Problems with No Climb Detectortestors Solo battery batons?

We have recently been contacted by a couple of customers who have experienced problems when recharging the No Climb Detectortesters Solo battery batons. We have contacted No Climb Detectortesters, who have provided the following guidance for charging their Solo battery batons:

“Solo 760 – (2.2Ah) and Solo 770 – (3Ah) battery batons are generally very reliable consumable products and if cared for correctly will give many years of service.  As with all rechargeable battery packs, the worst thing that can happen to the Solo battery baton is for it to be subject to additional heat during charging.  If a rechargeable Detectortesters Solo battery baton is allowed to overheat during charging, internal damage will occur to the cells which will at best shorten its life or worst case, cause deformation making the battery unusable.

In our experience deformation of Detectortesters Solo battery batons is most likely to be caused by incorrect handling and not following the instructions for the Detectortesters Solo battery batons and chargers.  From previous investigations into deformed Solo battery batons the following scenarios were discovered.

If you have experience deformation of a Solo battery baton, please read the following.

1.  A charging Solo battery baton is either exposed to an external heat source or left in direct sunlight.  It is too easy to do this, if the charger is connected to a 12 volt supply in car or van.  If the charging battery and charger is placed in the foot well of the car/van with the heater on (and directed to the foot well) this could cause the Solo battery baton to overheat and deform the battery baton.  If a charging Solo battery baton is left in direct sunlight this can also cause the same issue.
   
   
2. Insulating a charging Solo battery baton would also cause the battery to overheat. Never charge a Solo battery baton with it stored in the battery sleeve of a Solo 610 bag or place objects like coats over the top of a charging battery as this would also cause the battery to overheat.
    
3. Stop/Start technology in modern cars and vans.  Some modern vehicles have stop/start engine technology can also cause a charging Detectortesters Solo battery to overheat as the stopping and starting of the vehicle engine, will cause the charger to constantly cycle (turn charger off and on) causing multiple fast charge cycles at a high current rate which cause the Solo battery to overheat.  If you are charging a Solo baton with Solo 726/727 charger in a vehicle with stop/start technology, please observe the charger LEDs and disconnect if the Solo battery becomes hot to touch.  Alternatively, it may be safer to not charge in a stop/start vehicle and charge using mains voltage only.
    
4. Lots of short journeys in a vehicle.  We have been made aware that if an engineer has multiple site visits that involve lots of short journey's and a baton is left charging in the vehicle during this time, the interruption of the 12 volt auxiliary supply to the charger causes multiple cycles of fast charge at a high rate of current, which can cause the battery baton to overheat.  If the Solo battery baton becomes hot during charge, please disconnect as this will cause the battery to overheat and potentially deform.

Please read the Solo 726/727 charger instructions

The Solo 726 and 727 charger instructions can be found in the Detectortesters Testifire user guide and the Solo quick start guide. (links to both guides are provided at the bottom of this page).

Solo 726 and 727 charger LED sequence 

Please make sure you are familiar with the following operation of the Solo 726/727 charger(s).

5. LED sequence -
   Flashing RED/GREEN = Battery check, takes 5 minutes

Solid RED = Fast Charge, takes up to 90 minutes

Solid GREEN = Trickle Charge, battery ready for use

6. Do not charge a No Climb Detectortesters Solo battery baton that has just been used.  Allow it to cool.
7. Do not leave a charging Solo battery baton unattended

Charger compatibility

Please make sure you use the correct charger for the battery baton you are using.

The Solo 727 (3Ah) charger is only compatible for charging the Solo 770 (3Ah) battery baton.

The Solo 726 (2Ah) charger is only compatible for charging the Solo 760 (2.2Ah) battery baton.

Note: If you accidentally connect a Solo 727 (3Ah) charger to a Solo 760 (2.2Ah) battery baton, the LED on the charger will flash once and will not function.  It has been deliberately wired to safeguard against any possibility of overcharging, which would damage the Solo battery baton."

For more information from No Climb Detectortesters on this subject, follow the link below:

Looking after Solo and Testifire rechargeable battery packs

No Climb Solo Quick Start Guide

No Climb Detectortesters Testifire User Manual