Vapcell SU2 5A Charger Review

Vapcell kindly sent the SU2 for review.

I will post test results and more info as the review progresses. A table at the bottom of this post contains links to the results (found in replies to this post).

Please let me know if you have any questions.

UPDATE: I cannot recommend this charger while there is a risk that it might break and start smoking if the power is disconnected while charging a cell at 5A.

UPDATE: Vapcell SU2 may start smoking and stop working if the power supply is disconnected while charging a cell at 5A while using Pro and Manual mode.

I reproduced the issue with these steps:

  1. Put the charger in Pro and Manual mode.
  2. Insert a 21700 cell.
  3. Press Current button until 5000mA is selected.
  4. Press and hold Display button until charging starts.
  5. Remove the DC power plug while the 21700 cell is charging.

Expected result:
The charger should switch across to the powerbank mode and show “USB” on the display.

Actual result:
The display went blank, the backlight turned off, and smoke started coming out of the vents.

I removed the 21700 cell to stop the smoke.

It looks like a short circuit has been created between the positive and negative terminals. Smoke came from the sheath of a black wire that connects from the sliders to main board.

“Err” is now displayed when I connect the charger to a power supply.

I do not recommend inserting a cell when the charger displays “Err”. It may result in the cell being shorted and cause a fire.

Vapcell SU2 5A Charger

Specifications

Brand/model Vapcell SU2
Channels 2
Input DC 12V/2.5A 5.5/2.1mm
USB-A Output DC 5V/1A
Simple mode current options (3.6V Li-ion) 250mA, 500mA, 750mA, 1000mA, 1500mA, 2000mA, 2500mA, 3000mA
Simple mode current options (Ni-MH, Ni-Cd) 250mA, 500mA, 750mA, 1000mA
Pro mode current options (3.6V Li-ion, 3.2V LiFePO4, 4.35V Li-ion) 50mA, 100mA, 150mA, 250mA, 500mA, 750mA, 1000mA, 1500mA, 2000mA, 2500mA, 3000mA, 4000mA, 5000mA
Pro mode current options (Ni-MH, Ni-Cd) 250mA, 500mA, 750mA, 1000mA, 1500mA, 2000mA
Pro mode current options (1.5V Li-ion) Auto, 500mA
Auto mode current options exclude 50mA, 100mA, 150mA, 4000mA, 5000mA
Battery diameter 10 to 32mm
Battery length 34 to 82mm
Review date September 2024

The following charge currents are not automatically selected in Auto mode: 50mA, 100mA, 150mA, 4000mA, 5000mA.

Battery Type Maximum Current Cut-Off Voltage
3.6V Li-ion 2*3.0A or 1*5A + 1*1A 4.20±1%
1.2V Ni-MH 2*2.0A 1.48±1%
3.2V LiFePO4 2*3.0A or 1*5A + 1*1A 3.65±1%
3.85V Li-ion 2*2.0A 4.35±1%
1.5V Li-ion 2*0.5A 1.50±1%

Introduction

The Vapcell SU2 is a two channel fast charger. The charge current can be configured from 50mA to 5000mA. It supports 3.6V Li-ion, 1.2V Ni-MH, 3.2V LiFePO4, 4.35V Li-ion and 1.5V Li-ion battery types and 10440 to 32700 battery sizes.

Vapcell kindly sent this charger for review. I have not been paid for this review nor have I held back my opinions of this charger.

Packaging

The Vapcell SU2 comes in a Vapcell branded box with an image of the charger on the front and specifications on the back.

The following is included in the box:

  • Vapcell SU2.
  • 12V 3A power supply with 5.5mm/2.1mm DC plug.
  • User manual.

Charger in use

The Vapcell SU2 has three buttons, one to select Simple or Pro mode, one switch to select Auto or Manual charge current selection mode, two channels to charge two cells, and a big display.

The display shows the realtime voltage, current and the internal resistance.

The positive and negative terminals have notches. Cells with slightly recessed tops, button tops and flat tops work.

There is USB-A 5V/1A output for a powerbank feature.

There are ventilation holes on the bottom of the charger.

There are four rubber feet on the back.

Battery compatibility

The following cells are supported:

Battery Type Sizes
3.6V Li-ion, 3.2V LiFePO4 10440, 14500, 16340, 16650, 176500, 18350, 18490, 18500, 18650, 20650, 20700, 21700, 22650, 26650, 26700, 26800, 32650, 32700
1.5V Li-ion, 1.2V Ni-MH AAA, AA, A, SC, C, D

Dimensions and weight

Dimensions

I took the following measurements using a digital caliper.

Measurement Unit (mm)
Charger height 42.0
Charger width 68.7
Charger length 150.0
Shortest cell length 33
Longest cell length 84

Weight

I took the following measurements using a digital scale.

Weight Unit (g)
Vapcell SU2 151

User interface

There are three buttons:

  • Type (battery type)
  • Display (also an Enter button for confirming the charge current and battery type)
  • Current (hold to turn the display backlight off)

And there are two switches:

  • Simple & Pro
  • Manual & Auto

Manual or Auto charge current can be selected in either Simple or Pro mode.

The current is selected by pressing the Current button. And then by clicking Display in Simple mode.

Simple mode attempts to detect a Ni-MH/Cd or 3.7V Li-ion cell and it automatically selects a charge current.

Pro mode allows you to select the battery type (3.7V Li-ion, 3.2V LiFePO4, 1.2V Ni-MH, 1.5V Li-ion) and a charge current from 50mA to 5000mA.

The battery type must be selected and confirmed in Pro mode by clicking and holding the Display button. The charger will not start unless you confirm the battery type in Pro mode.

Tests

Room temperature: 15 C

I measure the voltage, current and temperature of various 1.5V Li-ion, 1.2V Ni-MH and 3.6V Li-ion cells while charging them in a the Vapcell SU2.

The voltage is measured with a Zoyi ZT-300AB Digital Multimeter.

The temperature is measured with a Type K thermocouple.

The current is calculated by measuring the voltage across a shunt with another Zoyi ZT-300AB Digital Multimeter.

I have not calibrated my equipment so the accuracy could be slightly off.

Mode Current Chemistry Cell Top Link
Pro 5000mA 3.6V Li-ion QB26800 3.6V Li-ion 6800mAh Flat Results
Pro 50-5000mA 3.6V Li-ion Molicel P45B 21700 3.6V Li-ion 4500mAh Flat Results
Pro 5000mA 3.6V Li-ion Molicel P45B 21700 3.6V Li-ion 4500mAh Flat Results
Simple Auto 3.6V Li-ion XTAR 18650 3.6V Li-ion 4000mAh Button Results
Pro Auto 1.5V Li-ion XTAR AA 1.5V Li-ion 2500mAh Button Results
Simple Auto 1.2V Ni-MH LADDA AA Ni-MH 2450mAh Button Results
Simple Auto 1.2V Ni-MH LADDA AA Ni-MH 2450mAh Button Results

Teardown

The backlight for the display stopped working. I contacted Vapcell and they sent a replacement SU2 to continue the review.

I decided to do a teardown of the first Vapcell SU2 to see if I could fix it. Warning: I do not recommend opening up your Vapcell SU2. You might damage the charger and it will void the warranty.

Springs for the sliders have been soldered to the main board. And there are two black wires soldered between the end of each slider and the main board.

The ribbon cable between the main board and the display board looks a bit long. I found it squished between the two boards.

One of the connectors for the ribbon cable was slightly loose. This could have come loose when I removed the main board from the shell.

The red wire for the backlight was slightly loose inside the connector. This might be why the backlight was turning on and off.

I did not end up fixing the first Vapcell SU2. I fixed the backlight issue but then I somehow caused some other issue where the charger detected two cells in both channels despite there being one cell in the first channel. The charger displayed “Err”. Again, I do not recommend opening up your Vapcell SU2. If there is an issue, contact Vapcell first.

Conclusion

The Vapcell SU2 is a good two channel fast charger.

All of my 3.7V Li-ion, 1.2V Ni-MH and 1.5V Li-ion cells fit the Vapcell SU2.

I love how I can select a low charge current like 50mA, 100mA, 150mA or 250mA for my small cells (e.g. 10440).

It is nice to be able to quickly charge a 26800 3.7V Li-ion cell at 5A.

It is worth noting that the Vapcell SU2 is limited to a maximum charge current of 1*5A and 1*1A when charging two cells at the same time.

I noticed what I can only describe as an electronic burning smell while charging a cell at 5A with two Vapcell SU2 chargers. This is a similar smell that you might notice from a flashlight driver after using Turbo mode. I did not notice any physical damage or any burnt parts.

The build quality looks ok but I think Vapcell could avoid potential connectivity issues by: soldering the backlight cable to the display board instead of using a connector and; soldering wires between the main board and the display board instead of using a ribbon cable with connectors.

I do not think that the Vapcell SU2 will replace my Vapcell S4 Plus because I regularly use the discharge mode.

The Vapcell SU2 is an affordable option if you are looking for a two channel charger with a wide range for the manual current selection and support for a wide range of battery types and sizes.

Pros:

  • Fits 10440 to 32700 battery sizes.
  • The positive and negative terminals suit most cells.
  • Manual charge current: 50mA, 100mA, 150mA, 250mA, 500mA, 750mA, 1000mA, 1500mA, 2000mA, 2500mA, 3000mA, 4000mA, 5000mA, 5000mA.
  • 1.5V Li-ion cells can also be charged.

Cons:

  • Build quality could be improved.
  • No USB-C input.
  • No discharge mode.

My review is available here:

7 Thanks

Looks like all the bases are covered by this one!

3 Thanks

Thanks for the review.
Wow, it can charge up to 5A!
(My current chargers can only charge up to 3A.) :+1:

Hmm…
The highest current a 21700 cell should be charged at is about 2.5A so anything higher than that would not help me. :thinking:

1 Thank

Looks good, but would look perfect with PD and USB-C power input - it’s great when You can use phone charger to power Li-Ion charger on a trip. Now we have cables with PD dummies, that you can plug in PD charger and get 12v output with 2,1x5,5mm port , so there’s a way around it, but still…

2 Thanks

Wow, it can charge at 50mA!

I’ve been charging my 10440s at 250mA, but would like to go lower.

2 Thanks

Thank you for your review :blush:

1 Thank

Pro 5000mA CH1 3.6V Li-ion #1

CH1: QB26800 3.6V Li-ion 6800mAh (flat top)

Measurement CH1 CH2
Start Voltage 3.593
Finish Voltage 4.191
Capacity (mAh) 3873
Capacity (Wh) 14.33
IR (mOhm) 22
Time (h:min) 02:09

I manually selected 5000mA in Pro mode. The 26800 cell charged from 3.593V to 4.20V for a little over 2 hours. The charge current started at 5A and it gradually decreased as the voltage got closer to 4.20V. I measured 4.191V a few minutes after charging finished.

The surface of the charger reached about 37 C near the positive terminal. The cell was around 24 C around the middle and closer to 37 C near the positive end.

1 Thank

Simple Auto CH1 1.2V Ni-MH #1

CH1: LADDA AA Ni-MH 2450mAh (button top)

Measurement CH1 CH2
Start Voltage 1.176
Finish Voltage 1.450
Capacity (mAh) 2868
Capacity (Wh) 3.44
IR (mOhm) 44
Time (h:min) 03:26

I selected Simple and Auto modes to charge a LADDA AA Ni-MH cell from 1.176V to 1.52V. It took 3 hours 26 minutes.

The charge current started at 750mA. It looks like -dV/dt or 0dV/dt termination has been used.

I measured 1.45V after charging finished.

The capacity shown on the display (2868 mAh) looks a bit high for this 2450mAh cell.

Bluetooth connectivity dropped out temporarily so there is a gap for the voltage in the graph.

1 Thank

Simple Auto CH1 1.2V Ni-MH #2

CH1: LADDA AA Ni-MH 2450mAh (button top)

Measurement CH1 CH2
Start Voltage 1.419
Finish Voltage 1.448
Capacity (mAh) 91
Capacity (Wh) 0.10
IR (mOhm) 31
Time (h:min) 00:06

I charged a cell that was almost full using Simple and Auto modes to see what the charger would do.

It looks like there is a short detection stage for the first minute.

The charger then used a charge current of 750mA after detecting an internal resistance of 31 mOhm.

Charging completed after about six minutes.

1 Thank

Pro Auto CH1 1.5V Li-ion #1

CH1: XTAR AA 1.5V Li-ion 2500mAh (button top) (dark blue)

Measurement CH1 CH2
Start Voltage 1.514
Finish Voltage 1.516
Capacity (mAh) 799
Capacity (Wh) 2.95
IR (mOhm)
Time (h:min) 02:15

I selected Pro and Auto modes to charge a 1.5V Li-ion cell. I had to select the battery type Li-1.5V with the Type button and then press the Display button to start charging.

The 1.5V Li-ion cell took 2 hours and 15 minutes to charge at a rate of about 4V 400mA. There is a charging circuit built into the 1.5V Li-ion cell.

Bluetooth connectivity to dropped out temporarily for the digital multimeter and there is a small gap for the voltage measurement.

1 Thank

Thanks for the review. 5A seems a bit overkill and I don’t think I would recommend this charger to muggles.

1 Thank

5Amp charge current would still be OK for the 26800 size batteries (6800mAh nominal, which would be just a bit less than 1C)?

1 Thank

If this Vapcell charger is like the Vapcell S4 Plus, the charger won’t let you set the charging current way too high for the cell that you are trying to charge. :slightly_smiling_face:

It will try to limit based on the internal resistance. So it might not do 5A when the IR is high.

There is no temperature sensor like the S4+.

Small cells could probably be set to over 3A manually. I’d try to select an appropriate max current manually.

1 Thank

:+1:

HUGE PSA: I removed a 21700 while charging and large puff of smoke came out. that slot no longer works now. Theyre sending a new one, and maybe removing during charging isnt the best idea, but definitely dont do it, especially at higher currents

2 Thanks

you can charge any cell at any rate, youre only really limited by temperature for the most part. P45b is officially rated to 13.5 amps

1 Thank

5A is only 1C for most 21700 which is well within spec. p45b is rated to a max of 13.5A. the samsung 50s rated to 6A, the samsung 40t rated for 6A etc

Hopefully Vapcell can fix that issue (I also tend to remove batteries in the middle of charging, if I don’t plan to charge the battery to full, or I need to use the battery soon)… Not all chargers have a “stop” button (eg. MC3000 has a stop button, but others mostly don’t)

1 Thank

so the 26800 batteries fit into it? coz in promo video on Ali on the back of charger is not listed the ‘‘26800’’ ; but in description they put it; and as i see u also inserted that ? thanks