I was wondering if anyone has hacked one of those 1-battery chargers (the ones with a folding, built-in AC connector) to use it as a battery holder for a hobby charger?
I have an Accucell 6, and have been using magnets, but I’m thinking it might be better if I had a cradle instead. I also have a spare one of those 1-battery chargers, so I’m thinking of using that as the cradle, since it works with different size batteries.
I opened it up (3 screws on the bottom), and am thinking if I just soldered a pair of wires to the +/- contact points in the 1-battery charger, I could then use alligator clips from the Accucell 6, without any additional mods to the 1-battery charger?
The thing that I’m unsure about is if that was all I did, would I end up with the Accucell powering the 1-battery charger’s circuitry, as well as the battery in the cradle?
On the one I have, it looks like the negative side (the end that’s spring-loaded) extends into/through the PCB, so I think that if I remove the PCB, basically that spring-loaded-side won’t work (the whole thing might fall apart). The reason it extends through the PCB is that there’s a rotating AC plug that mates with the “ears” when the plug is flipped out.
Do you know where to get the jacks that would fit directly into the Accucell?
Butcher a different charger, one that’s easier to dismantle.
Search for XT60 plug, you should find lots of eBay sellers, possibly on HobbyKing, and other sites as well.
I have done this too, removed the circuit soldered leads on the two contacts and a bananaplug(I think 4mm) on the other ends.
I ordered the banana plugs from hobbyking. There are charging adaptercables with pre soldered bananaplugs also availabe, just cut and solder the other end to the cradle. The cradle I have used is able to charge 16340-26700
I took apart the one I had, mostly out of curiousity, and I think that I won’t be able to use it.
The reason I WAS going to use it was it was a “freebie” but it also didn’t seem to work. Now that I have it apart, I know why :(….
For the + contact, they have a thin piece of metal that is soldered to the PCB and goes up into the housing. The solder pad that that’s soldered to is broken off/delaminated from the PCB, i.e., no longer connected… it’s just kind of “floating”.
So, I think I’m going to have to get a different one. Has anyone done this that can point me to / link to where to buy it? Something that can take different sized batteries, and easy to mod?
Yes this is really hard to mod as it is build up very cheap…I have one of these laying around and taken apart too. Not worth to mod it.
Now I know what you meant…
Werner, those are decent chargers. I got one from I-O for around $5. They really do charge at 650mA, unlike most that claim 500mA and do closer to 200mA.
I might have to get a couple more from FFL if they are listed over there too… just checked $6 shipped over there.
