18650 Charge Times Issue?

[graykev]

Hi,

I have been using the Nitecore I4 for about a month now to charge my married 3x18650 Sony VTC4 batteries for my Reuleaux rx200.

When charging, i notices that one of the batteries finishes charging about 1.5 hours before the other 2. If i remove it and put it back in it will charge again for around another half hour. Is this normal? I would have thought they should all charge at roughly the same speed?

They still work with no issues and the reuleaux doesn't sense a voltage difference (not outwith it's allowed range anyway).

My next step is to mark the battery to see if it is always the same battery.

Thanks,
Kevin.

 

[tonystr]

Sometimes i notice this. When the batteries have got to about 4.1v if i spin them in the charger the volt reading goes up to 4.2V. Your charger doesnt read the volts only volt level. I suggest measuring the voltage of the batts while still on charge with a multimeter

 

[graykev]

Sometimes i notice this. When the batteries have got to about 4.1v if i spin them in the charger the volt reading goes up to 4.2V. Your charger doesnt read the volts only volt level. I suggest measuring the voltage of the batts while still on charge with a multimeter

ok since posting this i have read about my charger. Apparently it has 2 independent chargers. Slot 1&3 and slot 2&4. I've just realised it always seems to be the one thats the only one in either of the two sets of slots. Could the odd one be charging faster as it's independent charger only has to focus on one instead of 2?

 

[RichieRich]

It's a possibility, Mark the battery like you suggested, and if the issue travels with it to another slot, it's the battery.

If it is the battery, it could be that it is lower capacity to the other two, hence the quick charge

 

[happy lungs]

I have notice this too and assumed it was the lead cell that takes more of a pounding and is therefore in a more discharged state. It seems to happen to one positive up cell. The battery voltage function on the rx200 (turn it of and hold all three buttons) seems to say the same thing. I don't like it and I feel like the discharge rates are different for the cells.....

 

[edify]

ok since posting this i have read about my charger. Apparently it has 2 independent chargers. Slot 1&3 and slot 2&4. I've just realised it always seems to be the one thats the only one in either of the two sets of slots. Could the odd one be charging faster as it's independent charger only has to focus on one instead of 2?

This is right. If you charge your batts in slots 1,2 and 3, the battery in slot 2 will gett 750mA whilst the other two will get 350mA.