X2 Battery questions...

[sbdivemaster]

So, I've been enjoying my X2 650mah manual for a week or two, but now I have a couple of questions:

How often should I charge it up? Should I let it die before charging? Can it be charged up any time? Will leaving it on the charge cable damage it? Is it better to use it as a passthrough? Worse? Will using as a passthrough extend the battery's overall life? Decrease it? Would using it exclusively as a passthrough make it last forever? How many charge cycles can I realistically expect?

Just trying to get more info about the X2 batteries and what's the best way to maintain them for maximum life.

Thanks!

 

[Grimwald]

I can't answer all of your questions, but I did ask one of them when I received my first X2. You can charge them at anytime. You do not have to let them totally discharge before charging. I have also read that lithium batteries last longer if you do not discharge them all the way before charging. I don't always follow that advice, I often let them die, and plug them in overnight. All of my batteries are going strong after 3 months...except for that one I put in my cup of coffee...but at least I have one extra end cap.

 

[sbdivemaster]

I can't answer all of your questions, but I did ask one of them when I received my first X2. You can charge them at anytime. You do not have to let them totally discharge before charging. I have also read that lithium batteries last longer if you do not discharge them all the way before charging.

OK, so far so good. I'm kind of the opposite - I use it while plugged in quite a bit, so it has never totally discharged. That's why I was asking about passthrough usage as well. I think I'm going to get one of those USB mini passthroughs, save the battery for heading out.

I don't always follow that advice, I often let them die, and plug them in overnight.

Tsk Tsk

All of my batteries are going strong after 3 months...except for that one I put in my cup of coffee...but at least I have one extra end cap.

 

[Mroutlaw]

So, I've been enjoying my X2 650mah manual for a week or two, but now I have a couple of questions:

How often should I charge it up? Should I let it die before charging? Can it be charged up any time? Will leaving it on the charge cable damage it? Is it better to use it as a passthrough? Worse? Will using as a passthrough extend the battery's overall life? Decrease it? Would using it exclusively as a passthrough make it last forever? How many charge cycles can I realistically expect?

Just trying to get more info about the X2 batteries and what's the best way to maintain them for maximum life.

Thanks!

Ok, here goes:

1: charge it whenever you want. You don't have to let it die before charging but it won't hurt it either way. The volt batteries are not fully discharged when they start to blink so technically, it hasn't fully discharged anyway.

2: it will stop charging when it's completely charged, so it won't hurt I'd you don't take it off the charger right away. With that said, you shouldn't charge the battery when you are not home. Although it will stop charging, things can happen and rechargeable batteries can explode if overcharged. Better to be safe than sorry.

3: using it as a pass through is kind of like using a cellphone when it's on the charger. It is charging while it's on it and everytime you take a vape, it stops charging. It won't really affect it one way or the other. But again, microprocessors can fail, and personally I wouldn't leave it plugged in indefinitely. If your sitting at your desk and vaping, plug it in and use it as a pass through, but I you are going to stop for an extended period of time, unplug it for safety.

You should get about 300 charge cycles out of it

 

[abracadebra]

mr out law in your opinion....where do you draw the line with the lights....lets say a 9oo has been on charge 8 or 9 hrs...and the lights have not gone off...do you leave it on longer...or like I said where do you draw the line....wth the x2 batts..............while im at it.....650s plus 1300....as far as the lights go....thank you...

 

[Mroutlaw]

It shouldn't take more than 8-9 hours to charge an x2 unless you are using the smaller charger (.5 one). If the light is still on, most likely either the battery post, the charger post or both need to be cleaned. Generally if it's on that long, I disconnect. Most likely though, the battery isn't charged fully. If one or both of the posts are dirty, they can't make good contact and therefore it doesn't charge as well.

This also applies to charging the 65 and 78mm batteries

 

[hoss1738]

I use mine until it dies and then use it as pasdthrough

 

[sbdivemaster]

Ok, here goes:

1: charge it whenever you want...

Excellent info! However, this is where I get a bit confused:

You should get about 300 charge cycles out of it

What is considered to be a charge cycle? If I charge it up completely, then take a few puffs, then put it back on the charger and it charges back up, it that one charge cycle? If I take 100 puffs and charge it? 200 puffs?

I hope I'm not coming across as nit-picking, it's just my compulsion for exactitude coming through...

 

[White Rabbit]

One full charge cycle is considered from when it is blinking low to a full charge. Charging intermittently will only count as a partial cycle, but whether it is 1/4th, 1/3, 2/3 or 3/4ths of a cycle is impossible to determine. If you only take 25 puffs, I would not recharge right away. Just wait until it blinks, and put it on the charger, or if you have vaped for 1/2 hr steady or so, then charge it back up if you are finished vaping for awhile. Some people have had 78s for 6 months or more and they are still going strong. Others have had theirs fail after 3 or 4 months, so it is hard to exactly answer your question until many of us have had our batteries for a longer time. Mine are still OK after 4 months of charging on alternate days which is about 60 charges.

 

[sbdivemaster]

Mine are still OK after 4 months of charging on alternate days which is about 60 charges.

You know, that makes a lot of sense. Charge it more on a schedule, based on how long it lasts and try to make the number of cycles spread out over more time... hmmm. Definitely going to get a regular passthrough too. Save the X2 for going mobile.

Thanks!

 

[charlzrocks]

Man, that's a lot of questions! However, they are all GOOD ones! Thanks for asking them as I just got my X-2 650 Manual today and have all my questions answered now as well! Thanks for all the great answers y'all!

 

[MorpheusPA]

You know, that makes a lot of sense. Charge it more on a schedule, based on how long it lasts and try to make the number of cycles spread out over more time... hmmm. Definitely going to get a regular passthrough too. Save the X2 for going mobile.

Thanks!

Sure, if that's convenient for you.

When at home, I tend to run tethered to the computer as a passthrough (I use Volt X2 Automatic 1,300 devices most of the time). That's not the best thing to do as the charge is always being applied when the battery is at a high charge level and already somewhat voltage-stressed. Really, it's a quick way to kill a battery.

Even so, my Volts have been in service for four months now and still going--and with no noticeable decrease in battery life when I'm untethered.

Theoretically, a shallow charge is always best. If you can charge it at fifty percent, you'll get far more than twice the number of recharges out of it. At three-quarters, you'd get way, WAY more than four times the number of charges out of it.

There's no good way for us to do that since our usage depends on how long we're away from our chargers and how heavily we're vaping. Just try not to constantly drain them dead if you can, and that's a pretty good start.

The best way to extend the lifespan is to never quite fully charge them. Every ten percent below 100% full they are per charge doubles their lifespan. However, that's also difficult for us to do as the charger can't be adjusted. It's more for folks with sophisticated Li-on battery chargers where you can set the top charging voltage.

 

[Mroutlaw]

I have been using my volts for 10 months now, and all of them are still going strong. The only ones that I have had die were because I washed one in the washer and another was run over by my truck.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[GummiSnorri]

Yes, I've heard that is 2 of many good ways to thoroughly end a battery's life =D

I have been using my volts for 10 months now, and all of them are still going strong. The only ones that I have had die were because I washed one in the washer and another was run over by my truck.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Mroutlaw]

Yes, I've heard that is 2 of many good ways to thoroughly end a battery's life =D

I did have another one that I washed and it was blinking when I took it out. I put in in a bag of rice for a couple of days and now it works.





Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[sbdivemaster]

Theoretically, a shallow charge is always best. If you can charge it at fifty percent, you'll get far more than twice the number of recharges out of it. At three-quarters, you'd get way, WAY more than four times the number of charges out of it.

There's no good way for us to do that since our usage depends on how long we're away from our chargers and how heavily we're vaping. Just try not to constantly drain them dead if you can, and that's a pretty good start.

The best way to extend the lifespan is to never quite fully charge them. Every ten percent below 100% full they are per charge doubles their lifespan. However, that's also difficult for us to do as the charger can't be adjusted. It's more for folks with sophisticated Li-on battery chargers where you can set the top charging voltage.

This is already kind of what I'm doing. It's on and off the charging cable many times during the day, so it never really gets a full charge, and it never really gets very low either.

Maybe I'll just stick with what I'm doing... Still want one of those mini vv passthroughs, though.

Thanks everybody for all the input!

 

[awsum140]

I'll throw in a few cents worth here as well.

After monitoring both 78mm and X2s through many charging cycles I can say the X2 does stop drawing all current when the charge light goes out. 78mm batteries seem to continue to draw about 10ma after the charge light goes out. Since it's not a good idea to trickle charge lithium based batteries, it's best to get them off the charger as soon as the light goes out, X2 or cig-a-likes. This is also a much safer practice, fire hazards in particular.

Lithium batteries are very different from NiCad or NiMh batteries in their charge characteristics than lithium based batteries. Lithium batteries do not develop "memory" and can be recharged at any point of discharge with no penalty. In fact, there is some evidence that charging them before they actually need a charge may extend their life. Like Rabbit said, that has so many variables that it's impossible to say conclusively.

One more comment is to think about the idea of charging or pass through use on a computer USB port. A charger, wall wart, is an inexpensive device to replace. USB ports in computers, laptops or desktops, get expensive very quickly. Just sayin.....


Just my opinion, worth what you're paying for it. Your results and mileage may vary. No warranty or guarantee is expressed or implied. Proceed at your own risk.