Homemade charger

H

Hummina Shadeeba

10 MW
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I have a charger that does 8s but my battery is 12s and while I'm ok balance charging two packs of 6s occasionally I'd like to be able to charge the whole pack in series most often. Any advice? I've seen a coupe examples of homemade chargers...and then maybe I can use my icharger up to 50volts without the balance feature?
 
I see 48volt chargers often but it seems a waste as my lipos will then only be at...4volts. I want to hit 4.15. Maybe I can over do it with one of those somehow. Be easier then making a charger perhaps. But from what I've seen making a simple charger seems easy, although I haven't seen a plan to make one up to 50 volts.
 
Most Meanwell equivalents have voltage adjustments +/- 10%.

Or consider a DCDC CCCV boost or buck converter on eBay, or a Vicor DCDC unit for more of a DIY job, or a 60V adjustable Lab power supply.
 
Hummina Shadeeba said:
I see 48volt chargers often.
Click to expand...
A 48V *charger* is very different from a 48V *power supply*.

THe latter will be very close to 48V, as closely as possible. (or should be if it's made right), when under the current load specified on it.

The former's voltage will depend on what *kind* of 48V battery it is for, and how many series cells that battery uses, but in most cases it will be well above 48V--often nearly 60V (58.4, for instance, for my 14s NMC pack or my 16s LiFePO4 pack).
 
Hummina Shadeeba said:
I have a charger that does 8s but my battery is 12s and while I'm ok balance charging two packs of 6s occasionally I'd like to be able to charge the whole pack in series most often. Any advice? I've seen a coupe examples of homemade chargers...and then maybe I can use my icharger up to 50volts without the balance feature?
Click to expand...

split the 12s pack into two 6s groups then parallel those 2 groups for charging. that's what i do
 
48v lithium charger can bulk charge your lipo. But it's risky. Nevertheless, in a place I'd build a fire, I've been doing this for years now.

Get a charger which has the adjustable voltage output pot inside. The kingpan 5 amps for example, or better still, chargers from EM3ev.

Diddle the output to what you want,,, I keep my EM3ev charger set so one switch position charges to 4v per cell, then the other stops at 4.15.

I feel that the slight undercharge increases my safety, reducing the risk of a cell overcharging. I still have no bms. So I undercharge by .05v and give myself a bit more room for error.
 
Thanks for everyone's help. I'll be doing something. I will be using a watt meter with a voltage gauge in the circuit so that should reveal pretty accurately when I hit 50v



I'm doing this as charging the two 6s packs in parallel is annoying simply because getting the 5m bullet plugs undone and done is more difficult than using my main xt90 battery lead. I've become a fan of big plugs that work well.
 
http://www.powergatellc.com/mean-well-pb-120-power-supply.html
How bout this
It has a 55 voltage. Is that ok to use to charge to 50 volts and then I can monitor it as it approaches 50?

It charges as 2.2 amps I think which is ok for my batteries but I'd like to have more control if possible
 
That's a lead acid charger. NO.

It will burn your house down.

This charger. Ask Paul to set it for 48v, and 50.4v, Tell him its for 12s.

Then, buy a 12s bms from him, if he has them.
 
you didnt post the link but there is nothing in stock for 50 volts 12s at ev3. i'm hoping the one at supowerbattery is ok. ?

http://www.batterysupports.com/432v-44v-504v-4a-lithium-ion-lipo-battery-charger-12s-12x-36v-p-167.html
 
Voltmeter should tell you what each wire is. One will be positive, the other negative. Third one a ground that you don't really need.

Likely you can identify which is which also, by opening the box and seeing where wires are soldered to the board.

Good picture, but it looks to me like a picture of your motor wires.
 
I absolutely LOVE my Mean Well HLG-320-54a LED power supply!
Here is a long conversion thread from the past, but the fact is, it doesn't need any additions/reworking to be the best bulk charger for Lipo;
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=60575#p904985

For my first charge after riding, I adj. volts to min. and it charges to 48V(for 4.0 V storage).
Then top off before a ride.
I installed a mini Volt meter and I use either Battery Medics or a HK Cell monitor 8 (W/high-Voltage cell alarm)via the balance taps.
This charger is big time fast because it doesn't cycle up and down like a balance charger does when reading cell values.
And no fan noise.
 
I have the 48 version of one of those ( 54.6 volts ) and it worked for about 25 times, then just quit, all the wires going into it , and out , of it are testing good, the fuse is testing good, but the fan does not come on and it no longer charges my pack.

Hummina, where are you located ?

Luna Cycles in California sells chargers , I am considering one from them for myself , for my next battery pack.

http://lunacycle.com/




quote="Hummina Shadeeba"]you didnt post the link but there is nothing in stock for 50 volts 12s at ev3. i'm hoping the one at supowerbattery is ok. ?

http://www.batterysupports.com/432v-44v-504v-4a-lithium-ion-lipo-battery-charger-12s-12x-36v-p-167.html[/quote]
 
I have the 48 version of one of those ( 54.6 volts ) and it worked for about 25 times, then just quit, all the wires going into it , and out , of it are testing good, the fuse is testing good, but the fan does not come on and it no longer charges my pack.
Click to expand...
One of what? The Mean Well LED PS's don't even have a fan.
The way these posts work is, If you don't ID what you are talking about, the reader assumes you are refering to the previous post :roll:
 
I'm in San Francisco. The 48 meanwell i just got does have a fan. It has no wires and just screws to wrap wires on. I read good things about it but I don't know what to do with it and at least the Luna one has a plug and a switch. I've got a multimeter coming (the hobbyking $10 one finally came back I stock) but even with it I don't know what I'm doing. If it had only four poles to wrap the wires around I'd have more of a clue. If any of you have a simple explaination of how to operate it or a link it would be greatly appreciated. The manual I found online doesn't help me much

It says 3 year warranty. If yours broke maybe you can get another.

It gets confusing, this is the one I have I think:

http://www.meanwell.com/webapp/product/search.aspx?prod=sp-480
 
Motomech,

I did provide a link , it is just above your post, it is the batterysupports.com link.
I am not talking about the meanwell charger . I am talking about what hummina posted , in regards to the ones that batterysupports.com sells.

BTW anyone here have the problem with a charger that batterysupports.com sells , like mine did ? it just quit working, I opened it up and nothing on the circuit board looks loose or broken,
it appears that businesses selling Chinese battery packs, with the charger included is including the same charger
that you see on batterysupports.com
they have the same silver natural aluminium case in the same size , just different voltages and amp rates.

So I am saying that a person that is living in the U.S. , perhaps would be better off buying a charger from Luna Cycle or Grin .
 
Hummina,

When talking about the charger that quit working after 23-25 charge cycles, I am talking about the one you asked the question about.

When you said ... " Asking if the one at supowerbattery is ok", , when I clicked on the link you provided ... batterysupports.com it comes up as supowerbattery . Which sells the one I have.

So I am talking about the Generic silver case chargers from China. You asked if it is OK , my answer is , mine was ... for only 20 something charges .

Perhaps you are better off buying a ready to use charger from Luna Cycles, or Grin Technologies . since you are here in the U.S. If one they sold you quit working like
the same as my generic Chinese one , at least they would probably help you.
 
Well I already got the meanwell. I'm stunned how they assume I know what I'm doing as they sent this to me with not a note telling me anything. I might have no idea I just bought anything more than a metal shoebox I could add wires to given the lack of paperwork. How bout a lighting bolt on it at least.
 
Send us a picture of your meanwell, and we can tell you what wire goes where.

You should have three screwes labeled AC. That's from the wall plug going in. The rest are DC output. You'll have several screws so you could have multiple DC devices run on the output. But each set of screws is clearly labeled positive DC or negative.

You bought a power supply, not a charger. That's why there are no cords attached. It could be powering anything.

If you want to get a charger from EM3ev, or Luna Cycles, or whoever. ASK them to set one to 12s voltage. No its not on the website. But that does not mean they cannot do it. Ask them nicely, and they might agree to set a charger to the voltage you want.

Also, most of the chargers at BMS Battery can be set to any voltage you desire. You simply specify the voltage when you order them.
 
S-350-48.JPG


+ V = DC positive
- V = DC negative
Upside down Christmas tree = ground
N (Neutral) = AC "neg" (110V) US white or black wire EU JP = brown wire
----------------------------------------- w ------- w ----------------------- w ----
L (Line) ... = AC "pos" (110V) US black or red wire EU JP = brown wire

120VAC - use any 2 wire cord to L & N (ground - upside down Christmas tree is optional)
 
Am I understand that the N and L can be interchanged no problem? Ac current you can do that ?

I have a watts up power meter and also a turnigy 2 in 1 watt meter. Will I be able to keep those in the curcuit and get readings when charging?

That's the one I've got. Thanks. I'm tempted to take it out of the aluminum shell and take the fan off and stick a giant heatsink I found to it somewhere and then pot it in clear rubber. Glue it to the wall.
 
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