Battery charger workaround-dangerous?

Codswallop

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Dec 24, 2009
Messages
44
Location
Beside the seaside, beside the sea...
I have an old GP Universal (manual/dumb etc) charger-model GPPB19 that will only charge 2 or 4 cells at a time.

Is it possible to insert a dummy cell ( such as a bolt or maybe a resistor for example), to short the connectors in a bay to 'trick' the unit into thinking a pair of cells is present, or is this a dangerous idea?.

Cheers.
 

KentS

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Oct 21, 2008
Messages
47
Location
Kavlinge, Sweden
Bolt = short cicuit, not a good idea. Try to make both the channels charge the same cell instead. You will be charging with twice the current so make shure this is ok first.
 

amigafan2003

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 2, 2009
Messages
248
I think a safer workaround would be to buy a new charger?

Odds are if it can only charge 2 or 4 cells at a time then the charge rate or termination aren't going to be much cop either.
 

tylernt

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 25, 2009
Messages
268
You could incorporate a resistor in the dummy cell to drop the voltage to the remaining cell approximately in half. I see no problems with this approach (be aware your dummy cell will heat up).
 

45/70

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 9, 2005
Messages
2,800
Location
Rural Ohio
The problem here is that a charger that only charges two or four cells, is a "two channel" series charger. By shorting one slot with a bolt, or whatever in one of the channels, you will in effect, be charging the remaining cell at twice the voltage, or ~3 Volts. Not a good idea.:ohgeez:

Dave
 

TakeTheActive

Enlightened
Joined
Dec 16, 2008
Messages
830
Location
Central NJ, USA
I have an old GP Universal (manual/dumb etc) charger-model GPPB19 that will only charge 2 or 4 cells at a time.

Is it possible to insert a dummy cell ( such as a bolt or maybe a resistor for example), to short the connectors in a bay to 'trick' the unit into thinking a pair of cells is present, or is this a dangerous idea?.
It's not a good idea - you'd be changing the parameters around which the charger was designed and thus the outcome will not be as expected.

Bolt = short cicuit, not a good idea. Try to make both the channels charge the same cell instead. You will be charging with twice the current so make shure this is ok first.
It's a SERIES circuit, 2-channel, 4-bay (manual/dumb/etc) charger - *SAME* CURRENT, DOUBLE the VOLTAGE.

You could incorporate a resistor in the dummy cell to drop the voltage to the remaining cell approximately in half. I see no problems with this approach (be aware your dummy cell will heat up).
Again referring back to the charger's design parameters, it's expecting 2 cells, so you have to drop half the voltage, maintain the design current (which VARIES by cell type) and allow for sufficient power / heat dissipation. IMHO, if the OP already knew / understood this, he wouldn't have asked the question. And, if he didn't, then he should leave well-enough alone and use the charger as designed, IMO.

...For charging 2 or 4 pcs AA, AAA, C or D size battery (2 batteries per one channel), and 1 to 2 pcs 9V size
D 560mA C 440mA AA 260mA AAA 120mA 9V 14mA...
Codswallop,

For WHICH cell type do you need 1-cell charge capability?

The problem here is that a charger that only charges two or four cells, is a "two channel" series charger. By shorting one slot with a bolt, or whatever in one of the channels, you will in effect, be charging the remaining cell at twice the voltage, or ~3 Volts. Not a good idea.:ohgeez:
+1
 

tylernt

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 25, 2009
Messages
268
Again referring back to the charger's design parameters, it's expecting 2 cells, so you have to drop half the voltage, maintain the design current (which VARIES by cell type)
How does the charger know if a pair of AA, C, or D has been inserted so it can vary the current?
 

45/70

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 9, 2005
Messages
2,800
Location
Rural Ohio
How does the charger know if a pair of AA, C, or D has been inserted so it can vary the current?

Most chargers that charge different size cells have two or more contacts at the positive end (alternately at the negative end, and depend on the cell's length) in the charger. Depending on the cell that is placed in the charger, the nipple will only contact the specific contact for that size cell.

Dave
 

tylernt

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 25, 2009
Messages
268
Depending on the cell that is placed in the charger, the nipple will only contact the specific contact for that size cell.
Well then, make sure your dummy cell + resistor contact the appropriate nipple for proper charging current.
 

Selectron

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jul 21, 2010
Messages
25
Location
UK
It's a far from satisfactory charger anyway, because it mostly charges above 0.1C with no termination, relying on user intervention to terminate the charge in accordance with the time periods stated in the user manual, based on cell type and nominal capacity - and of course that assumes fully discharged cells, with no consideration being given to the possibility that they might still have a partial charge, so over-charging is always going to be a high possibility for one reason or another.

If the charge circuit is a true constant current generator then in the event that a single cell was inserted with a shorting link to complete the circuit, the cell would charge just fine, at the design current, but the other 1.5V or so would then have to be dropped across the series resistive element, be it a constant current IC, or a voltage regulator or transistor configured as a constant current generator - and that extra voltage might take the series device above its power dissipation limit. The series element might be just a resistor, combined with a suitably high DC supply voltage to approximate a constant current but the same thing applies - the extra voltage dropped across the series resistor might take it above its power rating.

All things considered, it hardly seems worth the effort because sooner or later it's going to damage your cells even if it's used as intended, or if used to charge single cells then the charger itself might end up being damaged.

If you intend using it for single cell charging anyway then I reckon the safest option would be a dummy cell containing a series resistor calculated to drop 1.5V at the designed charging current, and with an appropriate power rating.
 

goki

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Sep 30, 2010
Messages
57
Location
Philippines
I'm using 2 silicon diodes in series to act as a "dummy" battery. I've about it somewhere around here, just can't find the exact link.
 

Latest posts

Top