true but if I'm seeing 3.7 volts off the charger and someone else is seeing 4 volts off the charger, thats a big difference. and 3.7 volts unloaded is gong to be well under that when loaded.
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I believe a functional single-cell lithium battery fully charged should read 4.2vdc unloaded or very close to that. Although my experience is with much larger cells (5000ma) in series (6-cells), if the balance-charge stopped at 3.7v/cell I'd be worried. Either the battery or the charger has a problem.
FWIW - I just tested a Riva I was using last night........
unloaded voltage = 3.9V
loaded voltage = 2.9V on a 2.5Ω cart.
3.364 watts
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*sigh*
Look, the output of the Riva battery is NOT DC. So, if you measure the voltage on the "DC scale" of a meter.... I don't know what you are going to read. It depends on the meter and how it handles AC signals with a DC mean voltage. I know how my Flukes handle it... but I can't speak with any authority on how other meters are going to respond.
If you say that your Riva vapes with "less apparent power" than a box mod.... well that is to be expected and that's how it is designed.
If you say that it vapes with "less apparent power" than your 510 Mega... then yeah, there is probably an issue.
Here's an example of what I'm talking about. This is a quick and dirty voltage trace off of my eGo-T battery without any load:
Hard to tell what voltage reading you would get from this one on various digital volt meters.
Hard to tell what voltage reading you would get from this one on various digital volt meters.
Rob, what version of the Riva from Liberty Flights do you have? When I say I am getting 4.2v off the charger, that is based on my Riva "SE" kit(s) I received this week. If you have something other then the SE version, I would suspect that you may not see 4.2v off the charger since it is known that the Rivas are supposed to use PWM voltage regulation just like the eGo. My eGo shows ony ~3.4v off the charger. So if yours are not the "SE" version, you may see something other then 4.2v.
Are you sure you are getting a full charge? I know you have been around a while, but seeing as you don't have another eGo charger to try, I am assuming that this is your first eGo/Riva style PV. When attached, Batt flashes 3 times, then goes dark, little light on the charger USB part goes red, then when it charges fully, that light goes green. The wall plug stays red, just indicating that it is plugged in.
Have you contacted LF directly via email or telephone?
Are you sure you are getting a full charge? I know you have been around a while, but seeing as you don't have another eGo charger to try, I am assuming that this is your first eGo/Riva style PV. When attached, Batt flashes 3 times, then goes dark, little light on the charger USB part goes red, then when it charges fully, that light goes green. The wall plug stays red, just indicating that it is plugged in.
Have you contacted LF directly via email or telephone?
I have the gold version. i would buy the regulation bit if my riva didn't come off the charger at 3.7 volts and then 20 minutes later be showing 3.55 volts. the mega 510 comes off the charger at 4 volts which is better. I did contact them via email and at this point am being told they have no way to test it. so how do I know if my charger is bad? someone else is reporting getting 4 volts fully charged. the difference between 4 volts and 3.7 volts on a lipo battery is half full and dead.
No.. they are Lithium Ion... (NOT Lithium Polymer)
(And I hope that your "real" charger is a "real good" charger... where you can adjust the charging current and threshold voltages. You really don't want to dump an amp or two into an eGo class cell)
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Scottbee...Please DO post your results on the SE kit here...
I purchased one of them awhile ago and am interested in your results.
Thanks!!!
I purchased one of them awhile ago and am interested in your results.
Thanks!!!
okay, good, I will set for lithium ion, so ion is like 4.1 volts fully charged so coming off the charger at around 4 volts sounds right which mine still doesn't do.
so if I wire the atty connector for positive and negative and attach it to the charger, then I just screw in the battery and it should charge right? I'll probably have to hold the button down for a second on the battery so it gets connection I guess?
so if I wire the atty connector for positive and negative and attach it to the charger, then I just screw in the battery and it should charge right? I'll probably have to hold the button down for a second on the battery so it gets connection I guess?
If you can't adjust the charge current.... seriously.... DO NOT DO THIS.
It might go BOOM!
No, I am not kidding.
robl - What charger you using? - Mine is the "GT Power A8". Almost wish I had a dying Riva to see exactly what is inside, not a bad one, but one that wasn't up to par anymore. However, my old eyes and unsteady hands may not be up to the task.
Scottbee - Looking forward to your test results !!
FWIW - my R/C stuff is either 4-cell or 6-cell LiPo packs, all 5000ma and rated 40C or 200A draw. Most demanding set up is the 6-cell on a 30 size heli which draws around 100A. Also have a few 1500ma 20C cells that may someday be in a box mod so I can experiment with a true 3.7v device.
Scottbee - Looking forward to your test results !!
FWIW - my R/C stuff is either 4-cell or 6-cell LiPo packs, all 5000ma and rated 40C or 200A draw. Most demanding set up is the 6-cell on a 30 size heli which draws around 100A. Also have a few 1500ma 20C cells that may someday be in a box mod so I can experiment with a true 3.7v device.
This is the inside of the eGo (not showing the specifics of the PCBA). The Riva is virtually identical.
I take them apart all of the time in order to replace the delivery MOSFET. What would you like to know?
First I'd run a few charge/discharge performance cycles on a bare batt with real-time charting. Then do the same in original configuration to determine the effect the PCBA.
well this didn't work too well. wired up the broken cartomizer positive and negative and plugged it into the charger. but the charger won't read any voltage. I'm guessing the circuit board is blocking it. and even when I can get the charger to read some voltage by holding the button down, the button only stays lit for like 15 secs.
does anyone know how the regular chargers get the batteries to bypass so they will charge? and can I take apart the wall charger and tap in easily?
"Pushing the button" is not the ticket. There are two MOSFETs in the eGo/Riva circuit.. one for power delivery and one for the charging circuit. Activating the PV energizes the power delivery MOSFET..... which won't effectively pass (reverse) current for charging.
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