[time-nuts] float chargers for oscillator backup power

Mark Sims holrum at hotmail.com
Mon Oct 27 02:42:31 UTC 2014


I would avoid those RC lipo packs like the plague or Ebola...  they are made up of pouch cells (not AA sized cells) and many/most are of dubious quality.  They are designed to last a few cycles of very high-output runs.  They tend to puff up and go unstable and do fun things like spontaneously bursting into flames if left fully charged, over discharged,  looked at crosseyed, used, stored,  thought about, etc.
A pack made up of QUALITY 18650 sized cylindrical Li-ion cells would be a much wiser choice.  Only use cells from well known big-name makers (Sanyo, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony).  And make sure they are genuine cells.  VERY dangerous Chinese fakes abound and are probably the norm of what is sold on Ebay.   And,  whatever you do,  avoid ANY cell with "-fire" in the name.  Even the fakes of fakes of those are faked.  I have seen 18650 sized cells sold as 3000-10000 mAh cells that had a tiny 100 mAh sub-AAA sized cell in the can.  Charge that at like a true 3000 mAh cell and your house burns down.  There are virtually no 18650 sized cells that can do more than 3400 mAh.  2000-2900 mAh is pretty much the standard cell capacity.   		 	   		  


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