IMR Batteries... Safer?

[alvoram]

I've never noticed the noise before, but have checked all my batteries, and they all do it, so I guess it is the charger. Thanks guys.

[2risky]

Apr 13, 2012 16:22:21 GMT Perpetua said:

I wouldn't be happy with that I must confess 2Risky . . . have had a couple of TR-001's and they've never made any noise at all.

Well I'm not delighted by the noise, but it was cheap and it doesn't overcharge batteries, which is the main safety concern.
I'm far too tight to buy a decent charger while this one is OK.

I can easily check the charge with a meter and the LT, so I'm stoical about it basically.

[hifistud]

Without getting technical, any TR-001 making a noise is moving towards failure, and needs to be replaced - they should be silent. The noise is an oscillation happening in the circuitry. With luck, it will fail benignly. Without, it could be a catastrophic failure.

[Karma]

it costs about £12 for a decent riva/ego battery?

it costs about £12 (from ebay) for a X-tar charger?

[alvoram]

Apr 13, 2012 23:57:42 GMT hifistud said:

Without getting technical, any TR-001 making a noise is moving towards failure, and needs to be replaced - they should be silent. The noise is an oscillation happening in the circuitry. With luck, it will fail benignly. Without, it could be a catastrophic failure.

it's brand new, should I contact the vendor?

[2risky]

Apr 13, 2012 23:57:42 GMT hifistud said:

Without getting technical, any TR-001 making a noise is moving towards failure, and needs to be replaced - they should be silent. The noise is an oscillation happening in the circuitry. With luck, it will fail benignly. Without, it could be a catastrophic failure.

Thanks. I'm interested to know which component is oscillating, which will determine the severity and effects of any failure. Be as techy as you like, I'm fairly good on electrics.

The first suggestion I've run across is the transformer, the idea being that when charging a fully exhausted IMR initially, very high currents are drawn, which generate unusually strong magnetic fields, which in turn cause the coil windings to hum a bit. Not sure I buy this, but if true the effects of failure would (eventually) be an open circuit on one leg of the transformer, which would make the whole device dead. This doesn't strike me as dangerous.

The second suggestion I've read is an inductor. I don't have any clear idea what its function in the circuit might be, unless it's to stop the output voltage from wobbling about too much, so I'm a bit in the dark on this, and imagine that eventual failure would also lead to an open circuit. In that case it may be more dangerous, but this is now quite a tall tower of conjecture anyway.

In any case, I will continue to watch it carefully, but I'm not going to bin it until it charges batteries above 4.2V or explodes.

[ragjoy]

i couple of points id like clearing up if you can guys.
i always buy the black PCB AWs from a fairly trusted source.
these
www.ledfiretorches.co.uk/aw-18650-2200-mah-rechargeable-lithium-batteries.html

i did have a reply in another thread ref IMR batteries and when and what there safer for, i believe the explanation was that IMRs are more required/safer with devices with circuitry and not so important with mechanical devices such as GGs, SDs and super Ts etc.
what is the safest battery firstly for mechanical devices and then for electrical.
and are the PCBs safer than IMRs overall for ecigs.

off topic slightly but one thing i always do/use is one of these.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-x-24Hr-Mains-Plug-Timer-Socket-Switches-Security-NEW-/380163643771
i set 3 hours at on and the rest off this you will only ever charge for 3 hours, providing you go back to the socket every 24hrs.


raggy.........

[alvoram]

Apr 14, 2012 9:42:29 GMT ragjoy said:

i couple of points id like clearing up if you can guys.
i always buy the black PCB AWs from a fairly trusted source.
these
www.ledfiretorches.co.uk/aw-18650-2200-mah-rechargeable-lithium-batteries.html

i did have a reply in another thread ref IMR batteries and when and what there safer for, i believe the explanation was that IMRs are more required/safer with devices with circuitry and not so important with mechanical devices such as GGs, SDs and super Ts etc.
what is the safest battery firstly for mechanical devices and then for electrical.
and are the PCBs safer than IMRs overall for ecigs.

off topic slightly but one thing i always do/use is one of these.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-x-24Hr-Mains-Plug-Timer-Socket-Switches-Security-NEW-/380163643771
i set 3 hours at on and the rest off this you will only ever charge for 3 hours, providing you go back to the socket every 24hrs.


raggy.........

£899

[ragjoy]

Apr 14, 2012 11:04:31 GMT alvoram said:

Apr 14, 2012 9:42:29 GMT ragjoy said:

i couple of points id like clearing up if you can guys.
i always buy the black PCB AWs from a fairly trusted source.
these
www.ledfiretorches.co.uk/aw-18650-2200-mah-rechargeable-lithium-batteries.html

i did have a reply in another thread ref IMR batteries and when and what there safer for, i believe the explanation was that IMRs are more required/safer with devices with circuitry and not so important with mechanical devices such as GGs, SDs and super Ts etc.
what is the safest battery firstly for mechanical devices and then for electrical.
and are the PCBs safer than IMRs overall for ecigs.

off topic slightly but one thing i always do/use is one of these.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-x-24Hr-Mains-Plug-Timer-Socket-Switches-Security-NEW-/380163643771
i set 3 hours at on and the rest off this you will only ever charge for 3 hours, providing you go back to the socket every 24hrs.


raggy.........

£899

LOL i didnt see that, i just did an image search and that was closest visually to the one i have.
there very good, but not that good

raggy............

[maccafan]

LOL..Well spotted Alvo..

Obvious typo..The previous 2 he sold were for £8.78 per pack of 3..

[hifistud]

I'd go along with either the trans or a choke/inductor, and also with the notion that an open circuit fail is more likely, unless the vibration extends to the whole PCB and causes a failure elsewhere. I'd still chuck it - but that's me.

Apr 14, 2012 6:57:52 GMT 2risky said:

Apr 13, 2012 23:57:42 GMT hifistud said:

Without getting technical, any TR-001 making a noise is moving towards failure, and needs to be replaced - they should be silent. The noise is an oscillation happening in the circuitry. With luck, it will fail benignly. Without, it could be a catastrophic failure.

Thanks. I'm interested to know which component is oscillating, which will determine the severity and effects of any failure. Be as techy as you like, I'm fairly good on electrics.

The first suggestion I've run across is the transformer, the idea being that when charging a fully exhausted IMR initially, very high currents are drawn, which generate unusually strong magnetic fields, which in turn cause the coil windings to hum a bit. Not sure I buy this, but if true the effects of failure would (eventually) be an open circuit on one leg of the transformer, which would make the whole device dead. This doesn't strike me as dangerous.

The second suggestion I've read is an inductor. I don't have any clear idea what its function in the circuit might be, unless it's to stop the output voltage from wobbling about too much, so I'm a bit in the dark on this, and imagine that eventual failure would also lead to an open circuit. In that case it may be more dangerous, but this is now quite a tall tower of conjecture anyway.

In any case, I will continue to watch it carefully, but I'm not going to bin it until it charges batteries above 4.2V or explodes.

[2risky]

The reason I'm a bit doubtful about the transformer theory is the pitch of the buzzing - I'd expect a mains frequency hum, but it's far higher than that. Hence I favour the inductor + harmonic resonance slightly.

It's hard to be sure of anything without a circuit diagram, and I'm not keen to crack the case open.

[vereybowring]

A capacitor that isn't securely held, or has quite long "legs" between it and the pcb will also vibrate at high speed giving a whine.
I know this because one of the first VV device I built had a whine when you had the button down and it was down to one of the capacitors.

I did loads of testing before finding mention of this online and then just had to glue the capacitor in place.

[alvoram]

So should I contact the vendor, with it being brand new and making the noise?

[Roger]

Have you tried another battery yet?