How to find free LiPo batteries from the street and use them in projects

[@artursmihelsons415]

I'm doing same thing with these sticks.. Great source for batteries. For these modules, overdischarge protection is set to 2,5V.. 😉

[@TasteTheCode]

Have you found a goto use for them? I got a few already but I haven't found a use that is exciting.

[@artursmihelsons415]

@@TasteTheCode Yeah, I find few useful ways to use them. By now, I'm replacing sanitizer vehicle remote NiMH 3S1P battery pack content with 1S3P LiION cells and including charging and protection module, because, these cells are for free.. 😂 Only I needed to charge and sort them by internal resistance and capacity to get close enough for using them as battery pack.

[@deancyrus1]

Been collecting for ages now. I always keep them on a silicone mat in a metal tray for some weeks to make sure they are happy 'batteries' never want to meet an unhappy lithium ion battery 😅

[@TasteTheCode]

I like the term "unhappy" :D I never had an issue with one so far. If any has any sort of damage I just discard it immediately.

[@lucyxchan6808]

Interestingly they are at least a bit stable...used one that was driven over...still good...after i left it alone and charged in an ceramic dish...yeah...rather test them or regnet it when your project gives of magic smoke...

[@TheSpotify95]

Nice, I've been on the lookout for these things and pick up any that I see on the streets. If they are damaged, I recycle them responsibly. If they are intact, I salvage the Li-Ion cell from them, and responsibly recycle the rest of the interior.

[@TasteTheCode]

👍👍👍

[@curtishollerback1517]

Yes, and the great added benefit is the USB charging circuit!

[@TasteTheCode]

True that! 👍👍👍

[@detectivedreams]

Hey! Thank you so much for the advices and knowledge you are sharing with us through your channel, very interesting. I've tried a small project following this video that i would like to discuss here about recovering vape cell from street and then building a new battery pack for my vintage camcorder (needs 9.6v). I've soldered three vape cells (3,7v 2.035wh each) in series after charging separately (4.10v each after the charging process). But when i put them together with a TP4056 module, it blew, and it's not longer working. Also, it smelled a bit burnt after putting the USB charger. It worked with the batteries in parallel, but not in series. What do you think? I'm a bit newbie here and i appreciate some kind of help or advice. Thanks a lot!

[@TasteTheCode]

When you combine them in series it increases the voltage and the TP4056 is only meant to be used for single cell batteries. For multiple in series, you need a BMS circuit and they are usually marked with 2S, 3S, etc. where the number indicates how many cells in series it supports.

[@detectivedreams]

@@TasteTheCode Thank you so much for the info, i didn't know. I will search this BMS circuit

[@lenslens7379]

Yes for the resistor tip is safe to charge with lower current But why you didn't keep the original built in charge module? Thanks

[@TasteTheCode]

These are disposable. They don't come with a charging module and yet they have a rechargeable battery.

[@lenslens7379]

@@TasteTheCode I salvage some disposable with usb c port are they rechargeable? Thanks

[@TasteTheCode]

@lenslens7379 yes, the usb port is for charging.

[@addictedtotreasuretrash108]

Hej I live in sweden and would like to try this project out. Do you have a link to where they sell these little circuit boards that you show in this video please. How much are they also as i am on a tight budget. Thank you.

[@TasteTheCode]

Yes, you can find the link in the video description.

[@aa.design.excellence]

God Bless the Swedes. Snus is love. ❤️

[@Nazwan-r7r]

THANK YOU

[@TasteTheCode]

You are welcome!

[@pthrelkeld090]

I dont know where all of the makers of this content live, but i haven't seen a single vape pen in the "street" as literally every single video ive seen claims to happen. SO, ive had to take up vaping in order to acquire these batteries😅

[@TasteTheCode]

Hahhaha well I guess it depends on the culture.

[@ValdikSS2]

Never seen them on the streets as well, but just went to a vape shop here in Russia and asked for used/broken vapes and got 3 defective for free!

[@madkvideo]

Great video man!

[@TasteTheCode]

Thanks!

[@ŽaliaUgnis]

3:15 Pretty sure that's air flow sensor, not the pressure one, correct me if i'm wrong.

[@TasteTheCode]

I'm not exactly sure how it works but I think it detects the air flow bu detecting a pressure difference where the air flows from area of higher pressure to an area of lower pressure. You need to have this difference to have air moving so in a nutshell it's the same thing. It doesn't measure pressure as such but pressure difference.

[@ŽaliaUgnis]

Maybe different vapes use different ones, atm i'm studying mechatronics, so i got into quite an argument with my teacher about these sensors :D.

[@TasteTheCode]

Yeah it could be. In any case, arguments are good as long as you are both open to listen to the other person 😉

[@hllartking]

Hi, what resistor fuse size did you use to replace on the board, a 5k?

[@TasteTheCode]

Yes, 5k, quater watt resistor.

[@hllartking]

@@TasteTheCode Thank you

[@osmanharmankaya9777]

Dün bu bataryalar ile powerbank yapmak istemiwtim, bugun bu videoyu gordum, tp4056 r3 ditencine 10k potansiyometre kullandim, tesekkur ederim,

[@TasteTheCode]

You are welcome!

[@ericklein5097]

Data sheets are pretty much impossible to find for these cells. I even emailed Eve about some 16350’s I had with their name on it and they didn’t email me back. My guess would be that these cells are NOT chemically designed for cycle life and their discharge rate probably isn’t any more than 3C at most. I tested some 1450mAh cells (largest I found from these two flavour vapes) and past 3A I started to see signs that are classic indicators of a cell being pushed past its limits. I haven’t tested many of the 650mAh cells I’ve pulled from Elf Bars but I would expect they are similar and wouldn’t pull any more than 1 or 2 amps. Testing the coil on the vape for its resistance would tell you exactly what the vape is pulling but keep in mind that’s typically a burst of less than 30 seconds. Based on their small tab design I can’t imagine a simple way to series and parallel these for any significant load. So for powerbanks doing 5V 2A….possibly safe. Powerbanks that so 20W or 22.5W of fast charging protocols are really pushing it even with several cells in parallel. Absolutely do not use these for 60W or 100W PD powerbanks. I tested my 1450mAh cells with a 65W PD board but it really sketched me out. My pack was 7S2P so essentially 7 2900mAh cells in series for 25.4V nominal. So right around 75wh

[@grijzekijker]

Here is a great pdf for the pressure sensor of the e-cig belchip.by/sitedocs/44943.pdf

[@TasteTheCode]

Wow, nice thanks for the info!

[@xemsisx]

is there enough power to cause fire? i dint think so. i have a huge scar from 12v battery on my hand, but i don't think this would do it.

[@TasteTheCode]

If pierced than yes. This is a standard lithium ion battery and it is very capable of creating fires. That is why we need to limit the charging current. I'm wondering how you got the scar from 12v? That is low enough that you can touch it without feeling it unless you touch something hot from all the current of it.

[@JOSE-v3u3x]

Good to be able to charge a 3.7v 500mah polymer battery, and seeing that the tp4056 R3 has to be modified for a 4k R so that it drops from 1A to 300mah, is that true? Or would it not be necessary to make that modification? If I didn't make that modification, what could happen to the battery, thank you

[@TasteTheCode]

By default, these modules will charge at 1A. For a 500mah battery that is too much and it might damage the battery or even set it on fire. The general rule is that the lower the charging current is, the safer you are.

[@JOSE-v3u3x]

thanks@@TasteTheCode

[@louptriste493]

Pour éviter de changer r3 du tp 4056 mettre plusieurs cellules en parallèle

[@TasteTheCode]

Yes, we can achieve the same by using multiple cells in parallel but some projects only need one cell.

[@quadrupledamage]

Do you think it'd be safe to put together multiple of these cells in parallel and then put the entire thing behind one of those charging boards?

[@TasteTheCode]

That should be fine as long as it is the same battery with the same capacity. Also, the max output current should not be above 1A. Don't ask me how I know 😅😅

[@Tonyv1951]

Be careful putting untested batteries in parallel. If they are not at the same voltage, you could get a large current flow from the higher voltage to the lower voltage batteries. This could cause a fire in a bad case and could certainly damage the batteries. Test the voltage first and don't connect if they are different by more than a tiny amount.

[@johngalvin6352]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing.

[@TasteTheCode]

You are welcome!

[@rid1coza]

The second battery is prone to swelling, why? I have lots that i keep, but over the years the packaging expands and blows up like a balloon looks like it wants to explode...

[@TasteTheCode]

A lithium battery will swell if it is damaged in some way so there is a gas expansion inside. I'm guessing this might happen either from overcharging or from discharging below a certain level if they are kept in storage for a long time. Check the voltage on the ones that have swollen, they are probably discharged down to 0 and not usable anymore.

[@katiekumcgil]

how these vapes work there isnt a pressure sensor all it is ,is a tiny electret mic element and it picks the air sound and trips the atomiser element

[@TasteTheCode]

It is actually a pressure switch that looks like a electret mic.

[@xemsisx]

circuits are the same but we have better battery where i live. product seems to be identical from outside.

[@TasteTheCode]

Yes, it makes sense to have different build quality in different countries where the legislation is different. Companies tend to do as little as possible to stay compliant with local laws so if they can cut corners somewhere, they will usually do so.

[@davidjobe9876]

Nice project ;)

[@TasteTheCode]

Thanks!

[@MelisaAliova]

the orange vape was an alt vape

[@TasteTheCode]

No idea... I've never used one...

[@osmanharmankaya9777]

👏👏👏👏👏

[@DaveTube775]

When I get 10k mAh worth of the same size/shape batteries I 3d print a case and make USB power banks out of these "disposable" vape batteries

[@TasteTheCode]

Nice! I never get to gather that much capacity. I always end up using them in smaller batches.

[@dubmob151]

I've never seen these things on the street or anywhere else, i guess people here don't throw them away or throw them away in the actual garbage bins, with the vapers being more environmentally conscious 😅

[@TasteTheCode]

Well that is definately a nice problem to have as people are definitely not that conscious here :(

[@ivar939]

just use the charging board from the vape .

[@TasteTheCode]

these came from devices that did not support charging from the factory and were marked as disposable.