How To Charge an External Battery Pack
Today’s gadgets consume a good amount of power. It can’t be helped that majority of us commute or travel frequently because of work or school, so we often bring our smartphones, tablets, laptops, or gaming devices with us. That is why we have to tote along a charger with the rest of our things so we can fully charge our electrical gadgets anywhere we go.
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Charge an External Battery Pack or Not?
There are also some who bring an external battery pack instead of a charger. The steps on how to charge an external battery pack are the same as all rechargeable batteries however if you do not want to spend battery packs on every gadget you own, you can opt for a charger instead.
There are different kinds of battery chargers out there. The charging protocol is based on the kind and size of the battery being charged.
There are some kinds of batteries which have a higher tolerance for charging beyond its limit and can be charged by means of hooking up to a steady voltage source of the current source. This kind of simple charger needs manual disconnection during the end of the charging period.
It may also feature a timer in order to cut off the charging current at a set period. However other kinds simply cannot tolerate overcharging—these chargers might feature voltage or temperature-sensing circuits plus a microprocessor controller to modify the charging current and stop at the end of every charging cycle.
1. Simple charger
The simple charger method operates by providing a steady or pulsed DC power to a battery that is being recharged. It does not change its output depending on the period of the battery charge. It is referred to as the “simple” kind since it is affordable.
However, there is a compromise in terms of quality. A simple charger usually takes longer to recharge batteries so it can prevent overcharging the item. Nonetheless, a battery that has been left far too long in a simple charger will get damaged because of overcharging. This kind of charger can provide a constant current or constant voltage to batteries.
2. Trickle charger
The trickle charger is usually a low current battery charger. This kind is usually employed to charge smaller capacity batteries. It is also utilized to sustain bigger capacity batteries that are used on vehicles, boats, RVs, and other similar automobiles. The current of the charger is enough to give trickle current or maintenance in bigger applications.
Based on the kind of technology this charger has, it can be left hooked up to the battery until further notice. There are charger models that can be left hooked up to batteries without leading to damage to both battery and charger. This type is usually referred to as smart chargers.
3. Timer charger
A timer-based charger’s output current is stopped following a preset charging period. It is usually employed for higher capacity Ni-Dc cells.
4. Smart charger
The smart or intelligent charger’s output current is often based upon the condition of the battery. A smart charger might keep track of the voltage, time, or temperature during the recharge to find out the ideal charging current and to stop the charge.
A standard smart charger quick-charges batteries for up to 80 percent of its maximum volume in less than 60 minutes then changes back to a trickle charge, which can take a number of hours to fill the battery to its maximum capacity.
You can find instructions online on how to charge external battery packs in case you want to opt for something other than a standard battery charger. For people who would like to invest in a charger, you have to first determine the battery size of the gadgets you often use.
This means the amp hours that the battery can store. There are individuals who need a charger to maintain their vehicles or their aircraft or motorcycle batteries charged during off seasons. For this they can opt for a simple charger. For people who want a powerful and quick-acting charger, there is also a proper charger for their needs. If you travel a lot, a nice multi-voltage input charger is recommended.
If you stay out in the elements for a while, you can opt for waterproof models. RV use requires chargers that also serve as power supplies, while multi-bank chargers are good for charging several batteries all at once.
How to charge an external battery pack – Conclusion
This concludes our guide on how to charge an external battery pack – we highly recommend the use of external battery packs to stay topped up throughout the day, and a range of external battery packs can be found online or at your local electrical store.
