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Unhappy 18650

jakeGT

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It's the WF-188's that I have.. and also why Aryntha mentioned the 'tested and reinforced' heh.

On the 188's I carry, I test and verify they charge to between 4.19 and 4.21v, and I also rebuild the crappy rail system in them with FP's silicon wire to eliminate the bad connections you mention.. And yes. I've caught a couple of 'low chargers' out of the dozen I have..

It's also why mine are at a bit of a premium at $25+shipping.. But then again I also guarantee them to charge to the correct voltage, and actually know they have batteries in them. :D And i'll replace them if they don't. The only problem with them I can't fix is the sticky sliders. I give them a good greasing when I have them apart but eh. On my initial test charger that i've put a LOT of cycles on now, it didn't take long for the sliders to start sticking again.. Only so much that can be done with plastic on plastic. Though most of the problem seems to be that they can twist a little when pressure is put on them and they tend to lock in place until tapped.

IMG_0219.JPG

My wf-188 only charges to 4.13v now after having it since november.

Ill pm you later about getting me a new charger!
 





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For anybody with 'low charging' problems with these(WF-188's). Try to do a fix like what's in my picture first and retest before throwing the charger away and buying a new one. Fixing the rails actually fixed the issue on on several chargers I have.

You need to use really flexible wire though, and modify the charger fairly close to the same way I did though, so you won't get snags when the rails move.
 
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mfo

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Most 18650 batteries are 2200~2800mAh.

Most chargers pump out 500mAh.

This means it'll take at least four hours to charge. 1.5 hours is obviously not going to do much :p
 
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Helios;

Thanks for the recommendation.

I picked that 18650 charger because it does not have any sliding contacts,

and the final voltage is correct (4.2 VDC).

The price is actually $8.95 prepaid.

LarryDFW
 
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I can deal with the sticky sliders on the wf-188's to not have to deal with having to have multiple chargers for different sizes of batteries, or a seperate one for 3.2v LiFe's.

And my 188's are tested for proper charge voltage too. So nyah. :na:
 

strik3

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Yeah it is but as you would be using minuscule amounts I don't there being any chance for a short
 

Helios

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Yeah it is but as you would be using minuscule amounts I don't there being any chance for a short

I would just be worried if some got into the area where the circuit board is mounted. It wouldn't take much to cause a problem there. In all likelihood though yes if a small amount is used there's not too much risk.
 
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powdered graphite is conductive? Pffft. You know, most of the components in there are just for show ;-)
 

jayrob

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If your referring to the WF-188 I would have to disagree. I have one and it will not charge to 4.2 only 3.85. It also always takes some jiggling and taking the batteries in and out to get it to recognize there is a cell in the charger. I dont even use it although I might have to when my A123s get here since they are a LiFePo4 cell.

I can however recommend LarryDFW's charger. Its a dual 18650 charger that charges each cell to 4.2V every time and has two indicator lights that DO turn green when the cell is charged. Its also only $10 and ships within CONUS so there is a few days wait instead of a few months.


Out of the 10 or 20 of the WF-188 chargers that I have tested, every one of the brand new ones that have the blue box, have all been just fine. (all the ones that I got from lighthound)

And just about every single one of the cheaper (supposedly brand new) ones that I have gotten from other sources (like ebay or other cheap sellers), have been delivered only in the bubble wrap. Not in the box.

And all of those have been crap. Like maybe they were selling returned or faulty chargers or something...
 

Helios

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Out of the 10 or 20 of the WF-188 chargers that I have tested, every one of the brand new ones that have the blue box, have all been just fine. (all the ones that I got from lighthound)

And just about every single one of the cheaper (supposedly brand new) ones that I have gotten from other sources (like ebay or other cheap sellers), have been delivered only in the bubble wrap. Not in the box.

And all of those have been crap. Like maybe they were selling returned or faulty chargers or something...

Hmmm. I dont remember where I ordered mine but that is good to know. Might have to order one from lighthound. Thanks
 




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