Ah I see what you mean.
Very interesting, so that means the indicator lights are wrong, i don’t have one of those current devices but i did go by the lights and recharge time vs current in and came to the conclusion that it was a linear driver instead of a buck driver.
So that means when i think i’m storing it at 40-50% charge (5V USB pulling out 1200mAh) i am really storing it at close to 70%?
I guess the 2 hours to gain less then 1/3 charge means the CV phase is very slow.
Thanks for the info, and I need to completely rethink its discharge level before storage.
Another possibility is that full charge is not 4.2V, if they really thought it through they would charge to 4Vish since most people would store it ready to use. Does that make sense with how much juice you pulled out of it though?
Maybe the Red indicator light means it is time the recharge if you intend to use it to boost your car
The thing for me to do now is take one apart, charge it fully and check the voltage across each cell.
Perhaps as you mentioned, full charge isn’t 4.2V across each cell, but something lower.
Also I would like to see what the voltage across each cell is when the indicator light first turns red.
I don’t expect you to go out of your way to do this but if you do i will be very appreciative 
Bort, I had noticed that the indicator light turns red too after just one phone charge.
It had bothered me also, but I never really looked into it.
Somewhere in this HD thread I did a tear down of this B&D unit and I may have already done some testing.
I can’t remember :person_facepalming:
This item IS a Home Depot deal, although it wasn’t dealed at all stores at the same time. Some stores may still have them on clearance. It was an $80 device that I got for $20.03
I really like mine, I have used it several times to boost the old worn out battery in my van.
Just a couple of days ago I finally got around to replacing it with a $100 battery that I got at Home Depot for $24.03 two months ago 
I did not consider that the light going red could be wrong, it did seem to add up, half of 2000 mAh battery plus some overhead meaning red light does seem reasonable.
I have not needed it to boost the car yet but what i have been doing is every 3 months recharge then discharge to just before red light so that when i do need it all i have to do is charge and use it. If i’ve been keeping it at a high voltage that would suck.
Here is the link to post #1165 of this HD thread that I took the cover off and measured the capacity of a single cell. That’s as far as I got.
Here is an interesting picture from that thread showing what I think is a very sophisticated control board.
I am in the process of doing some further tests of this unit and another power booster I recently picked up at HD for $19.03
Battery Tender brand and it went on clearance at the same time the CAT stuff did.
So I removed the cover and soldered test leads across the 6 - 18650 cells in the pack, then charged it up
Per cell voltage when fully charged is 4.15V
Then I discharged the pack thru the USB connector, with the voltmeter still connected across the 6 cells
Per cell voltage as the indicator light turned Yellow was 4.00V
Per cell voltage as the indicator light turned Red was 3.85V
My take on this is that the indicator lights are tuned towards the suitability of charge for starting your car. The pack should be fully charged for that use, and anything not close to fully charged is considered in need of a charge.
However, for use as a USB power bank, the indicator light is not really useful as there is a LOT left in the pack when it first turns Red. I would say the pack is still about 75% full when the light first turns Red.
The Battery Tender unit did a bit better as a USB power bank. It ran for 3.75 Hours at 4.94V and 1.88A, or 69.5WH
This is not a clearance item, but rather a “new lower price”
Should show up in app queries and internet searches on HomeDepot.com
I checked several areas of the country and it comes up at $49.00 everywhere I checked.
Yesterday some stores around here had a smattering of them, this morning they were all gone.
YMMV
I finally found one of these
These are now $3.83 and include a voltage sensor that you can embed in the handle.
Filament bulbs on clearance!
Fascinating, thanks, i will rethink my discharge for storage
Wow! $49 for that tool chest sounds like a steal! Can’t imagine it would stay around long at that price.
-Garry
You guys are the best! I used the information provided in this thread to buy a router for $0.1 this morning! Couldn’t believe it. I first noticed the yellow tag marked $15.03, went to self checkout to scan price. It popped a penny, I went back to aisle where the remaining two were. They were gone from the shelf with the yellow tag removed when I came back. The Electrical Dept. associate observed what I did, he probably scanned the router with his code reader. When it popped a penny he must have taken them. Very few people in store at the time. No other explanation. Either way I am extremely happy! Thank you!
Why wouldn’t Home Depot have the self-checkouts set off an alarm (or at least deny the transaction and signal for an associate) when an item rings up for a penny? Especially if they’re so dead set on keeping penny items out of consumers hands! It just doesn’t make sense.
-Garry
Shhhhhhhhhh!
Not $0.1, $0.01
Which router? The NetGear?
Not $0.1, $0.01
Which router? The NetGear?
Garry,
the smaller tool chest to the left at $79 was what I got on BF for $59, and I thought THAT was a good deal
I don’t understand why they use the system that they do either. I have been using the ‘DCHOMAK’ maneuver myself (carrying the barcode from an item to check the price). I walked into a store, scanned a code for the energizer weatheready lanterns, and giggled with glee when it price checked for a penny. The clerk had the audacity to tell my back that she could not let me take the item ‘if it rang up for a penny’.
I carefully ignored her and kept walking into the store, on the hunt, but I had no luck finding any. She may have put the manager on me, as I ran into him several times as I checked various locations. He and I had a little good natured banter and I flat told him I was looking for penny items (this not being a store I go to often, and rarely having any luck anyway). When I left I told him that he should tell his inventory crew they were doing a first rate job, since I didn’t find anything.
He laughed and told me “Thank you, if you are looking for penny deals you should check (other store, in worse section of town), that crew isn’t as good as we are here.”
Thinking about the exchange, I don’t feel bad about getting the penny deals. The stores and the suppliers stack the deck to preclude price shopping. “Yes these two sets look the same, but this one is a 45 piece driver set, the one you have on that web site at our competitors is a 43 piece set.” Sooner or later some smart puppy like DCHOMAK is going to figure out a way to use thier system to the advantage of the customer. Given the amount of crap that I didn’t really need that has followed me home on my 2-4 times per week hunting trips, I think they are still ahead.
I saw a Echo 58V blower for $99. One 2.0AH battery and charger.
My excitement resulted in the typo, yes $0.01. Not the Netgear, its a TP-LINK Archer C50 AC1200 Dual Band Wireless Router. Something else interesting happened. Out of curiosity, I asked an associate for a price check on another brand of router marked $89.00 on the shelf, he scanned it and said $79.00. Instant savings of $10.00? Mismarked? Death spiral? I will be keeping an out on that particular one as well.