Jump to content

Np50 charger V3 i am looking for your opinion !


WrineX

Recommended Posts

Hi everyone! (picture is of my previous charger)

 

 

Well i received some calls and mails about the chargers i made in de the past. Besides me posting in the manufacturing forum i am just a normal dude making them for fun and maybe some profit on the side. But that was never the intend when i started it, i build the first version just for a friend of mine.

Now after making a few, i come to the conclusion that if i would want to provide chargers i need to change things up, first off the electronics are not being made anymore and besides that the quality of the supplier was rather random (that's why i tested all chargers beyond normal before i shipped, even then failure is always an option ;), it just minimizes it) i am on the verge of creating my own circuits, but the attempt on making everything modular is a problem, i cant figure out how to make it as i imagined, and i guess i must know my limitations in what i can do all by myself.  so i am going for a simpler approach that will get the many hours i spend on one charger down. it will be at the cost of the design(aesthetics) i made and liked rather well. but assembly is such a **** i really need to ditch that.

So my vision is a simpler design with less components and bigger prints that will house all the separate charge circuits i need, to cut down on labour to be able to still make nice chargers that are not 1200 euro :)

But now comes the question(s)  how many slots would fit a normal user ?  i was thinking about redundancy, i made some 6 ,8,12 one 14 and even a 16 slot version so far. but is it really a benefit to bed on one horse ?  what if the 16 slot person would buy 3x 6 slots ? or 2 x 8 slots ?

1. what do you think ? if i would make one basic slot configuration how many slots should it have ? and  what sizes (ex charger brick) would be acceptable ?

so far in my design a 8 slot witch would fit most people with ease would be around (not completely finished of course thats why i ask :)) 15 cm x 6cm ex adapter. 

2. As for indicators, many designs use one light guide to show either green or red. what about 2 light guides positioned at either end of the battery ? so you can see if something is finished even by not seeing the color ?  bottom led on ? its ready top led on ? still charging.  

3. Charger current ? i used 400 mAh charger current , the Np50 allows for 1C charging (1C means 1 x  capacity of the battery as charge current)... i would not dare to go there and charge it with 1000mAh for reasons like not every Np50 is 1000mAh to begin with. so i thought about lower, but if i only use 8 slot for each power brick i could increase the charge rate to 600mAh that would finish them 1/3 faster. let me know what you think.  no one uses np50's with capacity lower then 800mAh so we are far below 1C and thus safe.

Well the input would be very helpful, before i decide things that might be stupid, since lets be honest i dont use them daily !

Kind regards,

Joppe Peelen

20190124_173002.jpg

Edited by WrineX
added a picture of my old chargers. (NOT the new one)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My inclination in specifying the number of bays includes the charger size relative to the power supply.  Meaning, if one were to travel it, what is the balance of total bulk vs functionality.  Price might enter into it, too. 

 

Eight sounds like a good number.  If six makes it better streamlined for travel, that might be a good choice, whereas, if twelve still makes it compact enough, that could be a way to go. 

 

Functionality/Size/Price. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I agree that 8 seems like a good number, although I am glad I have got the 12-bay version. 
 

one other idea. Don’t know if this is at all possible. A while ago I bought the AA charger from East Brooklyn Labs (they posted about it here). The beauty about that thing is that you can simply drop the entire battery caddy into the charger. That caddy is also is good for simply storing the batteries. I know it will be infinitely more difficult to implement with NP-50 batteries, but it would be so cool!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not disagreeing with you, Constantin, but I'm unaware of any NP-50 storage form-factor that would lend itself well to such an implementation. I wouldn't want to see the charger designed around a storage solution that doesn't have universal appeal.

 

I'm open, of course, to seeing what that might be if someone comes up with one. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have an 8 bay Joppe made (I believe v. 2). Same as the left one in the picture above, except 8 bay version.

Suits my needs very well and portability is definitely very good. I am only in the first few weeks of use, but I find it perfect for my needs, and at a reasonable price.
Certainly 8 of the standard 1 bay Lectro-provided chargers have at least as big a foot print,  more you include the awkward powering options for several at once. 

My vote is the 8 bay, minimal size larger than a six-bay version.

Charging NP 50s in the charger is always much less time than it takes to discharge the in-use battery, at least in SSMs, so charge current as it is now is good, and I am always wary of shortening the eventual life of a rechargeable battery by pushing the limits to get a fast charge. 'Nuff said.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, John Blankenship said:

Not disagreeing with you, Constantin, but I'm unaware of any NP-50 storage form-factor that would lend itself well to such an implementation. I wouldn't want to see the charger designed around a storage solution that doesn't have universal appeal.

 

I'm open, of course, to seeing what that might be if someone comes up with one. 

 

Certainly I'm not saying it'll be easy. If it were, someone might have done it by now. I daren't venture a guess about universal appeal, but if it did work it could have great appeal...

I'm think something that would hold the batteries in the middle, and have a base attached on hinges that could be flipped so that either the base is covered for storage or the top is covered for charging. It would need to be very firm, so that you can slide right into the charger. Maybe that could be a second stage product...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would like to suggest that if making oinly one size then let it be a 12 bay. The difference in size between an 8 bay and a 12 bay will be minimal. To have the ability to charge a day's worth of 6 channels of RM batts in one hit would be just brilliant.

 

The slot/storage/charge solution would be brilliant if simple. I worry that if the holder gets into hinges etc... it will become too much of a pain. The beauty of the AA/AAA holders is in part their simplicity.

 

Joppe -= your chargers are absolutely the best.

 

Simon B

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Bash said:

 

The slot/storage/charge solution would be brilliant if simple. I worry that if the holder gets into hinges etc... it will become too much of a pain. The beauty of the AA/AAA holders is in part their simplicity.


That‘s very true. This was just me thinking out loud. There’s a reason why I don’t build such things and others do. Just hoping to get some cleverness going. 
 

3 hours ago, Bash said:

Joppe -= your chargers are absolutely the best


Yes!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Woei i did not receive any messages from the forum. But i missed out i see. Thanks for the ideas!  For now main goal is keep it simple :) so 8 or 12 is still a thing :) so best thing would be pcbs of 4 so i could do any of those ;) if needed. 

 

And thanks for the nice words to , it suprises me every time anyone can be so happy with a charger haha ;)

 

Ill post something when i know more still have a fight with the mechanics of the thing before even thinking of making pcbs 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmm i was strolling trough my designs.... mostly Loudspeaker related, more then 150 projects and tests.... mostly just done once to never build/test again :) it is a propper mess. a bit like editing in audio and video... filenames like final_final 3 etc :)
But i found an old recording when i made my first arduino working program (im bad in programming) used for discharging the NP50 batteries after i charged them in my First charger. and keep track of how much mAH is in there depending on different charging currents compared to a single charger that you can tailor for best results as reference. 

i think i was content it worked :) playing loud music and probable had a beer ;) haha

 




By now there are relais in there that cut the discharging to the set voltage :) in this version i relied onthe speaker making beeping noises when a battery was low enough to remove it. in the newer version after discharging it remembers the amount of mAH drawn from it.  the test version i had to scroll up and see what the alst reading was :)
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...