Technical Issue?

[SolemnPenguin]

I bought the starter kit that comes with a PCC, I chose the Mega one.

I've pretty much used it exclusively to charge my batteries for the past 2 or so weeks. About a week ago One of my batteries (a green one) ran low and in so doing flashed at me longer than I'd experienced before. Usually when I het the cut of it'll flash about 3 times. When the battery is low it'll flash 5 times. This time it flashed 10-20 times. I didn't count because I was caught off guard by it doing it.

I put it on to charge and it looked normal at first. Charged for a while, but not as long as they usually do. I tried to tell the case to charge it again and the light flickered. Not the normal flashing but an unsteady flickering like a connection was loose. I took the battery off to use it and it seemed fine. Had a normal charge cycle as far as I could tell.

While I was using that green battery I put on a black one. The black one seemed to charge normally. When the green one needed to go back on the charger the black one worked fine and the green behaved normally in the charger. A couple days go by and I notice the black one flickering in the charger like the green one had before. What's going on? Upon taking it out and using it things seemed to go back to normal.

Well, last night I put on a new battery, a blue manual one. This time the case refused to charge it at all. The battery light would come on when first inserted but when I hold the button to charge it the batteries light doesn't stay on...

I've got the blue manual in a usb charger now and it seems to be merrily charging away.

I've cleaned all the connections on the batteries and the case with regularity. No unusual amount of gunk.

Is this normal? Do I have a bad Mega PCC? Bad Batteries? Bad Luck?

 

[awsum140]

First thing I'd suggest is to contact SI customer support. The battery in the mega PCC or the regulator in it could be having problems, especially if the PV batteries charge normally in the USB charger.


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[SolemnPenguin]

I just caught the green one doing it on video. I will contact Customer Service. If you interested I'll let you know what they say.

 

[Mroutlaw]

The battery LED will flicker when it is charged.

If the new battery was already charged, it won't come on at all, at least in my experience.

Seems like you are I only having problems with the green battery. Have you cleaned the threads of the battery? Have you tried charging it on a regular USB charger?

I would also suggest cleaning the threads on the pcc charging slot. When the threads are dirty, it doesn't charge properly

 

[balbrt1]

Whenever I got my kit acouple weeks ago right out of the box it did not work. I called CS and was told they were standing behind them for 3 mos. So I kept trying to use it and finally got it to work hit and miss. I would put a atty on to charge it and it would start but would then shut off. I contacted them again and they just sent me a new one. I got the new on yesterday and it seems to be working fine now. I would just contact CS so they can replace it. They are wonderful for standing behind their products...Good luck

 

[cindycated]

To me it looks like it's trying to make contact to charge. Do you wipe your posts (on both the batts and the pcc) down with alcohol? In my experience, wiping them off with a dry rag really isn't sufficient. I use an alcohol-dampened Q-Tip.
If that's not it, then yeah, maybe a loose wire between the post and the PCC battery, and you'd have to contact CS.

 

[kia2]

The battery LED will flicker when it is charged.

If the new battery was already charged, it won't come on at all, at least in my experience.

Seems like you are I only having problems with the green battery. Have you cleaned the threads of the battery? Have you tried charging it on a regular USB charger?

I would also suggest cleaning the threads on the pcc charging slot. When the threads are dirty, it doesn't charge properly

Green batteries are tempermental for some reason. I've replaced my green a couple of times, now.

My mega v2 case, though, is still working like a charm, and it was one of my first purchases from SI.

 

[SolemnPenguin]

The battery LED will flicker when it is charged.

If the new battery was already charged, it won't come on at all, at least in my experience.

Seems like you are I only having problems with the green battery. Have you cleaned the threads of the battery? Have you tried charging it on a regular USB charger?

I would also suggest cleaning the threads on the pcc charging slot. When the threads are dirty, it doesn't charge properly

Upon contacting CS the guy I talked to said it's supposed to flicker while it's charging. I told him that it doesn't always do that. In fact most of the times it doesn't. Then he said it'll do both... It does seem to occur at the end of the charge period.

The blue one was charged when I got it. I used it until it needed a charge. Then the PCC refused to charge it. USB charger worked well though. In fact, put the blue one on the charger at the same time that I put the greed one in the Mega PCC. After I noticed the green one flickering and filmed it is when the blue one finished it's charge. That's how I'm pretty certain it happened at the end of the charge like you said. No documentation seems to cover the flickering and it "looks" wrong...

It does seem to charge batteries, other than the blue one. I was willing to discharge the blue one and try it again when the time came.

To me it looks like it's trying to make contact to charge. Do you wipe your posts (on both the batts and the pcc) down with alcohol? In my experience, wiping them off with a dry rag really isn't sufficient. I use an alcohol-dampened Q-Tip.
If that's not it, then yeah, maybe a loose wire between the post and the PCC battery, and you'd have to contact CS.

I did clean all the batteries and the connector as well as I could. I haven't tried alcohol yet; but the connectors look clean.

Towards the end of my conversation with CS I was ready to keep the PCC and see what happened next time I put the blue one on. However, I had also noticed that the display on it never seemed to correctly reflect my battery charge level except at full charge. When I put a dead one on it still indicates about 80% full on all of my batteries. When I said that he said it wasn't normal and gave me an RMA.

So, When the new one arrives I'll watch it for the "normal" flickering.

 

[Imagine]

the flickering is normal...it happens in both the mega and slider pcc at the end of the charge...this will not happen on the usb charger.

Upon contacting CS the guy I talked to said it's supposed to flicker while it's charging. I told him that it doesn't always do that. In fact most of the times it doesn't. Then he said it'll do both... It does seem to occur at the end of the charge period.

The blue one was charged when I got it. I used it until it needed a charge. Then the PCC refused to charge it. USB charger worked well though. In fact, put the blue one on the charger at the same time that I put the greed one in the Mega PCC. After I noticed the green one flickering and filmed it is when the blue one finished it's charge. That's how I'm pretty certain it happened at the end of the charge like you said. No documentation seems to cover the flickering and it "looks" wrong...

It does seem to charge batteries, other than the blue one. I was willing to discharge the blue one and try it again when the time came.



I did clean all the batteries and the connector as well as I could. I haven't tried alcohol yet; but the connectors look clean.

Towards the end of my conversation with CS I was ready to keep the PCC and see what happened next time I put the blue one on. However, I had also noticed that the display on it never seemed to correctly reflect my battery charge level except at full charge. When I put a dead one on it still indicates about 80% full on all of my batteries. When I said that he said it wasn't normal and gave me an RMA.

So, When the new one arrives I'll watch it for the "normal" flickering.

 

[Konstantine]

Also make sure you pull the post on the green battery to see if there is any difference.
Flickering as imagine says happens at the end, this is because it's right on the threshold of beeing charger and the internal voltage comparator hasn't "decided" yet if it will light the led or not. This is helped by the PCC since it uses a boost converter with bad filtering.

 

[SolemnPenguin]

the flickering is normal...it happens in both the mega and slider pcc at the end of the charge...this will not happen on the usb charger.

The blue one just did it on the USB charger! I didn't think to take a video... Next time.

Edit - Plugged into my laptop if that makes a difference...

 

[Jaster]

I am having this issue as well. I was going to contact CS too but looked here first to see if this was normal.

For me it did not (or at least I didn't notice) to flicker until after my MPCC got knocked off of a table. It broke the battery door but otherwise looks & works fine. Previously, the led would stay on until it was charged & then go out. After the drop is when it started to flicker.

I just wanted to make sure that this is a normal thing and that I will not harm the batteries.
Thanks

 

[Imagine]

yep normal... and although I have not personally seen it makes sense that it can happen on a USB as well

I am having this issue as well. I was going to contact CS too but looked here first to see if this was normal.

For me it did not (or at least I didn't notice) to flicker until after my MPCC got knocked off of a table. It broke the battery door but otherwise looks & works fine. Previously, the led would stay on until it was charged & then go out. After the drop is when it started to flicker.

I just wanted to make sure that this is a normal thing and that I will not harm the batteries.
Thanks

 

[balbrt1]

I finally got my email this afternoon from CS. I was told they were short handed. How long has SI been in business? You may have more and more customers as we all sing the praises of SI...lol

 

[Imagine]

we have been in business since 2010 but did not launch the VOLT line since 2011 ... we are always growing fast we just hired 3 more people

I finally got my email this afternoon from CS. I was told they were short handed. How long has SI been in business? You may have more and more customers as we all sing the praises of SI...lol

 

[nahuelarg86]

Hi, I just got my Pro kit today in the mail. I'm having the exact same issues from the original post. I put an automatic battery to charge and it flickers at the end, seems like. For what I read seems like its normal. But if, let say, I put the PCC on my pocket with the battery charging, how long the battery will flicker like that? Won't the led break?
Also, I have a manual battery that when plugged to the PCC, it won't charge. It shows like 3 bars (in red), then the "infinite" sign (which actually is a crossed out battery), and then won't charge. But when I put the manual battery on the USB charger to the computer, it DOES charge, for like 20 min.
-SolemnPenguin: Have you got any solution/answer?
Thanks!

 

[Imagine]

it will flicker until it is fully fully charged then go out...it will not hurt the led.

You may have to try a few times to get the manual to engage...

Hi, I just got my Pro kit today in the mail. I'm having the exact same issues from the original post. I put an automatic battery to charge and it flickers at the end, seems like. For what I read seems like its normal. But if, let say, I put the PCC on my pocket with the battery charging, how long the battery will flicker like that? Won't the led break?
Also, I have a manual battery that when plugged to the PCC, it won't charge. It shows like 3 bars (in red), then the "infinite" sign (which actually is a crossed out battery), and then won't charge. But when I put the manual battery on the USB charger to the computer, it DOES charge, for like 20 min.
-SolemnPenguin: Have you got any solution/answer?
Thanks!

 

[nahuelarg86]

it will flicker until it is fully fully charged then go out...it will not hurt the led.

You may have to try a few times to get the manual to engage...

Ok, thanks for the tip on the flickering light. As for the manual, I don't know, I don't think I should "try" to make it charge, I bought a new product, that in my opinion, should work well right out of the box...

 

[Imagine]

I agree however this is a common issues with the manual for some reason...so I do not think exchanging an item will help

Ok, thanks for the tip on the flickering light. As for the manual, I don't know, I don't think I should "try" to make it charge, I bought a new product, that in my opinion, should work well right out of the box...

 

[awsum140]

Something I've found that seems specific to the PCC is that they are very sensitive to having a VERY CLEAN battery connection. Both mine and my wife's, both megas, started behaving "oddly". I cleaned both the battery socket and the batteries very carefully and thoroughly, and everything started working normally again Might want to wad up a tissue and make sure that battery socket is clean.