Old Style Pila Charger Question

dudemar

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Hi all,

This is a question about the old Pila charger (not the new IBC). How do I know when it's done charging? I let a pair of 150S charge for about 2 hours and the red light turns green. Problem is the red light blinks intermittently, so I'm not sure if it's fully charged yet. It also seems like I don't get a full charge out of them. I bought mine used so it didn't come with an instruction manual.

Should I charge them for a certain amount of time? 2-3 hours?

On another note, can I charge Wolf-Eyes 150/168's on this charger? If so that would be awesome.

Thanks,

Dudemar
 
Yep, you can charge Wolf-Eyes batteries on that charger. In fact, I believe Wolf-Eyes and Pila are the same company with identical batteries and identical chargers. I used to have an old Wolf-Eyes charger and an old Pila Charger (still have one of them) and they were identical in form and function. I don't think they came with any instruction manual. I bought my first Pila charger new and I don't remember there being any manual with it. I'm a bit color blind, so I can hardly ever tell when the lights on chargers are red or green. I just leave them charging for 4 or 5 hours and assume they're done! I always thought it took about 3 hours to charge, but I've never been sure, so I always leave them on there longer.. I don't think 2 will be enough.

I'm not sure if it's recommended or not, but I've charged ALL sorts of Li-ions on my Pila/Wolf-eyes chargers, including unprotected ones.
 
Yep, you can charge Wolf-Eyes batteries on that charger. In fact, I believe Wolf-Eyes and Pila are the same company with identical batteries and identical chargers. I used to have an old Wolf-Eyes charger and an old Pila Charger (still have one of them) and they were identical in form and function. I don't think they came with any instruction manual. I bought my first Pila charger new and I don't remember there being any manual with it. I'm a bit color blind, so I can hardly ever tell when the lights on chargers are red or green. I just leave them charging for 4 or 5 hours and assume they're done! I always thought it took about 3 hours to charge, but I've never been sure, so I always leave them on there longer.. I don't think 2 will be enough.

I'm not sure if it's recommended or not, but I've charged ALL sorts of Li-ions on my Pila/Wolf-eyes chargers, including unprotected ones.

I believe you are correct about the Pila BC2 being the same charger as the Wolf Eyes CH-02. Pila says you shouldn't use newer batteries in the old charger. There was a CPF thread explaining the protection circuits were more robust in a 168A. But you shouldn't use a 600P or an AW 18650 in the older BC2 charger.

But it is OK to charge a Wolf Eyes 168A/S or a 150A/S in a Pila BC2.
 
Hello Dudemar,

The old Pila charger charges to 4.6 volts. Since Li-Ion cells are fully charged at 4.2 volts, it will overcharge unprotected cells.

Protected cells have the protection circuit that kicks in at around 4.35 volts. This means that relying on the protection circuit can also lead to overcharged cells, but the charger charges at a higher rate. This results in a rapid voltage rise during the charge until the protection circuit kicks in. At this point the cell is not fully charged, so after the cell shuts down, its voltage drops. When it drops below the latch voltage of the protection circuit, the charger once again begins charging the cell.

This results in the red and green lights flashing at the end of the charge. This off and on cycle will continue until the resting voltage of the cell is above the latching voltage of the protection circuit.

This method of charging is a little faster than the normal Li-Ion charging algorithm, but it does not completely charge the cell, and it relies on the cells protection circuit to terminate the charge. Drop the cell and you can damage the protection circuit. Li-Ion cells are very near venting at 4.6 volts, and if they don't vent, they will have their cycle life greatly reduced.

It is better to have a Li-Ion charger that charges to 4.2 volts, then holds that voltage while the current tapers off. When the current get to a low value, it should completely shut off, and not continue to "trickle charge" until it drops to 0.

Tom
 
I do appreciate the reply SilverFox. If I read your post right I stop charging when the red and green light start blinking? (so a solid green remains lit?) About how long should I charge a pair of 150S?
 
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Hello Dudemar,

Charging times for Li-Ion cells are dependent on a number of variables, including condition of the cell, state of discharge, actual capacity of the cell, and charging rate.

A cell that has an actual capacity of 1500 mAh and is in good condition and is charged at 1500 mA will take 80 - 90 minutes to fully charge using the proper Li-Ion CCCV charging algorithm. This charger seems to cut a few minutes off of that.

Tom
 
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