[Elecraft] Charger question

[Howard Zehr]

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There is a a discussion on the Elecraft .io forum where a popular power supply manufacturer describes the difference between a Power Suppy and Charger.  The manufacturer pointed out that using a power supply to charge lithium batteries is risky, because current is usually not regulated and voltage regulation might not be tight enough.
 
As an engineer friend reminded me, charging lithium battery banks requires tight contrrol of both voltage and current. The 14.8V lipo pack that was discussed would normally be charged with 16.8V (4 x 4.2V) at 500ma to 2A, depending on the battery manufacturere specifications.

73 Howard K4LXY


Howard Zehr
K4LXY
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