Printing charging equipment
We are getting busy and I need to un-mothball equipment. I have always hated the pathetic attempts the manufacturers do at equipment chargers and ever since one of “their” chargers burnt up my office, I don’t use them. Looking at the current chemistry that is available, I still like NiMH. I do recognize that Li-ion is more weight efficient (but, I have already had one fire) and LiPo looks promising (I admit I do need to need more about this tech)
I have been using digital read R/C car racing chargers since my office fire on the last day of 1997. We are too small a market and just do not get the tech that market gets. Anyway, I need to bring some old Geodimeter batteries back to life and I hate the stock S-Video quasi DIN charge port, wimpy and does not support much juice. I find I have six of the really old ones that are much smaller and lighter than the ones from just ten years ago, LOL. I believe these are from my Geodimeter 4402. I am going to use 10 AA 2600 cells for a final battery supporting 2.6 amps in a nice and small container. Looking around there are some cool chargers out there, but, I have at least 25 Tekin BC112’s so I will use them.
By creating a charging shoe with a direct connection to the batteries, I can charge at a much faster rate then out of an S-Video and be much safer while I am at it. With this connection I would not even concern myself with a charge rate of 2amp/hr or 1.3 hour to full charge from depleted. With digital reads I will know what is going on with the batteries exactly too, yes there will be training. I have to be better on that this time around.
Geodimeter 571 202 310 battery I am bringing back to service.
The ball plungers that I think will make this work:
The charging tray design that I am going to print. I find it best to sit on a new design for a few days as I always change things.
I made a small wiring tray to zip tie for strain relief and made grab rails for the uncaring. The front tab should lift the Geodimeter locking tab out and the tab will keep it locked in place. I am already thinking I need to raise the land area around the plungers for more thread area.
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