PCC Questions

[Sykkelspruce]

Just got my PCC today for the 510. I read the little page of info which is pretty straight forward but I'm left with a question...

I thought I would be able to flip the 510 battery around when it was done charging so I would not drain the PCC battery...NOPE!

So if I leave my 510 battery connected and the little door closed will the PCC battery die? I'm looking to use this as a carrying case also.

Also I saw on a youtube video that if you leave the 510 battery in the PCC after it's charged, it will kill and/or drain the 510 battery?

Whats the deal?

 

[Kurt]

Just got my PCC today for the 510. I read the little page of info which is pretty straight forward but I'm left with a question...

I thought I would be able to flip the 510 battery around when it was done charging so I would not drain the PCC battery...NOPE!

So if I leave my 510 battery connected and the little door closed will the PCC battery die? I'm looking to use this as a carrying case also.

Also I saw on a youtube video that if you leave the 510 battery in the PCC after it's charged, it will kill and/or drain the 510 battery?

Whats the deal?

I have not had this experience at all with my PCC. Someone else can correct me, but I think there is circuitry inside the PCC that is like an AC-type charger, where the 510 batt is charged until its voltage reaches a particular level and its fully charged, and then the red light goes off, and it can sit in the PCC until you need to use it. I've had mine for four months and had no problems with it or the batts it charged. Hasn't killed or drained any batts. Since it is a charger and tote case, seems if it did kill or drain batts, that would be a problem that would need to be fixed. Can you post a link to the video? Haven't noted significant issues with the PCC here on ECF.

That's a pretty bold and scary avatar, Sykkelspruce! First time I've seen Baphomet here! You are either a fan of Dimmu Borgir (hopefully) or Crowley, and we need to be very worried about upsetting you! I'm a Dimmu fan, myself. I've a weakness for black metal sometimes.

 

[AlexTM]

I sincerely doubt that. Any decent loader should have a circuit that simply switches it off when not needed, such as when the battery it is supposed to load is full. As those are not exactly expensive, I am sufficiently sure there is one in a PCC.

Theoretically, you could leave one battery long enough in there that it looses some charge (all rechargables do that), the PCC notices, loads it again, it looses some charge, the PCC notices …. In the end, it would completely drain the PCC, but that would take at least weeks, more likely months. Not really anything to worry about.

 

[Diablo1399]

The 510 PCC displays a small red LED when the battery is charging. When the battery is full, the LED switches off. It seems logical that the charging circuitry would also shut off.

 

[slybootz]

there was another recent post, i think in the expert advice subforum, that talks about 510 pccs. apparently, the 510 battery(or any lithium-ion) LOVES being topped off, and should not harm your 510 batter if you leave it fully charged in the case.

also, I believe that the 510pcc is a smart pcc, which means it shouldnt drain the pcc's battery once the 510 battery is fully charged... but don't quote me on this, as I use a 401 w/pcc, but my GF uses a 510 w/pcc. i'll ask her in the morning

 

[AlexTM]

I don't think Li-Io particularly likes trickle charges, but then, they should not get it, if the loader is built to specifications, and I think the PCCs in general are.

For everything batteries, check battery university: Do and don't battery table

 

[Sykkelspruce]

Well here is the link to that video where the dude says he left his battery in his pcc overnight and that drained the batt.

YouTube - 510 PCC from E-SmokeyTreats.com

 

[AlexTM]

There was something in the back of my mind ….
According to the Li-Io specifications, this should not happen. Specifications aside, though, this has been known to happen on one condition with 510 PCCs: When the battery of the PCC is next to empty, instead of nothing, or putting the rest of its charge into the 510 battery, the circuits equals out the charges between the two of them, meaning of course, there is very little left in the 510 battery. You would not have been able to load that one, anyway.
If, on the other hand, you keep your PCC even reasonably charged, you can leave your battery in there for quite a while.

When I still used my PCC a lot (before I got enough gear, including a 5x-loader), I would use it during the day, and reload it at night, usually with a battery in it. That way, you don't have to worry about that.

 

[JamBandPhan]

I would agree, if your PCC battery is getting low, it would not sufficiently charge your cig battery, and then you would have a dead PCC and cig battery. I would suggest keeping your PCC charging when not in use, that way there is no question. My boyfriend and I each have the 510 PCC and both seem to function properly. From what I understand, you are only supposed to be able to get 4 charges from the PCC before it needs recharging. I leave my batteries in my PCC and have not had any problems with them discharging. Could it be he had a bad PCC or cig battery? Or maybe the PCC was not charged enough to handle the load that night? It's hard to say. I would not worry too much about it.

 

[Kurt]

I respect Mike and his reviews, and what he says may well have happened to him. My PCC is also from E-smokytreats. I haven't had this happen to me with my PCC draining a batt, but then I tend to remove a charged batt from whatever charger it is in ASAP after it charges. and I don't recall leaving one in the PCC overnight if the PCC was not plugged in itself. Evidently if it is plugged in, you can recharge the PCC and a batt if it is in the PCC port. But removing a batt from its charger as soon as it is charged is generally considered a good habit to make the batts last as long as possible...as in overall lifetime, not just how long it can be used before recharging is necessary. I don't understand the details of the Li-ion system, and others may correct me, but such is the lore on them here.

 

[AlexTM]

It's generally considered a good idea to do that because many chargers, especially cheap or broken ones, may do funny things with your batteries, such as overloading them, which kills them pretty fast. The capacity of a PCC to do that is pretty limited, though, since its only holds charges for four batteries. And with a functioning charger, that is not a problem, either.

In fact, a really good one will switch off, check occasionally, and keep the battery in pristine state as it (very slowly, over weeks) looses charge, tops off those batteries again. This is not the kind of charger you get for 3$, though.

 

[GoodDog]

I bought a PCC that did this. When it came I charged it for 8 hours then put in a freshly charged battery and stuck it in my purse. The next evening I went to use it and both the PCC and battery were completely dead. I contacted Cignot and they said it sounded like I got a defective PCC and sent me out a new one. It should be here tomorrow and I'll try again.

 

[Guineahill]

I leave my 510 battery in my PCC all the time - including overnight and I have never had it be anything other than fully charged when I remove it. (Except that one time I put the battery in a drained PCC - but that was my stupidity!)

You shouldn't have any problem at all leaving a battery in it.

 

[Sykkelspruce]

So are we going to say it is possible but only with a defective PCC?

 

[GoodDog]

That's what I've been told by the experts.

 

[Guineahill]

That is the general consensus. One of those....

If your PCC does this - contact your supplier!

 

[Sykkelspruce]

Problem solved! I mean not a problem I have with mine but great info to know. Thanks guys and gals!