boat lights no battery

[achris]

Re: boat lights no battery

The set up you have in the photo is an old transformer charger... The OP named his charger in the OP... That is a switch mode charger... Turn is on with anything but a battery connected and the output voltage will continue to go up until the load either absorbs the current or disappears... Goodbye lamp filament...

Put a voltmeter on the output of that charger and tell me what you find... I'll bet it's a lot higher than 12 volts...

Chris...........

 

[Silvertip]

Re: boat lights no battery

You lose that bet! The picture below is, as you requested, the same bulb test with a voltmeter attached and set to the 15 volt scale. It is quite apparent that the meter is reading 11.5 volts. Hardly the "high" voltage you were expecting was it. Before you jump to conclusions, read on.

The Next picture is the same setup but now attached to a 7A sealed battery in the flight box for my R/C airplane. You will note that voltage is now at about 14.5. That flight box was used yesterday so the battery is charging.

The last picture is open circuit voltage. Again, nearly the same as with the small bulb attached. Yes -- this is an "old tech" charger but it is fairly well regulated.

I also fly electric models powered by 20 and 30C lithium-polymer batteries that do require a switcher style charger and cell balancer. I will repeat these tests later today with that charger so we can put an end to this discussion.

 

[rndn]

Re: boat lights no battery

Run Silvertip, it's going to blow!!!

Seriously folks, isn't a battery charger a 12 volt power supply? I have also used mine several times over the years as with my bad back I can't always drag a battery over. I have never had an issue, although by now if I had asked this question I would conceed to get a battery because of the varied opinions on this post.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: boat lights no battery

I put on my welding goggles, hard hat, steel toed shoes, anti-radiation suit, and jock strap (with cup), positioned my fire extinguisher and connected my lithium-poly charger to an LED I had laying around. It lit the led at a very gradual rate until voltage reached 15 volts. It then shut down because the charger is smart enough to know it wasn't connected to a cell balancer, or a battery. This charger is capable handling, 2, 3, or 4 cell lipos so 3.7 x 4 = 14.8 volts. Result of this test is inconclusive due to the style of charger (smarter than most). I will pull the outputs of my on-board charger and try that on for size next time I pop the cover on my pontoon. For now, I rest my case and will continue to use a charger (smart, dumb, or in between) for light testing.

 

[mthieme]

Re: boat lights no battery

Well, I'm convinced.

As far as sensitive electronics go, can someone explain how come the sticker on the (AC) power supply on my notebooks seem to give a wild range from like 10 to 20 DC. Sorry, can't find my reading glasses to get the exact numbers.
I'm not an EE, but me thinks another myth buster could happen.

 

[achris]

Re: boat lights no battery

Well, I'm convinced.

As far as sensitive electronics go, can someone explain how come the sticker on the (AC) power supply on my notebooks seem to give a wild range from like 10 to 20 DC. Sorry, can't find my reading glasses to get the exact numbers.
I'm not an EE, but me thinks another myth buster could happen.

That voltage range, actually 100 to 250, is an input range, not output...

ST... it appear you have a 'smart-charger'.. My comment still stands for a switch-mode unit... The box my switch-mode charger came in also states, in very large letters, not to run it without a battery connected.

Chris........

 

[mthieme]

Re: boat lights no battery

Again, I'm not an EE, but I'm pretty sure the plug in my living room bulkhead is 110 AC. The external computer power supply of course has an inverter with DC out supplying the computer. The spec says DC voltage on the inverter. I have to assume this is on the out side of the inverter.

Is this merely a tolerance range for the inverter?
I know you can plug a notebook into the cigarette lighter (directly) in a car which of course the voltage can vary although not as widely.
Or maybe it is like a car where the alternator charges the battery and the car runs off the battery? Notebooks do have a battery that is being charged when plugged in.

 

[DJ]

Re: boat lights no battery

Yikes, this poor noob got more than he bargained for. I'm sure we've run him off for good.

According to some, I'm taking my life in my hands. According to others, everything is cool.

I'll stick with the latter.

 

[mthieme]

Re: boat lights no battery

He probably realized what argumentative grumps we can be (present company excluded of course ) and went to fix his trailer.

 

[ljcatman]

Re: boat lights no battery

sorry for the debate but will buy a battery to test & thanks to all you's guys for your help. yous are all good people just thinking different ways. i like hearing other ways good boating to all

 

[achris]

Re: boat lights no battery

Again, I'm not an EE, but I'm pretty sure the plug in my living room bulkhead is 110 AC. The external computer power supply of course has an inverter with DC out supplying the computer. The spec says DC voltage on the inverter. I have to assume this is on the out side of the inverter.

Is this merely a tolerance range for the inverter?
I know you can plug a notebook into the cigarette lighter (directly) in a car which of course the voltage can vary although not as widely.
Or maybe it is like a car where the alternator charges the battery and the car runs off the battery? Notebooks do have a battery that is being charged when plugged in.

This is the back of my notebook power supply... No tolerance on the OUTPUT... Plenty on the AC input...

Put your glasses on and have a good look... (you told us that you weren't using your glasses before)

Chris.........

 

[ebry710]

Re: boat lights no battery

You lose that bet! The picture below is, as you requested, the same bulb test with a voltmeter attached and set to the 15 volt scale. It is quite apparent that the meter is reading 11.5 volts. Hardly the "high" voltage you were expecting was it. Before you jump to conclusions, read on.
The last picture is open circuit voltage. Again, nearly the same as with the small bulb attached. Yes -- this is an "old tech" charger but it is fairly well regulated.
I also fly electric models powered by 20 and 30C lithium-polymer batteries that do require a switcher style charger and cell balancer. I will repeat these tests later today with that charger so we can put an end to this discussion.

Silvertip I was already a believer and have used my chargers as power supplies for thirty years, but now I feel as though I am a charger newby. Great job. It is the best explanation of a single point I have seen in a long time.

 

[mthieme]

Re: boat lights no battery

My glasses seemed to have disappeared from my desk.
But, I have three laptops in the house.
One I could read very clearly.
It's an older Sager. The power supply is a Lien Electronics model LE-9215A20-6 that came with the unit.
In 100-240V - obviously auto switching which is common with computer equipment.
Out 10-30VDC
1.95-5 amps
50 watt max.

The more I think about the more it seems to make sense that it charges the battery. I'll have to pop the battery and see what happens with the cord attached. That could prove or disprove that theory.

This morning, I ran (another) notebook off the power cord only with the battery removed.

At this point, I assume it has circuitry to stabilize the incoming DC power inside the notebook.

 

[ebry710]

Re: boat lights no battery

sorry for the debate but will buy a battery to test & thanks to all you's guys for your help. yous are all good people just thinking different ways. i like hearing other ways good boating to all

I am not the oldest member in iboat, but in the short time I've been on iboats I have never seen anyone complain about a debate where so much information was disseminated. Instead of apologizing for the debate, come up with another one.
Thanks you

 

[achris]

Re: boat lights no battery

I am not the oldest member in iboat, but in the short time I've been on iboats I have never seen anyone complain about a debate where so much information was disseminated. Instead of apologizing for the debate, come up with another one.
Thanks you

DON'T YOU DARE!!!

 

[ebry710]

Re: boat lights no battery

DON'T YOU DARE!!!

DARE BABY DARE!!!

I can wait until the next time. Thanks Chris. You got to emitted a lot was covered.