Lipo batteries - charging - capacity.

[robby]

I have a DNA200 VTBox. If it takes just over 6 hours to charge the 3 cell battery (reputably 1800mah) via the mod at 500 miliamps, can any conclusions be drawn about capacity?

[ibalders]

I heard reports that the battery in these are actually relabelled 1500mah, don't know if that's true or not but it's still a decent capacity, which should last a while between chargers :)

[b1mble]

It means it is a proper balancing charger with a limited discharge capability (For heat sinking reasons). Balancing multiple cells can be an extremely slow process. Balance charging six (2400mAh) 18650s can take about ten hours. Better chargers with a greater ability to sink heat from the discharging that goes on can do this a lot faster.

For probably about a third of the time it will be drawing well under 500mA.

Or in other words it says little or nothing about the capacity of the pack.

[robby]

Sept 24, 2015 9:48:38 GMT ibalders said:

I heard reports that the battery in these are actually relabelled 1500mah, don't know if that's true or not but it's still a decent capacity, which should last a while between chargers

That`s my theory as well, I cant find another reference about 1800mah batteries from that maker. Could have been a special order but the dimensions appear to be exactly the same

[robby]

Sept 24, 2015 9:51:02 GMT b1mble said:

It means it is a proper balancing charger with a limited discharge capability (For heat sinking reasons). Balancing multiple cells can be an extremely slow process. Balance charging six (2400mAh) 18650s can take about ten hours. Better chargers with a greater ability to sink heat from the discharging that goes on can do this a lot faster.

For probably about a third of the time it will be drawing well under 500mA.

Or in other words it says little or nothing about the capacity of the pack.

I have been watching the live USB current with the Escribe software from empty to full and it only reduced in the last 15 minutes or so, apart from that a steady 500ma b1mble

[VapingBad]

I would put the USB Current on the charging screen robby and try different USB supplies until you get it to 0.97 A, this will almost halve your charge time, check the screen brightness during charging is > 0%. While it is charging at that level you can it is getting 5 Wh per hour then divide the total by 11.1 and multiply by 1000 for mAh, for 500 mA 2.5 Wh per hour...

6 x 2.5 / 11.1 x 1000 = 1351 mAh

[VapingBad]

Sept 24, 2015 9:51:02 GMT b1mble said:

It means it is a proper balancing charger with a limited discharge capability (For heat sinking reasons). Balancing multiple cells can be an extremely slow process. Balance charging six (2400mAh) 18650s can take about ten hours. Better chargers with a greater ability to sink heat from the discharging that goes on can do this a lot faster.

For probably about a third of the time it will be drawing well under 500mA.

Or in other words it says little or nothing about the capacity of the pack.

It up-balances by discharging the high cells at low current, so you are right that is slow if the cells are out of balance, but normally the CC stage is not very long (20 mins maybe) on the DNA200 like most chargers I have seen in the last 2 years.

[robby]

Sept 24, 2015 11:55:14 GMT VapingBad said:

I would put the USB Current on the charging screen robby and try different USB supplies until you get it to 0.97 A, this will almost halve your charge time, check the screen brightness during charging is > 0%. While it is charging at that level you can it is getting 5 Wh per hour then divide the total by 11.1 and multiply by 1000 for mAh, for 500 mA 2.5 Wh per hour...

6 x 2.5 / 11.1 x 1000 = 1351 mAh

Thanks, I`ll try that when I am empty again