Nitecore i2 long charging time

[TarekElsakka]

I just purchased a Nitecore i2 2014 charger for two batteries and I have a pair of LG 3000 batteries that have been charging for almost 4 hours and only the second LED is blinking.

These are the batteries:

https://www.amazon.com/LG-HG2-18650-Battery-3000mAh/dp/B010NUUQFK

And a new Nitecore i2 charger. I also just noticed that the charger makes a very low beeping sound every two seconds, is that normal?

I am about to go to sleep and although it says on the box that it stops charging when the battery is full, I don't think I want to risk it.

Thanks for your time.

 

[Joergl100]

It charges only with 500mA...it is normal, that it takes long time to charge 3000mAh-Batteries!

 

[TarekElsakka]

You're right, it fully charged the batteries about an hour after I posted this. I tested the batteries using my mod and battery one was 4.20v and battery 2 was 4.02v. Do you think it needs to be replaced?

 

[Joergl100]

I can't judge that ad hoc...I'd charge it fully and look, how it behaves further, if i had no charger, that is capable to analyze the battery (which I have, SkyRC MC3000).

 

[TarekElsakka]

@Joergl100 Unfortunately, I do not have any other ways of testing the voltage. I let the batteries charge fully using the Nitecore i2 charger and then I inserted them in the mod and plugged in the USB charger to measure. As I stated, there was a difference between the voltages. I have been using the USB charger for over two weeks and I have a feeling that it basically ruined at least one of the batteries as their voltages are never matched or married as they call it.

I can tell you that I've been looking for a battery charger for weeks and this is the only one I could find in the whole market. I don't think finding a SkyRC MC3000 is going to be possible, at least until our foreign currency dilemma in my country has been fixed, which could take months, if not years.

EDIT: I am going to keep using these batteries for a while until I have enough money to buy new ones and charge them properly. Should I go for SONY VTC6 18650 or Efest 18650?

 

[KenD]

Don't buy efest batteries. They are overspeced rewraps. Buy only authentic high drain Sony, Samsung or LG batteries.

Sent from my M7_PLUS using Tapatalk

 

[Joergl100]

Where are You living?

If possible, go for that Sony! Efest are not surely good batteries...they are rewraps, what makes it to a kind of gambling!

 

[DaveP]

Efest LUC 4 is a good charger that will charge at 500ma, 1A, and 2A. Even though Mooch says 2A charging won't hurt your batteries I try to stay in the 1A range for longevity.

I also like my XTAR VC4 charger. Just make sure you use a USB power supply wall wart that is rated at 2A or higher with it to get optimum performance.

 

[TarekElsakka]

@Joergl100 I live in Egypt and although vaping has become increasingly popular in the last couple of years, it's still not as established as it is in other countries, especially since cigarette companies are fighting it over here. I'm probably going to buy the Sony VTC6 batteries when I have enough cash.

 

[Firestorm]

I have a Nitecore i2 2014 charger and it does take a long time to charge the LG HG2 3000mAh batteries due to their large capacity. Of course, they also hold their charge for a long time, so it seems like a fair trade off to me.

 

[Baditude]

I agree with the above comments. I have a Nitecore Intellicharger i4, same as the i2 but with four charging bays instead of two. It can take up to six hours to charge my three Lg hg2 3000mah batteries at once. That is why I have plenty of backup batteries; I've always got batteries charging.

Never heard my charger making any kind of noise.

Guide to Choosing a Li-ion Battery Charger

• Guide to help a novice in choosing a charger. Covers recommended brands; suggestions for the number of charging bays you'll need, discusses what independent charging bays are, LED and Liquid Crystal Display models, and "smart chargers".

 

[TarekElsakka]

@Baditude @Firestorm My i2 charger makes a very slight beeping noise every two seconds but you have to put your ear next to it in order to hear it. I don't know if that's normal or a malfunction, but since it charged my batteries probably, I'm going to write it down as normal with a grain of salt.

 

[Joergl100]

When it is connected to a socket-outlet (100-240V, 50/60Hz), quietly noise can occur due to the build-in power supply. That is quite normal. If You connect an external power supply (12V) to it, the "sound" should be disappeared. Ohmyenglish...

 

[TarekElsakka]

@Joergl100 Oh! I was wondering what the extra port on the charger was for. Where do you think I can find an external power supply for it? I have a feeling it is safer because the Nitecore i2 charger itself gets very hot when it is using its own power supply.

 

[Firestorm]

@Baditude @Firestorm My i2 charger makes a very slight beeping noise every two seconds but you have to put your ear next to it in order to hear it. I don't know if that's normal or a malfunction, but since it charged my batteries probably, I'm going to write it down as normal with a grain of salt.

Yeah, my i2 charger makes that noise too.

 

[Joergl100]

Something like that should work: $5.31 12V 2A Universal Replacement Power Supply AC Adapter - 5.5mm x 2.1mm / US plug at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

 

[TarekElsakka]

@Joergl100 Ah I see! I think I have an adapter like that lying somewhere.

 

[Joergl100]

Good luck!

Be sure, that it is able to deliver at least 1A at 12 Volts...better more!

 

[TarekElsakka]

A friend of mine is coming from the US next month so I had him order me an Efest LUC v4 LC Smart Charger and two Sony VTC6 batteries. It was either the Efest or the new i2 charger, because they only sell the older version of the i4.

 

[DaveP]

A friend of mine is coming from the US next month so I had him order me an Efest LUC v4 LC Smart Charger and two Sony VTC6 batteries. It was either the Efest or the new i2 charger, because they only sell the older version of the i4.

You'll like the LUC 4. It can charge up to 4 batteries simultaneously at .5A, 1A, or 2A. Stick with 1A for longer battery life over time (less heat). Mooch does say that we can charge 18650's at 2A without danger, but drop back if they get too warm. Heat kills batteries.