Thread: My propensity for buying faulty goods continues.

I have a couple of approximately 5 years plus mobile phones that I use as alarm clocks, but I noticed the batteries not even lasting a day, so I ordered a couple online, only to discover that despite the different manufacturers and model numbers they are the same, and then even worse they also only last a day! Old stock I presume, probably the same age as the phones.

Originally Posted by RANDLOVER

I have a couple of approximately 5 years plus mobile phones that I use as alarm clocks, but I noticed the batteries not even lasting a day, so I ordered a couple online, only to discover that despite the different manufacturers and model numbers they are the same, and then even worse they also only last a day! Old stock I presume, probably the same age as the phones.

5 yo mobile phones with replaceable batteries?? Where did you get them, India?

But yes, I tried to resurrect a couple of quite good pocket cameras and an old camcorder with similar results. I actually suspect that the batts I got were second hand, even though the packaging was "new", but I did get them from fleabay.

Originally Posted by Tins

5 yo mobile phones with replaceable batteries?? Where did you get them, India?.,.......

I did get them from fleabay.

They were little mobile phones that would fit in a shirt pocket from Colesworth. I'm still using them plugged into an external battery bank. One battery also came from fleabay, the other ordereed from a US website, but actually came from China.

Recently I bought two 8Ah lithium (LiFePO4) batteries to replace two AGM deep cycle batteries.

Upon putting them to use, they didn't last very long so I put them onto my test jig which discharges batteries at a constant rate and records the current and voltage on a Mooshimeter Introducing the Mooshimeter | Mooshim Engineering

The rig shuts off at 12.6 volts for lithium (and 11.7 volts for AGM). It has a clock to measure elapsed time.

The results:

Battery 1 lasted 8 minutes, i.e., 0.48Ah

Battery 2 lasted 59 minutes, i.e., 3.54Ah

I sent my results (including graphs) to the supplier and they refunded me and said I could keep the batteries. Not much use as they won't even take a charge now.

So I decided to stay with AGMs and bought two 9Ah batteries from another supplier.

My testing (discharging at 20 hour rate = 450mA) gave:

Battery 1 lasted 13 hrs 45 minutes 35 secs, i.e., 6.192Ah

Battery 2 lasted 13 hrs 46 minutes 34 secs, i.e., 6.199Ah

I've sent the results off to the supplier and am awaiting a reply.

Do Chinese batteries get anywhere close to rated capacity?

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This rabbit-hole... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjjuOntRs2w.

Re my post above about the batteries, I'm still working with the AGM battery supplier. Not successfullyt as yet.

However, with the lithium battery supplier, something else has occurred.

When I bought the batteries, I bought a matching lithium/AGM/standard battery charger.

Last night I put it onto my L322 to charge the battery. This morning I opened the bonnet and the charger had let out all the smoke - well, maybe not all as some had been deposited on the screen which was now blank.

I wonder if the charger had damaged the lithium batteries?

I contacted the retailer and they were very quick to get back to me and tell me to bin the charger and that they would give me a refund or replacement. One can't complain about that.

I can't recommend Altronics highly enough for their customer support for both of my purchases. Now if only the AGM battery supplier is as good.

My wife and I decided to buy a couple of new 10,000mAh lithium ion battery banks as our existing ones were down on capacity.

We saw them at Aldi for $20 so we bought two. Dhe picked up a white one 'cos she's a white woman, I picked up a black one 'cos of my heritage.

(They are $50 on Amazon.)

Hers charged and worked normally.

Mine wouldn't charge at all so had to take it back to Aldi for exchange. Why am I not surprised.

Originally Posted by p38arover

My wife and I decided to buy a couple of new 10,000mAh lithium ion battery banks as our existing ones were down on capacity.

We saw them at Aldi for $20 so we bought two. Dhe picked up a white one 'cos she's a white woman, I picked up a black one 'cos of my heritage.

(They are $50 on Amazon.)

Hers charged and worked normally.

Mine wouldn't charge at all so had to take it back to Aldi for exchange. Why am I not surprised.

So if it's black - you do have to take it back?