Need help with GC portable battery charging

Portables, case replacements, mods etc, all in here!
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Derus59
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2014 5:24 pm

Need help with GC portable battery charging

Post by Derus59 » Thu Mar 26, 2015 3:58 am

I am relatively new to this whole portable scene and would appreciate some input. I have my portable up and running however I am having a problem with recharging the batteries. Charger works fine since it also provides dc power to the unit. Batteries do work when charged. I have a pcb board set up and would like some input since my batteries will not charge. Thanks!
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Batteries are run in series and parallel to get 11.1v
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Duhasst0
Posts: 179
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2013 1:35 am

Re: Need help with GC portable battery charging

Post by Duhasst0 » Thu Mar 26, 2015 5:13 am

I'm going to say your wired up wrong. I'll be able to help later when I get home. Unless someone else chimes in, I will be back in a couple hours.

Edit: Fuck work, ahem...

Image

See in the back my battery pack and PCB?
I would suggest taking a look at that and notice how I have them grouped. Try doing simmering like similar.
Last edited by Duhasst0 on Thu Mar 26, 2015 5:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
Derus59
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2014 5:24 pm

Re: Need help with GC portable battery charging

Post by Derus59 » Thu Mar 26, 2015 5:19 am

Sounds good!
q8v08
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Re: Need help with GC portable battery charging

Post by q8v08 » Thu Mar 26, 2015 7:30 am

If the batteries are connected in series end to end

-1+,-2+,-3+
+4-,+5-,+6-

then to charge them you only need to supply the power to 3+ and 6- providing -1 and +4
are linked together, what I suspect you've done is

-1+,-2+,-3+
-4+,-5+,-6+
Derus59
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2014 5:24 pm

Re: Need help with GC portable battery charging

Post by Derus59 » Thu Mar 26, 2015 5:51 pm

Correct I am running them in series and parallel so your second diagram is how they are connected. I feel like according to the pcb that I have wired them correctly. It is hard to see in the picture that Duhasst0 has provided and I am using 3 sets of 2 batteries run in parallel, where he is using 2. I'm at a loss... Im including a picture of the packaging to make sure i am even able to run these sets in parallel. And maybe I have to knock down to just 3 batteries in series. I just want to be careful so my batteries dont explode and burn down my house haha.
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Derus59
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2014 5:24 pm

Re: Need help with GC portable battery charging

Post by Derus59 » Thu Mar 26, 2015 5:52 pm

Also is there a chance that it could be my adapter not putting out enough energy to the batteries? Like i said I am kind of a newb when it comes to the electrical part of this.
q8v08
Posts: 51
Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2014 8:23 pm

Re: Need help with GC portable battery charging

Post by q8v08 » Thu Mar 26, 2015 8:26 pm

Correct me if i'm wrong but I don't think it's a good idea to connect them in parallel,
because unless the both sets of the 3 batteries match 100% voltage,
4.5v x2 they'll be fighting eachover to supply the current in the right direction, say 4.4v vs 4.5v
this might only apply to AC though.
Derus59
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2014 5:24 pm

Re: Need help with GC portable battery charging

Post by Derus59 » Thu Mar 26, 2015 9:37 pm

Hopefully they match voltages since they all came out of the same laptop battery. They are standard 18650 batteries and from what I understand running them in parallel wont cause an issue I could be wrong though. I would like to keep this as cost efficient as possible and saying as how I have spare laptop batteries laying around they seemed like they would be sufficient enough. Another poster stated that it is possible to run them in parallel to extend battery life so I believe it should be okay.
iamdablasta wrote:
Streetwalker wrote:The Cube is rated for 39W max, so about three hours on full load.
Which isn't half bad either :o
Also, you could also wire two batteries in parallel to double the capacity. that'd be six hours ^^
Although could be expensive.
Although I believe they were using a 12v battery and attempting to run in parallel to double. Another thread proved a little helpful, but I will have to look at when I have more time.

viewtopic.php?f=26&t=1344&p=18537&hilit=battery#p18537

I have found posts stating that in some canon battery packs they use 18650 batteries and they should work fine, however they would be running 4 batteries (2 battery packs) in series to get 14.8v from them. Here is another link, since I am trying to get 11.1v im looking at the pcb here and it is different than the one I am using...

http://forums.benheck.com/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=34576
Derus59
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2014 5:24 pm

Re: Need help with GC portable battery charging

Post by Derus59 » Thu Mar 26, 2015 9:41 pm

Although just found this
Kwanzilla wrote:Tested my uncut Gamecube and everything works just fine. I placed an order for:
Wiikey Fusion - http://www.modchipcentral.com/store/wii ... river.html
SD Gecko - amazon.com
6x 3.7V 2600mAh Li-Ion Batteries - http://www.batteryjunction.com/2600pcb-18650.html
...
Ashen wrote:Those cells are intended for single cell use only:
These fully protected cells simplify usage with their integrated PCB. Perfect for your single cell application these cells are not for pack building as doing so will defeat the PCB protection which is matched to the correct voltage on a single cell. If you are building a pack please choose one of our other cells and the appropriate PCB.
Hopefully you can cancel the order and order the proper cell/protection/charger combo still.

If you plan on building a custom regulator you can get most of the parts free as samples from TI.com
Hopefully I wont have the same issue, however like I said they came out of a laptop battery and I haven't even taken them apart. I would assume they are safe to use.
I am also assuming since I removed the original pcb from the laptop battery case that I would need to replace it with another... the ones I am using above.
Duhasst0
Posts: 179
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2013 1:35 am

Re: Need help with GC portable battery charging

Post by Duhasst0 » Fri Mar 27, 2015 3:09 am

Sorry, basically there way I have my pack soldered is both packs are together in parallel. Then with my PCB it just sees them as a 2 cell pack. So there positive of pack A goes to the positive pad, then the negative from pack A and positive from pack B connect to the same common pad, then there negative from pack B goes to the negative pad.

So basically what you need to do is split then into separate packs, so 3 packs of 2 cells. Then pack 1 positive goes to the B+ then the negative from pack 1 and positive of pack 3 to B1... So on and so forth.

Anyone have anything to add or contradict go for it.
Derus59
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2014 5:24 pm

Re: Need help with GC portable battery charging

Post by Derus59 » Fri Mar 27, 2015 3:31 am

Brilliant! But wiring them to the system would still need to be the same correct? or would they be wired from the P- and P+?
Edit: Or will the B+ and B- be used for the power?
Duhasst0
Posts: 179
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2013 1:35 am

Re: Need help with GC portable battery charging

Post by Duhasst0 » Fri Mar 27, 2015 5:00 am

B is for the batteries and P is for the output power.

Also, insulating the batteries will allow you to stack them the way you want, like in the picture you posted.

Any other questions? Just asking cause why not right?
q8v08
Posts: 51
Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2014 8:23 pm

Re: Need help with GC portable battery charging

Post by q8v08 » Fri Mar 27, 2015 6:42 am

Sounds ok to me, basically just connecting all the - and + points together to create the two power rails
which also allows you to charge each battery independantly..
Derus59
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2014 5:24 pm

Re: Need help with GC portable battery charging

Post by Derus59 » Fri Mar 27, 2015 3:56 pm

http://www.all-battery.com/protectionci ... 32007.aspx
Its amazing what can be accomplished when you read the instructions... I had all the terminals connected to the batteries and apparently I didnt need one. Charge testing now.
Derus59
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2014 5:24 pm

Re: Need help with GC portable battery charging

Post by Derus59 » Fri Mar 27, 2015 5:32 pm

And it works, thanks all for the advice much appreciated!
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iamdablasta
Posts: 327
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Re: Need help with GC portable battery charging

Post by iamdablasta » Sat Mar 28, 2015 3:41 pm

Glad to hear it works!
the game
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