We don't need no stinkin chargers

[Shadowdr]

After receiving my batteries from china, I had thought that I could just screw them into one of my chargers not thinking that the contacts were actually recessed inside the unit. Because my 14500 are protected I figured I could just wire it up to a cell phone charger. While this works, you never know how long to charge or when it is finished.

So I took a 901 atty that I had traded with Shreck for a 4081 and wired a battery box to the dead atty and it screwed right into my 4081 charger. Now I can just go by the LED and tell when she is done. Good thing, as I had no idea it would take so long to charge a single 14500. No sense paying for a charger when you have so many lying around.

 

[kinabaloo]

I'd say this is a good example of the gray area sometimes where it is difficult to judge how reasonable or safe an idea or practice is.

The battery's protection circuit mostly concerns discharge; it might protect from overcharge too or depend on the charger for that. May vary according to brand of 14500. If the voltages are same that is a good indicator that all may be well but even then over the longer run there might be a cost in terms of battery life.

If this is plain unsafe or reasonable is so hard to say.

Except that it should be said that the non-technical should not experiment with chargers in this kind of way.

 

[kinabaloo]

Some battery types prefer a full discharge-full recharge regime; but my understanding is that lithium ions like to not suffer too much discharge and be topped up as often as possible; but not too quickly. And a nominal 3.7v lithiun ion should not be offered more than 4.1/4.2v.

 

[kinabaloo]

Interestingly, a story out today: mobile manufacturers have actually agreed a common connector for recharging all future mobile phones.

About time!

Now, if only atty manufacturers would all follow the 901 connector (a fairly standard thread) ...