MY LIFEPO4 BATTERY I GOT FROM V-POWER

[computerdude]

Exactly, we need a bit more evidence though before our accusation can hold any weight. It could just be irony. I assume you Emailed him as well, he told you to plug it into the bike and into the wall (DUH) then offered you the 5 amp for 20 bucks total? With shipping? It seems like he would be losing money offering it at that price with shipping. Granted this is assuming we are not being duped again and this 5 amp charger he got for 1 cent because it too is a POS.

I completely agree. He's sending me another 3A charger so we'll see. But at $30US they could still make a profit. You're thinking like a buyer so you see $20. The vendors cost might be around $5 to $10 per charger. They wouldn't make a lot of money. Maybe $10 profit in the end. But if it were to happen to a lot of people they would be making a pretty big profit.

 

[Subfightr]

I did not even get those BS instructions. Just the battery, POS charger and BMS w/stickers.

here are my Email exchanges with him.

2009/8/15 Justin Lelbach <BustinJustin2k@comcast.net>

Hello, I think there is a problem with my charger, when I first plugged
it into the wall the red light was flashing, I then plugged the battery
into the charger and the chargers green light and red light were both on and
the fan spun. So I assumed it was charging, I returned 3 hours later and
both lights were off and the fan was off. I road the bike and it shut off
after a few minutes, I plugged it back into the charger and it will not charge.
No lights light up on the charger, the fan does not spin, nothing.

I plugged my multimeter into the chargers output plug and the
multimeter
reads 0.00 volts, no power.. Now what?
............................................................................................................................................
On Fri, 14 Aug 2009 20:53:22 -0700, may2737 may2737 <may273@gmail.com>
wrote:
Hi friend,
Sorry to hear this, now pls try is as below step:

First: charger connect the battery
Second: charger plug the power

Your can find the the red light work only, this time means it was
charging,after about 7 hours, you can find the green light work, it
means battry fully. Please feel free to email me if you have any comments Many thanks
....................................................................................................................................................
2009/8/15 Justin Lelbach <BustinJustin2k@comcast.net>

Thank you for responding, I just tried that, and sadly no lights show up
on the charger.
....................................................................................................................................................
On Fri, 14 Aug 2009 21:55:29 -0700, may2737 may2737 <may273@gmail.com>
wrote:
Hi friend,
Sorry to hear this, if the charger really doesn't work, do you want me to
send a new one to you?

The 3A charger have been stop to sell by now,because of the quality from
the producer, would you want to replace 5A? just add more usd20, the quality
is batter than 3A more. That is ok for you? B,regards
.....................................................................................................................................................
2009/8/15 Justin Lelbach <BustinJustin2k@comcast.net>

... So let me see if I have this correct.. You send me crap charger that I paid for
charger, that does not work, and now I have to pay an extra $20 to recieve
one that "should" work, do I have to wait 2 months for shipping? Must I pay
shipping as well? This is messed up man.
........................................................................................................................
On Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:01:30 -0700, may2737 may2737 <may273@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi friend,

Sorry to make your messed, the 3A charger before you buy, the quality is bad
than 5A, so i recommend you use 5a, the 5a charger is usd40, now you just
add more usd20(including air mail charge),i will send it to you by air mail,
about 7-14day can reach you.

what do you think?

B,regards
.................................................................................................................................

END... "Sorry to make your messed" lol... Yes, i am indeed messed, this blows. Tell him you you know another person in the same BS situation and he (the seller) offered me the same 5 amp charger for 10 bucks less, a total of $20.

If you even pay him at all. I did, but that was before I realized there are others.

 

[Subfightr]

Wait a sec.. he is sending you another POS 3 amp charger... AND HE IS CHARGING YOU FOR IT?! He told me he could not send me another one as they were discontinued... Its somewhere in the above Email postings....

 

[computerdude]

Wait a sec.. he is sending you another POS 3 amp charger... AND HE IS CHARGING YOU FOR IT?! He told me he could not send me another one as they were discontinued... Its somewhere in the above Email postings....

He's sending me another 3A charger for free.

 

[computerdude]

I have a question for the techie people here. The chargers we got are 50Hz. North American current is 60Hz is most places. Would this cause a charger to short? Or is it really just bad workmanship?

 

[timber]

ok guys help with my battery now if you can......i got the 5 amp charger and no shipping charges because i blew up and got extremely pissed off....now i still have a pos battery to deal with

 

[Subfightr]

Glad to know you got your charger, I thought he was sending you a 3 amp charger for free? I had to pay for my 5 amp which I have still not recieved.. Anyway... What is the problem with the battery? What makes you think it is a POS? Mine will crap out on me way before it should, the indicator will state the battery is full then 3, 2, 1 dead. However it is slowly able to make longer and longer trips, keep in mind I am using a 48 volt 1.5 amp charger so that may have something to do with it. To my understanding these batteries need to stabilize, and that takes a number of charges. So if your battery is crapping out on you, give it time, it SHOULD get better.

 

[dnmun]

i can't remember, but were you guys able to measure the voltage on each row of cells to see if one row had died? you can put your finger on the shunt resistors too and the first cells to charge up will have the shunt get hot first.

maybe the 5A charger will do better, worth a try. just give it 5-10 charge/discharge cycles to balance before you give up on it.

 

[Subfightr]

Hi Dnmun, I did not measure a row of cells as I don't know how to, I assume I would have to remove the duct tape?

 

[dnmun]

do you have a voltmeter? you can get them at harbor freight on specials for $3. first just measure the voltage of the battery and then measure while charging, since you may never have gotten a decent charge with the previous chargers. kinda gotta start over with the new charger.

 

[computerdude]

I actually got a 5amp charger today! It looks twice the size of the orginal one I was sent. And it's been working for a whole 20 minutes, LOL. If all goes well I'll try my battery tomorrow.

*EDIT*

The new charger has a strange smell. Think I'm getting high off the fumes. Timber you notice it?

 

[computerdude]

My battery charged pretty fast. Took the bike for a spin. Worked pretty good. Went about 16KM. Then came home because I got tired of riding, lol. I only had one cut out. But it was my own fault, I have to learn to solder better, wires came lose.

Starting voltage was 53.6v

Ending voltage is 52.2

So Timber maybe when your battery charges properly it will work good too.


***EDIT*** I did a full test yesterday. The battery finally cut out at 58.3 KM. I think that's pretty good for range.

 

[dogman dan]

Do some hunting in the archives. Start with the techical reference section, then the battery section. There are threads that show pics of how to check individual cell voltage by putting the voltmeter leads on the wires to the bms. In the battery section, they may be in help me with my battery threads. Meanwhile, charge for a long time, and if it seems to improve, leave it on the charger a lot, like all the time you aren't riding for at least a week. After the charge is "finished" and the green light goes on, leaving it charging is still balancing the cells. If you don't have ruined cells in there, they may come back to a signifigant ammount. But it's not unusual for bargain lifepo4 to deliver about 25% less ah than was advertised. But even at 3/4 what you expected, the pack may still be usable for years.

If the thing never got a decent charge in the first place, it still needs about 10 cycles to fully develop it's capacity. You could have a decent battery still, now that you have a good charger.

 

[dnmun]

i have a fix for the dead chargers coming!

i was looked into the inrush current limiter blow out and decided this is why a buncha the chargers are bad:

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=12504

open up your 3A charger and see if the inrush current limiter is burned up, measure the resistance across the legs, should be 5 ohm, if it is open then this may solve the charger problem.

i just ordered some. anyone interested with a bad vpower charger?

 

[kentlim26]

my friend battery from vpower until 2day, he still has some problems using it. 24v 30hr. BMS got problem, 2nd one the pin connector he received from vpower was a different one. so All guys who is going to change the BMS, please tell them the details or else.. ha ha.. should be 7 pin, he give you 8 pin connector. so he is waiting for a new BMS. I hope he can solve the problems!! my advice for him, i will order a new pack battery, those 20hr for each cells. my friend told me he can wait,,, to me is wasting the precious time. 3months has passed.... battery cannot work.

in anyway if anyone itend to change bms for repair - do ensure the vpower is giving you the correct one. 7 pin or 8 pin connector,and the connector also. he received a 2nd bms which totally cannot fix with his battery 24v 30hr.

kentlim

 

[dnmun]

your 7 pin plug statement doesn't make sense. for a 8S pack, which a 24V pack is, then there has to be a minimum of 8 sense wires and usually 9 wires including each end of the pack.

 

[MrKang]

Hi Subfightr,

I recently also received my lifepo4 48v 20Ah from vpower and at first it also had the same problems.
Till i found out ( i think ) that the load negative wire was soldered on the wrong place.

can you send me a picture of your bms circuit with the bottom unscrewed so we can see the copper print?

Then i can examine your connections and compare it with mine. :wink: