Xtar VP1 & AW IMR 18650 batteries

[JamJarPenguin]

OK basically....help. So I did my research & shelled out for the best (or amongst the best) battery charger & batteries I could afford for my new SVD. An Xtar VP1 charger & AW IMR 18650 2000mAh batteries. I'm used to using Ego's so this is new to me. I have a couple of questions, I recognise they're probably a bit thick but here goes.

1. What should I be charging IMR 18650 2000mAh batteries on 0.25 A, 0.5 A or 1 A?
2. How do you know when they are fully charged on this model?

 

[Rickajho]

OK basically....help. So I did my research & shelled out for the best (or amongst the best) battery charger & batteries I could afford for my new SVD. An Xtar VP1 charger & AW IMR 18650 2000mAH batteries. I'm used to using Ego's so this is new to me. I have a couple of questions, I recognise they're probably a bit thick but here goes.

1. What should I be charging IMR 18650 2000mAH batteries on 0.25 A, 0.5 A or 1 A?

Your 2000 mAh batteries can use any of those charge current settings. The 1 amp setting will charge the fastest. The consensus seems to be that the lower the amp setting you use the longer the batteries will last. The tradeoff is the lower charge current will result in longer charge times.

Even then, I charge my 2900 mAh 18650's at the 0.25 A setting and I still can't "out vape" the charge times on the VP1. It still gets the job done fast enough at the lowest charge current setting.

2. How do you know when they are fully charged on this model?

The 'lil batteries on the display that keep blinking in a moving pattern stop doing that when the batteries are fully charged. All four bars in the indicator will be lit and will stop blinking.

 

[RWDY]

That is the setup I use and I charge 18650s on 1A. When they are fully charged the blue lights will stop blinking and light solid.

 

[JamJarPenguin]

Awww thanks fellas,
I charged them on the lowest one, 0.25 A it was the default. Both have stopped blinking at me now & one is saying 4.19V & the other is saying 4.20V. So I presume that means they are both 'cooked'. Sorry to be such a girl but I just wanted to be sure I was doing it safely. I'll continue using the lowest 0.25 A to charge if that is better for the batteries. I bought three batteries so I should always have one or two that are fully charged. Thanks again.

 

[Rickajho]

That display on the VP1 is very handy. Batteries are charged up to 4.2 volts, but that doesn't mean your batteries hold that voltage at rest. You will notice with older batteries that the voltage "rolls back" further from 4.2 volts once the charge cycle is completed.

The other thing I noticed is I had a couple of protected batteries that came with a classifieds purchase, so I didn't know their history. When I put them in the VP1 it clearly wasn't happy with them as the display kept showing an attempt to charge - the battery on the display blinking normally - and then the display would pause. As if the VP1 was trying to assess the batteries every time it tried to charge them. I found out the batteries had been used in a REALLY trashy charger that killed the protection circuits. But it was the display on the VP1 showing something clearly not normal that tipped me off that there was a problem.

Really great charger. I love it.

Another thing to keep in mind: Those channels are completely independent. As soon as one battery is done charging you can put another one in, even if the other battery isn't finished yet.

 

[JamJarPenguin]

I really appreciate the help. One more thing, how far should I let one of these batteries run down before I stop vaping & pop it in the charger? I mean in terms of being kind to the battery.

 

[Kemosabe]

I really appreciate the help. One more thing, how far should I let one of these batteries run down before I stop vaping & pop it in the charger? I mean in terms of being kind to the battery.

the *best* time to charge lithium batteries is at 50% (3.7v). this will prolong the lifetime of your lithium batteries (vaping batteries, cell phone batteries, laptop batteries included).

however, its not necessary to charge once it reaches 50%. you can run them safely down to 3.2v before charging. this is likely where your SVD mod will cut you off anyway, if not sooner.

also, lithium batteries like shallow charges, meaning charging at 80% for example is completely acceptable, in fact the chemistry prefers it to a deep charge. this is the opposite rule from nickel batteries of the past. nickel batt chemistry prefers deeper discharge as to not have a 'memory effect'.

 

[Kemosabe]

also, its always best to charge discharged batteries as soon as possible. leaving them in a discharged state can have a negative effect.
conversely, its always best to use a fully charged batt asap. leaving a fully charged batt unused for weeks or months can have a negative effect. its all about cycling them appropriately.

if you plan to store your batteries for weeks or months, its best to leave them at 40% (3.6v).

 

[XxBLUExX]

I was also wondering how to tell when the batteries were done the instructions weren't very clear! Thanks

 

[JamJarPenguin]

I was also wondering how to tell when the batteries were done the instructions weren't very clear! Thanks

Thank goodness I wasn't the only one.