Converting a flashlight from batteries to a rechargeable battery. Converting flashlights to lithium batteries Flashlight from a 7 2V battery from a camera

The already mentioned PopLite flashlight suited everyone more than once, except for the power source and everything connected with it: AAA batteries are expensive and inefficient, Ni-MH batteries have a lower voltage, which is why the flashlight with them shines noticeably worse. And the operating time is not encouraging - the capacity of such a battery is, at best, 1000 mAh, which means that at full power they last only 2 hours.

And the most unpleasant thing is that most chargers are designed to simultaneously charge 2 or 4 batteries, which means one will have to be charged in tandem with a battery from another set. And since it is unlikely that their degree of discharge is the same, one of them will be undercharged, and the second will lose a little capacity due to the so-called “memory effect” found in Ni-MH batteries. As a result, a set of batteries is not enough for two seasons...

So after using modern lithium batteries, it was decided to convert these flashlights to lithium: the voltage of the lithium element is 3.7-4.2 volts, that is, exactly like 3 ordinary batteries! The only thing left to do is find AAA-size lithium batteries (model 10440), and as always, they were found from the Chinese on AliExpress. A month of waiting - and a pack of batteries in my hands. Well, let's start the rework right away. After all, you don’t even have to disassemble the lantern much to do this! All you need is a couple of pieces of copper wire, tweezers, scissors and a soldering iron.

First you need to open the battery compartment of the flashlight and remove the batteries.

Now, using tweezers, carefully remove the double contact pads - they are not connected anywhere

The crucial moment is to cut the contact strips exactly in half with scissors. I cut with metal scissors, but if you don’t have them, you can use regular scissors; the strips are made of soft brass.

Now use tweezers to lift the remaining contact strips. Be careful - they are soldered with wires to the board!

Now we install the halves of the planks in their new places, without recessing them completely

We prepare a thin wire - we form a “wave” so that the strips can move independently.

Carefully solder the wire to the strips and press them into place. Soldering must be done carefully so as not to overheat the contact and melt the flashlight body.

Now everything is ready, you can install batteries - and an arbitrary number!

Since the batteries in the flashlight are connected in parallel, in order to avoid compensation currents, you should not mix charged and discharged batteries.

With a full set of batteries, the total capacity was 1800 mAh, that is, almost twice the maximum possible for Ni-MH batteries, and 2.5 times more than it was. And the operating time of the flashlight has increased by as much as 3 times, but now ends not with dim light, but with a complete and unexpected shutdown - for protected batteries, the battery protection device turns it off to avoid overdischarge. (this is precisely why you need to buy protected ones - lithium batteries really don’t like overdischarging!) So a few spare batteries will be very useful.

In the same way, you can convert any 3-battery flashlight, both with AAA and AA elements. The resulting advantages are weight, operating time and cost of the cycle, but the disadvantages are that lithium performs worse at subzero temperatures, so the converted flashlights are not suitable for a ski trip at -30.

Review of 18650 batteries for different devices, converting the battery to a screwdriver, the best batteries from AliExpress

TEST:

1. When purchasing 18650 batteries for a security flashlight, which manufacturer is preferable?

1. What indicators should chargers for 18650 provide?

a) The output is 5 Volts and the current is from 0.5 to 1 from the nominal capacity of the battery itself.
b) The output is 10 Volts and the current is from 1 to 3 of the nominal capacity of the battery itself.

1. In what temperature range is it desirable to store the battery?

a) + 10 – + 25 – ideal indicators. The battery does not tolerate extremely cold or hot rooms. b) At a temperature of +20 - +45 degrees.

1. How many stages does a lithium battery take to charge?

a) Two.
b) Four.

1. How many charging stages does a lithium battery have that charges in less than an hour?

Answers:

1. b) It is advisable to take Chinese KEEPPOWER batteries. Samsung does not produce models with protection.
2. a) The correct output indicators are 5 Volts and the current is from 0.5 to 1 of the nominal capacity of the battery itself.
3. a) + 10 – + 25 – ideal indicators. Do not place the battery in other conditions.
4. a) Two stages - first with a voltage of 0.2-1A, and then with a high constant.
5. a) Only one. High voltage is immediately applied to the element. The remaining stages are missing.

Nickel-cadmium problem battery, installed in the screwdriver, is that it must be used constantly. If the battery is completely discharged or is not used for a long time, the crystallization process will begin in it, and the battery will soon fail completely.

To replace battery you will have to spend a lot of money, since batteries suitable for a screwdriver are not cheap.

For these reasons, screwdriver owners modify the battery slightly to accommodate lithium cells. But before starting such work, you need to think about whether such a modification is necessary and whether it is advisable at all.

Definition: Battery The 18650 is a battery that produces 3.7V power.

3 pros and 5 cons of conversion for a screwdriver

Advantages of remodeling:

1. The energy density of the elements will be better than nickel-cadmium. It means that screwdriver will retain its original weight, even be somewhat lighter, while the output voltage will remain within normal limits.
2. Lithium batteries Charge much faster than others. It only takes one hour to charge them safely.
3. In lithium-ion batteries no memory effect. From this we can conclude that there is no need to completely discharge them before installing them on the charger.

Flaws:

1. If you install lithium battery, you will have to carefully monitor it: when charging, it cannot be charged above 4.2 Volts, and discharged by less than 2.7 Volts. Otherwise, the battery will simply fail.
2. 18650 cans are used as lithium cells. They are different in size from nickel-cadmium ones. In addition, you will have to find a place for the charge-discharge controller of the wires. And all this should somehow fit into the body of the screwdriver.
3. Chargers for cadmium batteries may not be suitable for conversion. You may have to additionally look for a universal charger.
4. It will not be possible to work outside in winter, since lithium battery Does not tolerate negative temperatures well.
5. Lithium-ion battery costs more than cadmium.

It is also important to know 3 nuances before starting work

1. First you need to decide on the number of elements in battery. It is best to use 4 elements, since three will only give 12.6 Volts.
2. Assembling the battery 18650, It is necessary to pay attention to the capacity and discharge current. When the battery is running, the current consumed is in the range of 5 or 10 amperes, but if you sharply press the power button, it can jump to 25. This suggests that the maximum discharge current value should be approximately 30 amperes on the battery 18650.
3. You should also pay attention to the controller. Its characteristics must be equal to the rated voltage and current discharge. For a 14.4 V battery, the controller is the optimal voltage. The operating current should be several times less than the maximum permissible.

How to avoid 4 mistakes when assembling a 18650 charger

To properly connect to battery lithium cells, you will need to follow the instructions exactly:

Chargers for 18650 batteries

For battery 18650 will have to use the correct charger. At the output it will produce 5 Volts and a current from 0.5 to 1 of the nominal capacity of the battery itself. If lithium cells support 2600 mAh, then a current of 1.3-2.6 amperes should be used to charge it.

Device for lithium batteries The battery is charged in several stages:

1. First on battery a voltage of 0.2-1A is supplied.
2. Further charger already takes place at constant voltage.

If the charger has pulse mode, this will significantly speed up the charging time.

In the event that the battery has graphite, then the voltage should not exceed 4.3 Volts per element. If you exceed this figure, the energy density will increase and the oxidation process will begin.

There are lithium batteries, charging in less than an hour. They do not provide for the second stage - the current is immediately supplied to 80% and after that it is put into operation. This is normal for a lithium battery.

Answers to 5 frequently asked questions about choosing an e-cigarette battery

Battery

Look at the picture battery 18650 for an electronic cigarette. It is quite difficult to choose the right battery for an electronic cigarette, since there are many varieties with different degrees of power. Eg, long-term workers but they cannot be turned on at full power. Others won't get hot even at 40 amps, but they require frequent charging. When selecting a battery for an electric cigarette, people wonder about the criteria.

There are five main criteria: Large energy intensity, rated current indicator, voltage when used, temperature when used, cost. There is no point in paying attention to other nuances, like the color of a cigarette. All this is secondary. To choose a good unit, you should study all the criteria in detail. As a result, the buyer will receive all the necessary information for a good purchase.

Electronic Cigarette

Energy intensity expressed in milliamps per hour. Accordingly, the higher this indicator, the better the model will be. Safety depends on the rated current. The conclusion suggests itself that it is advisable to buy batteries with the highest current supply. For example, the LG hb6 battery has 30 A, which means it is suitable for 40 A. But having made such a purchase, a person will prefer high voltage and sacrifice energy intensity. The energy capacity of the above battery is only 1500 mAh. Therefore, it will hold less charge than options with 3000 mAh.

It is necessary to select indicators rated current, which will not overheat the device, but do not sacrifice battery life. It is better to purchase the LG HD2 model, which has a rating of 25 A and microamps per hour. This will be the average. As for the voltage, you should not rely on this nuance when choosing - if the cigarette has two previous indicators that are good, then the voltage will be sufficient.

Which battery is best for a led flashlight? flashlight charging tests.

You also need to choose devices, having a low degree of heating. Overheating an electric cigarette will soon damage the entire mechanism. That is why you need to take a battery that will work at the lowest temperatures. Price cigarettes approximately the same and this is not the most important criterion. It is advisable to start primarily from indicators.

Top 3 best battery chargers

Nightcore digicharger D4

Charger device Can power four batteries. This is an already proven brand, loved by many owners of lithium batteries.

Device It is equipped with a convenient display - you can study various data, including charging speed and time, voltage on each element. It is very convenient to monitor the battery status on this display.

This is universal charger, is intended not only for the 18650 model. D4 should be used by people who have a large number of mobile devices that fit several types of batteries.

Beginners will quickly master the work, since charging occurs automatically mode.

Efest luc Blu6 oled Bluetooth intelligent Charger

This is also a very good charger model devices, designed for 6 batteries. To safely charge, the device is equipped with special protection against high current, voltage, and so on.

The user gets the opportunity to connect his mobile phone to charging via Bluetooth- You can remotely monitor the battery charge level. The only drawback of charging is the high price.

Nightcore i2 intellicharger

Charger went on sale recently. This is a modern type of device, equipped with interesting features and improved design.

Users don't need to worry about speed and time charging, since the device detects everything automatically. The person only needs to install the battery in its proper place.

The device only has room for two batteries, but the charger is very compact and can be taken with you when traveling.

Li-ion battery 18650 for flashlight

1. Lithium-ion batteries operate in the range of 4.35 - 4.2 Volts. They are often used to make LED lights work.
2. You need to make sure that battery did not discharge below the set level - 2 volts. In order not to constantly monitor the required voltage, you need to use battery for flashlight with protection. They store elements from overcharging or deep vacuum.

Companies Samsung, Panasonic, LG and Sony do not produce such equipment. For this purpose, it is better to purchase a Chinese KEEPPOWER device.

The best 18650 batteries on AliExpress according to reviews

1. Rechargeable Battery
2. Samsung icr18650
3. Rechargeable flat Top Battery

Ideal conditions for batteries– temperature +10 – +25 degrees.

/ AliExpress Coupons
Price: $2.06
Search for products in other stores in China

The new flashlight... sat for a year and its battery died (as it turned out, this happens to all similar flashlights, the same thing happened to 4 friends) - it’s a shame to throw it away (used it once), a new battery. very difficult to find and the cost of the battery is equal to the cost of a new flashlight...
I found a simple solution to the problem literally “on my knees”... perhaps someone will find the idea useful :)

The link to the seller where I bought the “filling” for the conversion is already dead, so I found exactly the same one in the header. It was chosen according to two criteria - as inexpensive, and also “tested” in reviews, i.e. more or less decent. The power bank cost me even less, only 60 rubles.
It is clear that you may ALREADY have a working power bank that can be used for something like this without damaging it - the main idea is :)

It is curious that the lanterns had different operating conditions (by February 23 they were presented to employees) - but all died “in one hour.” Naturally it’s a shame, you just needed a “new” flashlight :(

Having tried to search by special. stores and markets for similar batteries came to the conclusion that it is not at all advisable to buy such a NEW battery for the cost of a flashlight. I couldn’t find a cheap alternative, and besides, the battery characteristics were confusing... On the battery itself, the indicated 5V was strained for conversion to a different type of battery, differing in voltage.


There was no desire to radically redo the charging and the flashlight, although at first there was an idea to plug in 18650 - but the voltage is one volt lower (how the flashlight will burn is unknown - again, alterations... + disassemble/assemble for charging... in short, some complications that do not make sense :(
The solution was found to be very simple - buy an external cheap power bank, which already produces 5V output, has a built-in charging system CHEAP AND TASTY :) 18650 batteries (like many) were “lying around” in the house. You can also find them inexpensively from old laptops.




Well, that is. use “ready-made” 5V power banks to charge the flashlight.

In fact, the “native” battery had 2Ah. I used an idle 18650 at 2600. It is clear that in our case there will be all sorts of losses and in the end the result may even be below 2000 - but the price justifies the means + some advantages appear :)

Literally, the flashlight was disassembled on the knee, the network connector was removed (the charge was from 220 in the original) and the “interfering wires” - they could not really be touched :)
Instead of the original battery, I used a power bank with a 2600 can, removed the original cover from the power bank (there is no use for metal next to the printed circuit board), and secured it with electrical tape so that the structure would not fall apart due to vibrations or possible falls of the flashlight.

In fact, everything can be done MUCH more accurately, but at the time of remodeling I was interested in the simplicity and speed of the solution.

That's pretty much how it turned out. It was possible not to pull the wiring through the power bank, but at first there was an idea for a slightly different arrangement and later I didn’t bother to redo it - it doesn’t bother me.
The power bank itself was secured by inserting it into the former network connector, even without additional fastening it “sits” quite firmly.

Main advantages:
The lantern is alive!
Quite easy, fast and inexpensive!
It is easy to change the battery (in case of failure) - they are common and inexpensive.
You can charge from any USB (including in a car), and also, if necessary, use the flashlight itself as a power bank. There is a flashlight charge control.

The flashlight shines normally. I didn’t try to time it, but it shines for a VERY long time, several hours for sure, I didn’t try to discharge it at once.

Lithium batteries, now it's time to put this scheme into action by upgrading some flashlights. Next, see a couple of applications of memory boards with TP4056 in flashlights:

The batteries were taken from old cell phones, found with the same capacities, balanced and soldered into a block. In the first option, 1.5 A, in the second, 1 A. They charge quickly - approximately 1-3 hours, depending on the current used.

Next, I started converting another old camping flashlight for a 18650 lithium battery, I drew a signet for it, it came out almost like the original, but smaller. I tried charging, it works. I'll collect the whole lantern.

But I finished another old camping lantern. It is possible to change lenses for different focusing of the light flux. I replaced the acid battery with a 18650 type battery and added a charger on the same TP4056, the capacity of the used battery is 1.3 A:

Another case. They gave me a good case from an ancient incandescent flashlight, rechargeable from the mains.

The gel battery built into it was hopelessly dead for a long time. After some thought, it was decided to build into it a block of parallel lithium batteries, 4 pieces of 800 mA each, and expand the functionality by integrating two LEDs into the housing for 60 mA and 150 mA.

In place of the removed retractable plug, an additional aluminum radiator plate was cut out and an SMD LED with an operating current of 150 mA was screwed on. And in place of the former light bulb, an 8 mm round LED rated at 60 mA was installed.

There was a lot of free space left inside, so a ready-made memory was built into the flashlight, again for TR4056. The LEDs on the charger board fit perfectly into the hole of the former power LED. For these charge indication LEDs, a conical indicator was machined from plexiglass and glued into the case. The result is a compact and resource-intensive (3.2 A) pocket flashlight with recharging from 5 V.

Protective plexiglass was also added to the body to protect the LED from dust. And this is a disassembled body, for a clearer visual acquaintance with the contents of the converted flashlight. There is still empty space left; it is quite possible to add a boost converter for recharging a cell phone.

In this way, old electronic structures and devices can be given the opportunity to continue to serve, using a modern electronic base in a new technical quality. And all this can be done with a small, cheap 4056 microcircuit. I was with you Igoran.

Discuss the article CONVERTING FLASHLIGHTS WITH LITHIUM BATTERIES