Samsung 25R problem on Intellicharger i4?

[ABQChristopher]

Bought the Samsungs via the deal Joe posted the other day. On my i4, they do charge but it isn't showing that they're charged. It never gets past one solid light, second light blinking. But when I check the batt, it is getting a charge. First day I got them, they were on the charger a very long time. When I finally took them off, they both showed 4.2 and weren't warm or anything.
I don't recall anything like this ever happening with this charger and I've put a wide variety of batteries on it.

Is it going to overcharge them?
Any suggestions or theories?
I've googled a little bit and have found no one else having this issue.

 

[TravisT]

I've got a set of the Samsung 25R's ( not from that vendor) they both came with a voltage of 3.6. I also have the I4 Charger. It took around 4 hours to complete the charge. All lights functioned normally. The I4 Charger has overcharge and temperature sensing.

Have you used the batteries in anything yet? http://www.nitecore.com/productDetail.aspx?id=18

 

[ABQChristopher]

I have used both batts and they function normally.

The lights do what I described no matter how long leave them in the charger.

My concern is that, if the charger is misreading the battery voltage level - and I'm guessing it is since the lights are indicating the wrong charge level of the batt - then it would keep charging, even if they're full since it doesn't appear it knows the batts are full.

So, after charging four or five hours, the second light is still flashing and I take that to mean it is still charging it. I take the batt off, stick it in a mod, it shows 4.2V. I put the batt back on the charger, second light is flashing.

I'm no electrician but that light display is there to tell me what it's doing so I'm assuming that it is, in fact, charging and that wouldn't be good.

 

[TravisT]

If it was overcharging then the battery would get warmer and the temperature sensing would kick in and shut down the charge.
Have you Drained one down and recharged it?
Maybe contact the vendor and see if he has any feedback on it?

 

[ABQChristopher]

Well, I'm kinda spoiled and only vape a batt down to 4.0, 3.9 at most. But, yeah, I've done that.

Temp sensing kicking in is a good point. I'll rest easier with that in mind.

Contacting the vendor is a good idea, too.

 

[TravisT]

I usually go to 3.6 on just about everything . Occasionally I forget to check on the kicked mech I have and that cuts off at 3.

The I4 is a pretty decent charger.

 

[CaFF]

Well, I'm kinda spoiled and only vape a batt down to 4.0, 3.9 at most. But, yeah, I've done that.

Temp sensing kicking in is a good point. I'll rest easier with that in mind.

Contacting the vendor is a good idea, too.

So, you never discharge your batteries at all?
That makes little sense to me. You are charging a battery with an almost full charge. Li-Ions need to go through charge/discharge cycles for an effective lifespan.

Link: http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/charging_lithium_ion_batteries

My 25R's come off the charger at 4.2, I usually recharge them at 3.6-3.7V

 

[UncleRJ]

From the far right field.

Are your batteries making good contact with the charger?

With some batteries you may need to "Snug" the contacts a wee bit.

Aka bend them gently and just a tad so they are FIRMLY in contact with each end of the battery.

 

[MKPM]

i4 chargers will hang sometimes....switch the battery to a different slot and it will charge the rest of the way. I had an i4 and Pila before I switched to a pair of LUC's. I like to know what my batts are charging up to....if "fully charged" is less than 4.2v....then I know the battery is on it's way to the bin.

 

[MKPM]

Another thing to consider is to avoid over draining your batteries....enough times and you will kill the cell. I will still charge and is useable, but at a diminished capacity. I rarely vape my batteries below 2.8v

 

[MrScaryZ]

The reason some are having problems is the Samsung 25-R's are Hybrid batteries new chemistry (hybrid (LiNiCoMnP) or INR
The Nitecore I4 is an old charger that probably is having some issues with these I saw this on my Nitorecore I4 with some of the LG HE's
I suggest you get in time a higher end battery charger I always recommend the Xstar VP2 or the newest one with 4 bays as it charges everything including the newer batteries requiring higher voltage than 4.2 and can bring cells back to life even if undercharged.... We will see this more and more as manufacturers try to squeeze every bit of MAH out of the battery..

 

[Warhawk-AVG]

i4 charger w/ 4 batteries only pushes 375mA per channel...so those larger batteries take a VERY long time to charge

Voltage termination is always very very close to 4.2vdc so they don't overcharge the batteries, they are good Li Ion chargers..but slow if you fill up all the slots

 

[Jackson]

SuPower Battery, a vendor, had mentioned some charger problems with the Samsung INRs when using the Nitecores. Fancy is not always better.

INR = NCA or Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide

 

[Kemosabe]

yeah its gotta be the battery's chemistry. the fact that theyre 3.6v INR and not 3.7v IMR must be whats doing it.
i have had zero issues charging my LG HE2s and my Samsung 25Rs (among other cells) on my Xtar VP1. it gives the real-time cell voltage as they charge, so you know exactly where youre at all along the way. Nitecore makes a good charger, but i prefer actual numbers to battery bars, especially if the battery bars are not accurately displaying your voltage level with these INRs.

 

[pdxjlb]

My NITECORE D2 is doing just fine with the Samsung 25r (20a) even though it's taking a bit longer than usual compared to the NITECORE i4

 

[darkox]

I recently got a couple pairs of 25r's and I'm having the same problem on a 2014 model i4 and i2. I timed it yesterday and it took 8+ hours to fully charge from 3.6v. Is this normal? I'm charging 2 batteries at a time in one of the paired slots, either 1 and 3 or 2 and 4.

 

[UncleRJ]

Don't know if this helps but just to compare..

On my Xtar VP1 set at 1.0 amps, I can charge a pair of VCT5s in a little over 2 hours from about 3.2v

About the same on my LUC 4 bay at 1.0 amp.

 

[darkox]

Thanks, I'm pretty sure my vtc5's charged in about 3 hours but I was charging one at a time @750mah. I'm a little confused if the paired slots charge at 375mah or 750mah. According to the specs, using all 4 slots charge at 375mah and one or two batteries charge at 750mah but I'm not sure if that means I have to use the unpaired slots to get the higher mah.

 

[Zamazam]

1 in the first slot, 1 in the 3rd slot, 750 Mah each...

 

[darkox]

1 in the first slot, 1 in the 3rd slot, 750 Mah each...

If that's the case then there must be some incompatibility between these batteries and Nitecores.

 

[Zamazam]

I have a Nitecore i2 I use for charging my 26650's. I've used it with 18650 25R's with no problem, from 3.3v to 4.2v takes about 5 hours. I just let em charge and don't mess with them. Works fine imho.

 

[darkox]

Anybody else using a nitecore and 25r's? Hoping to get one or two more people to confirm how long it takes to charge a pair of 25r's in these chargers.

 

[Prsurf2k]

I will let you know. I am about to charge a pair in my I2.

 

[darkox]

If you can, please let me know the voltage before you start charging.

 

[Prsurf2k]

I was just about to check that and i cant find my multimeter ..... hmmmm looks like ill use my Vamo v5 and see what voltage they at. Not entirely scientific but will give a close approximation hold on .................. first one 3.6V ..... second one 3.6V so yeah like everyones been saying they come at that voltage . Ok so now to charge. it willl probably be tomorrow since I am charging both. I willl let you know if I have any problems with my Nitcore I2 and the bats and how long it took aprox and what the charge was when done.

 

[Prsurf2k]

So far my I2 is at 2 leds blinking for each battery. I should say one fully lit (bottom) and second one blinking.

 

[Prsurf2k]

still charging second led level.

 

[MrScaryZ]

Anybody else using a nitecore and 25r's? Hoping to get one or two more people to confirm how long it takes to charge a pair of 25r's in these chargers.

This is a known issue when demonic entitties have entered an object I would contact @franciscan and see what he has to say about this..
IMHO get a better charger those things are old now... Yes they work blah blah but the LUC or the Xstar VP2 will not have this issue I know cause I charge them all the time all day now for giggles this weekend I will pull out my old nitecore and give it a wing I imagine its flipping out on the new chemistry and may not be detecting the voltage right in fact it never is very accurate and is off all the time

 

[darkox]

I would get another charger if this one didn't work at all but I just don't have the funds right now to buy another charger or anything vape related for that matter. Just spent a bunch on a sig 150, batteries, and a few other things.

 

[MrScaryZ]

I would get another charger if this one didn't work at all but I just don't have the funds right now to buy another charger or anything vape related for that matter. Just spent a bunch on a sig 150, batteries, and a few other things.

You did clean all the contacts on the charger correct? They do get hubby stuff on them


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[darkox]

hubby?

I haven't cleaned the contacts but I charged a pair of vtc5's the other day and those were fine, charged in about 4 hours.

 

[Prsurf2k]

ok Sorry for the long wait but I'm in Germany and it was late night here so it took about 5 and half hrs for both batteries to fully charge. I found my multi meter and it said they were each charged at 4.17V . Aren't the batteries supposed to charge to 4.2 V so I guess I need to invest in a LUC or Xtar charger so I can see what the battery charge is and stuff like that. I hope this helps.

 

[Hermit]

4.17V is pretty close, less than 1% off, could just as easily be an error in measurement.

Just done a first charge on a pair of 25Rs on an i2. They both went on with about 3.6V, took about 4 hours to charge, came off at exactly 4.20V according to my Fluke. Time is pretty close to what I'd expect given the charge rate. Nothing overly warm while charging. This charger has been doing VTC5s just fine as well.

I bought my i2 not quite a year ago (noting in case there's been any revisions).

 

[darkox]

Thanks for the replies, I think there may be something wrong with my 25r's, maybe the vendor got a bad batch.

 

[ajaymes2001]

Older I2 and I4 chargers don't have the capability to charge the newer chemistry batteries, they'll charge, but they take a good bit longer and both the battery and charger get warm. Supposedly, Nitecore fixed this with the 2014 versions of the I series. The D series from Nitecore have no issues charging all types of batteries, including the newer imr ones. You could spend more money on an Xtar or Luc, but why?

 

[darkox]

I already have the 2014 version of the i4. Just found out today that mine were from a bad batch. The vendor sent me another pair of 25r's and they fully charge from 3.6v in about 4 hours just like all my other batteries. I'm pretty sure even the older i2 and i4's charge them in that amount of time, these were just faulty batteries.

 

[Alice in Vaporland]

Hey guys - I know this is an old thread, but just wondering if anyone was having trouble with the new i2 Nitecore and Samsung INR18650 25R 2500mAh 20A batteries? I'm new to this, but to me, it looks like the charger is trying to load them up to 4.35V instead of stopping at 4.2 - without a voltmeter I just can't tell - all I know is that the third light, the one next to the 4.35V marking, starts flashing after the 4.2V light is done, which scares me, so I unplug it, quick! *sigh* Noob-neurosis strikes again...

 

[MrScaryZ]

Hey guys - I know this is an old thread, but just wondering if anyone was having trouble with the new i2 Nitecore and Samsung INR18650 25R 2500mAh 20A batteries? I'm new to this, but to me, it looks like the charger is trying to load them up to 4.35V instead of stopping at 4.2 - without a voltmeter I just can't tell - all I know is that the third light, the one next to the 4.35V marking, starts flashing after the 4.2V light is done, which scares me, so I unplug it, quick! *sigh* Noob-neurosis strikes again...

the intellichargers in general do not charge batteries with much accuracy they are the bottom of the barrel I would suggest getting a descent charger such as the Opus 3100 v2 .

 

[Alice in Vaporland]

the intellichargers in general do not charge batteries with much accuracy they are the bottom of the barrel I would suggest getting a descent charger such as the Opus 3100 v2 .

Now *that* looks like a decent charger! Until I have it, though, do I need to worry that the i2 is overcharging my cells? Like, am I putting lives at risk around me? Yes, I still have some pretty serious battery paranoia going on, I'll admit it. I only started working with external rechargeables yesterday - read about them all week, but only got brave enough to actually sit one in the charger then. Sad, I know. lol

 

[MrScaryZ]

Now *that* looks like a decent charger! Until I have it, though, do I need to worry that the i2 is overcharging my cells? Like, am I putting lives at risk around me? Yes, I still have some pretty serious battery paranoia going on, I'll admit it. I only started working with external rechargeables yesterday - read about them all week, but only got brave enough to actually sit one in the charger then. Sad, I know. lol

I will give you a tip one of the most least thought of devices in vaping is the charger it does matter and when you move up to the OPUS level you no longer have to worry about overcharging cells not evenly charging etc.. in the meantime you may have to live with it.. it wont blow up the only real issue is the batterly life "may be decreased'as in longevity of the cells

 

[Mike H.]

I have an older I2 nitecore..Ive charged Samsung 25r..Sony VTC5, Sony VTC4, Efest Purples and it charged them all just fine..Most all batteries will be 3.6 to 3.7v when you receive them..This is a nominal storage charge all your cells should be at before storing to prevent damage.

 

[gakudzu]

I have a new I4. All 3 green lights are on when the batts are fully charged to whatever voltage you set: 3.7, 4.2, or 4.35v. The red light on top means it is charging at 1.5v. It also automatically charges 18650 and 26650 batts to 4.2v. You have to manually set it to 4.35 every time, if your batt requires it.

 

[conanthewarrior]

I started with the Nitecore I2, before moving onto a D4, then a Efest LUC4.

I never had any problems with the I2, and found it to be a great value, cheap charger. I only replaced it as I needed more bays, but bought the D4 without realising its charge speed with 3-4 cells was just 375MA. It got the job done well though, with 25R's, and Sony VTC4's. Around that time I hadn't tried the newer 3000MAH cells in the I2, and no longer have it, but the D4 does charge them fine too.

I mainly use the Efest now though, and keep the D4 for charging Eneloops.

 

[Jon@LiionWholesale]

Hey guys - I know this is an old thread, but just wondering if anyone was having trouble with the new i2 Nitecore and Samsung INR18650 25R 2500mAh 20A batteries? I'm new to this, but to me, it looks like the charger is trying to load them up to 4.35V instead of stopping at 4.2 - without a voltmeter I just can't tell - all I know is that the third light, the one next to the 4.35V marking, starts flashing after the 4.2V light is done, which scares me, so I unplug it, quick! *sigh* Noob-neurosis strikes again...

The display is confusing, the lights are just meant to show how full it is. I actually thought the same thing when I first used one. That light only means 4.35V when you're in the alternate voltage setting mode, not when it's just showing how charged the battery is in normal usage. So you're fine. If you want to be completely sure, follow the procedure in the instructions to set the charging voltage and you should be able to verify that the 4.2V light is the one flashing.