Portable charger for travel, library, coffee shop, etc.

metanewbie

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My Super Shark 48v 17.5 ah battery uses a three-pin mini XLR.

Is there a small/safe/quiet/portable/travel charger I can fit in a bag and use to charge at a library/coffee shop/etc?

Preferably 3a+

(ideally USA source)

Thanks!
 
My Super Shark 48v 17.5 ah battery uses a three-pin mini XLR.

Is there a small/safe/quiet/portable/travel charger I can fit in a bag and use to charge at a library/coffee shop/etc?

Preferably 3a+

(ideally USA source)

Thanks!
If you don't mind me saying. Since you're already removing a relatively large battery and bringing it into a coffee shop. Wouldn't any charger be smaller than the battery itself?

But otherwise, you can search for any reputable 54.6v li-ion charger on amazon, sort by reviews. Like this one, perhaps?

USA-source is going to be the hardest part.
 
If you don't mind me saying. Since you're already removing a relatively large battery and bringing it into a coffee shop. Wouldn't any charger be smaller than the battery itself?

But otherwise, you can search for any reputable 54.6v li-ion charger on amazon, sort by reviews. Like this one, perhaps?

USA-source is going to be the hardest part.
I plan to use an extension cable to keep the battery outside and locked on the bicycle.
 
I don't see any shop owner being happy with an extension cable out the door to a bike parked outside.

People bring laptops inside all the time and plug them in by their tables. I've not owned any plastic case chargers with fans that were quiet though. The 2A models w/o fans do get pretty hot. I guess it's just the chinese way,
 
Excellent link A-dam. I use a 54V 12A solar storage charger and original 20 YO Watts Up
 
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You're super shark might only charge at 5 amps Max. ?
It depends on the BMS and the cells inside the pack.
 
E-bike chargers unlike ordinary PSUs are supposed to stop supplying power when the battery is fully charged....just saying.
what do you mean by "ordinary PSUs"? Most are cc/cv, exactly like chargers are...ie they will do a constant current until they hit a certain voltage and start tapering current off to remain at said voltage.
 
what do you mean by "ordinary PSUs"? Most are cc/cv, exactly like chargers are...ie they will do a constant current until they hit a certain voltage and start tapering current off to remain at said voltage.

"Most" PSUs are not cc/cv; it's much more typical for them to shutdown upon overcurrent (if they have any safeties) or just fail (if they don't). Generally only specific PSUs intended to run LEDs, or other specific uses that require CC/CV operation, will have it, because it is a more complex (and more expensive) design to implement, and generally no more money will be spent on creating something than can be gotten away with. ;)



The primary difference between chargers and cc/cv psus is that a properly designed charger has a circuit to detect when current drops below some tiny limit, and turn off or disconnect it's output, while a psu does not--it will always output whatever current that the load will draw.

Some, like the Grin Satiator, have that limit as user-programmable (per-profile in it's case).

A typical cc/cv psu does not ever turn off; it continues to output voltage even if no current were flowing. In a battery charging scenario, this means that if left by itself, it will continue to trickle charge the cells "forever", which has the potential to damage them over time. You can put a fine-reading ammeter in series with the charger/battery connection to see this happening.

If the pack has a properly designed and manufactured BMS (many are neither), it will disconnect it's charge input from the charger once any of the cells reach the voltage programmed into it as "full", so it doesn't matter if the charger stops or not. ****

If there is no BMS, or if it isn't properly designed or manufactured, or is damaged or bypassed, (all of which appear to be relatively common issues in posts here), the pack will continue to be charged even after it is full, albeit with a very tiny current.


**** but most BMS use FETs for the disconnect switches, and most of them have some amount of leakage current even when "off", so depending on the BMS design and part choices and system voltages, it may not actually turn off the charge input as far as this situation is concerned.
 
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The Grin Satiator has no fan, is water proof (you can mount it permanently on your ride to bring it with you), and has all the right bells and whistles to use as an e-bike charger.
 
To me a charger you're going to use in route needs to be high powered to cram in as much charge as possible in as short a time as possible. Not something I'd want to use foe every charge. Use the slow home charger when you have time and something around 25-35% of the total AH for fast charging. IE: a 6 amp charger for a 23-24 ah battery.
 
A typical cc/cv psu does not ever turn off; it continues to output voltage even if no current were flowing. In a battery charging scenario, this means that if left by itself, it will continue to trickle charge the cells "forever", which has the potential to damage them over time.
How would it be damaging having a cell sit on the power supply with a tiny trickle and not shutting off?
 
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what do you mean by "ordinary PSUs"? Most are cc/cv, exactly like chargers are...ie they will do a constant current until they hit a certain voltage and start tapering current off to remain at said voltage.
Safety reasons.Another fundamental difference; a dedicated charger will not commence charging should it detect an abnormality with the battery under charge.
 
a dedicated charger will not commence charging should it detect an abnormality with the battery under charge.
What abnormality would stop it? I can imagine if it’s got all the balance wires connected and monitoring cell voltages, but I haven’t been able to find that for anything higher voltage.
 
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Once had a battery that had been left idle for a couple of years.Would not take a charge.Opened it and all the cell bundles <2 V.Charged them individually with an Imax B6 to 3 V, and voila only then would it accept charging.And no it wasn't the BMS preventing the charging.
 
Once had a battery that had been left idle for a couple of years.Would not take a charge.Opened it and all the cell bundles <2 V.Charged them individually with an Imax B6 to 3 V, and voila only then would it accept charging.And no it wasn't the BMS preventing the charging.
It should have been, since <2v/cell is completely dead. If it didn't, the BMS is defective or badly designed, and should be replaced with one that does prevent charging below the empty voltage of the cells being used.

Generally <2v means the cells are well below the absolute minimum spec sheet voltage, which usually means a risk of cell damage, which means a risk of fire at any instant after they are recharged. It might never happen, but it could, which is why it's not really safe to recharge cells that drop below their minimum specified voltage. (you just can't know what will happen, until it does).
 
It should have been, since <2v/cell is completely dead. If it didn't, the BMS is defective or badly designed, and should be replaced with one that does prevent charging below the empty voltage of the cells being used.

Generally <2v means the cells are well below the absolute minimum spec sheet voltage, which usually means a risk of cell damage, which means a risk of fire at any instant after they are recharged. It might never happen, but it could, which is why it's not really safe to recharge cells that drop below their minimum specified voltage. (you just can't know what will happen, until it does).
 
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