Old Soviet car chargers. How to make a battery charger with your own hands

Recently, I managed to look inside a small box, made (according to the inscriptions on the parts) around 1970. It was a working memory for a 6-volt battery of an IZH-Jupiter motorcycle (see picture)! Why did the memory survive, because many schemes of the 80-90s. production burned down a long time ago?
The power transformer T1 is switched on "classically" - with a mains voltage switch S1. The secondary winding T1 has a tap from the middle and is connected to a full-wave rectifier on selenium rectifier diodes VD1.2. The common point of the diodes ("minus" of the output) is connected to the case, so the rectifier washers are fixed directly on the metal case, which greatly facilitates their thermal conditions. Note that selenium washers after an overload could "heal" areas of overheating, which is not typical for modern semiconductors.

After the rectifier diodes, a chain of wire resistances is connected, wound on two-watt resistances of the BC type. It was this innovation that protected the memory from failure during inevitable short circuits and polarity reversals in operation!
The rectified current passes through the resistor R1 and the NI signal lamp connected in parallel with it. Further, resistor R2 is included in the "positive" wire circuit, which can be shunted by switch S2. When charging a battery pack (6 V) S2 must be closed and the current is limited only by resistor R1. When charging one battery cell (2 V), switch S2 breaks the shunt circuit and the current is limited by two series-connected resistors R1 and R2. This mode of operation allows you to "bring" each battery cell to a nominal charge (earlier, the terminals of each cell were available on batteries), which helped to increase battery life. In both modes, the NI lamp indicates the passage of current, this allows you to diagnose the quality of the contacts or the absence of voltage in the mains socket without an ammeter.
Such a memory scheme is an intermediate link between combustible ("scoop") and reliable designs. It was created, apparently, after the Khrushchev "thaw". For what reasons did they later begin to multiply designs of memory devices without restrictive elements after the rectifier (such circuits were damaged both during short circuit of the output and during polarity reversal even without being connected to the mains)?! The reasons were not only economic (to sell a large number of devices), there was, apparently, a political setting, because at the same time radios were produced with worse selectivity parameters than before (so that "votes" were not received very well), their cases were made from
rattling plastic. Yes, and tape recorders after the bobbin portable with a built-in power supply "Mriya" (1967) were produced by the industry for almost 20 years, heavier and unattractive ("Spring-5", "Dolphin", etc.).
Still, one step in the design (see figure) was not made: the NI lamp was used as a signal lamp, its ability to change resistance when the coil was heated was not used (nichrome n resistances withstand a smaller temperature range and almost do not change their resistance when heated, because that are made of alloy!). The second important property of an incandescent lamp - to effectively give power to radiation - is also not used. There is a reason for this too. Within five minutes, you can measure the resistance of the cold filament of an incandescent lamp with a tester and, using simple formulas, calculate its resistance at nominal mode (the second number will be about ten times larger). Why, then, for forty years in school physics textbooks there are problems on Ohm's law with switching lamps in series-parallel? After all, when the filament mode is changed, the resistance of the lamp in ohms also changes! You can’t teach physics and take it on unrelated topics!
It is interesting to live in times of change, if only these changes did not happen back and forth!
N.P. Goreiko, Ladyzhyn, Vinnytsia region
Literature
1. Goreiko N.P. Charger of the coming century//Electrician. - 2001. - No. 4-11.

Analysis of more than 11 schemes for making memory devices with your own hands at home, new schemes for 2017 and 2018, how to assemble a circuit diagram in an hour.

TEST:

To understand whether you have the necessary information about batteries and chargers for them, you should pass a small test:

1. What are the main reasons for the discharge of a car battery on the road?

A) The motorist got out of the vehicle and forgot to turn off the headlights.

b) The battery has become too hot due to sunlight.

1. Can the battery fail if the car is not used for a long time (it is in the garage without starting)?

A) If the battery is idle for a long time, it will fail.

B) No, the battery will not deteriorate, it will only need to be charged and it will function again.

1. What current source is used to recharge the battery?

A) There is only one option - a network with a voltage of 220 volts.

B) 180 volt network.

1. Is it necessary to remove the battery when connecting a homemade device?

A) It is advisable to dismantle the battery from the installed place, otherwise there will be a risk of damaging the electronics by high voltage.

B) It is not necessary to remove the battery from the specified location.

1. If you confuse "minus" and "plus" when connecting the charger, will the battery fail?

A) Yes, if connected incorrectly, the equipment will burn out.

B) The charger simply will not turn on, you will need to move the necessary contacts to the right places.

Answers:

1. A) Headlights not turned off when stopped and sub-zero temperatures are the most common causes of battery discharge on the road.
2. A) The battery fails if you do not recharge it for a long time when the car is idle.
3. A) For recharging, a mains voltage of 220 V is used.
4. A) It is not advisable to charge the battery with a homemade device if it is not removed from the car.
5. A) Do not confuse the terminals, otherwise the home-made device will burn out.

Battery vehicles require periodic charging. The reasons for the discharge can be different - starting from the headlights that the owner forgot to turn off, and to freezing temperatures in the winter on the street. For recharge battery you need a good charger. Such a device in large varieties is presented in auto parts stores. But if there is no opportunity or desire to buy, then memory you can do it yourself at home. There are also a large number of schemes - it is advisable to study them all in order to choose the most suitable option.

Definition: The car charger is designed to transmit electric current with a given voltage directly to battery.

Answers to 5 frequently asked questions

1. Do I need to take any additional measures before starting to charge the battery in my car?– Yes, you will need to clean the terminals, as acid deposits appear on them during operation. Contacts you need to clean it very well so that the current flows to the battery without difficulty. Sometimes motorists use grease to process the terminals, it should also be removed.
2. How to wipe the terminals of the chargers?- You can buy a specialized tool in a store or cook it yourself. Water and soda are used as a self-made solution. The components are mixed and mixed. This is a great option for treating all surfaces. When the acid comes into contact with soda, a reaction will occur and the motorist will definitely notice it. This place will need to be thoroughly wiped to get rid of all acids. If the terminals were previously treated with grease, then it is removed with any clean rag.
3. If there are covers on the battery, do they need to be opened before charging?- If there are covers on the case, then they must be removed.
4. Why is it necessary to unscrew the caps from the battery?- This is necessary so that the gases formed during the charging process freely exit the case.
5. Is there a need to pay attention to the electrolyte level in the battery?- It is mandatory. If the level is lower than required, then it is necessary to add distilled water inside the battery. It is not difficult to determine the level - the plates must be completely covered with liquid.

It is also important to know: 3 nuances about operation

Homemade by the method of operation is somewhat different from the factory version. This is due to the fact that the purchased unit has built-in functions, helping at work. They are difficult to install on a device assembled at home, and therefore you will have to follow a few rules when operation.

1. The DIY charger will not turn off when the battery is fully charged. That is why it is necessary to periodically monitor the equipment and connect to it multimeter- for charge control.
2. You need to be very careful not to confuse "plus" and "minus", otherwise Charger will burn.
3. The equipment must be turned off when connecting to charger.

By following these simple rules, it will be possible to properly recharge battery and prevent unpleasant consequences.

Top 3 charger manufacturers

If there is no desire or opportunity to collect memory, then take a look at the following manufacturers:

1. Stack.
2. Sonar.
3. Hyundai.

How to avoid 2 mistakes when charging a battery

Basic rules must be followed in order to feed properly battery by car.

1. Directly to the mains battery not allowed to connect. For this purpose, chargers are intended.
2. Even device it is made of high quality and from good materials, you still need to periodically monitor the process charging, so that trouble doesn't happen.

Following simple rules will ensure reliable operation of self-made equipment. It is much easier to monitor the unit than after spending money on components for repairs.

The simplest battery charger

Scheme of 100% working memory for 12 volts

Look at the diagram in the picture memory at 12 V. The equipment is intended for charging car batteries with a voltage of 14.5 volts. The maximum current obtained when charging is 6 A. But the device is also suitable for other batteries - lithium-ion, since the voltage and output current can be adjusted. All the main components for assembling the device can be found on the Aliexpress website.

Required components:

1. dc-dc buck converter.
2. Ammeter.
3. Diode bridge KVRS 5010.
4. Hubs 2200 uF at 50 volts.
5. transformer TC 180-2.
6. Circuit breakers.
7. Plug for connecting to the network.
8. "Crocodiles" for connecting terminals.
9. Radiator for diode bridge.

Transformer anyone is used, at their own discretion. The main thing is that its power is not lower than 150 W (with a charging current of 6 A). It is necessary to install thick and short wires on the equipment. The diode bridge is fixed on a large radiator.

Look at the picture for the charger circuit Dawn 2. It is based on the original memory. If you master this scheme, then you will independently be able to create a high-quality copy that is no different from the original sample. Structurally, the device is a separate unit, closed by a case to protect the electronics from moisture and bad weather conditions. It is necessary to connect a transformer and thyristors on radiators to the base of the case. You will need a board that will stabilize the current charge and control the thyristors and terminals.

1 smart memory circuit

Look at the picture for a schematic diagram of a smart charger. The device is necessary for connection to lead-acid batteries having a capacity of 45 amperes per hour or more. This type of device is connected not only to batteries that are used daily, but also to those on duty or in reserve. This is a fairly budget version of the equipment. It does not provide indicator, and the microcontroller can be bought the cheapest.

If you have the necessary experience, then the transformer is assembled by hand. There is no need to set also the audible alerts - if battery connects incorrectly, the discharge lamp will illuminate to indicate an error. The equipment must be supplied with a switching power supply for 12 volts - 10 amperes.

1 industrial memory circuit

Look at the diagram of the industrial charger from Bars 8A equipment. Transformers are used with one 16 Volt power winding, several vd-7 and vd-8 diodes are added. This is necessary in order to provide a bridge rectifier circuit from one winding.

1 inverter device circuit

Look at the picture for an inverter charger diagram. This device discharges the battery to 10.5 volts before starting charging. The current is used with the value of C/20: "C" indicates the capacity of the installed battery. Thereafter process the voltage rises to 14.5 volts, using a discharge-charge cycle. The charge to discharge ratio is ten to one.

1 wiring diagram memory electronics

1 powerful memory circuit

Look at the picture for a diagram of a powerful charger for a car battery. The device is used for acid battery, having a high capacity. The device easily charges a car battery with a capacity of 120 A. The output voltage of the device is self-adjusting. It ranges from 0 to 24 volts. Scheme It is notable for the fact that few components are installed in it, but it does not require additional settings during operation.

Many could already see the Soviet Charger. It looks like a small metal box, and may seem quite unreliable. But this is not so at all. The main difference between the Soviet model and modern models is reliability. The equipment has a constructive power. In the event that to the old device connect the electronic controller, then charger will be able to revive. But if this is no longer at hand, but there is a desire to assemble it, it is necessary to study the scheme.

To features their equipment includes a powerful transformer and a rectifier, with which it is possible to quickly charge even a heavily discharged battery. Many modern devices will not be able to repeat this effect.

Electron 3M

In an hour: 2 do-it-yourself charging concepts

Simple circuits

1 the simplest scheme for an automatic charger for a car battery

Many car enthusiasts are well aware that in order to extend the life of the battery, periodic it is required from the charger, and not from the car's generator.

And the longer the battery life, the more often it needs to be charged to restore the charge.

No need for chargers

To perform this operation, as already noted, chargers operating from a 220 V network are used. There are a lot of such devices on the automotive market, they may have various useful additional functions.

However, they all do the same job - they convert an alternating voltage of 220 V into a constant voltage - 13.8-14.4 V.

In some models, the charging current is adjusted manually, but there are also models with fully automatic operation.

Of all the shortcomings of purchased chargers, their high cost can be noted, and the more “fancy” the device, the higher the price.

But many people have a large number of electrical appliances at hand, the components of which may well be suitable for creating a homemade charger.

Yes, a home-made device will not look as presentable as a purchased one, but its task is to charge the battery, and not “show off” on the shelf.

One of the most important conditions when creating a charger is at least an initial knowledge of electrical engineering and radio electronics, as well as the ability to hold a soldering iron in your hands and be able to use it correctly.

Memory from a lamp TV

The first will be the scheme, perhaps the simplest, and almost any motorist will be able to cope with it.

To make a simple charger, you need only two components - a transformer and a rectifier.

The main condition that the charger must meet is that the current strength at the output of the device should be 10% of the battery capacity.

That is, a 60 Ah battery is often used on passenger cars, so the current output from the device should be at the level of 6 A. At the same time, the voltage is 13.8-14.2 V.

If someone has an old unnecessary tube Soviet TV, then a transformer is better than not being found from it.

The circuit diagram of the charger from the TV looks like this.

Often, a TC-180 transformer was installed on such TVs. Its peculiarity was the presence of two secondary windings, 6.4 V each and a current strength of 4.7 A. The primary winding also consists of two parts.

First you need to connect the windings in series. The convenience of working with such a transformer is that each of the winding leads has its own designation.

For a serial connection of the secondary winding, it is necessary to connect the terminals 9 and 9 \ 'to each other.

And to the conclusions 10 and 10 \ ' - solder two pieces of copper wire. All wires that are soldered to the terminals must have a cross section of at least 2.5 mm. sq.

As for the primary winding, for a serial connection, you need to connect the terminals 1 and 1 \ 'to each other. Wires with a plug for connecting to the network must be soldered to pins 2 and 2 \ '. This completes the work with the transformer.

The diagram shows how the diodes should be connected - wires coming from pins 10 and 10 \ ' are soldered to the diode bridge, as well as wires that will go to the battery.

Do not forget about the fuses. One of them is recommended to be installed on the "positive" output from the diode bridge. This fuse must be rated for a current of not more than 10 A. The second fuse (0.5 A) must be installed at terminal 2 of the transformer.

Before starting charging, it is better to check the device’s performance and check its output parameters using an ammeter and voltmeter.

Sometimes it happens that the current strength is somewhat greater than required, so some install a 12-volt incandescent lamp with a power of 21 to 60 watts in the circuit. This lamp will "take" over the excess current.

Microwave charger

Some car enthusiasts use a transformer from a broken microwave oven. But this transformer will need to be redone, since it is a step-up, not a step-down.

It is not necessary that the transformer be in good condition, since the secondary winding often burns out in it, which will still have to be removed during the creation of the device.

Alteration of the transformer is reduced to the complete removal of the secondary winding, and the winding of a new one.

As a new winding, an insulated wire with a cross section of at least 2.0 mm is used. sq.

When winding, you need to determine the number of turns. You can do this experimentally - wind 10 turns of a new wire around the core, then connect a voltmeter to its ends and power the transformer.

According to the readings of the voltmeter, it is determined what voltage at the output these 10 turns provide.

For example, measurements showed that there is 2.0 V at the output. This means that 12V at the output will provide 60 turns, and 13 V - 65 turns. As you understand, 5 turns adds 1 volt.

It is worth pointing out that it is better to assemble such a charger with high quality, then place all the components in a case that can be made from improvised materials. Or mount on a base.

Be sure to mark where the “positive” wire is, and where the “negative” wire is, so as not to “overplus” and not disable the device.

Memory from the ATX power supply (for trained)

A more complex circuit has a charger made from a computer power supply.

For the manufacture of the device, blocks with a power of at least 200 watts of AT or ATX models, which are controlled by a TL494 or KA7500 controller, are suitable. It is important that the power supply is fully functional. The ST-230WHF model from old PCs performed well.

A fragment of the circuit of such a charger is presented below, and we will work on it.

In addition to the power supply, you will also need a potentiometer-regulator, a 27 kOhm tuning resistor, two 5 W (5WR2J) resistors and a resistance of 0.2 Ohms or one C5-16MV.

The initial stage of work comes down to turning off everything unnecessary, which are the wires "-5 V", "+5 V", "-12 V" and "+12 V".

The resistor indicated in the diagram as R1 (it provides +5 V voltage to pin 1 of the TL494 controller) must be unsoldered, and a prepared 27 kOhm tuning resistor must be soldered in its place. A +12 V bus must be connected to the upper terminal of this resistor.

Terminal 16 of the controller must be disconnected from the common wire, and the connections of terminals 14 and 15 must also be cut.

A potentiometer-regulator must be installed in the rear wall of the power supply housing (in the diagram - R10). It must be installed on an insulating plate so that it does not touch the block body.

Through this wall, you should also bring out the wiring for connecting to the network, as well as wires for connecting the battery.

To ensure the convenience of adjusting the device from the available two 5 W resistors on a separate board, you need to make a block of resistors connected in parallel, which will provide 10 W at the output with a resistance of 0.1 Ohm.

With old Soviet chargers, they have strong cases and giblets made according to GOST, and the current they give off is usually at least 8-10 amperes, or even higher. Modern chargers are often frail, and with heavily discharged batteries, where a large current is needed, they cannot cope at all, going into emergency protective mode ...

But the “oldies” gather dust on the shelves (or even go to a landfill), because for the most part they are deprived of the fashionable today and the automatic shutdown of the charge that has become the standard when the battery reaches full capacity. And car owners are afraid to leave them in the garage for the night to charge the battery - "no matter what happens!".

In fact, the danger is greatly exaggerated. But it can also be reduced to almost complete zero if you equip the charger with an automatic shutdown module. Today, Chinese online stores provide a huge selection of "semi-finished products" - ready-made electronic circuit modules that are designed to upgrade existing devices and gadgets. To use many of them, you do not need to be a radio technician - it is enough to have ordinary skills in repairing an electrical outlet in an apartment. So, we take a charge controller module and make it automatic from a Soviet charger!

How does the "antediluvian" charger work?

Most of the old domestic and imported chargers were extremely primitive and did not even contain the rudiments of smart electronics. The chargers were carried out according to the simplest scheme - the transformer lowered the voltage, and the diode bridge made the alternating current direct. The charging current strength was regulated by a step switch either in the primary circuit of the transformer or in the secondary circuit (there was no fundamental difference between the two options). It usually looked like this:

The main advantages of ancient devices are a powerful high-quality transformer and a rectifier, which allow you to quickly charge even heavily discharged batteries, which modern microprocessor chargers often give in to. As a rule, there is a lot of free space in the case of Soviet devices, so it is not difficult to insert a Chinese charge control module there, which will make the old-school charger automatic.

Charge control modules and their connection

Charge control modules are connected to the circuit of an old charger very simply: you don’t need to be a radio engineer and you don’t have to have a soldering iron - just a knife for stripping wires, a flat screwdriver to connect them to the terminal block and elementary electrical skills at the level of the ability to repair a table lamp.

The module, known as the XH-M601, costs about 200 rubles. Dozens of different sellers sell it on the notorious Chinese Internet site - it's not a problem to buy it. The module monitors the voltage on the battery and, upon reaching the norm, disconnects the charger from the network. It can be placed both inside the charger case, if there is space, and in any suitable plastic remote box. The XH-M601 is connected to a break in the charger cord going to a 220-volt outlet with a piece of a network wire with a cross section of 2x0.75 mm. And also it needs to be connected to the “crocodile” terminals of the charger to control the voltage on the battery - for this you can use any suitable wires, because the current in the control circuit is minimal. Two blue trimmers on the board, adjustable with a thin flat screwdriver, are designed to set the lower and upper thresholds - that is, the voltage at which charging turns on and off, providing a cyclical principle of operation.

To set the limits of the charge control module, a tester is temporarily connected to it in the DC voltmeter mode.

The module called XH-M602 is more expensive - it costs about 500 rubles. It connects in a similar way and functions in the same way, but the levels of the beginning and end of the charge are already controlled digitally - using the plus / minus keys and a voltage display. To set up, you need to hold down the left key and, while the display is flashing, set the voltage to turn on the charger. Then, hold down the right key and, while the display is flashing, set the voltage to turn off the charger.

Such a device is convenient because a screwdriver and a voltmeter are not required to set the modes - everything is done with buttons according to the display readings.