Update on latest round of new PCC testing:
- PCC was left to charge its internal battery overnight.
- This morning the PCC indicated fully charged. A PV battery charge cycle was started with two batteries. Both Red PCC LEDs and both PV battery LEDs lit up indicating both batteries were being charged.
- About 4 hours and 30 (+/-10) minutes later (was called to a meeting and couldn't take the PCC with me) the PCC indicated the charge was complete (both Red PCC LEDs and both battery LEDs were extinguished). PCC battery LEDs indicated ~50% charge remaining (two out of four LEDs lit).
- When the batteries were initially put on a standard USB charger to check charge state, both indicated further charging was still required (LED on the end lit up when put on the charger).
- Placed one battery on a USB charger and left the other in the PCC and started a new charge cycle. Interestingly, both batteries completed this charge cycle in about 35 minutes. The battery on the USB charger indicated it was fully charged (LED on the end was extinguished).
- When the battery left on the PCC was checked on the USB charger it still indicated that further charging was needed (LED on the end lit up). This battery was left to finish on the USB charger and completed "topping off" in about 10 minutes.
What all this leads me to believe is:
- The charging current for either battery connection outputs only ~100mAh, not the 200mAh indicated on the label;
- The PCC charging circuit cuts of on a timer, or on a lower voltage than these batteries could use, or both.
That said, the battery that I depleted last night in order to do the dual-battery charge test was previously charged as the only battery on this same PCC and was not checked or "topped off" on a USB charger before I started vaping to drain it. That battery lasted for just over 3 hours of vaping.
Conclusion: even if this PCC doesn't "fully" charge the battery as the USB charger would, it's pretty darn close (at least in that single-battery test cycle) and I saw no obvious short term loss of performance or endurance. If there was, the effect was likely on the order of a few minutes worth of vaping time rather than reduced output over time (due to the battery being regulated).
Soooo... it would take several more cycles to confirm but if these results prove consistent my assessment is that as a PCC this isn't the fastest charger on the block and is likely to leave batteries slightly less fully charged than a USB/wall charger does. A couple of minor tweaks to the charging circuit is all it would take to move this out of "meh" territory.
However, if you consider this as a case first that just happens to have a so-so PCC built into it, it's not a bad unit. It just serves a different niche than some other cases/PCCs. As long as the performance stays consistent I'll be keeping it.
- PCC was left to charge its internal battery overnight.
- This morning the PCC indicated fully charged. A PV battery charge cycle was started with two batteries. Both Red PCC LEDs and both PV battery LEDs lit up indicating both batteries were being charged.
- About 4 hours and 30 (+/-10) minutes later (was called to a meeting and couldn't take the PCC with me) the PCC indicated the charge was complete (both Red PCC LEDs and both battery LEDs were extinguished). PCC battery LEDs indicated ~50% charge remaining (two out of four LEDs lit).
- When the batteries were initially put on a standard USB charger to check charge state, both indicated further charging was still required (LED on the end lit up when put on the charger).
- Placed one battery on a USB charger and left the other in the PCC and started a new charge cycle. Interestingly, both batteries completed this charge cycle in about 35 minutes. The battery on the USB charger indicated it was fully charged (LED on the end was extinguished).
- When the battery left on the PCC was checked on the USB charger it still indicated that further charging was needed (LED on the end lit up). This battery was left to finish on the USB charger and completed "topping off" in about 10 minutes.
What all this leads me to believe is:
- The charging current for either battery connection outputs only ~100mAh, not the 200mAh indicated on the label;
- The PCC charging circuit cuts of on a timer, or on a lower voltage than these batteries could use, or both.
That said, the battery that I depleted last night in order to do the dual-battery charge test was previously charged as the only battery on this same PCC and was not checked or "topped off" on a USB charger before I started vaping to drain it. That battery lasted for just over 3 hours of vaping.
Conclusion: even if this PCC doesn't "fully" charge the battery as the USB charger would, it's pretty darn close (at least in that single-battery test cycle) and I saw no obvious short term loss of performance or endurance. If there was, the effect was likely on the order of a few minutes worth of vaping time rather than reduced output over time (due to the battery being regulated).
Soooo... it would take several more cycles to confirm but if these results prove consistent my assessment is that as a PCC this isn't the fastest charger on the block and is likely to leave batteries slightly less fully charged than a USB/wall charger does. A couple of minor tweaks to the charging circuit is all it would take to move this out of "meh" territory.
However, if you consider this as a case first that just happens to have a so-so PCC built into it, it's not a bad unit. It just serves a different niche than some other cases/PCCs. As long as the performance stays consistent I'll be keeping it.
...talking about a non-perfect world...got a call from a telemarketer yesterday....I had answered during a family dinner... I WAS actually interested in what they were selling...but this is how the conversation went...
