Great video! Thanks! When the battery reaches the same voltage as the power supply, the current will stop flowing. That is, current drops to zero amps. No voltage differential. You can prove this by turning your power supply up by about another tenth of a volt and current will start flowing again. As you mentioned, don't do this for too long to avoid battery damage or worse.
On the Makita pack you will see a yellow connector which connects to the standard Makita charger as well as the +ve and -ve terminals you used ... This way the voltage of each cell is monitored by the charger and kept within correct range ... If you were to charge by your method REPEADEDLY the cells will drift out of alignment and damage could result . Other companies appear to have this balancing circuit within each pack and not in the charger , so only have two terminals to connect to charger.
Many RC hobby stores sell balancers for batteries. it should not be overcomplicated to figure out how to hook it up and balance the batteries. Then and again, you should be able to check for an out of balance situation with a simple multimeter; just don't short out the connections.
my Bosch drill has no balancing for the four cells, and still works well for more than ten years, II have seen other battery tools that don't use balancing
there is actually a bit more going on inside these batteries that is good to know, in most cases the packs have a built in BMS and balancing circuit hence the separate charge pin, there is a higher voltage on the charger to make sure the charging is complete and quicker and when the pack is near it´s full charge the balancing is done, if the cells are drifting in voltage it evens them out and if you charge these packs on the output pins you won´t get proper balancing and it can lead to damage but sure this is a bit different between brands and how it is made. some chargers and batteries has a whole bunch of pins and can be separate balancing or temperature monitoring whichever can be built into the battery or the charger itself. so in conclusion the best option is to use a real charger made for the battery or if you do it yourself figure out how the battery bms is made to work and use the correct charging input for it. usually the battery has built in over and under voltage protection, it gonna turn off if too much discharged and it should also cut charging if the voltage goes too high, however if you charge on these outputs it may not be able to shut down over charge or unbalanced cells causing a fire hazard or damage to your equipment. so basically if you are not 100% sure what you are doing then prefer a dedicated charger made for this battery :)
I don´t find any chargers for car o 12V power source. Seems like they want you to buy lots of batteries to go back home to charge them. But sometimes you will need to charge them from car or solar panel. Is there a way to do so with no risk of burning them?
@@alexecheverria if you can’t find any option for a charger the best option would likely be to use a Buck-Boost unit with a constant current capability and they tend to be rather cheap to get. You can dial in the correct charging voltage and tune in the maximum charging current and you could charge your battery from pretty much any voltage you desire within the converters range. It is still hard to tell if charging your battery with another source can cause problems with it so make sure you take all safety precautions possible if doing so
@@Pulverrostmannen My poor english was not aware of "buck-boost" magic word and found a cheap one on Banggood with V and A display. Although it is not delivering more power output than imput I got a step up board to deliver 24v to it. Great advice, appreciate it!
Buy your own awesome battery drill (or anything else) here: www.banggood.com/custlink/G3GvQlEm4y and if you want the buck/boost converter I used: www.banggood.com/custlink/KGGYoZzZ1Y
The battery protection circuit arnt all the same...it vary from brand to brand and pack types...but the 20.85 V most likely has a couple of mofet ( switch/Gate)...when it reach that voltage..it'll just trigger the gate..so the pack wont get over charged.... The other pins are for balance..so it'll try to charge each cell indiviually. It's works the same as hobby Lithium balance chargers...its just has different JACKS....You can select balance or not on a hooby charger... different lithuim type...li po, li on. li fe....different cells qty( voltage) It vari...some charger allow you to program....time limits, charging rate. or lowest ...voltage... The FAKE Imax...has pro and cons....it's dosnt have all the cool programing, meters....ect but it'll let me charge a lithium cell ..as long as it has voltage.lmao It's kind of a pain with a smart charger.. The real Imax wont let me charge a cell below 2.8.lmao i have the real Imax and fake Imax That's why i didnt complain.... I recycle 18650 or drill batery , now...I repair a couple packs yesterday...simply by locating a BELOW 2.8V cell... some where at .36V...ect..Use the FAKE charger.lol I simply charge the low cells to around the same voltage as the other cells.. without having to do surgery or weird charging.lmao
I got inspired by your video to boost my old drill batteries that haven't worked in years and i just got them working today! Thanks very much for your video!
what a great video lesson on electroincs on "power tools batteries" It's like a refresher for me and when you get older its really nice to have this kind of video to watch. thank you sir for your great video. I really enjoyed it very much. aloha from kauai ;)
I've been using my RC car battery charger. It has settings for every type of battery (even lead acid) and an alligator clip attachment. I stick paper clips in the battery then attach the charger.
@@impactajuvenile The B6 chinese knockoffs start at $25 usd... Might be ok for power tools. I got a name brand one because I use it more and to be safe with "dangerous" RC lipos.
Yea ok but just take a look at the Mikita battery. It has a yellow connector too for the BMS on the charger. Charging without the right charger will eventually kill the battery pack because one cell will eventually reverse charge.
Although this is best practice, it's not the end all be all. Many brands do not do any balancing at all, simply disallowing the charge entirely if one cell gets out of charge
All "well made" Lithium Drill batteries have a 4-6s BMS in them that balance charge each 18650. The 14-21v (depending on the pack) gets divided to each battery and charge at 4.2v. The BMS is also has overcharge and undercharge protection. If you open up the casing you can charge each 18650 using any charger that has balance leads as the batteries are connected in series. The last battery in this video. That should be a balance lead connecter (that yellow connector in the middle). Using that connector you can check each batteries voltage on its own.
@@SimpleElectronics fixed it, the really really cheap stuff don't count :P But as I can see even the "High end brands" seem to be cheaping out on there components.
Good work> You explained it slowly and informatively. But I got lost in the middle as I am a plug-n-play guy. The ease of use that comes with the Chinese charger would be my choice to get the job done without having to go through all the learning and buying of other products. Thanks
E-tool or EV battery pack are build indide with multipile groups. Each group is charged independantly by way of floating charging and monitoring, to limit any group over charge and over heat. If any group is over charged, it could generate over heat, causing damage or fire.
I think that while charging you should not bypass the battery's built in Battery Management System . at the timestamp 18:35 the probe should be connected to the charge input , not to the battery output ( ie discharge ). This way the BMS performs a safe balance charge operation. Of course then, as you noted the power supply needs to provide slightly higher voltage. OTOH , the battery voltage is always available to be monitored on the battery output terminal while charging via the battery charge input..
I use a bench power supply. You can set the voltage and current limit. My power supply supply is 0 to 50 volts dc and only 1.5 amp max. . I usually set the current between 650 ma to 1 amp. I have been charging li ion batteries for years this way. By the way my power supply is from the 1970's with an analog meter. Buy a cheap Chinese model power supply with at least 0-30 volts and 3 amp capacity. Well worth it. Thanks for the video, not bad.
I put a 5s balance lead on 20v harbor freight pack and I use a 20 dollar rc charger to charge I use the balance charge function works like a charm and a lipo fire bag
Hopefully, these battery packs have internal management systems, to ensure even charge distribution over the cells that make it up. If you are anything like me, you are allergic to the blast radius of angry battery packs.
@@SimpleElectronics Kewl narnies :) . I have LOTSA batteries here, and I always watch them closely during charging, as the blast radius can be quite flammable!
@@SimpleElectronics just go a little slower so that whatever you're saying can be understood. I found this video interesting but hard to follow. That's it.
Trying to charge an 8v max dewalt battery n dont know what is what on that battery thatd be cool to see an update of the batteries if you have any new designs even to show off how youre doing this cause this pack is a different setup to have work and am curious what you think nice vid as well easy to learn
Lithium ion batterys can and will become unbalanced over time. All chargers are designed to balance the individual cells so they all charge evenly. My guess is there is a circuit board in with the battery that properly balances charge. If not, the charger its self does the job. Be careful when charging a battery unbalanced.
Don’t know enough about electricity to charge my batteries this way. Screw that I’d rather just get the stupid charger. Really cool video though it’s crazy how much science I take for granted every day
I use an iCharger 208B as a charger. It will charge dang near anything. I even charge my 48 volt ebike battery by splitting my pack and charging in parallel and running in series using a 4 pole double throw switch....... It also allows lowering the charge voltage to prolong the life of the batteries and it displays Amp Hours used in charging so I can figure out AH per mile on my bike. edit: And other stuff as well such battery degradation..... It cost some bucks but I have used it a lot for over 6 years with no problems.
Thank you so much your video helped out a lot I needed to find out what NTC meant and I found out in your video and stayed tuned for more informative things so i appreciate your video and all your help bless you dude peace
I received a drone from a friend with a battery but with no charging hub. And no one sells this old drone's charging hub online. Watched your video and am realizing it's possible to charge my drone battery... but Im realizing I need to know more about how electricity works in order to do it myself. Where did you learn? Where do you recommend that I go to learn?
Yay! I saved 30 dollars. I might burn my house down, but I saved 30 dollars? You electrically savvy folks out there know what you're doing. Some watching this DON'T. The line between fully charged and BOOM is pretty fine with Li-Ion cells. Not leaving them unattended only means you get to witness the explosion first hand. My time, body, and property are worth more than that. Just my 2 cents.
Interesting video, a bit over my head. I'm looking to charge and 18v battery when I don't have an 18v charger. I have a 12v charger for a Milwaukee drill, a trickle charger for automotive use, and a bigger car charger. What wire goes where?
So correct me if I'm wrong but when using a laptop charger to charge a pack or using the supplied lithium charger, the voltage should fluctuate bc lithium isn't supposed to be constant and also you shouldn't use a bench power supply to charge lithium bc it will drastically shorten the life of the pack. The older Ni-Cd batteries were charged with constant voltage bc they can handle it. So this brings me to my question, are you sure the HT drill and battery you demonstrate charging uses lithium batteries? My father n law had a drill very similar and I'm pretty sure any hyper tough that's listed as 18 volt is not lithium.
Well I see it says lithium ion which is weird....I have monitored every brand 20 volt battery there is via charging with non supplied lithium chargers (laptop charger usually) and it always fluctuates.....
an ''official'' Makita charger does something additional - it checks the temperature, and regulates the current in behalf of the cell temperature and the possible currents without damaging the cells - it don't charge the battery at all if it's too cold (around - 5 ° C) - it cools down the cells first before charging if they are too hot - it reduces the current if the SOC has reached 80 % My batteries from 2015 are still perfectly fine despite they have been used commercially on construction sites for more than 5 years, always charged in a original Makita charger
@Uhavenoright toask an official charger is around 45 € in Europe, a 3rd party charger may save you 15 or 20 € at max. 20 € are not much over the lifespan of the device. With Makita you get typically a lot of bang for your bucks, especially compared to European brands or German brands. If your batteries die prematurely because the 3rd party charger stresses them more than the original one you don't save money at all. If you want it cheaper and you don't use the tools often you can still buy corded ones, they need no batteries and no charger and will work for decades
@@simonm1447 you’re missing the point guy. Sure you can use the official charger everyone already knows and understands that. Just because you don’t understand how to balance charge batteries don’t assume and prevent others as well. your “official”charger or nothing attitude adds nothing to this video and it’s obvious you don’t understand the topic at hand enough to make such statements. So shhh 🤫
@@josephbookim8451 Of course I know how to balance a Li-Ion battery pack, however no craftsman would invest hours of time to recharge tool batteries if he can simply put them into a charger which isn't even expensive which does all the work by itself (and charges even faster). My oldest LXT batteries are almost 7 years old now, used commercially the whole time. They still work fine even with much more powerful machinery which wasn't even on market when I bought these battery packs. Using self made chargers is surely a nice experiment and fine for people who want to learn something new, but no serious craftsman would do this at work
@@simonm1447 1. nobody said they were a craftsman 2. Nobody said they were trying to do this at work so what are u going on about. Again the topics on hand seem to just be flying right over you and you’re going on about something nobody brought up lol
@Dean Spicer It don't just charges the battery - it charges it in a far sophisticated way than most competitor chargers of the time (meanwhile most adopted the active cooling)
Great video, thanks so much. I have a small Dremel tool that isn't made anymore, and the charger stopped working. It's a Dremel Model 1100 Stylus. It's 7.2V Do you have any ideas how I can charge the unit? Actually, I only used it a handful of times from when I purchased it way back, so the batteries really only got discharged and charged maybe 3 times total in its lifetime. So I'd really like to be able to recharge it and use it.
I don't have the same rotary tool, but I you should first determine if either the power supply or the tool is the issue. Both this and the fix will require you to open the tool, so go to someone with experience if you're not confident. Personally, since I don't know how to troubleshoot a power supply, I would've opened up the tool and used a multimeter to check if the cells are between 3.2 and 4.2 volts. If you have a low voltage cell, you can try to revive with a short boost from a charged lithium cell and a couple of wires(UA-cam vids are available). If that doesn't work, you have to buy new lithium cells of the same size(2 of them, assuming the voltage) and learn to spot weld or solder them in. If I found the tool seemed fine, I'd try to replace the power supply with and equivalent one on eBay/Amazon.
You can probably do it in parallel, not series but I would not recommend it, especially if the two packs are at a different state of charge, the current from the more charged one to the less charged one could be a LOT
I think this was true for Ni-Cd and NiMH cells, but aren't Most Li-ion cells ok for high discharge? There's a trade-off between cell capacity and internal resistance for sure, but cells sold for vaping are probably running harder than any power tool. You would probably be fine with those in your drill battery.
Would you please tell me what kind of multi meters those black and blue ones are that you are using in this video and where did you get them? Thanks! And thanks for the video. Charging batteries is a subject I'm becoming interested in lately. Especially drill / tool batteries. 👍
You would let the battery decide as long as the charger's output amps are lower than the battery itself. For best deal on a charger, search ebay for XL6009 DC Booster for $3 and set the voltage 2 or 3 volts above the battery's designated voltage. So, for a Makita 18v battery, set the booster to 20v and let it charge for at least 4 hours. For a totally depleted battery, 8 hours or more. Touch the battery to make sure it isn't hot and check the battery for functionality. Otherwise, a good battery should just take as much amps as it needs and then slowly takes less charge as it gets full without overheating. Revive dead batteries this way, , Don't worry, it won't overcharge it. You can use the same module to maintain your car battery of you are letting the car sit for months. (set it to 15v for car battery for days. Set it to much higher voltage for an almost dead car battey until you can feel it starts to hold charge again. The booster just produces square wave pulses which batteries love to shake off that sulfation. But it also works well as an adapter for electronics such as a DC clock radio and as a charger for any lithium battery like cellphone if it has a removable battery
@@SimpleElectronics if i understood this correctly, as long as the charger puts out less amps, it can't hurt the battery which has a lot more amps. The force of the battery sucking in the amps is as much as the module is willing to give. Abd after it has received enough amps, its appetite slows down until saturated. The PWM system keeps the battery from over consumption also, like little nibbles instead of a downpour.
@@stanleymeyer9936 I typically set the amp on the charger, say at 500mA and the Volt at say 4.2, and let it go. As the battery charges and as it reaches the voltage threshold the current also goes down and after that, the current will gradually drop to 0 and it is done. The battery won't draw a thing if its tummy is full. Perhaps the concern is one does not want the battery to draw more than it can handle or needs. It won't if you limit the volts and the amps of course. Plus I think if you just supply the right voltage, you are good to go. If you have a shorted battery, that is a different ball game. In that case, it is a good idea to limit the amp just to be on the safe side. That sounds right to me. I took apart the battery pack of a laptop, Toshiba. There were 6 of them red batteries. Each of them was full of around 4.2 volts. I tell these critters are some serious batteries. One fine day one of them read 2 volts. I put it on that adjustable DC supply. 30V 10 A. I put the charger at 4.2 V and the current at 450mA. In no time that battery was charged, maybe an hour at most. That flashlight was bright and good and everything as winter cool to the touch.
I find some great deals on tools and gear like this at pawn shops. Have to look around a bit and find things that have been on hand, sitting, for a while and get marked down. Recently got a Dewalt drill/battery/charger for $12, works great. Nice video here, but I'm probably going to stick with chargers.
I suppose thats what missing an thermo resistor to measure temperature to shut the whole project down when the battery gets too warm. Thats why they have very low current flow for those cheap charger setup. You could of mentioned that.
I thought you were just gonna use another drill to turn the dead one backwards with a chucked bolt in the good one, pushing the trigger of the dead one to 'force-feedback' the dead battery. But you showed me how to waste time and be a cheapskate all-in-one! Oh Joy, oh Bliss!
Wow, ! thank you for simplifying this task. I live in Hawaii and no one ships lithium batteries. That is they won't fly them. So making due is neccessary. Im an electrician with plenty of motor controls under my belt. But thanks to you i don't need to do more research. I make things safely for safety.. so this will totally work. ❤ I've got a Ridgid 12 volts that are obsolete discontinued and no one will send me the charger or the battery how to have Milwaukee 12 volt . I know it's the same three cells if I can get the Milwaukee to charge the Ridgid I will make a video
@@SimpleElectronics I thought the drill chargers with several pins are to balance charge the battery , using just a power supply to the + and - will reduce the life of the batteries as they need to be balance charged
I don´t find any Makita compatible chargers for car o 12V power source. Seems like they want you to buy lots of batteries for you to work and go back home to charge them. But sometimes you will need to charge them from car or solar panel. Is there a way to do so with no risk of burning them?
Yeah you can use a boost converter with a current limit the same way I use a buck converter in this video. Limit the upper voltage, limit the current and you are good to go. Something like this: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_A5heBv
And also can you send me that leaf blower that you're working on or whatever you're working on? Delete blower I got is 6 volume numbers. I can set it on to blow leaves
So I’ve got a Stanley fat max battery charger that’s made by DeWalt/black and decker. It’s an 18v charger and I have 2.0ah batteries that charge in it. I’ve bought a JCB impact driver that’s 18v and the battery is 18v 2.0ah but it doesn’t come with a charger. The charger is the same price as the driver and battery were. So I’m guessing I could just link the charger for the Stanley to the jcb battery using wires and charge it that way? Should the charger drop off like it would if I was charging the Stanley battery? I have a meter to check voltage as I go.
You know what your doing but I am not sure where the 4.11 volts came from. ALL 18650 or 18750 batteries I have used are marked for 3.7 v and test out to 3.7 to 3.9 v.
Usually NCM is always made for end of charge voltage of 4,1 to 4,4 Volts. But there are also LFP cells, they have a different voltage characteristic and a end of charge voltage between 3,7 and 3,8 Volt. Cordless tools usually use NCM.
Question. In theory if you have a bust charger and have another charger of exact charging spec would it not be possible to use the original top shell and jump the wires to the working base unit. That way the safteys are still In place
Very interesting video. I understand the danger of fire when charging lithium ion batteries, but I don’t understand why you insist that the battery not be left alone to charge especially when you have a device that limits the charging current and shuts off when the maximum voltage is reached. If one must remain present while charging the battery that alone is not worth the effort. I might as well buy a charger that you don’t have to be present during the charging period.
Well even on an OEM charger, it isn't a good idea to leave lithium-ion batteries to charge unattended. Yes, millions of people across the globe do it, but it is a risk nonetheless. Most of these packs are not balance charged so if one cell refuses to hold a charge, the other cells are overcharged by 15-20% and could catch fire. In short, it is never a good idea, oem charger or not, but mainly, you kind-of have to expect the worse when you make videos for general consumption.
@@SimpleElectronics . It just depends what brand and model...the more expensive packs has a built in balancing PCB inside the pack. Some brand's balancing PCB are in the charger... The cheaper 12v( 3s) or 5s 1500mah...dont have any balancing. It just depends. ..Most people dont use cordless drills often. A contractor...might need 8-10 packs...just to get through the day.lol The all dont have the same C ratings or 18650 brands, either.... Even if the outside marking has the same name brand. You'll have to open the packs... I try not to leave un attended...( it's not always possible.) Ive had Lipo blew up....just walking less than 5 mins away.. When 18650 leaks..the chemicals will leak from a bad cell.. then short out the wiring...melts the plastic or wires..ect I Charge OUT SIDE...I dont always put in a fire box like Im suppose too....even thou i have firebox for lithuim batteries. I have plenty of lituim catch on fire or starts smoking...while in use. Im into R/C...run over power brushless ....high AMP/drain esc...ect Contrary to what's on Paper...the MOTOR sometimes PULLS or sucks the juice out of the batteries,,Yes..the esc is suppose to limit it... but when electronic component gets hot...they dont always operate as they should.lol...Im more aware of these things..from using them.. and I also worked in electronics manufacturing...Most people dont.
@@SimpleElectronics It's obvious from your video that you have a good understanding of the subject, much more than I do. I'll keep your advice tucked somewhere in my head, but all of my battery operated devices have lithium ion batteries. I charge them unattended, and in all the years I have never had one start a fire. I have had chargers that refuse to charge a battery due to the temperature of the battery being too high or a bad cell, but no more than that. Thanks for your advice.
Why are you checking a battery voltage without putting a load on it? The battery could have a very large internal impedance which would drop most of the voltage across it if a load was attached to the terminals.
1) What would happen if I charge a 18v 6Ah Makita battery with a 18v 3A supply or do I have to use a step up board to produce at least 20v? 2) What is the current you recommend for charging this battery? 1 amp 2 amp? Do you know if there are voltage step up boards that can also control current but in a relatively small size like the mini step up /down board you showed in the video? Thanks!
like I said in the video, 18v is just the nominal voltage, it tops out at 21v when fully charged. As for current, as slowly as you can stand it, don't forget you need to charge it supervised (or in a fireproof location - like inside a closed bbq) - check out this link and pick the most appropriate boost module for your use case (make sure it has 2 potentiometers, one for max voltage - set to 21v, and one for max current - set to your risk tolerance.....I often go 1amp) rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_nkw%3Dcv%2Bcc%2Bboost%26_sacat%3D0%26_sop%3D15&campid=5338675657&toolid=10001&customid=cvcc
@@SimpleElectronics have you got the connector pinout reference for a 18v 5ah makita battery by any chance? I tried to charge the battery through the battery output pins and won't work. So would like to know how to connect the charger through the pins within the yellow connector. Thanks!
Look for "XL6009" on ebay about $5 will charge any battery, just adjust the output to 2 or 3 volts above the battery voltage when fully charged. So to charge a 20 volt battery, set the module to 23 or 24 volts and it will be a safe and cheap way to charge any battery or power supply for any low amp device such as small radio or DVD player or LED lamp or LED light bulb etc.
@@stanleymeyer9936 great way to start a fire, here is why, the bms in these packs have a balance circuit with less than 500mA, your suggested dc-dc module has 3A output current = OVERCHARGE when the cells are out of balance, its not rocket science.
Warning, I know next to nothing about electronics but I want to. Would it not be possible to make up some short leads that go from a charger and connect onto the battery making sure the connections are the same ( +to+ etc ) or am I showing my ignorance 😊 I did like the vid as you took your time to walk the view through👍👍
Hey boy, is that a Makita battery? I have a battery looks just like the same thing and they say Makita batteries will fit my leaf blower that's called azinava. Will that fit and it's a 18 volt? Please get back in touch with me soon as possible
I have a DeWalt 4 battery charger the fast charger as well and the other day I accidentally touched positive to negative on one of the four stations on that charger in it popped it or something not won't charge batteries anymore so I'm wondering if I might can pop it open and get it working again or if it's fried
I have a 40v(36v) lithium battery pack for a lawn mower. It has 5 terminals -, S, D, C+, + Do you know what each terminal is? + & - appear to be direct connections to the battery. I'm wondering if C+ is a charge terminal.
I wouldn't be surprised at all if your battery(s) last 5 years charging @250ma..the touted high end 30 min and 1 hr chargers kill more cells than all other causes combined and trades people go through batteries like they were Skittles..ofcourse when shopping pros look for the best battery warranties so can just swap them in for new ones..BTW I have NiCd's that are decades old and still almost as good as new...they have never been fast charged or over charged..
I don't know, I've been using cordless tools for over 20 yesrs and have never babied any of my batteries. Run them till the tool stops, throw them on the charger, and walk away. Sometimes, I let them sit on the charger for days or weeks. Dewalt, Milwaukee Craftsman, Snapper, never had a battery go bad.
You can only do this with cheap batteries without the protection circuits of the big brand tools. Get a imax RC charger and you can safely charge any of these " unlocked " batteries of any type any voltage.
I buy good tools and good batteries, which is why I use the factory charger. If I was in an apocalypse situation, I'd consider other ways to charge. makita also has a 'charge counter' to know how many times it was charged for warranty reasons. If you battery appears to fail prematurely, my dealer plugs it into a makita gizmo they have and it says exactly how many times it was charged/date of manu. just sayin'.
My own ridgid batteries overdischarged themselves so the factory charger thinks its defective, using the method from this vid I was able to get them up the few volts for the factory charger to work again
Good luck trying to charge 18 v battery from car or boat running 12v. This is why I kept my old 12v bosh/whatever. Old battery is in the landfill now so just plug in to the connectors and now hav a chord drill. Works fine.
Any idea how to convert batteries/chargers into a poor man's UPS (uninterruptible power supply)? I have a handful of Milwaukee m18 batteries sitting around that would be nice to get an extra purpose out of. They sell the single battery compact inverter, but is there a way to get their standard chargers to give AC power? They also sell a 6 battery sequential charger that would be a great emergency power source, but I guess they didn't enable that option so they could more easily sell their larger inverter unit that uses the different "MX fuel" batteries. Combining their compact inverter and sequential charger into one unit would be an awesome way to give a second purpose to extra batteries.
i can’t get more than 8V reading on the multimeter from a single one of 5 different 18V chargers, and i try all the different connectors on the charger
Great video! Thanks! When the battery reaches the same voltage as the power supply, the current will stop flowing. That is, current drops to zero amps. No voltage differential. You can prove this by turning your power supply up by about another tenth of a volt and current will start flowing again. As you mentioned, don't do this for too long to avoid battery damage or worse.
I had one of those black and decker electric screwdrivers, it lasted me 6 years of abuse. I was impressed
On the Makita pack you will see a yellow connector which connects to the standard Makita charger as well as the +ve and -ve terminals you used ... This way the voltage of each cell is monitored by the charger and kept within correct range ... If you were to charge by your method REPEADEDLY the cells will drift out of alignment and damage could result . Other companies appear to have this balancing circuit within each pack and not in the charger , so only have two terminals to connect to charger.
Many RC hobby stores sell balancers for batteries. it should not be overcomplicated to figure out how to hook it up and balance the batteries. Then and again, you should be able to check for an out of balance situation with a simple multimeter; just don't short out the connections.
Spot on 👍
my Bosch drill has no balancing for the four cells, and still works well for more than ten years, II have seen other battery tools that don't use balancing
there is actually a bit more going on inside these batteries that is good to know, in most cases the packs have a built in BMS and balancing circuit hence the separate charge pin, there is a higher voltage on the charger to make sure the charging is complete and quicker and when the pack is near it´s full charge the balancing is done, if the cells are drifting in voltage it evens them out and if you charge these packs on the output pins you won´t get proper balancing and it can lead to damage but sure this is a bit different between brands and how it is made. some chargers and batteries has a whole bunch of pins and can be separate balancing or temperature monitoring whichever can be built into the battery or the charger itself. so in conclusion the best option is to use a real charger made for the battery or if you do it yourself figure out how the battery bms is made to work and use the correct charging input for it. usually the battery has built in over and under voltage protection, it gonna turn off if too much discharged and it should also cut charging if the voltage goes too high, however if you charge on these outputs it may not be able to shut down over charge or unbalanced cells causing a fire hazard or damage to your equipment. so basically if you are not 100% sure what you are doing then prefer a dedicated charger made for this battery :)
I don´t find any chargers for car o 12V power source. Seems like they want you to buy lots of batteries to go back home to charge them. But sometimes you will need to charge them from car or solar panel. Is there a way to do so with no risk of burning them?
@@alexecheverria if you can’t find any option for a charger the best option would likely be to use a Buck-Boost unit with a constant current capability and they tend to be rather cheap to get. You can dial in the correct charging voltage and tune in the maximum charging current and you could charge your battery from pretty much any voltage you desire within the converters range. It is still hard to tell if charging your battery with another source can cause problems with it so make sure you take all safety precautions possible if doing so
@@Pulverrostmannen My poor english was not aware of "buck-boost" magic word and found a cheap one on Banggood with V and A display. Although it is not delivering more power output than imput I got a step up board to deliver 24v to it. Great advice, appreciate it!
@@alexecheverria no problem at all. Good luck with your project :)
Can't get the effing chargers mate. That's why UA-cam Duh.
Buy your own awesome battery drill (or anything else) here: www.banggood.com/custlink/G3GvQlEm4y
and if you want the buck/boost converter I used: www.banggood.com/custlink/KGGYoZzZ1Y
The battery protection circuit arnt all the same...it vary from brand to brand
and pack types...but the 20.85 V most likely has a couple of mofet ( switch/Gate)...when it reach that voltage..it'll just trigger the gate..so the pack wont get over charged....
The other pins are for balance..so it'll try to charge each cell indiviually.
It's works the same as hobby Lithium balance chargers...its just has
different JACKS....You can select balance or not on a hooby charger...
different lithuim type...li po, li on. li fe....different cells qty( voltage)
It vari...some charger allow you to program....time limits, charging rate.
or lowest ...voltage...
The FAKE Imax...has pro and cons....it's dosnt have all the cool programing,
meters....ect but it'll let me charge a lithium cell ..as long as it has voltage.lmao
It's kind of a pain with a smart charger..
The real Imax wont let me charge a cell below 2.8.lmao
i have the real Imax and fake Imax That's why i didnt complain....
I recycle 18650 or drill batery , now...I repair a couple packs
yesterday...simply by locating a BELOW 2.8V cell...
some where at .36V...ect..Use the FAKE charger.lol
I simply charge the low cells to around the same voltage as the other cells..
without having to do surgery or weird charging.lmao
@@oneeyemonster3262 mofet Could you mean MOSFET Metal Oxide Semi Conductor Field Effect Transistor?
Can you post link for buck-boost digital charger?
@@joeboxter3635 Here you go: www.banggood.com/custlink/KGGYoZzZ1Y
You gave me an idea of charging a drill I found using a 12v RC car charger. Worked a charm.
FYI - How to charge info Starts @ 8:00.
Thanks. I gave up scrolling through this guy's waffle-on about his life history with drills.
Thanks
Thanks.
I got inspired by your video to boost my old drill batteries that haven't worked in years and i just got them working today! Thanks very much for your video!
This has to be my favourite Video this year - Very well explained and presented - Great Job!
In Sydney my oldest brother used to buy MAKTEC! Identical to makita! Top job.
really informative and perfect timing as I've just bid and won a drill without charger. cheers
what a great video lesson on electroincs on "power tools batteries" It's like a refresher for me and when you get older its really nice to have this kind of video to watch. thank you sir for your great video. I really enjoyed it very much. aloha from kauai ;)
Thank you for the kind words!
I feel you man!
I've been using my RC car battery charger. It has settings for every type of battery (even lead acid) and an alligator clip attachment. I stick paper clips in the battery then attach the charger.
How much does an RC battery charger costs?
@@impactajuvenile The B6 chinese knockoffs start at $25 usd... Might be ok for power tools. I got a name brand one because I use it more and to be safe with "dangerous" RC lipos.
Yea ok but just take a look at the Mikita battery. It has a yellow connector too for the BMS on the charger. Charging without the right charger will eventually kill the battery pack because one cell will eventually reverse charge.
Although this is best practice, it's not the end all be all. Many brands do not do any balancing at all, simply disallowing the charge entirely if one cell gets out of charge
All "well made" Lithium Drill batteries have a 4-6s BMS in them that balance charge each 18650. The 14-21v (depending on the pack) gets divided to each battery and charge at 4.2v. The BMS is also has overcharge and undercharge protection. If you open up the casing you can charge each 18650 using any charger that has balance leads as the batteries are connected in series. The last battery in this video. That should be a balance lead connecter (that yellow connector in the middle). Using that connector you can check each batteries voltage on its own.
Be careful when saying "all" of something, check this out: ua-cam.com/video/BEnYX8-Cfp0/v-deo.html
@@SimpleElectronics fixed it, the really really cheap stuff don't count :P But as I can see even the "High end brands" seem to be cheaping out on there components.
You lost me at pre cut wood. That stuff don’t grow around here. 😆
Great vid thanx for the tip!
Good work> You explained it slowly and informatively. But I got lost in the middle as I am a plug-n-play guy. The ease of use that comes with the Chinese charger would be my choice to get the job done without having to go through all the learning and buying of other products. Thanks
E-tool or EV battery pack are build indide with multipile groups. Each group is charged independantly by way of floating charging and monitoring, to limit any group over charge and over heat. If any group is over charged, it could generate over heat, causing damage or fire.
I can't believe it that's amazing WOW. And I thaught I was the only one that had a hyper tough drill 😂😂😂
First I will need a magic tutorial to understand this science.
Thanks for your great explanation. I'm a novice at electronics and 78 years old so I have to go very slow and you made it very understandable.
I think that while charging you should not bypass the battery's built in Battery Management System . at the timestamp 18:35 the probe should be connected to the charge input , not to the battery output ( ie discharge ). This way the BMS performs a safe balance charge operation. Of course then, as you noted the power supply needs to provide slightly higher voltage. OTOH , the battery voltage is always available to be monitored on the battery output terminal while charging via the battery charge input..
I use a bench power supply. You can set the voltage and current limit. My power supply supply is 0 to 50 volts dc and only 1.5 amp max. . I usually set the current between 650 ma to 1 amp. I have been charging li ion batteries for years this way. By the way my power supply is from the 1970's with an analog meter. Buy a cheap Chinese model power supply with at least 0-30 volts and 3 amp capacity. Well worth it. Thanks for the video, not bad.
Hmm, I'm still uncertain....Can I use my DeWalt charger as a Porter Cable battery charger if I were add jumper wires between the two? tHanks all.
I put a 5s balance lead on 20v harbor freight pack and I use a 20 dollar rc charger to charge I use the balance charge function works like a charm and a lipo fire bag
At 7:30 you say it must charge through the little lead, but at the end of the video where you start charging, you only connect the big leads?
Hopefully, these battery packs have internal management systems, to ensure even charge distribution over the cells that make it up.
If you are anything like me, you are allergic to the blast radius of angry battery packs.
You can find out in approx. 14 hours! I have a video coming out about that!
@@SimpleElectronics
Kewl narnies :) .
I have LOTSA batteries here, and I always watch them closely during charging, as the blast radius can be quite flammable!
Test the Milwaukee high output batteries, I’m curious how they compare with the other ones, if they are worth shelling out a couple benjies for
I would if I had any laying around - those suckers aren't cheap!
Yup so this is the last video I watched! I am way behind!!! Lol I’ll definitely be going through the tool haul videos! Keep up the great work!! 🤜🤛
Why is the lock picking lawyer doing tool videos?
💅 🤡
Hahahaha ON POINT THO! 👉🏻☠️☠️☠️
If this is meant to be learned then, I would give a thumbs for it. I think you're giving a commentary rather than showing how it's done!
Well, what wasn't clear to you in the video?
@@SimpleElectronics just go a little slower so that whatever you're saying can be understood. I found this video interesting but hard to follow. That's it.
So will you be redoing this video?
There will be a follow-up eventually but not a total redo, no
@@SimpleElectronics can you not maybe just this once repeat the main part again?
Just so you know that’s knockoff makita is an impact not a drill :-) (drills have chucks for drill bits). Thanks for the cool video !
An Impact Driver
Trying to charge an 8v max dewalt battery n dont know what is what on that battery thatd be cool to see an update of the batteries if you have any new designs even to show off how youre doing this cause this pack is a different setup to have work and am curious what you think nice vid as well easy to learn
Lithium ion batterys can and will become unbalanced over time. All chargers are designed to balance the individual cells so they all charge evenly. My guess is there is a circuit board in with the battery that properly balances charge. If not, the charger its self does the job. Be careful when charging a battery unbalanced.
Wrong. The knock off batteries such as this one have no balancing.
Don’t know enough about electricity to charge my batteries this way. Screw that I’d rather just get the stupid charger. Really cool video though it’s crazy how much science I take for granted every day
I use an iCharger 208B as a charger. It will charge dang near anything. I even charge my 48 volt ebike battery by splitting my pack and charging in parallel and running in series using a 4 pole double throw switch.......
It also allows lowering the charge voltage to prolong the life of the batteries and it displays Amp Hours used in charging so I can figure out AH per mile on my bike. edit: And other stuff as well such battery degradation.....
It cost some bucks but I have used it a lot for over 6 years with no problems.
Thank you so much your video helped out a lot I needed to find out what NTC meant and I found out in your video and stayed tuned for more informative things so i appreciate your video and all your help bless you dude peace
Thank you for the kind words!
I received a drone from a friend with a battery but with no charging hub. And no one sells this old drone's charging hub online. Watched your video and am realizing it's possible to charge my drone battery... but Im realizing I need to know more about how electricity works in order to do it myself. Where did you learn? Where do you recommend that I go to learn?
I can help you with that, have you done something with that?
Yay! I saved 30 dollars. I might burn my house down, but I saved 30 dollars? You electrically savvy folks out there know what you're doing. Some watching this DON'T. The line between fully charged and BOOM is pretty fine with Li-Ion cells. Not leaving them unattended only means you get to witness the explosion first hand. My time, body, and property are worth more than that. Just my 2 cents.
fair point, but I have a tear down of this battery coming, it isn't as dangerous as you think, (but still should never be unattended)
Interesting video, a bit over my head. I'm looking to charge and 18v battery when I don't have an 18v charger. I have a 12v charger for a Milwaukee drill, a trickle charger for automotive use, and a bigger car charger. What wire goes where?
None of those options will work unfortunately
Next step: build a mating connector for the battery for easier connecting the charger.
Well, I do own a 3d printer...
see how he does with it lol
i just use the cheap chargers gut the circuit and straight lead mine to a hobby charger
Why not just use the jumper wires from your testing of the charger and other pack to connect this pack to the other charger?
Because it was a demonstration, that's all!
So correct me if I'm wrong but when using a laptop charger to charge a pack or using the supplied lithium charger, the voltage should fluctuate bc lithium isn't supposed to be constant and also you shouldn't use a bench power supply to charge lithium bc it will drastically shorten the life of the pack. The older Ni-Cd batteries were charged with constant voltage bc they can handle it. So this brings me to my question, are you sure the HT drill and battery you demonstrate charging uses lithium batteries? My father n law had a drill very similar and I'm pretty sure any hyper tough that's listed as 18 volt is not lithium.
Well I see it says lithium ion which is weird....I have monitored every brand 20 volt battery there is via charging with non supplied lithium chargers (laptop charger usually) and it always fluctuates.....
an ''official'' Makita charger does something additional
- it checks the temperature, and regulates the current in behalf of the cell temperature and the possible currents without damaging the cells
- it don't charge the battery at all if it's too cold (around - 5 ° C)
- it cools down the cells first before charging if they are too hot
- it reduces the current if the SOC has reached 80 %
My batteries from 2015 are still perfectly fine despite they have been used commercially on construction sites for more than 5 years, always charged in a original Makita charger
@Uhavenoright toask an official charger is around 45 € in Europe, a 3rd party charger may save you 15 or 20 € at max. 20 € are not much over the lifespan of the device.
With Makita you get typically a lot of bang for your bucks, especially compared to European brands or German brands.
If your batteries die prematurely because the 3rd party charger stresses them more than the original one you don't save money at all.
If you want it cheaper and you don't use the tools often you can still buy corded ones, they need no batteries and no charger and will work for decades
@@simonm1447 you’re missing the point guy. Sure you can use the official charger everyone already knows and understands that.
Just because you don’t understand how to balance charge batteries don’t assume and prevent others as well. your “official”charger or nothing attitude adds nothing to this video and it’s obvious you don’t understand the topic at hand enough to make such statements. So shhh 🤫
@@josephbookim8451 Of course I know how to balance a Li-Ion battery pack, however no craftsman would invest hours of time to recharge tool batteries if he can simply put them into a charger which isn't even expensive which does all the work by itself (and charges even faster).
My oldest LXT batteries are almost 7 years old now, used commercially the whole time. They still work fine even with much more powerful machinery which wasn't even on market when I bought these battery packs.
Using self made chargers is surely a nice experiment and fine for people who want to learn something new, but no serious craftsman would do this at work
@@simonm1447 1. nobody said they were a craftsman 2. Nobody said they were trying to do this at work so what are u going on about. Again the topics on hand seem to just be flying right over you and you’re going on about something nobody brought up lol
@Dean Spicer It don't just charges the battery - it charges it in a far sophisticated way than most competitor chargers of the time (meanwhile most adopted the active cooling)
Could you use an old train transformer to charge anything ?
With a bit of tinkering you could - you would have to rectify the AC into DC using at least a half-wave rectifier and a capacitor
Great video, thanks so much. I have a small Dremel tool that isn't made anymore, and the charger stopped working. It's a Dremel Model 1100 Stylus. It's 7.2V Do you have any ideas how I can charge the unit? Actually, I only used it a handful of times from when I purchased it way back, so the batteries really only got discharged and charged maybe 3 times total in its lifetime. So I'd really like to be able to recharge it and use it.
I don't have the same rotary tool, but I you should first determine if either the power supply or the tool is the issue. Both this and the fix will require you to open the tool, so go to someone with experience if you're not confident.
Personally, since I don't know how to troubleshoot a power supply, I would've opened up the tool and used a multimeter to check if the cells are between 3.2 and 4.2 volts. If you have a low voltage cell, you can try to revive with a short boost from a charged lithium cell and a couple of wires(UA-cam vids are available). If that doesn't work, you have to buy new lithium cells of the same size(2 of them, assuming the voltage) and learn to spot weld or solder them in.
If I found the tool seemed fine, I'd try to replace the power supply with and equivalent one on eBay/Amazon.
@Simple Electronics can i charge two batteries in series with one charger?, thanks new subscriber!
You can probably do it in parallel, not series but I would not recommend it, especially if the two packs are at a different state of charge, the current from the more charged one to the less charged one could be a LOT
Does the battery pack have cell balancer electronics embedded ???
I have a video going live on Tuesday about that very subject!
Drill cells are a different breed of 18650. They are made for high discharge. Don't use anything else if you want to duplicate a drill cell pack
Are the laptop batteries the same?
@@E-hab Those are a good example of low power storage cells. The ones in power tools are much more robust
Sometimes, but not always! Gotta be careful because sometimes they just parallel up the lower current cells to provide more current!
I think this was true for Ni-Cd and NiMH cells, but aren't Most Li-ion cells ok for high discharge? There's a trade-off between cell capacity and internal resistance for sure, but cells sold for vaping are probably running harder than any power tool. You would probably be fine with those in your drill battery.
This is true, huge difference in maximum discharge current between standard 18650 and high drain 18650
Would you please tell me what kind of multi meters those black and blue ones are that you are using in this video and where did you get them? Thanks! And thanks for the video. Charging batteries is a subject I'm becoming interested in lately. Especially drill / tool batteries. 👍
Any multimeter will do but these are a house brand from a store in Canada, called Canadian Tire
What if you let the battery decide how much current it draws? All one has to do is set the voltage on the power supply.
Then the battery could overheat, if you just let it go unregulated, it could pull a LOT of current
Precisely! 😊
You would let the battery decide as long as the charger's output amps are lower than the battery itself.
For best deal on a charger, search ebay for XL6009 DC Booster for $3 and set the voltage 2 or 3 volts above the battery's designated voltage. So, for a Makita 18v battery, set the booster to 20v and let it charge for at least 4 hours. For a totally depleted battery, 8 hours or more. Touch the battery to make sure it isn't hot and check the battery for functionality. Otherwise, a good battery should just take as much amps as it needs and then slowly takes less charge as it gets full without overheating.
Revive dead batteries this way, ,
Don't worry, it won't overcharge it.
You can use the same module to maintain your car battery of you are letting the car sit for months. (set it to 15v for car battery for days. Set it to much higher voltage for an almost dead car battey until you can feel it starts to hold charge again.
The booster just produces square wave pulses which batteries love to shake off that sulfation. But it also works well as an adapter for electronics such as a DC clock radio and as a charger for any lithium battery like cellphone if it has a removable battery
@@SimpleElectronics if i understood this correctly, as long as the charger puts out less amps, it can't hurt the battery which has a lot more amps. The force of the battery sucking in the amps is as much as the module is willing to give. Abd after it has received enough amps, its appetite slows down until saturated. The PWM system keeps the battery from over consumption also, like little nibbles instead of a downpour.
@@stanleymeyer9936 I typically set the amp on the charger, say at 500mA and the Volt at say 4.2, and let it go. As the battery charges and as it reaches the voltage threshold the current also goes down and after that, the current will gradually drop to 0 and it is done. The battery won't draw a thing if its tummy is full. Perhaps the concern is one does not want the battery to draw more than it can handle or needs. It won't if you limit the volts and the amps of course. Plus I think if you just supply the right voltage, you are good to go. If you have a shorted battery, that is a different ball game. In that case, it is a good idea to limit the amp just to be on the safe side. That sounds right to me.
I took apart the battery pack of a laptop, Toshiba. There were 6 of them red batteries. Each of them was full of around 4.2 volts.
I tell these critters are some serious batteries.
One fine day one of them read 2 volts.
I put it on that adjustable DC supply. 30V 10 A. I put the charger at 4.2 V and the current at 450mA. In no time that battery was charged, maybe an hour at most. That flashlight was bright and good and everything as winter cool to the touch.
I find some great deals on tools and gear like this at pawn shops. Have to look around a bit and find things that have been on hand, sitting, for a while and get marked down. Recently got a Dewalt drill/battery/charger for $12, works great. Nice video here, but I'm probably going to stick with chargers.
I lost the plug for the battery of my 48v drill. I have several plugs that fit, but which do I use? What's the max output I can use?
I suppose thats what missing an thermo resistor to measure temperature to shut the whole project down when the battery gets too warm. Thats why they have very low current flow for those cheap charger setup. You could of mentioned that.
it’s a multi voltage in series connected it can be used just only 12volts
will batery electronic stop the charging itself ?
Good watch, but you should have shown the "full bars" led lights on the battery at the end. Was waiting expectantly.
If the pink bothers you; walmart also sells paint.
I thought you were just gonna use another drill to turn the dead one backwards with a chucked bolt in the good one, pushing the trigger of the dead one to 'force-feedback' the dead battery. But you showed me how to waste time and be a cheapskate all-in-one! Oh Joy, oh Bliss!
9:25 Thanks, buddy.... for taking one chance for the team like that.
Thanks for the hints and helpful advice, which btw, worked for me.
Wow, ! thank you for simplifying this task. I live in Hawaii and no one ships lithium batteries. That is they won't fly them. So making due is neccessary. Im an electrician with plenty of motor controls under my belt. But thanks to you i don't need to do more research. I make things safely for safety.. so this will totally work. ❤ I've got a Ridgid 12 volts that are obsolete discontinued and no one will send me the charger or the battery how to have Milwaukee 12 volt . I know it's the same three cells if I can get the Milwaukee to charge the Ridgid I will make a video
You should incorporate that circuitry into the existing charger housing rather than playing with clips and wires.
Don’t you have to balance charge the battery or does that charger balance charger it anyway ?
Very few drill battery packs are balanced, it turns out
@@SimpleElectronics I thought the drill chargers with several pins are to balance charge the battery , using just a power supply to the + and - will reduce the life of the batteries as they need to be balance charged
I don´t find any Makita compatible chargers for car o 12V power source. Seems like they want you to buy lots of batteries for you to work and go back home to charge them. But sometimes you will need to charge them from car or solar panel. Is there a way to do so with no risk of burning them?
Yeah you can use a boost converter with a current limit the same way I use a buck converter in this video. Limit the upper voltage, limit the current and you are good to go. Something like this: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_A5heBv
Makita offers an original charger for cars with 12 V
And also can you send me that leaf blower that you're working on or whatever you're working on? Delete blower I got is 6 volume numbers. I can set it on to blow leaves
So I’ve got a Stanley fat max battery charger that’s made by DeWalt/black and decker.
It’s an 18v charger and I have 2.0ah batteries that charge in it.
I’ve bought a JCB impact driver that’s 18v and the battery is 18v 2.0ah but it doesn’t come with a charger. The charger is the same price as the driver and battery were. So I’m guessing I could just link the charger for the Stanley to the jcb battery using wires and charge it that way? Should the charger drop off like it would if I was charging the Stanley battery? I have a meter to check voltage as I go.
Should work but I would check voltage as I go the first time to be sure...but it isn't exactly rocket science, just lithium cells!
Simple Electronics I can’t work it out on mine. My charger has 4 spades, neg, 5v out, 5v out and nothing.
It may be too smart and needs an ID connection to the pack. Built in anti-cheat lol
You know what your doing but I am not sure where the 4.11 volts came from. ALL 18650 or 18750 batteries I have used are marked for 3.7 v and test out to 3.7 to 3.9 v.
The older tech ones were (are) 4.1v - it depends on the chemistry
Usually NCM is always made for end of charge voltage of 4,1 to 4,4 Volts.
But there are also LFP cells, they have a different voltage characteristic and a end of charge voltage between 3,7 and 3,8 Volt.
Cordless tools usually use NCM.
Question. In theory if you have a bust charger and have another charger of exact charging spec would it not be possible to use the original top shell and jump the wires to the working base unit. That way the safteys are still In place
yup should theoretically work
Very interesting video. I understand the danger of fire when charging lithium ion batteries, but I don’t understand why you insist that the battery not be left alone to charge especially when you have a device that limits the charging current and shuts off when the maximum voltage is reached. If one must remain present while charging the battery that alone is not worth the effort. I might as well buy a charger that you don’t have to be present during the charging period.
Well even on an OEM charger, it isn't a good idea to leave lithium-ion batteries to charge unattended. Yes, millions of people across the globe do it, but it is a risk nonetheless. Most of these packs are not balance charged so if one cell refuses to hold a charge, the other cells are overcharged by 15-20% and could catch fire. In short, it is never a good idea, oem charger or not, but mainly, you kind-of have to expect the worse when you make videos for general consumption.
@@SimpleElectronics . It just depends what brand and model...the more
expensive packs has a built in balancing PCB inside the pack.
Some brand's balancing PCB are in the charger...
The cheaper 12v( 3s) or 5s 1500mah...dont have any balancing.
It just depends. ..Most people dont use cordless drills often.
A contractor...might need 8-10 packs...just to get through the day.lol
The all dont have the same C ratings or 18650 brands, either....
Even if the outside marking has the same name brand.
You'll have to open the packs...
I try not to leave un attended...( it's not always possible.)
Ive had Lipo blew up....just walking less than 5 mins away..
When 18650 leaks..the chemicals will leak from a bad cell..
then short out the wiring...melts the plastic or wires..ect
I Charge OUT SIDE...I dont always put in a fire box like
Im suppose too....even thou i have firebox for lithuim batteries.
I have plenty of lituim catch on fire or starts smoking...while in use.
Im into R/C...run over power brushless ....high AMP/drain esc...ect
Contrary to what's on Paper...the MOTOR sometimes PULLS or sucks
the juice out of the batteries,,Yes..the esc is suppose to limit it...
but when electronic component gets hot...they dont always operate
as they should.lol...Im more aware of these things..from using them..
and I also worked in electronics manufacturing...Most people dont.
@@SimpleElectronics It's obvious from your video that you have a good understanding of the subject, much more than I do. I'll keep your advice tucked somewhere in my head, but all of my battery operated devices have lithium ion batteries. I charge them unattended, and in all the years I have never had one start a fire. I have had chargers that refuse to charge a battery due to the temperature of the battery being too high or a bad cell, but no more than that. Thanks for your advice.
Great video
Why my ryobi 18v charger reads “0” when I test with multimeter but it still charging
Give a man a battery and he can drive a few screws. Teach him to build a battery charger and he can build a dock kit.
Why are you checking a battery voltage without putting a load on it? The battery could have a very large internal impedance which would drop most of the voltage across it if a load was attached to the terminals.
Thats going to bother me after 6:10.
shittlely regulated power supply?
With a load it gets pulled to the 'correct' voltage
Nice theory, but...... I tried that with my Ryobi and the BMS won't let any current in. I'll have to build something to take it.
Good explanation and video. Nice filming. Keep them coming!
Help. "Can I use a 12.5v charger on a 6v battery for a 6v craftsman 3/8" drill?
Definitely should not
1) What would happen if I charge a 18v 6Ah Makita battery with a 18v 3A supply or do I have to use a step up board to produce at least 20v?
2) What is the current you recommend for charging this battery? 1 amp 2 amp? Do you know if there are voltage step up boards that can also control current but in a relatively small size like the mini step up /down board you showed in the video?
Thanks!
like I said in the video, 18v is just the nominal voltage, it tops out at 21v when fully charged. As for current, as slowly as you can stand it, don't forget you need to charge it supervised (or in a fireproof location - like inside a closed bbq) - check out this link and pick the most appropriate boost module for your use case (make sure it has 2 potentiometers, one for max voltage - set to 21v, and one for max current - set to your risk tolerance.....I often go 1amp) rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_nkw%3Dcv%2Bcc%2Bboost%26_sacat%3D0%26_sop%3D15&campid=5338675657&toolid=10001&customid=cvcc
@@SimpleElectronics have you got the connector pinout reference for a 18v 5ah makita battery by any chance? I tried to charge the battery through the battery output pins and won't work. So would like to know how to connect the charger through the pins within the yellow connector. Thanks!
@@TheDSM1981 I do not have the pinout, Ièm trying to get a battery from Makita but they haven't answered my emails!
"Ahhhhhh Shit" is exactly what I'm going to say when I burn down my house trying to do this. I'll just get a charger, thanks for your time.
Look for "XL6009" on ebay about $5 will charge any battery, just adjust the output to 2 or 3 volts above the battery voltage when fully charged. So to charge a 20 volt battery, set the module to 23 or 24 volts and it will be a safe and cheap way to charge any battery or power supply for any low amp device such as small radio or DVD player or LED lamp or LED light bulb etc.
@@stanleymeyer9936 great way to start a fire, here is why, the bms in these packs have a balance circuit with less than 500mA, your suggested dc-dc module has 3A output current = OVERCHARGE when the cells are out of balance, its not rocket science.
Can you just use the 12v power supply adapter that go in wall
Warning, I know next to nothing about electronics but I want to.
Would it not be possible to make up some short leads that go from a charger and connect onto the battery making sure the connections are the same ( +to+ etc ) or am I showing my ignorance 😊
I did like the vid as you took your time to walk the view through👍👍
Yes it is possible!
watching this and looked out the window, tumbleweeds rolling past by the bucket load
My window as well.
Hey boy, is that a Makita battery? I have a battery looks just like the same thing and they say Makita batteries will fit my leaf blower that's called azinava. Will that fit and it's a 18 volt? Please get back in touch with me soon as possible
Thank you sir for the education
I have a DeWalt 4 battery charger the fast charger as well and the other day I accidentally touched positive to negative on one of the four stations on that charger in it popped it or something not won't charge batteries anymore so I'm wondering if I might can pop it open and get it working again or if it's fried
The other three stations still charged just fine Just FYI
I have a 40v(36v) lithium battery pack for a lawn mower. It has 5 terminals -, S, D, C+, + Do you know what each terminal is? + & - appear to be direct connections to the battery. I'm wondering if C+ is a charge terminal.
C+ might be a charge terminal, but in some batteries, it is just in parallel with the + terminal.
Definitely not +. When measured there is a voltage there, approx 5v but it drops away quickly.
Very interesting!
I wouldn't be surprised at all if your battery(s) last 5 years charging @250ma..the touted high end 30 min and 1 hr chargers kill more cells than all other causes combined and trades people go through batteries like they were Skittles..ofcourse when shopping pros look for the best battery warranties so can just swap them in for new ones..BTW I have NiCd's that are decades old and still almost as good as new...they have never been fast charged or over charged..
original makitas have no can bus too? didnt know its that easy
I don't know, I've been using cordless tools for over 20 yesrs and have never babied any of my batteries. Run them till the tool stops, throw them on the charger, and walk away. Sometimes, I let them sit on the charger for days or weeks. Dewalt, Milwaukee Craftsman, Snapper, never had a battery go bad.
You can only do this with cheap batteries without the protection circuits of the big brand tools. Get a imax RC charger and you can safely charge any of these " unlocked " batteries of any type any voltage.
Thank's for the charging info.
I buy good tools and good batteries, which is why I use the factory charger. If I was in an apocalypse situation, I'd consider other ways to charge. makita also has a 'charge counter' to know how many times it was charged for warranty reasons. If you battery appears to fail prematurely, my dealer plugs it into a makita gizmo they have and it says exactly how many times it was charged/date of manu. just sayin'.
My own ridgid batteries overdischarged themselves so the factory charger thinks its defective, using the method from this vid I was able to get them up the few volts for the factory charger to work again
I lost the charger for my Dayplus impact wrench drill. it has 6000mah and 36f written on it ?
Check the voltage with a multimeter and you should be good to follow these instructions after that
You are great thank you so much for sharing your knowledge you have been teaching me so much thank you thank you
That's funny. The 18v ones I checked charged at 18v. I wonder if the voltage drops under load.
it is entirely possible that your brand has a built in boost converter? not sure! maybe it warrants a video on your end?
@@SimpleElectronics I may do that!
Simple Electronics I’m pretty sure all these brushless motors are 12v
@@idrift314 you think so? I have doubts about that but you may know something I don't
@@SimpleElectronics ever heard of a step up converter?
Good luck trying to charge 18 v battery from car or boat running 12v.
This is why I kept my old 12v bosh/whatever. Old battery is in the landfill now so just plug in to the connectors and now hav a chord drill.
Works fine.
Any idea how to convert batteries/chargers into a poor man's UPS (uninterruptible power supply)? I have a handful of Milwaukee m18 batteries sitting around that would be nice to get an extra purpose out of. They sell the single battery compact inverter, but is there a way to get their standard chargers to give AC power? They also sell a 6 battery sequential charger that would be a great emergency power source, but I guess they didn't enable that option so they could more easily sell their larger inverter unit that uses the different "MX fuel" batteries. Combining their compact inverter and sequential charger into one unit would be an awesome way to give a second purpose to extra batteries.
If you can find one of those automotive inverters that can take up to 24v in, you just hook it up to that pretty much
How is the drill and battery holding up so far.
Pretty well actually but I haven't been using it too hard so far, but it's been a great tool to have around
Thanks for the fast reply I ordered one that was the reason was asking thank you.
I always wondered wondered what ever became of Ferris Bueller. Hows Csmeron doing?
i can’t get more than 8V reading on the multimeter from a single one of 5 different 18V chargers, and i try all the different connectors on the charger