Looking for a tiny 48V trickle charger for work.

[theemartymac]

Does anyone have recommendations for a tiny 48V trickle (+/-1A) charger? Also, any considerations for small chargers? e.g. minimum required output, etc...

I have a long enough commute to work that I'm getting home with maybe 20% or less left in the battery and the power is usually starting to fall off by then, but I don't want to be lugging around the big fan-cooled 3A charger and overcharging the battery with two 100% charge cycles a day. I also don't think draining so low every day will do it any favors in the long run either. I have two bikes with the same battery so I was considering picking up a satiator for the house and charging 80% overnight (alternating batteries which will easily allow for slow charging) and then trickle charging maybe 1.0A or so at work just to get me enough head room to get home comfortably or take the longer scenic route from time to time. I work 10.5 hour shifts, so I can leave it to trickle the entire time at work and still put a good dent in it if not get all the way back to 80% again for the ride home.

The batteries are LG cell 48V 19.2Ah.

 

[sc00ter]

You must have a home made battery kit? I purchased a extra charger for my Rad Power bike and leave it in my desk at work. Also did the same when I had my Pedego. I think the Rad charger was around $35 and the Pedego charger was around $45.

 

[harryS]

1 amp x 10 hours is 10 AH. If you get to work with 7AH left in your battery, then you can start home with 17AH. Lithium doesn't trickle. It takes whatever it can get til it nears full charge, at which point the chemistry starts taking less current.

It will be hard to keep your goal of 80% charge with a simple 1A charger. Buy one with a 80%/90%/100% switch. Otherwise, you have to figure out how much AH is left in your pack when you arrive at work, and then you could set a timer on your charger to limit the AH going in.

 

[theemartymac]

You must have a home made battery kit? I purchased a extra charger for my Rad Power bike and leave it in my desk at work. Also did the same when I had my Pedego. I think the Rad charger was around $35 and the Pedego charger was around $45.

No, its from Rize in Vancouver, but they're plastic, noisy, 3A ,and not particularly great from any viewpoint. The one that came with my second bike burned out on first use (Fan didn't work, and by the time I noticed, it was done and deformed). I'll get it warranty replaced, but not overly confident in them. When the packs are worth $700 each, I'd rather have something trustworthy, and I'd like the ability to program it like the Satiator model. At $400CAD though, I'm not sure I want to buy multiples, and I certainly wouldn't want to leave it out in a public setting like a city charge station. I figure I'll use the factory ones for that if I can't find a more portable alternative.

 

[theemartymac]

1 amp x 10 hours is 10 AH. If you get to work with 7AH left in your battery, then you can start home with 17AH. Lithium doesn't trickle. It takes whatever it can get til it nears full charge, at which point the chemistry starts taking less current.

It will be hard to keep your goal of 80% charge with a simple 1A charger. Buy one with a 80%/90%/100% switch. Otherwise, you have to figure out how much AH is left in your pack when you arrive at work, and then you could set a timer on your charger to limit the AH going in.

That's useful info. I haven't found too many chargers with the 80% setting other than the Luna Cycle one or the Grin Satiator. I can use the Grin for other batteries I have at home for my fishing boat as well, and I think a luna one would be fine to leave at work, but was hoping there was a tiny little outlet-brick style that wouldn't take up as much space.

 

[theemartymac]

1A

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2A

25.08US $ 34% OFF|WATE 54.6V 2A Charger 13S 48V Li ion Battery Charger Lipo/LiMn2O4/LiCoO2 Battery Charger Auto Stop Smart Tools|Chargers| - AliExpress

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3A

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4A

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5A

46.12US $ 37% OFF|54.6v 5a Battery Charger Bike 48v Lithium 48 Volt Li-ion 54.6v 5a Smart Intelligent For 10ah 15ah 48v 20ah Battery Charger 13s - Chargers - AliExpress

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I've had no luck with items from Ali. I'm not against overseas manufacturing at all, but I will happily pay a little more for NA made and reasonable warranty support.

 

[Handlebars]

I've had no luck with items from Ali. I'm not against overseas manufacturing at all, but I will happily pay a little more for NA made and reasonable warranty support.

It looks like it has a fuse that's openly accessible. The stock one from Rize doesn't have that feature. I might even buy that one. I want a spare charger "just in case", and the slower charger is what I'd use most of the time all other things being presumed equal.

 

[Handlebars]

1A

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2A

25.08US $ 34% OFF|WATE 54.6V 2A Charger 13S 48V Li ion Battery Charger Lipo/LiMn2O4/LiCoO2 Battery Charger Auto Stop Smart Tools|Chargers| - AliExpress

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3A

27.52US $ 34% OFF|54.6v 3a Charger 13s 48v Li-ion Battery Charger Output Dc 54.6v With Cooling Fan Black Aluminum Shell - Chargers - AliExpress

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4A

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5A

46.12US $ 37% OFF|54.6v 5a Battery Charger Bike 48v Lithium 48 Volt Li-ion 54.6v 5a Smart Intelligent For 10ah 15ah 48v 20ah Battery Charger 13s - Chargers - AliExpress

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Thanks Timpo man. I'm buying that 1A charger if I can get the AliExpress site to work for me.

 

[tomjasz]

I back up my Satiator with $10 fanless 2A chargers.

 

[Handlebars]

It's working for me now. I just had to change my email address from one I used years ago. The site seemed glitchy but I did manage to update my info and order the charger - not before seeing all kinds of other stuff from alligator clips with square front, to tents and other camping gear and more bike stuff.

 

[6zfshdb]

Why not buy that Satiator for home use and leave your OEM charger at work? That way, you don't have to carry one with you.

 

[theemartymac]

Why not buy that Satiator for home use and leave your OEM charger at work? That way, you don't have to carry one with you.

That's probably the plan, but all of them are quite bulky, so I was hoping for a 'tiny' charger that could just go in my little tool roll for naked riding days (the bike, not me, although who knows...).

 

[Explorer-1]

A slow charge-rate is not a trickle charge. Use of the term trickle charge with Li-Ion chemistry is incorrect, and if it really was a trickle charge it would kill the battery.

 

[Handlebars]

A slow charge-rate is not a trickle charge. Use of the term trickle charge with Li-Ion chemistry is incorrect, and if it really was a trickle charge it would kill the battery.

Thanks. There's lots to learn.

Charging Lithium-Ion Batteries

Review simple guidelines for charging Lithium-based batteries and prolong battery life such as; a portable device should be turned off while charging and more.

batteryuniversity.com