It is difficult for a modern person to imagine life without devices that greatly simplify everyday life, making it more comfortable. The scientific revolution has led to the production of various technical devices that have firmly entered our life. For the full functioning of portable devices, their periodic recharging is required, only this is able to ensure their uninterrupted and long-term operation. For each model technical equipment provided for its Charger differing technical characteristics, charge capacity and manufacturing firms. That is why each brand of mobile phone has its own charger, which contributes to long work battery without damaging it. This leads to a large accumulation of charges, additional costs and a number of inconveniences in the absence of the ability to charge the battery with an appropriate device. To solve this problem, manufacturers have developed a universal battery charger. Now many are interested in the question of how to choose the right universal charging, and what you need to pay attention to.

Pros of a universal charger

Universal charging for mobile phone batteries not only has a lot of positive aspects, this device allows you to charge the battery different power and brands, and also has adapter adapters with cables that allow you to connect to a variety of portable devices. In turn, this is a significant cost savings, since there is no need to buy a separate "charger" for each device, and the absence of a large number of cables and wires is an additional bonus. Moreover, a universal charger for all types of batteries is simply irreplaceable when traveling, because it solves the question of how to charge a particular device and saves space.

As a rule, in terms of value, universal battery chargers are more expensive than standard chargers, but this pays off later when there are a large number of portable devices that constantly require recharging.

Universal charger "Frog"

A fairly wide range has been developed for recharging battery devices. the lineup universal devices... They work as a charger for both mobile phones and small portable devices, as well as for batteries of different voltages, capable of charging a battery in a very fast period of time. The choice of the device directly depends on its direct purpose. In everyday life, small-sized universal chargers for portable equipment such as cameras, mobile phones, players, laptops, etc. are in great demand.

It is possible to single out a universal charger of the "Frog" type, which has managed to win universal respect and trust. Translated from English, its full name sounds like lcd universal charger, and people call it simply - a toad. The frog for charging various batteries is suitable for recharging the lithium batteries of mobile phones, cameras and other small portable equipment.

How the frog works

The frog charger is manufactured in China, although it has received many positive reviews around the world. The instruction says that the charge is replenished when there is direct contact between the device and the battery. The description supplied with the device is quite simple and straightforward. Charging with a frog is quite easy - the battery must be removed and placed in the device.

Depending on the modification of the model, there may be an LCD screen, which greatly simplifies the operation process, or an indicator system is used as information about the state of charge (in simpler models). Inscriptions on English language, but their meaning is quite clear:

• full (fl) - full charge;
• charge (ch) - the charging process has started;
• power (pw) - the charger is connected to a power source;
• con - polarity determination was successful;
• te is the polarity check process.

Depending on the modification, when the battery is fully charged, the charger called a frog emits a sound and light signal or disconnects itself from the network. There are models where the process of determining the polarity occurs automatically, in other models everything is carried out in manual mode as follows:

• the battery is connected to the terminals according to the instructions "+" to "+", "-" to "-" (usually these are the extreme left and right contacts), while the display will show "te", or the corresponding indicator will light up;
• if the polarity is correctly determined, the “con” indicator should light up after a couple of seconds, or the corresponding message will appear on the display, then the battery is charged in a standard way.

The frog is conventionally divided into types, based on the method of connecting to a power source:

• socket with a voltage of 220 volts;
• car charger with a power of 12 volts;
• charging using a usb connector through a computer system unit with a power of no more than 5 volts.

The duration of the charging process directly depends on the type of device and on the capacity of the battery itself; it can last from 2-3 to 8-12 hours.

A frog for charging various modern devices is indispensable, has a number of advantages:

• sufficient information content due to the presence of a display or light indicator lamps;
• versatility - suitable for rechargeable batteries of various portable devices;
• during the charging process, neither the battery nor the charging itself gets very hot;
• a wide range of models and affordable prices.

In addition, everyone is able to figure out how to use the frog and how to charge the battery correctly.

DIY charging

Many people are interested in how to make charging so that it is functional and inexpensive. If you have the appropriate knowledge and skills, you can do it yourself charging the batteries. This will require diode bridge with a maximum current of more than 1 ampere, an electrolytic capacitor with a voltage of 25 to 50 volts and a transformer with a low power up to 40 watts. Everything is connected according to the standard scheme. It is recommended to install a dial indicator to control the charge, as well as provide a function for adjusting the parameters of the battery capacity, so that the done charging really becomes a universal device. It's easy to figure out how to charge with such a device, the main thing is to connect the terminals correctly.

A universal charger for all types of batteries today has passed from the category of luxury, as it was a decade ago, and is present in almost every family. It doesn't matter if it's a Chinese-style frog charger or a local-made charger, the principle of operation is the same for everyone. As for the operational life of the device, it directly depends on the frequency of use and the correctness of the instructions.

Video

Charger "Frog" - a well-known universal device designed to restore the charge of lithium batteries in mobile phones and other small-sized gadgets. This device cannot be used with another type of battery.

Role in everyday life

Sometimes there are times when there is no charging block from a smartphone or mobile at hand, it is irretrievably broken or was lost, and it is not possible to acquire it in the near future. In this case, it is replaced by "Frog" - Alternative names - "clothespin", "frog". This device is equipped with adjustable contacts, to which the battery itself, previously removed from the device, is connected directly. Of course, such a process involves some inconvenience associated with the constant removal of the battery and the possible failure of the settings, but sometimes this is the only successful way out of this situation.

Where and what can you use it for?

As mentioned above, this device is suitable for recharging most small-sized equipment, mainly phones and cameras. Usually, instructions are attached to the frog device, but the problem may lie in the content of the text of the brochure in a foreign language, since these devices are for the most part made in China.

Some useful information

In addition to the cell phone, the "Frog" charger is capable of charging a camera, pocket computer or navigator, but only if lithium batteries with a small capacity are used. The device is connected to a network with a standard voltage. When the battery is fully charged, the device will automatically disconnect from the mains. This usually takes about two to three hours.

There are several types of frog devices that can be connected to different sources of electricity:

• To a regular household socket with a voltage of 220 volts.
• To the car network - 12 volts.
• Connecting to a PC via a USB port - 5 volts.

The most practical and common is the home-powered frog charger. The choice of the type of device depends on the personal preference of each.

Explanation of the designation of the device

Each such device has several indicator lamps, next to which letter designations are indicated, which help to regulate the entire recharging process:

• Full, ful - indicates a full charge of the battery.
• Charge, ch - it means the charging process is in progress.
• Power, pw - the device is connected to a power source.
• Con - the polarity is correct.
• Te - polarity check is in progress.

How does the Frog charger work?

How do I adjust the polarity manually? First, you should clamp the battery in the charger so that the device contacts are connected to the “-” and “+” terminals. If the battery has three or more contacts, then you need to use the two outermost ones.

If the polarity is correct when connecting, when you press the left button "Te" a green light with the inscription "Con" should light up, otherwise press the right button "Con", then again "Te". On some devices, the "Con" LED may light up when connected without first pressing.

The most convenient are the models that automatically determine the polarity, respectively, they do not have the right button for changing the polarity.

If everything is done correctly, the green "Con" light is on, which means you can plug the device into a power outlet. At this point, "Power" and "Charge" should turn on. When the battery charging process is completed, the right LED “Full” will light up. The device can now be removed from the socket and the battery used as directed.

Non-standard situations

If the "Con" does not light up at all, then the battery is completely dead and needs to "swing". In this case, it can be connected in any way in any polarity, and then plugged into the network for five minutes. If “Charge” is blinking, it means that the charging is carried out correctly, if not, then you need to change the polarity with the right button and see how the “Charge” indicator behaves in this case.

If “Power” and “Full” immediately start to light, then most likely the battery in the “frog” is poorly installed, it should be secured more securely.

Charging times vary depending on battery capacity, usually taking two to five hours:

• 1000 mAh - 5 hours.
• 800 mAh - 4 hours.
• 500 mAh - 2.5 hours.

How to use the frog charger?

The classic device is designed for 220-volt voltage, for back side its covers are two sliding pins located parallel to each other - they can be separated to the required distance corresponding to the distance between the battery contacts.

When turned on, it is possible to correct the polarity manually via buttons or automatically. It all depends on what model your Frog charger is.

If the battery is completely worn out, the following situations may occur:

If desired and with some skill, you can build a "frog" charger with your own hands using a simple circuit.

Batteries with more than two contacts can be charged using the described device, but for this it will be necessary to disassemble the battery and connect the charging to it, bypassing the controller.

Following from all of the above, it can be understood that the "Frog" is a universal charger, very useful in case of breakdown of other power sources, small-sized batteries, as well as the inability to charge the gadgets in the usual way, which happens quite often. At the moment, manufacturers offer all new devices equipped with a USB port and LCD display, which greatly simplifies their use.

The advantages of the device:

• The presence of a USB port that allows you to charge most devices.
• Ease of use.
• Versatility.

Flaws:

• Relative fragility with frequent use.
• Long process of charging capacious batteries.

"Frog" - the best option for a backup energy source

Despite a few shortcomings, "Frog" is a charger, the price of which is very diverse (from 60 to 650 rubles), it is quite a useful thing in the household, if only because it is able to literally revive the batteries of phones and cameras that do not show signs of life ... But it should be borne in mind that you need to use this device as needed. Too frequent charging with the "Frog" can lead to a rapid depletion of the battery and, accordingly, its failure. Paradoxically, this is true.

Despite the fact that these chargers are mainly made in China, such products should not be neglected. On the modern market, you can find universal and unique auxiliary devices that can significantly make our life easier and give a second chance to parts that otherwise would certainly go to waste. Therefore, it makes sense to have at least some idea of ​​how to use the device "Frog" for the usual recharging of the phone battery.

About chargers for different types accumulators

Modern man is surrounded by many different technologies that operate on batteries. This mobile phone, laptop, power tool, torch, car, etc. All these things, at first glance, are not related. But they all use a battery to function. The owner of all these things is faced with the question of maintenance and periodic charging of all these batteries. In order to charge the batteries, a charger is required. Only a few of the listed devices have standard charging capabilities. For example, a flashlight can have a plug for connecting to a 220 volt network, the battery in the car is recharged from the generator. But in most cases, a charger (charger) is required for full charging. In this article, we will talk about the different types of chargers and the requirements for them.

Different chargers are available for different types of batteries. The main types of chargers are:

• For charging lead acid batteries;
• For alkaline batteries;
• Charger for lithium batteries;
• Universal chargers.

Charger for lead-acid batteries

In most cars and trucks are used precisely lead acid batteries... In this case, the charger is used to fully charge the battery while the car is in the garage or in the parking lot.

There are many chargers available in stores today for car batteries... To choose what you need, you need to take into account a number of characteristics of the battery used in your car. What should you pay attention to?

• A type battery... The most common are WET (conventional with liquid electrolyte), AGM (glass fiber impregnated with electrolyte), GEL (gelled electrolyte). About chargers for AGM and GEL will be discussed below;
• Rated voltage of the battery. On the passenger cars 12 volt batteries are working. On some trucks and special equipment, batteries with a nominal value of 24 volts are installed;
• Battery capacity. This parameter is also required when choosing the characteristics of the memory. In most cases, the capacity is printed in large print on the battery sticker. Measurement unit ─.

According to these parameters, the memory should be selected above. There are three large groups of such devices: chargers, starting and starting-charging. The latter are universal and allow you to charge the battery and start the engine. Among the starting devices there is a separate group - these are portable chargers. They are made on the basis of lithium or, and are designed to start the engine on the road, if the main battery runs out.

As for the starting and charging devices, you yourself need to decide whether you need a motor start function. If the car is parked near your home or in a parking lot, you will still not be able to use such a charger, since an electrical connection is required. Then does it make sense to overpay for unnecessary functions?

It is also worth noting that, by design, chargers differ into impulse and transformer. Transformer ones have large dimensions due to the presence of a transformer and a rectifier in them. Such chargers are more often used in services by accumulators. For domestic use, impulse models are more often taken, which are built on the basis of an inverter. Such chargers are compact and do not take up much space.

Now, let's look at the main parameters of the memory for car battery and what they affect.

Charging current. This characteristic is selected according to the size of the battery capacity. It is recommended to charge the battery with a current of 0.1 * C. C is the nominal capacity. That is, for a battery with a capacity of 55 Ah, 5.5 amperes is considered the optimal charging current. The charger must be capable of supplying this current. Lower values ​​are allowed, but in this case the charging process will take longer. A modern one can often find a Boost mode for accelerated charging. It should not exceed the nominal current strength by more than 30 percent. Experts recommend using this mode only if absolutely necessary.

It is best to choose a charger that produces a charging current slightly higher than the rating for your battery. In this scenario, the device will not work to the edge of its capabilities. Ideally, take a charger with manual adjustment charging current... These models are more expensive, but worth it. With them, you can charge the battery with a low current at a fixed voltage. In this way, the battery is charged longer, but more fully and evenly.

And also you should pay attention to the possible modes of operation of the charger. We have already mentioned the presence of the Boost mode above. In some situations, it can be useful to you. For example, when the battery is dead and you need to go urgently. Using this mode, in 15-20 minutes, you can charge the battery to such a state that you can start the car engine. It is desirable that the charger has the ability to charge in fully automatic (turned on and forgotten) and manual (when direct current or voltage) modes.

There are professional models of chargers that can charge multiple batteries at the same time. But they are unlikely to be useful to ordinary car owners. Such "combines" are used by professional accumulators in services.

Battery charger for gel batteries

AGM and GEL batteries have some charging features, and there is a separate charger group for them. AGM batteries can now be found on cars with the "Start-Stop" system, and GEL is more used on motorcycle technology and water vehicles.

Let's figure out what are the features of charging gel batteries, and why they cannot be charged with a standard charger.

• Heat. The gel battery must not be allowed to overheat. When AGM batteries this will cause the fiberglass to peel off from the electrode plates. That is, the charger should turn off the current supply immediately after charging is complete. In addition, protection against overheating of the battery during charging must be provided;
• Stability of electrical parameters. The voltage should be stable over time. And if its value changes, then it should happen smoothly without jumps. The charging current must also be stable. It should not be allowed to go beyond the permissible limits. Gel batteries are more sensitive to this than conventional WET batteries.

The charger requirements for gel batteries are shown below.

What are the requirements for a gel battery charger?

• Charging with heating. The device must be temperature compensated. That is, the conditions for charging the battery must be adjusted depending on the temperature of the operating system and the battery itself. For example, if the battery has warmed up by 10 degrees, then the voltage correction should be 0.3–0.4 volts per decrease. Ideally, the charger should be able to take breaks when a certain temperature threshold is reached;
• The ability to adjust the current. Gel batteries, like WET, are charged with a current of 0.1 * C. However, in this case, excess current leads to a significant reduction in the service life, and sometimes to failure;
• Charging should be in stages. Experts advise buying devices that charge a gel battery in three stages. The first stage involves charging with increasing voltage. The second stage is constant pressure with a gradually decreasing charging current. And at the third stage (compensating charge), the battery is charged at minimum values current and voltage. The third stage is needed if the battery will be in storage. This allows you to compensate for self-discharge;
• Working temperature. This parameter is important not only for gel chargers, but also for conventional ones. The vast majority of models operate in temperature range 5-40 C. That is, charging on a balcony or in a cold garage in winter will not work. If possible, then buy a charger with an extended operating temperature range.

Alkaline Battery Chargers

Here we will focus on the charger for charging and battery cells, which can often be found in other portable tools. There are varieties of alkaline batteries that are used as traction batteries in warehouse equipment. But we will not consider devices for charging them due to their narrow specialization. We will consider the requirements for the charger used to charge batteries from various equipment (AA, AAA and others).

For charging alkaline batteries, different ways that take into account the features of one type or another. That is, such chargers can be called universal within the group of alkaline batteries. The following methods of charging batteries can be distinguished:

• With constant charging current;
• With a decrease in the charging current;
• Step change of charge current;
• With constant voltage;
• Options that combine the previous ones.

The user of batteries always strives to speed up their charging. Especially if they are used in some kind of production activity. The limitation in this acceleration is the charging requirements from the battery manufacturers. The battery warranty is also tied to these requirements.

It is also worth noting a few things regarding specific charging modes. More often than not, stores offer universal chargers that have "brains" for charging different types of alkaline batteries. There, the user's actions are reduced to choosing the type of batteries and starting the charging process. More advanced ones allow you to set the current, voltage, charge duration. There are also simple chargers for one type of battery. In this case, remember next rule─ Chargers for Ni─MH batteries are suitable for Ni─Cd, but not vice versa.

What are the requirements for a universal charger for alkaline batteries?

• If we are talking about universal chargers, then they must necessarily have the ability to select the charging current for different batteries. Low-end devices, as a rule, are deprived of this opportunity. There, the current strength is determined depending on the type of battery;
• The universal charger slots must accept different battery sizes. Or the design must provide for some kind of transformation for this;
• In addition, it is worth paying attention to what methods of monitoring the end of the charging process are in the charger. This is especially important for nickel metal hydride batteries. It is best if there are: control by voltage delta, by temperature, as well as by the rate of change of the latter. And also there should be a control of the total process time that is required to fully charge the battery;
• It must be possible to recognize the installation of the battery in the charger;
• It is a good idea to have a function for recognizing primary current sources. Simply put, conventional AA and AAA batteries. This is useful if you confuse them with batteries.

For smooth operation any car or aircraft model needs a device with which you can charge its battery. Charging device universal type- these are the most common and functional types of accessories that can be used to charge lithium-ion, lithium-polymer, nickel-cadmium and other types of batteries. A universal device can charge one battery, or it can be designed to simultaneously charge several batteries: such device models will appeal to modelers who have two or more radio-controlled cars, tanks or aircraft.

Universal chargers: features

Most of the universal devices for charging batteries presented on the site have a number of important advantages:

Buy Universal Charger from RC King Store

In the assortment of our store, universal chargers for batteries of the most different models... There are chargers from IMAX, Turnigy, Hobby King, iCharger and many other manufacturers, which are well known among modelers for product reliability and high functionality. All devices are tested and have a quality certificate from both the company and the store. If you want to choose a universal charger, thanks to which you can forget about the problems with recharging the batteries of your models, then in our store you will find everything you need!

, from an MP-3 player, a camera, but there is no charger for it. Especially often this situation arises when repairing various electronic equipment. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to make a small universal charger with the ability to adjust its parameters so that you can charge almost any (nickel-cadmium, lead, lithium, etc.) batteries with an operating voltage of 1.5 to 12 V and a capacity of up to 10 A / h In this case, it is important that the charger does not allow overcharging and signals the end of the charging process. The result of the experiments was such a simple scheme, available for repetition even by novice radio amateurs:

A diode bridge withstands more than an ampere current. The filter capacitor is electrolytic for a capacity of 470 μF, and a voltage of 25-50V. The transformer can be taken with a power of 20-40 watts and having the voltage we need on the secondary winding.Set the battery charging current according to the formula:

I = (0.5 ... 0.7) / R2

It is advisable to set resistor R2 to an alternating one (to be able to adjust the maximum initial charge current). Stabilizer KREN12A (LM317) allows you to regulate the output charging voltage over a wide range (from 1.5 to 35 V).

As the voltage across it will approach the voltage of the stabilizer and, accordingly, the current through the transistor (the lower one in the circuit) will decrease. This will cause it to gradually close, and the LED will turn off smoothly. To control the charging process, it is convenient to use a dial indicator at the output. The recording level meters of old tape recorders are well suited for this.

Charging does not require settings and, if assembled correctly, starts working immediately. When a discharged battery is connected to the terminals, the LED lights up and the arrow of the device deviates to the end of the scale, depending on the type of battery. Using the variable resistor R3, we set the maximum charging current. As charging progresses, the LED brightness will gradually decrease, and the instrument arrow will approach the beginning of the scale. At fully charged when the voltages on the battery and the charger output are equal, the current through the battery will become zero. This will eliminate any risk of overcharging the battery.

Instead of a variable resistor R4, it is more convenient to use a switch with a set of preselected resistances. Then it will only be necessary to set the required charge voltage with the switch.

Selecting the resistances of the lower row of resistors, we set the voltage we need at the output. In this way, it is easy to pick up any voltage.The charger is assembled on a small board measuring 2.5 x 3 cm.