My Vapcell S4+ Analyzing Charger photos and observations

Has anyone tried to open up the device and physically remove the buzzer?

I would try that with almost any electrical device except a li-ion charger. The consequences of something going even slightly wrong are just too high, especially with my (low) level of skill and knowledge.

…also microwaves. Do not screw with microwaves because they will find 10 different ways to kill you before you’ve even gotten a decent look at the internals. :open_mouth:

Yes. I opened up my Vapcell S4 plus and desoldered the buzzer. I don’t recommend doing this. It’ll probably void any warranty.

Seriousness aside, I personally have no problem with a charger buzzer. I have a hearing damage that weirdly does not let me hear that certain buzzer frequency.

My family always complain whenever I use my iCharger, and Vapcell. It also buzzes when it’s Done…making them go crazy watching me having no reaction to it!

Though I can hear it if I only put my head, or ears, just a few inches away from the charger.

Agreed, it’s the dog that has a problem with my S4+ not me :smiley:

Yeah, but you know it is just a buzzer, unless it is monitored if it buzzed or not (which I would doubt it is).

Now regarding a li-ion charger, look at that reflow on the 3.3uH inductor, quite weak for a li-ion charger, twisted a bit more and you have a short, would not be bad a take the heat gun and correct it.

Thanks for the pictures, I am sure will void the warranty.
Yet I wonder who will honor warranty especially if I buy it from overseas.

The buzzer seems there where I added the red circle?

Well, I got the opposite issue, I hear everything and most around me can’t hear anything, I hear the buzzing of the video card, of the monitor while I scroll, buzzing of the wall USB adapters, the Ikea E14 bulbs buzzing, I hear the silent fans, the neighbor that has to drill a new hole at 7 AM in the morning (seems he fancies this time of the day each day of the week for noises)
I often think of others with worse hearing than mine that they might have it better not hearing anything under the sun. :slight_smile:

I just got the vapcell as a companion to my original maha c9000. Love how clear the display is. Everything is going good so far but I was wondering if there is a chart somewhere which lists different sizes of li-ion batteries and what charge/discharge current to use? Something like this

This chart is for NiMH/NiCd batteries.

tia

I use these values:
10440 -> 250 mA
14500 -> 500 mA to 1A
18350 -> 500 mA to 1A
18650 -> 1A to 3A (best to read the data sheet for your cells)
21700 -> 1A to 3A (best to read the data sheet for your cells)

It depend on the cell.

So far the common, accepted safe max charging rate for li-ions is 1C and at least .33C for niMh.

For discharge, 500mA to 1A is acceptable for both.

Could it simply be the power adapter that is broken?
Have you tried another?

Just a quick question. I charged a Nitecore 21700 (NL2150) and the nitecore site says it's 3.6V but as you can see from the picture, Vapcell charged it to 4.2V. Is this an issue? Or am I mistaken some how?

The Vapecell charger works well. But I have noticed sometimes the readings are not consistant.And it has alot to do with how the batteries are put in the charging bay. I would recommend that when you place the batteries in charger that they are perfectly straight. Try running them again and see if
reading is different. If the readings are the same ask the battery manufacturer about them.

Dug a little deeper and found this. So it seems ok (Doh)

[quote=tcc]

Dug a little deeper and found this. So it seems ok (Doh)

:+1: :beer:

Ok thats good, keep in mind what I told you about the charger, its very sensitive to how batteries are put in bays

Will do.

Thanks for the tip.

All analyzing charger/discharger that has SLIDING RAILS to accomodate different battery lenghts has this inherent drawback, of which since the negative contacts of the rails are not fixed and are spring-loaded, it has this drawback of a very possible different IR readings depending on the physical contact on how the rails get in contact with the (-) side of the batteries, and even with the (+) side, though in a much lesser degree.

I mitigate this inherent drawback with the sliding rails by at first wiping the (+) and (-) ends of the charger AND the cell, then when the cell is already put its place, I push the sliding negative rail contact towards the the front AND at the same time rolling the cell in the bay, hoping for a more stable physical contact.

The lowest reading after two or more tries gets me more or less near the ball park of the correct IR, but nowhere near the correct reading of a laboratory-grade, hundred to a thousand dollar IR measuring tool.

Yes I agree, but the Vapecell charger seems to be much more sensitive than my eastshine or the xstar dragon