OttaMattaPia
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2016
- Messages
- 135
So after anxiously awaiting the arrival of my new charger, an AccuPower IQ338LX, it arrived today and of course I immediately set it to work.
After reading the User Guide (not really necessary with this one)…I went to set up the charging parameters.
The batteries I tasked it to charge were 4 Tenergy, 10000mAh batteries. All were at an equal state of charge.
But then I ran into a problem.
The charger has 4 slots and each slot can be programmed independently.
The problem is that slot number 2 absolutely refuses to charge at any rate other than the default 500mAh. All of the other 3 slots perform as expected and will charge at 500, 700, 1000 or 1500mAh.
So, even with a battery that charges fine at 1000mAh in slot 4 for example, when I put that same battery in slot 2 it will always revert back to the default charge rate of 500mAh. I've tried with just one battery, different batteries, different charge currents, moved the batteries around… but the result is always the same. I even tried a totally different brand and type of battery. Slot 2 remained uncooperative. Clearly a defect.
Another problem I am having with this charger is that there seems to be some kind of imbalance in the power distribution.
The battery in slot 4 is the hottest, followed by the battery in slot 3, then 2 and the battery in slot 1 remains the coolest. This is with identical batteries at an identical state of charge with nearly identical resistance values. It's as if the current is used in priority by the cells in their order starting with the cell farthest to the right. Temps were taken with a laser thermometer 1 hour after charging began. #4 = 103, #3 = 99, #2 = 90, #1 = 86
If I physically reversed the order of the batteries in the slots, after another hour the temps changed to reflect the same as heating pattern as above.
My conclusion is that current flows in a diminishing amount across the 4 slots regardless of the current setting for the slots going from right to left.
The current is not distributed evenly.
In fact, I don't think slot 1 is charging at all even though it says it is. I'll have to put my VOM leads across it to measure the current.
My conclusion is that the unit has a defective 2nd slot and possibly a defective slot 1.
Based on these problems right off the bat with a brand new unit…..I must confess I was disappointed.
I had high hopes for it based on the fact that it would charge 4 D cells at the same time.
Maybe I just got a really bad unit? I don't know. I'm asking the seller to replace this one so I'll know in about 2 weeks (holidays now).
Will report back then.
After reading the User Guide (not really necessary with this one)…I went to set up the charging parameters.
The batteries I tasked it to charge were 4 Tenergy, 10000mAh batteries. All were at an equal state of charge.
But then I ran into a problem.
The charger has 4 slots and each slot can be programmed independently.
The problem is that slot number 2 absolutely refuses to charge at any rate other than the default 500mAh. All of the other 3 slots perform as expected and will charge at 500, 700, 1000 or 1500mAh.
So, even with a battery that charges fine at 1000mAh in slot 4 for example, when I put that same battery in slot 2 it will always revert back to the default charge rate of 500mAh. I've tried with just one battery, different batteries, different charge currents, moved the batteries around… but the result is always the same. I even tried a totally different brand and type of battery. Slot 2 remained uncooperative. Clearly a defect.
Another problem I am having with this charger is that there seems to be some kind of imbalance in the power distribution.
The battery in slot 4 is the hottest, followed by the battery in slot 3, then 2 and the battery in slot 1 remains the coolest. This is with identical batteries at an identical state of charge with nearly identical resistance values. It's as if the current is used in priority by the cells in their order starting with the cell farthest to the right. Temps were taken with a laser thermometer 1 hour after charging began. #4 = 103, #3 = 99, #2 = 90, #1 = 86
If I physically reversed the order of the batteries in the slots, after another hour the temps changed to reflect the same as heating pattern as above.
My conclusion is that current flows in a diminishing amount across the 4 slots regardless of the current setting for the slots going from right to left.
The current is not distributed evenly.
In fact, I don't think slot 1 is charging at all even though it says it is. I'll have to put my VOM leads across it to measure the current.
My conclusion is that the unit has a defective 2nd slot and possibly a defective slot 1.
Based on these problems right off the bat with a brand new unit…..I must confess I was disappointed.
I had high hopes for it based on the fact that it would charge 4 D cells at the same time.
Maybe I just got a really bad unit? I don't know. I'm asking the seller to replace this one so I'll know in about 2 weeks (holidays now).
Will report back then.
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