diving in to the world of AW

[Bushman5]

Ok, fine, i get it. AW's are the best batteries. I'm still going to keep using Tenergy's, despite the hate they get here. But i will buy some AW's to, namely because they are finally available in Canada (thanks 4sevens!) and i don't have to deal with Canada Customs and battery shipping issues. Plus i want the 18650 format

Question:

- where are they made? are they handmade by AW (ie is this a hobby or a full time job?) or factory produced in a battery factory?

- Mah ratings aside, are the AW's better suited to mis-use and poor charging practices? ie: if i accidentally run them down or leave them on the charger too long are they better suited for such practices?

finally, I need a charger that can be used in the truck (12V plug) and at home.......does the AW's Dual Bay Fast Charger AW-139 have both 12v plugs and household plugs?

 

[Mjolnir]

It might be worth it to invest in the PILA IBC charger. You can buy a 12V adapter separately.
The IBC costs significantly more than the WF-139 charger, but it is a much higher quality charger, and actually terminates the charge properly.

 

[Black Rose]

Question:

- where are they made? are they handmade by AW (ie is this a hobby or a full time job?) or factory produced in a battery factory?

They are made in China, to AWs specs.

- Mah ratings aside, are the AW's better suited to mis-use and poor charging practices? ie: if i accidentally run them down or leave them on the charger too long are they better suited for such practices?

Poor charging practices will damage any cell regardless of make, but AW's have been shown to be very resilient when dealing with such practices.

Just don't leave the cells in the charger after the charge terminates, especially with the one you noted below.

finally, I need a charger that can be used in the truck (12V plug) and at home.......does the AW's Dual Bay Fast Charger AW-139 have both 12v plugs and household plugs?

The WF-139 has a 12V input jack as well as the AC cord.

You can buy the car cord for the WF-139, at least when you order directly from AW.

It might be worth it to invest in the PILA IBC charger. You can buy a 12V adapter separately.
The IBC costs significantly more than the WF-139 charger, but it is a much higher quality charger, and actually terminates the charge properly.

Getting a PILA IBC here in Canada is an expensive prospect due to shipping.

That's why I am using a couple of Yoho-122 chargers for my large cells.

 

[Bushman5]

thanks for the info.

another question, just to confirm.....two x 18650 cells are the same length as 3 rcr123s?

 

[lctorana]

thanks for the info.

another question, just to confirm.....two x 18650 cells are the same length as 3 rcr123s?

Here's a hint about the lengths.
18650
16340
Simple arithmetic.

 

[tabetha]

I've just bought a WF 139 charger, although you can put in RCR123 batts it is NOT wired up for these, however ther eis a linky bit on one of the reviews that shows the connection points to solder 4 simple bits of wire to, to connect these up.
tabetha

 

[Oddjob]

I've never had any problems getting AW cells here from China. Usually take about a week and I've never had any customs issues. It actually takes twice as long for me to get stuff from 4sevens in Atlanta than to get stuff from China (before 4sevens Canadian site existed). I managed to get a Pila charger up here for about $10.00 in shipping. IIRC I just e-mailed Pila USA and asked to have one sent via regular USPS.

 

[Bushman5]

thanks for all the info everyone.

now, about that job i need to fund my flashlight and battery purchases.....