Help with battery charger.

[caz55]

I'm having trouble keeping my batteries going. I bought two UltraFire 18650 batteries less than two months ago and both of them are not holding charge. I've had other UltraFires last about a year. I don't know if my TrueFire charger is working properly or if its the batteries. Another caveat. It seems I can get the batteries to work sometimes when I "pulse" the button on my Silver Bullet mod, but not if I hold it down constantly, so it could be the mod button is wearing out.

I can throw the batteries on the charger for a quick charge, but the charger indicates very quickly they are fully charged, but they don't last long until they either quit or I have to start pulsing the mod button.

I've ordered another mod and new batteries, but they're not here yet. My mistake was in not ordering a new charger as backup. Plus, I'm going to take everyone's advice and buy a battery tester. I should have already.

Anyone got any ideas or guesses on what my problem is?

 

[markfm]

Check the charger with a multimeter, see if it reads 4.2v dc for 3.7v batteries.

 

[Shadow102]

Are you using LR atties/cartos with the protected 18650's? I'm not sure about the larger batts but I know protected 14500's and smaller can have their protection circuits tripped by LR equipment. The circuit resets when placed back on the charger.

Definitely grab a multimeter and check not just the charger, but also the batteries, if they're giving no voltage reading at all after they die in your SB, then its probably the protection circuit tripping.

 

[caz55]

Are you using LR atties/cartos with the protected 18650's? I'm not sure about the larger batts but I know protected 14500's and smaller can have their protection circuits tripped by LR equipment. The circuit resets when placed back on the charger.

Definitely grab a multimeter and check not just the charger, but also the batteries, if they're giving no voltage reading at all after they die in your SB, then its probably the protection circuit tripping.

Yes, I'm using Cisco LR306's atty's, 1.5 ohm with the occasional standard 510. I've been using the LR atty's for several months. I know they're harder on batteries, but I've had four batteries die or almost die in the last two months. I'd hate to give up the LR's as they're my favorite atty by far.

 

[Shadow102]

I'd suggest popping one of the questionable ones on the charger till it goes green, then spend the day with a standard resistance atty and see if you get any of the battery death issues. You might just have to swap batteries (AW IMR's are recommended for LR applications, as they have a higher discharge rating) like I had to using LR cartos.

 

[caz55]

I'd suggest popping one of the questionable ones on the charger till it goes green, then spend the day with a standard resistance atty and see if you get any of the battery death issues. You might just have to swap batteries (AW IMR's are recommended for LR applications, as they have a higher discharge rating) like I had to using LR cartos.

I have on order two AW 18650 Protected 3100 mAh Rechargeable Lithium Batteries. Is this the same battery you were suggesting? What does IMR stand for?

 

[mynameisrob]

IMR are High-drain batteries. They hold a constant voltage longer than a regular battery. They work well, especially on unregulated PVs. Personally I'm not a fan of trustfires or ultrafire batteries for PVs. They dont seem to work as well

 

[Shadow102]

IMR batteries aren't typical Li-Ions, they're safer chemistry LiMn batteries. They have a higher discharge rate (larger C rating) which makes them more suitable for low resistance gear.

While made by the same company as the ones you've ordered they are slightly different, however the ones you ordered have tech specs listing a 5.8A max discharge rate, so that should cover you. Just for comparison sakes, the 18650 IMRs have max discharge rate of 15A.

 

[mooreted]

Found this on another forum:

I = lithium ion
C/M/F = cobalt/manganese/iron phosphate chemistry
R = rechargeable(?)

Therefore,

ICR 18650 = lithium cobalt oxide (traditional) cylindrical cell
IMR 18650 = lithium manganese oxide cylindrical cell
IFR 18650 = lithium iron phosphate cylindrical cell

all of which are rechargeable lithium ion cells 18 mm diameter by 65 mm long, and each of which has different voltages and electrical properties.

 

[caz55]

Thanks to everyone for your help. Learn something new every day.

While I'm at it, what battery charger and multimeter do you recommend and where's the best place to purchase them?