While on the topic, anyone open it up and see what batteries are in there?
Also does anyone know if this charger is "smart" and stops charging when the battery is full? Its amazing how many devices dont have this simple feature. Like the laptop im typing on. Leave it plugged in=kill the battery. Same with most cell phones.
Yes, we've covered this a lot. It's a Tenergy brand dual 18650 pack with PCB in an unusual place (here it is without it's jacket):
The white thing is the overtemp switch. Watch out, the polarity is backwards for the standard for that plug.
Like your cell phone and laptop examples it includes protection a PCB. The charger does indeed stop at 8.3 something Volts but then again so does your laptop and cell phone (no doubt). The issue with the cell phone and laptop you cite is exactly what others and I think will happen with Solo. Guys will leave them plugged in, so they will always be 100% charged, which is known to be very hard on battery life. We've been through this a LOT, if you stop 10% short (a few tenths of a Volt) you
double the battery life. Drop another 10% and you double it again (
four times the cycle life).
My prediction is owners will fall into two groups, some few will use it in a more conventional manner (charging only when it's nearly dead then removing it) and will enjoy long life on their batteries (approaching what the older version does perhaps?) and those who will 'treat it like a cell phone or laptop'
and have the exact battery issue you describe above for that reason.
Your call, my advice remains the same. Run it down until you don't get a battery light (or maybe one) on startup (go ahead and do the session if you want, there's a margin), then recharge and disconnect when the top LED is lit (over 8.1 total typically) but before the charge LED stops flashing (before 4.2 per cell). This should give you thousands more sessions.
OF