Just today my S4+ V3 let out the magic smoke trying to use the power bank feature. Took it apart and the same chip exploded on mine too!
Any recommendations for a similar 4 bay charger from different brand?
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It’s good to have you here, degkelvin!
For emitters, I’m partial to 2700K because I love warm white. 
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Welcome to BLF @degkelvin
This appears to be a real defect in the design. I have never used the power bank feature on mine. But, it was a selling point when I bought it. The S4+ seems to be highly regarded and maybe the most recommended charger of its class (on BLF anyway). I have had mine for quite a while and use it regularly for smaller cells due to it ease of use.
So how important is the power bank function to you?
My question is that if something that serious eluded product test, what else did? 
Yup, but it seems that there are a bunch of them out there in use by BLF folks. This is the only problem that it appears to be reported as more than one off things.
All I know is that when people are throwing something in the trash and looking for an alternative as @degkelvin etc., that’s not a “good look”, and doesn’t bode well. Is the issue being resolved? I may have missed something as I haven’t been following this closely, but I have yet to hear that it is. This is particularly egregious as it appears to potentially constitute a product safety issue, and I’d hate to hear of someone being harmed. Safety issues are different from ordinary ‘bugs’, and should be treated as such.
I hope, and ‘wish’ there are no further serious issues discovered, but as my Grandmother told me: “If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.”
Well I told vapcell about it the same day I started this thread…so probably not lol. The V3 has come out since then and it has the same issue.
I brought it up to vapcell on here as well. You can see that conversation here.
They said they need me to ship the charger back for them to determine the cause. I said no problem, tell me where to send it…and I never heard back. And that was a year ago. So that’s where we are.
Btw, despite all that, I still recommend this charger. It’s still the best charger under ~$100. I’m not on a crusade against vapcell, I like vapcell. I still use the exact charger in the pictures up there, with its burnt up charge controller IC snipped off, almost every day. It still charges and discharges and capacity checks and everything else totally fine. I just have no powerbank function, obviously. But neither does anyone else really lol
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Thank you for that info. It speaks volumes to me. Volumes. I don’t think I need add anything to it. ‘A word to the wise’, and I wouldn’t say I’m ‘wise’, but I get this.
You are being ‘generous’ (if not also downright practical), and I like that. I’m a customer of theirs and have no other beef. Their cells have worked very well for me, but of course designing and building good cells and good chargers couldn’t be much more different; but my perspective is on the other side of the fence where I live - the electronics industry. In that world, such generosity usually can’t be afforded, and seldom is. There are some shortcomings I overlook &/or forgive, of course, but some I simply can’t. It’s a perspective thing I guess;-) We’ll see which category this ends up in, which I guess is solely depending on their response to it. Apparently they have the information, and it’s in their own hands. I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt automatically, unless or until they prove unworthy of it, and I’m also very patient. Thanks again, as there’s nothing like ‘real world’ info from ‘the field’!
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Thanks @Mandrake50 and everyone for the warm welcome. Just want say I loved my S4+ before that happened. I researched quite a bit beforehand and even waited for the v3 to release before getting one, so i know they can make good chargers. I contacted Vapcell, so I’ll see what they say. Funny thing is Houston had a terrible storm roll through that I was affected by which is what prompted me to try out the USB power feature. I have a backup single bay opus charger which I also like a lot.
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Sorry for the old thread bump but I found my way here through Google as my vapcell s4+ v2.0 just let out the magic smoke. I really like the charger and it served me well, until 10 minutes ago. What is people’s view of the v3.0? I see in this thread to not use the powerbank, has vapcell addressed the issue? Simple question, would you feel comfortable buying another? Thanks.
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Vapcell hasnt addressed it.
I’d still buy another one I just wouldn’t use it as a powerbank.
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I hope you have fun here, Buck_nekid!
I have two Vapcell S4+ chargers.
I don’t use them as power banks and if I needed another charger I would get another Vapcell S4+.
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Thanks for the replies, I think I will order one then. Raccoon, I like the name and avitar. I have rehabbed many raccoons among various other little mammals. Smart critters they are!
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Hmm…
I always considered raccoons to be wild animals, so I would keep my distance.
I guess if the raccoon is quite young or if it were raised by humans, it could be considered tame. 
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