Current charger recomendations?

[SportBiker]

I am looking to get another charger for my e-bike adventures.

Currently have a 36v and 48v L-ion packs.

I'd really like to have one charger to rule them all. Adjustable current and voltage would be great.

It's not one to rule all, but my current choice is https://lunacycle.com/batteries/chargers/luna-charger-48v-advanced-300w-ebike-charger/

I'd like the option to do some fast charging.

And recommendations of advanced chargers that are a good value price wise? I think I could go up tp $200 of the right combination of features.

Thanks.

 

[markz]

A bit expensive and above your budget
http://www.ebikes.ca/shop/electric-bicycle-parts/chargers/cycle-satiator-48v-8a.html
Cycle Satiator Universal Programmable Battery Charger for 24V-52V Nominal Batteries, 63V 8A Max Output.
The exchange rate should ease the pain! $395 Canadian Loons is like $100 U.S. Green Backs or One Benjamin right :wink: :lol:
Remember chargers are one item you do not want to skimp on!

Well then Meanwell HRP's are decent and can control the voltage but not the amperage. I personally have two in series and I can charge a 36V system to 41.5V if I so choose or if its a 48V system to 54V (~4.14V/cell). The current is 14A though. Their ranges are 20-30V and you can connect them in series right out of the box, no mods required. Maybe there is a modification you can do to it or any of the other Meanwell PSU's. But one thing I have learned is that to reduce the current, you could just use a smaller current PSU. I havent tried that yet because 14A fits my needs good because I like to have 1C charge rate on 14Ah pack.

 

[amberwolf]

http://www.ebikes.ca/product-info/cycle-satiator.html

Just make presets for each battery, or use the ones that come preprogrammed.

Meanwells and the like are adjustable, but probably not enough for one to do both voltages. Plus it's a pain to adjust them each time.

To do it with MWs you'd need to use two smaller ones in series, and at that point you might as well get one bigger one for each pack and leave them setup for the right voltage and current.


If you do go MW, I recommend the HLG-xxx-xxA series, where the first xxx is the wattage, and the second is the voltage. Make sure you get the A on the end or it's not adjustable.

 

[SportBiker]

A bit expensive and above your budget
http://www.ebikes.ca/shop/electric-bicycle-parts/chargers/cycle-satiator-48v-8a.html
Cycle Satiator Universal Programmable Battery Charger for 24V-52V Nominal Batteries, 63V 8A Max Output.
The exchange rate should ease the pain! $395 Canadian Loons is like $100 U.S. Green Backs or One Benjamin right :wink: :lol:
Remember chargers are one item you do not want to skimp on!

That is a very nice charger. But the site is telling me $295 USD.

Anyone selling a used one?

 

[amberwolf]

No, I think you'd have to pry it from my cold dead hands. Might be similar for others with them.

You can always post a wanted ad in the items wanted section, and see if anyone bites.

Or email the sales@ebikes.ca and see if they might have a used one in their "bin" of scratch and dent stuff.

 

[wheeliepete]

Have you considered an adjustable power supply? Been considering one of these for a while myself for the same reason.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-upgrade-Compact-Digital-Adjustable-DC-Power-Supply-OVP-OCP-OTP-MCU-Active-PFC-60V11A-170V/32280026236.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.69052e0eapKwqX

 

[docw009]

Having a lot of time on my hands, I get by with $12-20 2 ampere chargers plus the ones that came with my batteries, which are mostly 2-3A.

 

[SportBiker]

Have you considered an adjustable power supply? Been considering one of these for a while myself for the same reason.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-upgrade-Compact-Digital-Adjustable-DC-Power-Supply-OVP-OCP-OTP-MCU-Active-PFC-60V11A-170V/32280026236.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.69052e0eapKwqX

This seems to be the same supply with a few extras, lower cost, and less expensive shipping.

How do others feel about charging with bench supplies?

 

[SportBiker]

Having a lot of time on my hands, I get by with $12-20 2 ampere chargers plus the ones that came with my batteries, which are mostly 2-3A.

Some days I put a lot of miles on the bike and have to charge at one or more stops. with my 3A charger this mostly works, but I don't really like riding with less than a 1/3 of a charge.

I'd also like to be able to change the charge rate and voltage. If I had a 5A+ charger I could take with me I feel like I can do all my trips (and more) with an 80% charger cut off. But there are those times I'd want 100%.

The bench supply is tempting for at home, and with the money I save I could get a 100% fixed voltage current and amperage 5A+ charger for when on the go.

 

[wturber]

Having a lot of time on my hands, I get by with $12-20 2 ampere chargers plus the ones that came with my batteries, which are mostly 2-3A.

Some days I put a lot of miles on the bike and have to charge at one or more stops. with my 3A charger this mostly works, but I don't really like riding with less than a 1/3 of a charge.

I'd also like to be able to change the charge rate and voltage. If I had a 5A+ charger I could take with me I feel like I can do all my trips (and more) with an 80% charger cut off. But there are those times I'd want 100%.

The bench supply is tempting for at home, and with the money I save I could get a 100% fixed voltage current and amperage 5A+ charger for when on the go.

Given that description, you should be pretty happy with the Meanwell that Amberwolf suggested. But you would need two units. One for the 36v and one for the 48v.

If you do go MW, I recommend the HLG-xxx-xxA series, where the first xxx is the wattage, and the second is the voltage. Make sure you get the A on the end or it's not adjustable.

I bought an HLG-320-42A a few weeks back (320 watts 42 volts) and am very happy with it. These guys are fully potted with no fans. So they are very durable for travel. Their biggest negative is that they are kinda heavy. The 320 is roughly 320 watts which works out to around 8+ amps for most of the charging cycle. You can tweak the output current and voltage via two pots that you can turn with a small jeweler's screwdriver without opening the case. I've got mine set to 41 volts for my standard charge. But I can tweak it to 42 if I want. I think the lowest the amperage will go is around 3 amps.

 

[fechter]

I've used a bench supply many times, but it's prone to you making a mistake sometime and risking a fire. Anything with a wide adjustment range has this potential. I mostly use a Meanwell supply with added on meters. Being able to verify the voltage and current is always good as is tracking the amp-hours.

 

[amberwolf]

Given that you want to travel with a charger, I'd spend the money on a meanwell HLG-xxxH-xxA series for each bike / battery voltage, and just mount it on the bike.

If you get a cheap charger to travel with, it may fall apart from vibration / handling over time; it's happened to various people over the years, where larger heavier parts inside break off the PCBs, or actually crack the PCBs; sometimes it's just bad solder joints that crack and cause intermittent issues.

These HLG meanwells are potted and sealed, so while they're heavier, they're much sturdier for portable applications.

The one on my trike gets a lot of shaking, including some serious pothole bumps, and during the few rainstorms we have it can get soaked from tire splash under the trike, and it's survived that fine for more than a year--might be two now. And I got it used; it used to be mounted on someone's motorcycle for who knows how long before that.

I use the Cycle Analyst on the trike to monitor charging; the MW is wired in to the controller side of the shunt.

 

[wturber]

I use the Cycle Analyst on the trike to monitor charging; the MW is wired in to the controller side of the shunt.

I haven't yet mounted mine to the bike, but I might look at doing that this weekend. I monitor my charge using a voltmeter / coulomb counter. I'm connected to the shunt as well so I can see how many watt/hours the batteries are "soaking" up as well as monitor the voltage and current.

 

[amberwolf]

Note that the MW doesn't have a blocking diode on it's output AFAICT, so as long as it is connected to the battery, it's output LED will be powered, whether by the battery or the MW itself. It's not much drain, but on a small battery it might be significant over a really long period if it sits unused.

Adding a diode or a switch inline with the MW output + to the battery will prevent that, if it's a concern.

I don't bother, since the drain is so low it doesn't show up on the CA's live screen. (it's in high range mode due to my shunt value, so it doesn't display really tiny currents). I did a test leaving it sitting all day but can't remember what the results were.

 

[fechter]

Note that the MW doesn't have a blocking diode on it's output AFAICT, so as long as it is connected to the battery, it's output LED will be powered, whether by the battery or the MW itself. It's not much drain, but on a small battery it might be significant over a really long period if it sits unused.

If you remove the LED, then the drain will be nearly zero.

 

[markz]

I need to add a voltage meter and if I do that why not add an Ampere-Meter or however its termed.
I use two in series of the HRP 300W which is 20-30V range 14A and its good, easy to adjust them every time I switch voltages every year or so.

Which MW's do you use Fechter?

I've used a bench supply many times, but it's prone to you making a mistake sometime and risking a fire. Anything with a wide adjustment range has this potential. I mostly use a Meanwell supply with added on meters. Being able to verify the voltage and current is always good as is tracking the amp-hours.

 

[amberwolf]

If you remove the LED, then the drain will be nearly zero.

Tough to do on the potted HLG's I use.

 

[markz]

The HLG's look good,I am confident they would outlast my HRP's. But the downside for the HLG's is it has very little current at the voltages we need unless you connect up two or three in series which is an added cost, or you dont care how long it takes to charge. While out 'n 'aboot I like to continue riding with little rest time. To each their own tho

For the OP - But for a large battery pack of 15Ah I like to get a 1C or 1.5C charge while I am out and about. I can just stop into a Starbucks patio, juice up and chill out for 30m-1h. And the benefit if you do not need 15Ah, is that shallower discharges say from top voltage of 42V off the charger on a 10S down to say 38V then your battery pack lasts a longer time then using the entire capacity of say 5Ah.



https://www.mouser.ca/Power/Power-Supplies/LED-Power-Supplies/_/N-axgjt?P=1yxt61iZ1yxt78uZ1y92d8rZ1yxt6kx&Rl=axgjtZerbiZ1yzt1akZ1y9g5p7SGT&Keyword=Meanwell+HLG&Ns=Pricing%7c0&FS=True

https://www.meanwell.com/webapp/product/search.aspx?prod=HLG-150H

 

[SportBiker]

Thanks for all the ideas.

I think I am going to get a HRP-600-48.

Now to find something to monitor the charging and battery, and maybe limit the amp rate.

 

[wturber]

Do the HRPs start limiting current as the battery voltage begins to equal the charge voltage?

 

[wturber]

Now to find something to monitor the charging and battery, and maybe limit the amp rate.

I use one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/VAC1100A-Voltmeter-Ammeter-Capacity-Coulomb/dp/B01JD3GW24

I don't think they make them any more. But there are newer models that seem pretty similar and the displays look easier to read. I like the fact that the display is wireless and I can mount the shunt/meter close to the batteries. I don't like the fact that watt hour charge and discharge both count the same direction even though charging will "fill" the battery while discharging "empties" it. So if I use 650 watt hours commuting, when I finish charging, my watt hour total is over 1300 and my battery icon is solid again. I think amp hours add and subtract correctly though. Weird about the watt hours.

Depending on how you think you might evolve your bike or continue to tinker with other bikes, it might be better to just get a Cycle Analyst which will let you do more stuff as well as give you a monitor/meter.

I don't recommend the inline watt meters long term. My Tenergy never got watt hours even close to right. Amp hours did seem closer to reality and realtime readings seemed about right. They are cheap, simple to use though. And far better than no meter.

 

[SportBiker]

Do the HRPs start limiting current as the battery voltage begins to equal the charge voltage?

My understanding is they are set for constant voltage, so when they voltage is reached the amps drop down to near zero when charging a battery.

Can any one chime in if that is right?

 

[SportBiker]

I use one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/VAC1100A-Voltmeter-Ammeter-Capacity-Coulomb/dp/B01JD3GW24

I found this:
https://www.amazon.com/VANJING-Multifunctional-Wireless-Bi-directional-Capacity/dp/B07BW1PGLF/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

But I think I can only use it to monitor charging or draw because my BMS has a separate charge leads.

 

[markz]

I use one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/VAC1100A-Voltmeter-Ammeter-Capacity-Coulomb/dp/B01JD3GW24

I found this:
https://www.amazon.com/VANJING-Multifunctional-Wireless-Bi-directional-Capacity/dp/B07BW1PGLF/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

But I think I can only use it to monitor charging or draw because my BMS has a separate charge leads.

Looks alright and is a decent price!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VAC1100A-LCD-Voltmeter-Ammeter-Power-Meter-Capacity-Coulomb-Counter-DC-120V-100A/182365459743

 

[ddk]

Do the HRPs start limiting current as the battery voltage begins to equal the charge voltage?

it's slightly easier than you imagine.
As the battery reaches 80% (thereabouts) of it's charge it's internal resistance (IR) increases, causing it to draw less current from the constant voltage source
(CVS, the power supply).

My understanding is they are set for constant voltage, so when they voltage is reached the amps drop down to near zero when charging a battery.

Can any one chime in if that is right?

Not using a BMS it's almost right. The battery will continue to draw current from the power supply,which is now being converted to heat.
Heat, not being a good idea for any battery chemistry should never be allowed if you like your rechargeable battery to survive forever, or 5-7 years.

...and what if you want to stop the charge below 100%? (handy for long term battery survival)
With my own personal usage (Meanwell power supply clones about $15 per unit) I use a programmable "Killawatt" unit to measure the watts (obviously) drawn by the power supply.
As the power supply meanders from some 580W down to 375W the power supply is automagically turned off, where the battery is now charged to slightly less than 4.1V per cell.

This has worked well for me (about 5 years ) if I might accidentally fall asleep while the battery is under charge. previous to that I occasionally "cooked" batteries which did not survive long term.
Otherwise I watch the automagic happen. (the power supply getting turned off)