That one working cell was probably lying on its specs too. Even if the others weren’t filled with sand, 20k/5 = 4k, which is highly unlikely for no-names.
Wut! All that effort to fill empty 18650 cells with sand, put them together and heat shrink them and then glue the assembly together. How much money could they have saved vs just buying crappy cells in bulk?
@mehcuda67 Buyers of cheap underperforming 18650 cells have opened them up to find a cheap 14500 hidden inside. (One particularly flagrant sample contained a 10440 surrounded by a torn-off strip of cardboard.) Apparently there is nothing too dodgy for some of the sellers to try to pass off. Making up those dummy cells would have cost them pennies per each, while an actual low-quality 18650 battery would have been at least a couple of bucks. I’ve seen crappy power bank units with a big steel slug inside whose only purpose was to make it feel like it had multiple decent cells instead of just one or two lightweight crummy ones.
@mehcuda67@werehatrack I think the key is getting the kids started on filling the sand when they are 4-5 years old. we know kids love playing with sand at the beach, so what’s different about doing it in a factory 12 hours a day?
@PooltoyWolf One tear-apart I saw was in fake Apple USB chargers, where the Apple one had a lot of circuitry for temperature and current regulation, safety shutdown, fire-proofing, and the no-name was a bare minimum of poorly soldered components that would make it show about 5V if you put a meter on it. After that never balked about paying for premium brand chargers.
On the topic of weight in products, I did work with a guy (about 40 years ago) that designed high-end amps for the audiophile market, and he said using large steel plates in the chassis was essential to conveying a feeling of quality and justify the price.
That one working cell was probably lying on its specs too. Even if the others weren’t filled with sand, 20k/5 = 4k, which is highly unlikely for no-names.
@narfcake 4k is outside the range of what’s produced by Samsung, Panasonic, LG, or Tesla In an 18650.
Wut! All that effort to fill empty 18650 cells with sand, put them together and heat shrink them and then glue the assembly together. How much money could they have saved vs just buying crappy cells in bulk?
@mehcuda67 Buyers of cheap underperforming 18650 cells have opened them up to find a cheap 14500 hidden inside. (One particularly flagrant sample contained a 10440 surrounded by a torn-off strip of cardboard.) Apparently there is nothing too dodgy for some of the sellers to try to pass off. Making up those dummy cells would have cost them pennies per each, while an actual low-quality 18650 battery would have been at least a couple of bucks. I’ve seen crappy power bank units with a big steel slug inside whose only purpose was to make it feel like it had multiple decent cells instead of just one or two lightweight crummy ones.
@mehcuda67 @werehatrack I think the key is getting the kids started on filling the sand when they are 4-5 years old. we know kids love playing with sand at the beach, so what’s different about doing it in a factory 12 hours a day?
Could be a fancy new silica chemistry cell. If so it didn’t seem to have much capacity and degraded pretty quick when power cycle.
@ergomeh I’ve heard of sand batteries, but I don’t think this is what they meant.
So it’s a rechargeable NiMH AA (3k mAh) with a USB plug and some neat gardening accessories?
@pakopako Yeah but it doesn’t come with an earthworm so it is still flawed. Now if it came with fire ants the thing would be on fire.
@pakopako Maybe that was supposed to be part of a DIY Feng Shui garden kit.
@pakopako @werehatrack For those who can’t afford enough fake batteries to build their own Zen garden, here’s someone else doing it for you:
@pakopako @werehatrack @xobzoo My wife is pretty good at decorating cakes. I’ll have to show her this for ideas. Maybe edible sand?
I wish I could say I’m surprised, but I’ve seen enough absolutely bonkers cost-cutting measures that I no longer am.
@PooltoyWolf One tear-apart I saw was in fake Apple USB chargers, where the Apple one had a lot of circuitry for temperature and current regulation, safety shutdown, fire-proofing, and the no-name was a bare minimum of poorly soldered components that would make it show about 5V if you put a meter on it. After that never balked about paying for premium brand chargers.
@pmarin @PooltoyWolf I came across this one not too long ago; not sure if it’s the one you’re thinking of, but it’s at least the same idea.
I still dislike the high prices of quality cables, but I recognize the importance of doing it right.
@pmarin @PooltoyWolf so if you’re not here for cheap electronics why are you here? A ramen addict?
So the contact cleaner spray in the background didn’t help in getting the sand cells to deliver power?
@pmarin Looks like we’re going to need more contact cleaner!
On the topic of weight in products, I did work with a guy (about 40 years ago) that designed high-end amps for the audiophile market, and he said using large steel plates in the chassis was essential to conveying a feeling of quality and justify the price.
@pmarin supposedly true of high end wrist watches. Same quartz mechanism as a cheap watch with some brass added for weight.
@pmarin But was it oxygen free steel?