to charge a 14500, worked fine. Usually came off at about 4.18V.

It is only 0.15A output though.

 

[Rocketman]

14500 is not an 18650. Figure up the milliamps from the charger, and the capacity of the battery.
If you draw more than the rated output of the charger it will die. Current will slow down as the voltage nears the max output of the charger, unless it is specifically a "rapid charger" or the over voltage circuit get crapped out and will charge until the battery overvoltage circuit takes over. It is probably not a good sign when things get hot enough to burn.

The little 100 to 200mah usb chargers should be good for anything up to 1000mah, over that have a fire extinguisher handy.
Just because someone else did it doesn't mean yours won't catch on fire.

"Got your 18650 HOT" indicates a failure of charger or battery protection circuit. Without getting into a name brand discussion, does just ONE of your 18650 batteries cost MORE than your CHARGER?

 

[Yellowman1972]

So I am just gonna gut the fistpack style packs for what I need. Enclose it in wood and add a juice bottle to bottom feed. I got 5 of em for 15.00 each. May just try and make a wood fistpack with a juice bottle....

 

[capecodjim]

So I am just gonna gut the fistpack style packs for what I need. Enclose it in wood and add a juice bottle to bottom feed. I got 5 of em for 15.00 each. May just try and make a wood fistpack with a juice bottle....

Are you making your own wooden boxes? Take some pics along the way and let us know how they come out!

 

[WillyB]

14500 is not an 18650. Figure up the milliamps from the charger, and the capacity of the battery.
If you draw more than the rated output of the charger it will die. Current will slow down as the voltage nears the max output of the charger, unless it is specifically a "rapid charger" or the over voltage circuit get crapped out and will charge until the battery overvoltage circuit takes over. It is probably not a good sign when things get hot enough to burn.

I think I know the difference a 14500 and an 18650.

Do you own one of these? Have you ever charged 2 18650's at a time?

The folks at the CPForums have reported that these do not output 500mA , they are reported to be below 400mA, one report claimed 330mA, and that is total output.

 

[Rocketman]

Yes, that's my normal 18650 charger. One cell I get 440ma, two cells between 220 and 240ma.
I'd check one now but I don't think I have a low one.
Let me check the one I'm vaping now, back soon.

 

[Rocketman]

Well, can't find a really low cell, and it doesn't look like I can back up my claims
Here's what I got with the cells I have handy, maybe after I vape this one down I'll try again.

unloaded cell voltage/charge current
4.21v/3.5ma
4.18v/9ma (revised)
4.15v/19ma
4.07v/51ma
3.99v/92ma
3.75v/217ma (current vape)
3.72v/226ma (this could take all night, I'm using one of those flame Trustfires )
3.69v/245ma
I'll add more later on tonight. And this was not the "good" meter. I don't do amps through the good meter

Finished off this cell, 3.36v unloaded, not enough vapor to continue.
These measurements went pretty fast so I measured both chargers.

3.50v/447ma/455ma
3.43v/476ma/484ma
3.36v/495ma/516ma

Seems both of mine make it to the 500ma, single slot. But, as cell voltage climbs, it doesn't stay at 500ma for long. I did not completely drain the cell, just to the point it didn't produce much vapor. When connected to the charger current falls to 400ma in just a couple of minutes. Note that each slot will be different.

EDIT: Recharged that 18650 Trustfire, just under 8 hrs to green light.

But one thing for sure. If the voltage gets up to 4.26, that is pretty darn high. With an upper limit in the charger and an upper limit on the cell protection circuit, a high terminal charge voltage indicates one or more failures. If a cell gets hot, that is not a good thing. Even if the cell gets hot out in a parked car during the summer. Most of the LI-ion chargers (except a constant current, balancing charger I don't use on e-cig batteries) will charge with a higher current with a low cell and taper to almost nothing when the cell gets to the upper limit.
Let me vape and not type and I don't know why I'm doing this. I'm happy with my $8 chargers and $6 batteries.

 

[givesuhe11]

I think I know the difference a 14500 and an 18650.

Do you own one of these? Have you ever charged 2 18650's at a time?

The folks at the CPForums have reported that these do not output 500mA , they are reported to be below 400mA, one report claimed 330mA, and that is total output.

I have two of those chargers... I put two 18650's in them and they charge two 18650's (at the same time) in about 4-5 hours... been doing so for 3 months now. (knock on willy's head... errr... wood)

edit: I also charge 18350's @ 1200mah 3-4 hrs

 

[Rocketman]

Charger results are in.
See post #17

 

[WillyB]

It's not important, my KR charger example was to show that ecig battery chargers can charge normal batteries, not necessarily an 18650. That's why I wanted to know what 400mA charger the OP tried that did not work.

I have two of those chargers... I put two 18650's in them and they charge two 18650's (at the same time) in about 4-5 hours.

Hmm, I have the same charger (over a year old) and it seems to take at least 6+ hours with only one cell, and I never drain them completely. But although they have stayed in the same case there have been a few revisions to the circuitry.