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AndriaD

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Yeah, it's been a year ago February since I had anything like this - which was only a month after I'd quit smoking

This was the first viral-type I've had at all since I quit smoking; I *have* had a couple of fairly serious bacterial infections -- especially if you include the appendicitis! :giggle:

I know that smoking had a huge impact on my immune system, so it's a good guess that quitting smoking also had a huge impact on it. And I think I've heard that the "guts" are where a large part of the immune system resides, so it's possible that losing my appendix also had a major impact on my overall immune system, leaving me perhaps less vulnerable to viruses, but more susceptible to bacterial infection. It's pretty weird, how my entire health has changed since I laid down the coffin nails.

Andria
 

AndriaD

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Well I was rather underwhelmed by the cherimoya experiment. Maybe I'll add some more flavoring, I only used 5% in that test 6ml. Today I just emptied out the cherimoya from the Achilles I cleaned, coiled, and wicked yesterday, and just put some of my regular strawberry in it, to take with while we were out and about today. But I keep getting poked by my curiosity, about all those flavors in the cupboard that I haven't even tried yet. :D

Andria
 

AndriaD

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I wasn't even sure what a cherimoya was until I looked it up, lol

Maybe it's just not that tasty and it's why a lot of folks have never heard of it

I dunno; most folks around here who've tried it out seem to love it, so it's possible I just didn't use enough flavoring for my pitiful tastebuds. Or, I have to admit, I'm EXTREMELY picky about fruits; there are quite a lot that I just don't like at all (most citrus, mango, blackberries, raspberries, and anything green and fuzzy like a fucking kiwi!), and another big group I can tolerate, but they don't thrill me... so it's possible that the cherimoya could be one of the latter, along with peaches and watermelon and red grapes. Dark concord and white grapes, I love, but the red ones... meh.

The flavor I keep thinking about is either something blueberry/banana, or blueberry cheesecake; I have both TFA Cheesecake Graham and Lorann's Cream Cheese Icing flavors, and several blueberry flavors, though I would go most heavily on the TFA blueberry extra, with just touches of a couple others.

Andria
 

Rickajho

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I wasn't even sure what a cherimoya was until I looked it up, lol

Maybe it's just not that tasty and it's why a lot of folks have never heard of it

My spell checker say Chernobyl for that one. Not tasty.

I"m still fighting Andria's infection!!!
It's been over a week :eek:

If you would just stop licking people...
 

AndriaD

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Hey Andria - where's the best deal on that charger you like so well?

Well, Xtar changed their name and URL, to https://www.lumensdirect.com -- and the one I got, the VC2, is currently out of stock, but it's only $19.90, quite comparable the prices of inferior brands. The VC4 is just $25.90, and they have one left in stock. :D

I'd go for anything from Xtar; their quality is top-notch, but their prices are comparable to any of the others which are of far less quality. Also you get free shipping on anything over $10, which is hard to beat.

Andria
 

AndriaD

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And now there are none in stock

Cool. :) A couple yrs ago, I got an Efest Luc2 -- also a 2 battery charger, like the VC2 -- for $25, so that VC4 for $25.90 is a terrific deal!

I still use the Luc2, though I use the VC2 most often; anytime I want to charge 2 18650s at once, I find it's faster if I just use 2 chargers; the VC2, when charging 2, won't do 1A, but stays at .5A, and I already found that the Luc2, when charging 2, gets rather warm, which can't be good for the batteries. So if I want 2 batteries fast, I use 2 chargers.

Andria
 

JuicyLucy

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Cool. :) A couple yrs ago, I got an Efest Luc2 -- also a 2 battery charger, like the VC2 -- for $25, so that VC4 for $25.90 is a terrific deal!

I still use the Luc2, though I use the VC2 most often; anytime I want to charge 2 18650s at once, I find it's faster if I just use 2 chargers; the VC2, when charging 2, won't do 1A, but stays at .5A, and I already found that the Luc2, when charging 2, gets rather warm, which can't be good for the batteries. So if I want 2 batteries fast, I use 2 chargers.

Andria

Interesting, I'm getting the Xtar for a present for someone.

Got a LUC V6 last year and like it well enough, better than the Nitecore it replaced. The Nitecore's system for showing how the charge is progressing is primitive and Nitecores are also pretty expensive. Had one break on me, and had another that came with a package deal to replace it. It's in the emergency stash now.
 

Rickajho

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Interesting, I'm getting the Xtar for a present for someone.

Feature-wise, what were you looking to get them? 2 bay? 4 bay?

Surprised at how much of their shit is out of stock at this point. If you wanted to get them just anything that's still a damned good charger there's the single cell SP1 on sale for $15.00. That sucker can charge at up to a 2A rate and also includes a car 12v cord if it's relevant. That would still qualify for free shipping.

https://www.lumensdirect.com/collections/chargers/products/sp1-charger

rtdvapor.com is another authorized xtar dealer but they ship everything priority.
 

JuicyLucy

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The Cromwell

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Have to. It takes 20 hours to charge an 18650 battery.
Naah about 6 hours for a run down HG2. No more than 8. I put em on charge when I go to bed and they are done when I get up.

Yep livin on the edge :)

Faster than the i2 Intellicharger that I won charges.

The negative slides and such work much better on the Trustfire too.
I have another Trustfire I bought tested but back in bag for backup.
 
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Rickajho

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The most recent re-re-reinvention of the TR001 does take over 18 hours to charge an 18650 battery - if it ever completes the charge cycle at all. That damned thing is out there with about a half dozen different board revisions inside, yet they call them all a TR001. The only way to know what version you have - besides quirks and peccadilloes encountered by actually using it - is to take the thing apart and see what rev. the circuit board is.
 
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The Cromwell

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Mine is TR-001.

I think I measured charge current when I first got it and it was at least 1 amp, I forget though.
It gets the batteries lightly warm when charging.
The i2 does not even cause them to get above ambient temp it charges so slow.
 

The Cromwell

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Rickajho

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Nope that is a crappy USB powered charger.
The TR001 has a regular 110V cord on it.

Nope right back at you. If you read the technical review it does a better job than a lot of crap NiteFireCore and eFestered chargers in the market at two to three times the price.

http://lygte-info.dk/review/Review Charger Xtar MC2 UK.html

It's also - for a whopping $8.50 - smart USB. It reads the output voltage of the USB power supply and adjusts it's charge current accordingly so it will never damage a low power USB supply or the charger itself - it will just take longer to get there. In other words: it's idiot proof.

There is a reason why chargers with internal power supplies fail - cheap internal power supplies generate heat. Heat that isn't good for the batteries and causes component failure of the charger itself.

A USB powered 18650 charger to me is only for mobile or portability use.
Might as well charge em in the mod as to use one of those.

If you notice Xtar has never made a charger with an internal power supply. (See above.) Some of them use a 12 volt power supply, some of them use a USB power supply. But they are all designed to get the power supply out of the charger itself.

(I love it when NiteCore and Efest have to put out a revised charger to correct electronic engineering problems that never should have made it past R&D to begin with. People buying on the cheap at eBay better pay careful attention to exactly what they are getting.)
 
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The Cromwell

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I just do not like USB powered chargers unless it is needed for portability or somesuch.
My Tr001 chargers do NOT get hot.
The i2 actually gets warmer than the Trustfire. Both are mains powered.

For one thing how do you tell a good high current USB cable from a fine wired .5 amp one?
 
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The Cromwell

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The first generation i2's had a nasty reputation for meltdowns - literally.
I dunno what generation but I am not really impressed with mine.
have to wiggle the battery a bit to get it to charge sometimes. slow charging and the unit gets warmer the my Trustfire chargers that clarge nearly 2X faster.
But what the heck it was free and DOES work. So no real complaints :)
 

JuicyLucy

My name is Lucy and I am a squonkaholic
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I dunno what generation but I am not really impressed with mine.
have to wiggle the battery a bit to get it to charge sometimes. slow charging and the unit gets warmer the my Trustfire chargers that clarge nearly 2X faster.
But what the heck it was free and DOES work. So no real complaints :)

Wander if they "won you" a clone i2

Nitecore claims there are a lot of knockoffs floating around
 

JuicyLucy

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@JuicyLucy thanks for the old commercials im going back to smoking and i think my kids should too.


Watched that too - brought back weird memories

I liked the Monkees hawking Kool Aid and the Good Year tire commercial that postulates a woman couldn't possibly change a tire
 

The Cromwell

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Wander if they "won you" a clone i2

Nitecore claims there are a lot of knockoffs floating around
I dunno came from Madvapes.
Won a crappy Smok mod that has screws holding the door on.
A pair of substandard PVTSO batteries.
The I2 charger and a TFV4 tank and box of coils.

Not complaining though it was free.
 

The Cromwell

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I just go with the cable Xtar provides with the charger. Figure they probably addressed that question by including a suitable cord with their chargers. (Other than that - get a fat one.)
yeah my recommendation as well however no guarantees since no current ratings listed on USB cables.

when my wife was laid up in the hospital I for a USB extender cable for her to charge her Kindle fire and phone with.
Heck, the kindle fire would barley charge thru the extender cable.
 

Rickajho

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If they were following spec without looking it up I'm pretty sure USB 2.0 across the board - cables included - should be able to handle 2.0 amps.

But they don't. Sure is a lot of USB crap out there. Especially with cheap wall power supplies. I'll only buy USB power supplies that test good: http://www.lygte-info.dk/info/indexUSB UK.html

Not about to plug my glorious (cheap) $170.00 Samsung phone into a $1.99 USB power supply from a bin at the Walgreens checkout.
 

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