Hey guys, got two of these bad boys today. But i'm wondering how long do you guys do the initial charge? I'm current on the I2 nitecore, do i just charge them till the light tells me their full? Thanks a lot. 
Sony 30A VTC5 2600mah
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Hey guys, got two of these bad boys today. But i'm wondering how long do you guys do the initial charge? I'm current on the I2 nitecore, do i just charge them till the light tells me their full? Thanks a lot.
Yeah, charge til full. The initial charge usually takes a little longer than subsequent charges.
Alright thanks, these should be at 4.2v when full and 3.7 when needed to be charged am I correct?
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Yeah, full voltage is 4.2V (± 0.05V, so 4.25V is the absolute safe upper limit).
I usually recharge mine around 3.5 ~ 3.6V
Rule of thumb is that discharging lower than 3.0V isn't good for intended cycle life, and discharging lower than 2.5V can damage the battery (and make it unsafe to use).
You will likely notice a serious decline in usability below 3.5V, though. Depending on the build, that could be even higher. I know some folks that like to charge at 3.8V.
Yeah I usually notice at around 3.5-3.6 range that my bat starts going weak, is it normal for a battery to decrease in full voltage for example 4.2 on initial charge and then drops to 4.1 on second charge? I had this battery once that dropped everytime I charged it until it became useless.
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That suggests that the batteries internal resistance is climbing in short order. This will happen eventually in all li-ions, but usually takes 300-500 charge/discharge cycles. In a normal timeframe, it is a sign of age and the battery ready for recycling. I bin mine when they will no longer hold a charge above 4.0V
For a cell to display that in such a short time, something is probably damaging the cell. Either it was being discharged below 2.5V repeatedly or charged with too high a current or overcharged (past 4.25V) repeatedly. Also, if it was discharged above it's rated amp limit severly or often enough, or allowed to get too hot or far too cold (below freezing, they hate that...especially charging at extremely low temps).
If it was being handled properly, I would take a hard look at the charger. What charger was being used?
I was very careful w the battery in terms of amp rating and my coil resistance, I didn't really want the battery exploding in my face so that factor was out but I was using some ....ty wall charger that I bought together w the battery, I guess that really .... canned my battery
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... I was using some ....ty wall charger that I bought together w the battery, I guess that really .... canned my battery
That is squarely where I would put my bet. This is why you see a quality charger being suggested so heavily around the community. At least it didn't vent on the charger; I have seen that happen. Lucky you just lost the cell, honestly.
Yeah was really angry w that charger, decided to invest in the nitecore i2. Haha, considering I left that cell and charger to charge over night :O thanks for info man, appreciate it
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Solid choice.
thanks for info man, appreciate it
No problem, man. Glad I could help!
Nope, nowhere near half a day longer run time. It's all about incremental improvements. It also depends on how much current you draw from the battery. At 10A you'll see less difference than at 15A. At 4A you might get nothing or be better off with other batteries.
I'm in the 5 - 8A range so I'll see a bit better performance. For about a buck more per battery it's worth it to me. They also seem to last a few more charge cycles before the voltage drop goes way high and that helps too.
IMO all the better batteries are so good these days you can't really go wrong unless you pick the completely wrong battery for your application.
VTC5s are my new favorite, replacing the VTC4s! These things rock!
Never had one complaint on the 4s, but the 5s really bring a noticeable boost in capacity. I'm only changing batteries a couple times a day now, where as before it seemed I'd always be swapping batteries. All my builds right now are in the .40 ohm to .48 ohm range so I'm not going easy on the batts either.
I'm also really liking the curve on these things, the 4s started out really strong then somewhat quickly would fall to their plateau but still vape good for awhile. The 5s seem to start out really strong then slowly drop off to their plateau, hitting hard as hell the whole way there.
Like Ryedan said you probably aren't going to be getting half a day more vape time, but it's definitely a noticeable increase in my opinion.
Now I have to stop myself from hoarding sonys... there is just something really pleasing about looking at a huge stack of those little green hulks!
Never had one complaint on the 4s, but the 5s really bring a noticeable boost in capacity. I'm only changing batteries a couple times a day now, where as before it seemed I'd always be swapping batteries. All my builds right now are in the .40 ohm to .48 ohm range so I'm not going easy on the batts either.
I'm also really liking the curve on these things, the 4s started out really strong then somewhat quickly would fall to their plateau but still vape good for awhile. The 5s seem to start out really strong then slowly drop off to their plateau, hitting hard as hell the whole way there.
Like Ryedan said you probably aren't going to be getting half a day more vape time, but it's definitely a noticeable increase in my opinion.
Now I have to stop myself from hoarding sonys... there is just something really pleasing about looking at a huge stack of those little green hulks!
got them. they are taking forever to charge. I hope they last just as long. I can charge a dead vtc4 in 2 hours. mine came at about 3.7 and so far 3 hours and not done. I know the first couple of times takes longer though.
LOL, I hear ya on that one. I try not to get too many. I'm rotating through four Sonys right now with another two lesser cells for backup and that suits me pretty well. Two more would be perfect, but four will last me another year and who knows what the performance and safety will be like by then.
I am getting worried. on four hours and have a ways to go. if that is how they are the vtc4 is going to suit me better. I have a habit of discharging to 2.5v so I can imagine how long they will take. I doubt I got two duds from sony. if they are still going in a few hours I am taking them off in the name of safety.
edit:first charge took 4-1/2 hours from 3.7v.
edit:first charge took 4-1/2 hours from 3.7v.
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I charged them in the pila. I have to say these hit harder and longer than the vtc4. I don't know if that is possible but seems to me. also I don't have to press the fire button as hard for some reason. I am about to see how long it takes the second time.
edit: it charged from 3.2v in 2-1/2 hours. should be fine. initial charge takes longer.
edit: it charged from 3.2v in 2-1/2 hours. should be fine. initial charge takes longer.
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I consider 3.2V no-load so close to totally drained, it is drained. 2 1/2 hours is charging at around 0.5C plus the saturation charge at the end which is very easy on the battery. AFAIK you can charge these at 1C and be fine, but your charger would have to put out 2.5A.
I charge my VTC3 and VTC4 at 0.5A unless I need one quickly and then I charge one at 1A. I try not to let the voltage drop below 3.7V. On a day that I vape a lot I go through about 2 batteries. Works for me
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