The best battery charger?

[beckdg]

What is a 4A charger?

4 amp

1 amp on each of 4 ports would be one example

Though the luc accomplishes this without a fan

The vp4 only has 2 slots that accommodate a 26650 that at the time of its inception would be safe to assume could take the 1 amp charge rate.

Tapatyped

 

[edyle]

Rest batteries after charging. One commonly-reported factor in almost all the incidents we hear of where batteries failed violently while in use is that they were taken directly off the charger and then used immediately, at which point they failed.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Though I have not rigorously tested it, my experience with batteries resembles the above in the sense that freshly charged batteries did not seem to perform well.

As a result I run a line/rotation on the fifo (first in first out) system, and always have a line of batteries in order, charged, and a lineup of batteries waiting to charge; so no battery goes straight from use to charger or charger to usage without having to wait in line for a while.


Gee I guess batteries need a chance to relax and take a vape between jobs!

 

[edyle]

Okay, now I'm concerned. I put another battery in it that was down to 3.8 volts, and nothing happens. No charging going on, nothing on the display, just a red light at the top. The button does nothing, no charging action is going on at all. I'm wondering if I got a lemon here...

I unplugged it and plugged it back in, then it started charging. I'm thinking that should not have happened.

that happens to me on one of my dual bay chargers on 1 of the slots.
my batts are all flattops and looks like that slot/bay, the + nipple does not stick out quite enough, so it sometimes takes some fiddling to get it to make contact.

 

[Vaslovik]

I also use my batteries in rotation, and never use a battery fresh out of the charger. With 18 batteries in rotation I think they get enough rest before I use them.

 

[Zombo]

I just got a Nitecore D2. It won't charge any of my batteries over 80-85%. Is it defective, or am I missing something? I have AW IMRs...they were fine in my old Tenergy charger which had to be replaced because one of the bays died.

 

[beckdg]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Though I have not rigorously tested it, my experience with batteries resembles the above in the sense that freshly charged batteries did not seem to perform well.

As a result I run a line/rotation on the fifo (first in first out) system, and always have a line of batteries in order, charged, and a lineup of batteries waiting to charge; so no battery goes straight from use to charger or charger to usage without having to wait in line for a while.


Gee I guess batteries need a chance to relax and take a vape between jobs!

I would like to see some raw data on this pertaining to limn and lico cells specifically.

Or at least hear what the competition guys experiences are.

This is actually the opposite of how many battery chemistries work.

RC competition guys, for example, have been over volting and taking packs (lithium and nickel) hot off the charger for decades to take advantage of the extra voltage supplied from a warmer battery to gain an advantage.

Though the dramatic increase in risk is very proven as the batteries are over stressed as a result.

Tapatyped

 

[beckdg]

I just got a Nitecore D2. It won't charge any of my batteries over 80-85%. Is it defective, or am I missing something? I have AW IMRs...they were fine in my old Tenergy charger which had to be replaced because one of the bays died.

Get your money back.

Tapatyped

 

[Monotremata]

I just got a Nitecore D2. It won't charge any of my batteries over 80-85%. Is it defective, or am I missing something? I have AW IMRs...they were fine in my old Tenergy charger which had to be replaced because one of the bays died.

Sounds like my D2.. Worked fine for about 3 months then decided it wasnt going to charge anything past 4.07. Said they were full and done but checking em with my multimeter everytime they would read 4.07. Stopped using it and went back to my old not so fancy Xtar MC2. It still charges em to ~4.2 every time.

 

[beckdg]

One would think the local battery gurus would respond and take consideration to highly widespread knowledge and common sense that is ever lacking in vape communities in order to make available more precise and complete knowledge.

I'm underwhelmed and disappointed.

But somehow not surprised.

Tapatyped

 

[Mooch]

One would think the local battery gurus would respond and take consideration to highly widespread knowledge and common sense that is ever lacking in vape communities in order to make available more precise and complete knowledge.

I'm underwhelmed and disappointed.

But somehow not surprised.

Tapatyped

Perhaps the local battery gurus don't have a clear answer? Or, they might be spending the time they volunteer to the ECF community working on other types of battery-related stuff. I'm sure somebody might be willing to make more precise and complete knowledge available though if the ECF community expressed an interest. Heck, even PM requests from you to the battery gurus for certain testing to be done could work.

Why stay underwhelmed and disappointed though? It's a perfect opportunity for you to do the exact testing you want to see done and to share the results here. As you said, there's so much knowledge that is missing or incorrect. I'm sure the battery gurus would appreciate the help.

 

[beckdg]

Perhaps the local battery gurus don't have a clear answer? Or, they might be spending the time they volunteer to the ECF community working on other types of battery-related stuff. I'm sure somebody might be willing to make more precise and complete knowledge available though if the ECF community expressed an interest. Heck, even PM requests from you to the battery gurus for certain testing to be done could work.

Why stay underwhelmed and disappointed though? It's a perfect opportunity for you to do the exact testing you want to see done and to share the results here. As you said, there's so much knowledge that is missing or incorrect. I'm sure the battery gurus would appreciate the help.

It starts with dialog and interest in a deeper understanding... that's seriously lacking here.

The gurus here are just now reluctantly coming around to information I was posting (with major resistance) when I first signed up here.

For example

You had the option of checking the validity of my post content for yourself.

Yet instead you posted the above...

I can only lead the horse to water...

Tapatyped

 

[Bunnykiller]

here ya go

Minelab Battery Charger BC 10 Base Metal Detectors For Sale - Kellyco

 

[Mooch]

It starts with dialog and interest in a deeper understanding... that's seriously lacking here.

The gurus here are just now reluctantly coming around to information I was posting (with major resistance) when I first signed up here.

For example

You had the option of checking the validity of my post content for yourself.

Yet instead you posted the above...

I can only lead the horse to water...

Tapatyped

Having joined in May of this year, I can't speak to what happened in 2013 when you first signed up. But my comments stand independent of the validity of your post's content. I was only discussing why the battery gurus may not have commented and, since they were disappointing you, how you might be able to get the information you want.

I don't know if the content of your post is valid or not, thus I have been unable to comment. No client of mine has requested performance data on overcharged cells or cells discharged at elevated temperatures (vs room temperature). It hasn't been something I've wanted to experiment with due to all the other testing stuff I still have waiting to be done.

The battery gurus may not have posted here because they didn't have the data to be able to comment either way? Do you know if they have even seen this thread?

I can see the testing needed to validate or refute what you said in your post taking quite a bit of time though. Along with purely performance-related data (e.g., capacity and voltage-under-load), testing for safety and cycle life would need to be done. Multiple overvoltage, charge current, resting time, and temperature combinations would need to be done for several different cells. Perhaps the scope of that undertaking has dissuaded the battery gurus from attempting it?

 

[LiquidDave]

VP4 it is then! I like that front charging display, and that the charging bays are independent.

Xtar is the only way to go. I have the VP4 and the VP2 and I honestly like the VP2 better. I feel like the batteries are harder to get out of the VP4 and sometimes if I have 4 batteries in it I have to come from the back to get them out. I hate doing it because it weakens the wrap on the battery.

 

[edyle]

I just got a Nitecore D2. It won't charge any of my batteries over 80-85%. Is it defective, or am I missing something? I have AW IMRs...they were fine in my old Tenergy charger which had to be replaced because one of the bays died.

My nitecore d2 does not show charge percentage, so do you mean it only charges your batteries to 3.4 to 3.6 volts? or 4.00 to 4.05 volts but not 4.2?

 

[beckdg]

Having joined in May of this year, I can't speak to what happened in 2013 when you first signed up. But my comments stand independent of the validity of your post's content. I was only discussing why the battery gurus may not have commented and, since they were disappointing you, how you might be able to get the information you want.

I don't know if the content of your post is valid or not, thus I have been unable to comment. No client of mine has requested performance data on overcharged cells or cells discharged at elevated temperatures (vs room temperature). It hasn't been something I've wanted to experiment with due to all the other testing stuff I still have waiting to be done.

The battery gurus may not have posted here because they didn't have the data to be able to comment either way? Do you know if they have even seen this thread?

I can see the testing needed to validate or refute what you said in your post taking quite a bit of time though. Along with purely performance-related data (e.g., capacity and voltage-under-load), testing for safety and cycle life would need to be done. Multiple overvoltage, charge current, resting time, and temperature combinations would need to be done for several different cells. Perhaps the scope of that undertaking has dissuaded the battery gurus from attempting it?

I don't want or need any info.

I want what's being spread corrected by those who are spreading it.

I have been attempting this dialog since day 1 here.

The most trusted "battery guru" on this site is already posting in this thread and hasn't responded.

I own, use and have tested a great majority of these batteries for myself... and a half dozen of the best chargers.

I just don't have the time to dedicate to extrapolating data for Web viewing.

Luckily, the data and information i speak of is readily available and common knowledge in some circles.

You just have to know where to look.

And it ain't here...

The battery gurus here don't test. They regurgitate data from what they decide are reliable sources.

If you use the words "hot pyrex shatter" in google, snopes is literally the first search result... snopes.com: Exploding Pyrex?

It's not that hard.

But people need to be spoon fed some times.

Tapatyped

 

[Zombo]

My nitecore d2 does not show charge percentage, so do you mean it only charges your batteries to 3.4 to 3.6 volts? or 4.00 to 4.05 volts but not 4.2?

When I put them in my mod, they only show as 80-85% (on the mod).

 

[edyle]

When I put them in my mod, they only show as 80-85% (on the mod).

and does it actually show the numbers like 80something % or are you estimating that from like a battery icon?

Could be that one charger is charging up to 4.2 and the other one is charging up to 4.1
I recently read about certain battery chemistries charging up to 4.3

the battery icon indicator is probably showing a voltage measurement as an approximation for battery charge state.

the voltage drops fast from 4.2 anway and levels out somewhat around 3.7 then drops fast from there

In any case your nitecore d2 should be telling you the voltage anyway so you could take note of that before putting in your mod

 

[beckdg]

When I put them in my mod, they only show as 80-85% (on the mod).

What mod?

Tapatyped

 

[Zombo]

What mod?

Tapatyped

P3. It gives me a percentage. Up until I got the D2, they would register anywhere from 95-99% after a Tenergy charge. The batteries are about 9 months old btw.

ATM, I'm charging two new 18650s for my IPV4S. It doesn't show percentage, but I'm going to assume that the icon will be enough. Those batteries won't sit in my P3, I think. I'll see how it handles those.

BTW, charge mode says 'CC', is this the correct setting?