Homemade charger

[Gregory]

While you can interchange them and it will work, you should NOT. And you should use the earth connection (i.e. a 3 pin plug) seeing as it is in a metal case.

Yes you can use a power meter in line with the output.

 

[DrkAngel]

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.

2 wire AC allows interchangeable wire positions ...
3 Wire AC should keep wire positions according to spec.

Power meter in line works nicely to monitor capacity and confirm voltage ... can use instead of multimeter to adjust-set charge voltage.

I've done a fair bit of research on this model, there are several mods documented.
See - MeanWell Mods - S-350-48 for progression and mod instructions.
Recommend R33 (amp regulation) mod and fan mod. R25 mod to push voltage slightly higher, if needed.
Removing fan not recommended.

More concise-complete write up on the ES-Wiki

 

[Hummina Shadeeba]

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.

2 wire AC allows interchangeable wire positions ...
3 Wire AC should keep wire positions according to spec.

Power meter in line works nicely to monitor capacity and confirm voltage ... can use instead of multimeter to adjust-set charge voltage.

I've done a fair bit of research on this model, there are several mods documented.
See - MeanWell Mods - S-350-48 for progression and mod instructions.
Recommend R33 (amp regulation) mod and fan mod. R25 mod to push voltage slightly higher, if needed.
Removing fan not recommended.

More concise-complete write up on the ES-Wiki

Thanks for the great info I'll be looking at those links later. For now want to confirm that upside down Christmas. If I just get a three pronged plug and hook it up with the right N and L connection it's best?
The voltage dial I can twiddle with wild back and forth like a maniac while charging?
Hopefully I can squeak it up to 50 with the screwdriver dial. It's just like a wood screw.
And only 6.7 amps unmodded and up to whatever voltage I can turn the screw?

I'm charging 12s to 50v but what would happen if I set it to charge to 30v, or if I could, 80v. Into the 12s. Not that I want to do that but don't know how it works.

 

[bikegeek]

If you use 3 wire cable and want to use it the right way you have to know which leg of the plug is L and plug it into the right hole (the one with L) in the wall. If you don't do that it doesn't matter how you connect it, L or N. Only the Ground (reverse tree) is important to be connected right. From what I know only if you have a power source with negative voltages is important to connect the right way L and N.

On the other hand I have a question, if you use a power source like MeanWell how do you know when to stop charging? A normal charger stops at the full charge, but a MeanWell is not doing that, right? If someone can explain how the two work it would be grate. I would like to use a MeanWell power source but I had this question.

 

[DrkAngel]

Bulk charging

Any adjustable power supply can be used as a bulk charger.
Make sure that max amp output is within specs of power supply and battery.

Just set desired voltage.
"Charge" will automatically "stop" when charged voltage equalizes at "full".

 

[Hummina Shadeeba]

"L" or "live" goes in the bigger slot in the wall. Got the Christmas tree set up too. Got it going. Thank you. The voltage screw is sensitive.

 

[bikegeek]

Bulk charging

Any adjustable power supply can be used as a bulk charger.
Make sure that max amp output is within specs of power supply and battery.

Just set desired voltage.
"Charge" will automatically "stop" when charged voltage equalizes at "full".

Then what is the difference between a bulk charger like MeanWell (that stops charging when the battery reaches the voltage of the power supply) and a charger that you buy with the bike and has a LED that when is red is charging and when is green is not? Because for me the two are doing the same thing and it must be a difference.

 

[DrkAngel]

Chargers (Lithium-ion) with "full" indicator lights typically just trigger led on when charge level drops below some minimal charge level - (100mAh?)
More of an indicator than an alteration in charge function.
Certain units might disable charge at minimal current and supply occasional sense current to confirm still at "full".

SLA is a totally different charge profile and should not be bulk charged!
Requires an overvoltage to fully charge but then voltage must idle down to prevent damage (dedicated 3-stage charger recommended).

LiFePO4 does best with a more complex charge profile but is bulk charge capable.

 

[bikegeek]

I was interested in Li-Ion chargers. You answer is very clear.

Thanks!

 

[Hummina Shadeeba]

I've been charging with the meanwell and really like it. It's pretty fast unmoded for me. I balance with a ten dollar balancer I mentioned above. It balances by very slowly discharging to the lowest cell (I thought it would come with bulbs or explaination on how to set up a bigger amp draw. I have to figure that out still)

Can I just use a standard 12 volt dc charging source to do a 3s lipo pack? Even just at one amp. I'd like to be able to balance other ways than just my little discharger. Ideal would be if I could set it up to charge this 12 volts at low amps through the balance lead