"Marry" up your multiple battery mods!!

[DaveP]

I'm a 10W vaper, but I like the vape time on dual 18650 mods. Up topic someone mentioned marking married batteries and how it wears off with a felt tip. Some of the best batteries from Sony and Samsung only come with a dot matrix ID on the wrap and that wears off, too.

My fix is to use clear battery wrap after marking married batts. You can write on them with a felt tip or add your own created label, slide on the clear battery wrap, and hit it for 10 or 15 seconds with a hair dryer. I've not had a problem with the slightly increased diameter from the over wrap. Doing that also gives you additional protection from wrap cracking and causing a short on flat tops.

 

[whiteowl84]

I'm a 10W vaper, but I like the vape time on dual 18650 mods. Up topic someone mentioned marking married batteries and how it wears off with a felt tip. Some of the best batteries from Sony and Samsung only come with a dot matrix ID on the wrap and that wears off, too.

My fix is to use clear battery wrap after marking married batts. You can write on them with a felt tip or add your own created label, slide on the clear battery wrap, and hit it for 10 or 15 seconds with a hair dryer. I've not had a problem with the slightly increased diameter from the over wrap. Doing that also gives you additional protection from wrap cracking and causing a short on flat tops.

I use a paint marker to go around the positive side of one battery and the negative side of the other. When you put them in a series mod the paint for either battery is either on the top or bottom. That way you can keep them rotated and you aren't pulling one battery to death every day.
What is battery tape? I'd love something thin that isn't packing tape to wrap them with...3-4 months and I've still not cracked the wraps but it will happen.

 

[DaveP]

I use a paint marker to go around the positive side of one battery and the negative side of the other. When you put them in a series mod the paint for either battery is either on the top or bottom. That way you can keep them rotated and you aren't pulling one battery to death every day.
What is battery tape? I'd love something thin that isn't packing tape to wrap them with...3-4 months and I've still not cracked the wraps but it will happen.

It's a plastic tube that slides over a battery. It comes in colors and also in clear plastic. You cut it about 1/4" or so longer than the battery, slide it over, and hit it with a hair dryer on high for 10 or 15 seconds until it shrinks and conforms to the battery shape.

It's the same stuff that batteries are wrapped with when you buy them. I leave the factory wrap on and add the new wrap over the old for double protection. It's great to ensure that your labels or markings don't rub off. I use the clear wrap and everything shows through.

Kidney puncher has them in all colors for 15 cents each. There may be cheaper prices somewhere, but a buck fifty for 10 isn't bad.
18650 Battery Wraps - Assorted Colors

 

[whiteowl84]

I've never heard it called tape before.
I ordered some yesterday from imrbatteries.com...translucent blue and clear plus the insulators for the top.
Probably the the best way I could have spent $5.
I got the clear ones so I could print labels and put them under the wrap...
I just realized how much of a dork I am for thinking a custom labeled and wrapped battery is "cool".

 

[Phassat]

Cuboid Issues

I raised a question about marrying batteries in my other topic related with Cuboid.
Is there a case where a battery just doesn't want to get married since the beginning?

 

[sawlight]

Reading your thread, you are correct in needing an external charger. I've seen this symptom shown in several multiple battery mods, the RX200 being a prime example. Either the charger isn't balanced and charging the batteries evenly, or the board isn't reading the correct voltage of the batteries.
The only way to know for sure is to measure the battery voltage externally with a DVM or good quality battery tester. Swapping batteries from mod to mod is not an accurate way of testing voltage.

 

[Phassat]

Reading your thread, you are correct in needing an external charger. I've seen this symptom shown in several multiple battery mods, the RX200 being a prime example. Either the charger isn't balanced and charging the batteries evenly, or the board isn't reading the correct voltage of the batteries.
The only way to know for sure is to measure the battery voltage externally with a DVM or good quality battery tester. Swapping batteries from mod to mod is not an accurate way of testing voltage.

Yes I guess you are true... Basically although both device might not be accurate, I was looking for consistency... Anyway I am looking to get an efest luc v4 or xtar vp4 for charging... Hopefully with external charger they can balance the voltage of each battery

I can't attended when my devices being charged all the time... And many times, I overslept while charging as I primarily charge at night before bed. So better to have a reliable devices

 

[DingerCPA]

@sawlight, I recently got a Reuleaux 200S, so I picked up 3 pair of batteries. I have them labeled accordingly - even try to remember to rotate the batteries through the positions in the mod as well as on the charger (which I haven't had to do too often yet!) I notice that one battery comes off slightly higher than the other two, so does this mean that they're discharging at different rates? I had read somewhere not too long ago that because they're series, charging in an external charger doesn't really charge them "together"? The comment was made to charge them in the mod to truly "marry" them?

Thoughts?

 

[Topweasel]

@sawlight, I recently got a Reuleaux 200S, so I picked up 3 pair of batteries. I have them labeled accordingly - even try to remember to rotate the batteries through the positions in the mod as well as on the charger (which I haven't had to do too often yet!) I notice that one battery comes off slightly higher than the other two, so does this mean that they're discharging at different rates? I had read somewhere not too long ago that because they're series, charging in an external charger doesn't really charge them "together"? The comment was made to charge them in the mod to truly "marry" them?

Thoughts?

Exact opposite. It's not about making them perfect the fact is even in a 2 battery device there is a chance that the batteries will go into the charger slightly unleveled. The swapping of batteries between bays is meant to even out the fact one or two tend to be slightly more discharged.

The point is to make sure they have the same duty cycles. So that they discharge the same and you always want to charge them externally for two reasons. 1. Most multi battery devices do not do actual balanced charging, when one battery hits the limit it cuts off. Even devices that seem to do level charging seems to charge one short. Best way to test is to pull the batteries after full charge and check the voltage in a charger. 2. Most internal battery chargers don't do the top off cycle and stop charging well short of the 4.2. On my Nicore charger when it gets to +90%, it stops charging at 750mA and charges as 200mA for an hour or two. That trickle charge is to top the battery off without damaging the battery. Most device stop at 4.1 or 4.15.

Tldr; slightly off discharges are OK. Swapping bays the batteries go into is for that reason. Want identical duty cycles. Want full charges. In mod charging is quickest way to unmarry a battery.

 

[DingerCPA]

Thanks muchly, @Topweasel. Makes sense.

 

[sawlight]

This seems to be a 200x issue, one, the board doesn't always show a balanced charge, two (which doesn't count in your case) the on board charger doesn't always "balance charge" the batteries.
I'll only slightly add to the above post, unless you are checking the batteries off the charger with an external, trusted, device, as in a decent VOM, it's truly hard to prove, or disprove, the onboard system, but from what I've read (I don't, and probably never will, own one) it has a tendancy to always show one battery low. Please, watch the reviews, it's not a huge deal, but a well known one.

 

[Phassat]

Exact opposite. It's not about making them perfect the fact is even in a 2 battery device there is a chance that the batteries will go into the charger slightly unleveled. The swapping of batteries between bays is meant to even out the fact one or two tend to be slightly more discharged.

The point is to make sure they have the same duty cycles. So that they discharge the same and you always want to charge them externally for two reasons. 1. Most multi battery devices do not do actual balanced charging, when one battery hits the limit it cuts off. Even devices that seem to do level charging seems to charge one short. Best way to test is to pull the batteries after full charge and check the voltage in a charger. 2. Most internal battery chargers don't do the top off cycle and stop charging well short of the 4.2. On my Nicore charger when it gets to +90%, it stops charging at 750mA and charges as 200mA for an hour or two. That trickle charge is to top the battery off without damaging the battery. Most device stop at 4.1 or 4.15.

Tldr; slightly off discharges are OK. Swapping bays the batteries go into is for that reason. Want identical duty cycles. Want full charges. In mod charging is quickest way to unmarry a battery.

Do you charge the battery overnight?

 

[Topweasel]

Do you charge the battery overnight?

Sure. Hell most of the time it takes the same amount of time I am asleep to charge them. A decent to good external charger is going to stop charging at full so an extra hour or two on the charger is fine. Just don't leave batteries on the charger for extended periods (day(s)) for reasons like waiting for the set in the mod to die. These do self discharge and it wouldn't take a lot to get the charger to start charging again.

 

[sawlight]

It's not recommended, or safe for that matter, to charge your batteries overnight/unattended. That being said, I can't honestly say I never do it myself. We all have some sort of a life.

 

[jwilkers]

It's not recommended, or safe for that matter, to charge your batteries overnight/unattended. That being said, I can't honestly say I never do it myself. We all have some sort of a life.

I've actually got a pair sitting on the charger now that went overnight. Yes, I only charge when I am home. 90% of the time I also have to be awake and check up on them. My charger and batteries are of decent quality. My married pair is still charging fairly identically.

Sent from my LG-D631 using Tapatalk

 

[Phassat]

Sure. Hell most of the time it takes the same amount of time I am asleep to charge them. A decent to good external charger is going to stop charging at full so an extra hour or two on the charger is fine. Just don't leave batteries on the charger for extended periods (day(s)) for reasons like waiting for the set in the mod to die. These do self discharge and it wouldn't take a lot to get the charger to start charging again.

Good to hear... I always hear people says that when charging the battery, it has to be attended. I can't imagine waiting that long until it fully charge. Most of the time, I would charge before I go to sleep and then stop it when I wake up.

 

[seek2]

@sawlight, I recently got a Reuleaux 200S, so I picked up 3 pair of batteries. I have them labeled accordingly - even try to remember to rotate the batteries through the positions in the mod as well as on the charger (which I haven't had to do too often yet!) I notice that one battery comes off slightly higher than the other two, so does this mean that they're discharging at different rates? I had read somewhere not too long ago that because they're series, charging in an external charger doesn't really charge them "together"? The comment was made to charge them in the mod to truly "marry" them?

The 3 batteries are in series. So the 1st battery gets hit the hardest and sheds the load back. Battery #1 will always die 1st in a 3 battery setup. Its not good to charge much via usb on the rx 200 (or any 18650 multi battery setup). It won't charge to 100% correctly. Take them out and charge them all to 4.2 and they are "balanced". So what you are seeing is completely normal.

Even on a lipo pack, its the same. Cell 1 will be lowest. But there is an actual balancer involved in the charging process as its a complete pack and not individual cells.

 

[frizzy_tyger]

Would those types of labels be fine to use? I have a handheld Dymo label maker laying around from a number of years ago I could use. I'm just thinking if it adds to much to the battery and snags inside the mod.

I have been useing a p-touch lable maker to mark when I got a battery and which type of battery it is. I have a hard time remembering off the top of my head. I haven't had any issues with them getting snagged. I only have single battery devices however I don't think multiple batteries would cause any additional snagging.

 

[Topweasel]

Good to hear... I always hear people says that when charging the battery, it has to be attended. I can't imagine waiting that long until it fully charge. Most of the time, I would charge before I go to sleep and then stop it when I wake up.

Here is the thing. Battery safety is no laughing matter. But these aren't that different than an NiMh rechargable battery. The biggest difference is when a NiMh battery starts to go it pops a little and starts seeping its inards out. An Li battery can pop a little more violently. That said even with a charger that goes bad chances are the Li will vent (into open air) and everything is great. Lipos are different and have a much higher explody firey chance. That said we use rechargeable batteries in everything. Chances are you have a much higher voltage and amperage Li or Lipo in your laptop. We have ones in our phones our tablets. We have them in so much. Yet we don't have this irrational fear on them.

It's important to recognize what causes devices to fail and how they fail and try to keep them in mind. But sitting on top of a charging process of a quality battery is utterly pointless if you take the important cautions like making sure the wrap is good, that you haven't abused the battery, and have replaced any device that has been acting up.

 

[DaveP]

I have 3 sets of dual 18650 married sets that go into and out of the charger matched in voltage. Even if I put them in to charge and there's a slight mismatch, rotating the one that's not matched will usually result in it going to the same voltage as the other one. It's more of a resistance issue that's caused by tarnished connections.

My RX200S seems to have a problem reading the battery voltages correctly. Others have noticed that, too. That's sad, because it is supposed to monitor for batteries out of sync in voltage with the other two and notifying the user to prevent unmatched sets from being used. When I compare the readings to an actual voltmeter check, the voltmeter will read all three at the same voltage to the 2nd decimal point. The mod shows as much as .18v difference between three batteries and none read the same in the mod as they do with the meter. I've pulled the cover off and rotated the batteries to eliminate resistance issues in the battery holder contacts. I still see the middle reading being way out of spec compared to the voltmeter reading.