Also something I find important is to keep your English as simple as possible. The customer support people are not native English speakers, and they may even use an automated translation program. So, make sure your spelling and grammar is simple and most importantly CORRECT. Do not use broken English and shortforms and bad spelling, or they may not understand what you want.
I have always found their customer support easy to deal with when I am polite, brief, and to the point. If you get screwed, only THEN burn them. No point to starting off the conversation with a flamethrower.
@teacher I don’t have a PayPal account but I was looking at PayPal My Cash Card. It’s just a reloadable card just put what you want in. Hopefully it work like a regular PayPal account.
About the battery pack, I not that brave enough to brake open the battery back. With my luck I’ll probably damage something.
This is a general question. Do you know anything about the usb chargeable flashlight? Do they overcharge the battery? Do you have to babysit them while they are charging? Is there alot of heat generating on the battery considering it charging in a tube? Do you have to constantly have to check the battery with a DMM so they don’t go to low in or to high power? Does the flashlight does everything for you and all you have to do is plug it in to charge?
Is the ZTS MBT-1 worth it or are there better ways to test a battery?
1.) As far as the PayPal My Cash Card goes, I am not familiar with it but it should work just fine.
2.) I understand about the battery pack. I’d say just recycle it then.
3.) Light with USB Charging
………a.) Yes, I know a bit
………b.) No, not as a general rule if they are working properly
………c.) No, I just keep a eye on them in general, just like I do charging any LiIon Battery
………d.) No, not as a general rule if everything is working properly
………e.) No, many lights have low voltage warning. It will start blinking, dim to moonlight, do something to warn you the batteries are low. Just be familiar with the light(s)you get and know what the Low Voltage signal is and also if it has Low Voltage Protection in the first place. This mainly applies to LiIon battery powered lights.
If you would rather you could get “protected cells”… do a search here on BLF and you can read about them if you don’t already know.
………f.) Yes, you just plug the USB cable into the light and a USB Port and the light does the rest.
4.) As far as the ZTS MBT-1 goes they are nice little units. I have one in fact that I rarely ever use now. It was one of those things I bought in my “ignorance” stage several years ago. :person_facepalming:
Nothing wrong with it, it tell what general state of charge a battery is in very well.
But I can tell a whole lot more with my DMM & Lii 500.
If you are asking me, personally I would not spend the money on it again.
When you purchase from gearbest you can checkout with PayPal without having a account. It gives you the option to just use PayPal as the cc processor and your still protected between that and your actual credit card company
I use that mostly now. But I have on the past used cc directly with gearbest with no problems. I figure as large as they are its probably alright. Not some random Ali seller or anything. If people’s cards were being stolen word would travel quickly and hurt there business.
Doing laptop pulls isn’t to bad. I’ve made a couple sparks before cutting the wires now I just rip the wires apart. I use to take a screwdriver and pliers to open them and now I hit the edge with a hammer to crack the case open. Much much quicker. But it goes back to my original brain cell post. If you just charge use recharge the chances of something happening are almost nil. Even if the ligjt is left in the car all summer still nil.
Most flashlights with built in USB charging are ok and have the same degree of accuracy 1%± as other external chargers. I have a couple USB flashlights and vape units. Never felt them ever get much more than warm. Well within the safety range. But you can go that route but I suggest a external charger. Unless every ligjt you purchase is USB rechargeable its not really feasible. You won’t buy just one light not if your on this forum. You might be building your own lights in 6 months or so never know. I’ve just now starting changing LEDs and drivers in easy to do hosts. When the last several months I sent the lights off to be modded. So plan for the future. Also pack pulls can be a gold mine. 2 weeks ago got 68 cells from recycle bin. And 50 of them work. Low capacity unfortunely the cell was designed that way but high amp 26amp. Batteries test at or just below original capacity. Several years of vaping and hurricane readiness batteries for a week or so of no power.
Laptop battery pack pulls are not as tough as you might think. That said, the biggest pain in the neck (for me) was an HP battery pack. I’d try a few others first, just put the HP pack away until your confidence grows a little.
Man you arnt joking. A hp pack really gave me hell once using a screwdriver and pliers trying to pry apart and break apart chunks to get inside. But they even can’t handle the hammer. You run the hammer down the seem with 3-4 good whacks it sepwrates like a oyster
I don’t like to beat on the ones I haven’t seen inside of before but that really gives me an interesting idea. I may try to use my vise on the next one with seams that are really sealed up like the HP was. Lenovo (thinkpad) packs on the other hand come apart with a few good twists.
Sorry but recommending a Lii-500 to a complete n00b, while not inherently bad… I mean, if Venom can do with a simple and cheap charger to start with, why not a Lii-202 and/or Lii-100, any of their clones or something in the likes? With these chargers, charging Ni-MH and/or standard li-ion is just set and go, and they don't have lots of buttons and or functions Venom isn't even imagining he may need. On the other hand, it's already hassleful enough explaining to not so n00bs why their chargers can't accurately measure cell internal resistances just because of the fact that the mere rail to cell contacts DO add a significative resistance to the equation. Strictly speaking, voltage drop needs to be measured right at the battery terminals.
But hell, if this smells a smidgen negative I'm sorry. For whoever really wanting to properly take care of her/his butt my advice is: learn unceasingly.
Without a minimum of wisdom and battery knowledge behind, it's only a matter of time before another m@#$% puts another over-discharged for undetermined amount of time li-ion cell on a charger and it blows up on his/her face. :facepalm:
I agree and disagree with the above. Yes keep the kiss concept. Keep it stupid simple. A regular 202 or etc smart dumb charger would work.but op said wanting to start with nihm and move into lithium the 500 is idiot proof as well. Stick the cells in its determines chemistry and goes into default 500mah charging. Instead of spending more later on. Has one charger that’s ready for lithium and can test his nihm cells if he never does. And for the noobs instead of explaining everything if your not up to it. You just post a link like you did above and they woll read it.
Now when it comes to cells I just use them. If they were $20a cell I might consider 2/3 soc but $3-5 a cell plus countless free pack pulls. Use them and recycle them. Even using them charged up to depleted still looking at least two years of service. Maybe less if you cycle daily. For $3-5 for just one cell literally a USD penny per day. 3.65 for 1 year of charge discharge 365 cycles. That’s cheap enough I need full voltage 1200 half cycles
The reason I recommended the Lii 500 is it’s versatility for the “hobbyist”.
All one “has” to do is put the batteries in and the charger does the rest. It is as “idiot proof” as the Lii 100, Lii 202, or any other “idiot proof” charger…. simple as that.
But, if one so desires they; after learning how to use the other features the charger has…… can do more.
So, in my opinion; it is simple enough for the beginner & will do much more for the more desiring “hobbyist”. (as much as a $20.00 charger can do anyway…. . )
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No apology necessary, it did not come across negative at all. :+1:
And what you said about “learning” is right on target.
If a charger can run “muggle” simple and you have the option of getting more out of it for a smallish investment of time and $$$ why not get the lii 500 and grow into it?
Both Lii-100/Lii-202 and Colaier clones are so cheap you just can't go wrong purchasing them, even if you get something better. It's like driving an easy to handle sub-compact car for commuting into the city, to later switch to your sedan/SUV for other purposes. ;-)
And with regards to the ≈⅔ SoC to maximize life cycle, I prefer to remove a partially charged battery from a laptop because of the irksome inability to tune the maximum battery charging voltage. Full and hot cells in an always plugged laptop means early death for the battery, and those aren't cheap. Overhauling them can be done, but requires a lot of effort, tools and knowledge most can't/won't afford.
In my phone, I do the aforementioned up to ⅔ SoC on the battery thanks to a nifty app which plays me a tune when it reaches specific triggers (example: connected and battery >= 60%): 3C Battery Monitor Widget. The added benefit is that I actually spend less time plugged at the charger/PSU because my device's battery seldom enters the CV charging phase, which can be looong for these high internal resistance battery equipped devices.
@ teacher If you don’t mind me asking which DMM do you have?
I read on the forum that some people like running fans while charging to help with heat. In your opinion is it a good idea and if the battery is venting does the fan push anything around in the room from venting? Also I read people bring solar panel with them camping for the charger. My question is can you charge in direct sunlight because of heat?
It seems like more and more manufacturer are going with usb chargeable light. Do you think that they will replace a charger like Lii500 or they are targeting the people that don’t want to buy a separate charger & battery? Something like the Nitecore Tip, do you have to take it apart to check the voltage or to inspect the battery or use it until the battery won’t take a charge no more?
When you said the Lii500 is idiot proof if you put the battery in and don’t touch nothing the charger will determine what battery it is, what to charge it at and so on?
I don’t know where the batteries are located in the plastic case, so when I try to crack it open with a screwdriver and/or a hammer I might hit or go through a battery causing more harm than good.
Start with finesse. I wriggle something sharpish into the seam at each corner then open the seam a little at a time until there is room for my fingers to pry it open. I never insert anything metal into the case, gotta respect the power of the cells.
1.] DMM’s
………a.] 2 or 3 cheapos
………b.] Equus Innova 3320 & 3300
………c.] Vici VC99
……………x.] These have been collected over many years
……………xx.] IF you are just going to measure battery voltage, a cheapo will most always work as well as an expensive one.
2.] Fans
………a.] I don’t / haven’t, but it sure can’t hurt.
………b.] It probably would
3.] Solar Panels
………a.] Hmm, never thought about it. Put panel in sun & charger in shade.
4.] USB Charging
………a.] No, I don’t think so
………b.] Not really, they are just handy at times…IMO
………c.] Nitecore TIP…. Just use it & charge it
5.] Lii 500
………a.] Yep, that is what I have been telling you. It will do it all for you OR you have the option to set it to do what you want it to. That consists of a few simple modes…. discharge capacity. charge capacity, etc., etc.
IF all you think you will ever want to do is charge…. just get a charger. BUT, if you think you will want to learn to do more, you will have that option with the Lii 500 because it is an analyzing charger. Simple as that.
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@ teacher I was at at a local store and they had Eneloop 8AA & 4AAA 2C&2D & spacer with case & charger (cc17) for $32.99. Batteries was made in japan charger made in china. Do you think it’s worth it? I price it individually and it almost like getting the charger for free.
The only reason I ask about the Nitecore Tip, I was going to get one for somebody as a gift that know nothing about lights.
No point to starting off the conversation with a flamethrower.
