Building Your Own Battery Zapper
07-26-2003, 01:12 PM
#1
Building Your Own Battery Zapper
can someone show some websites on making your own battery zapper?
thanx guyz
thanx guyz
07-26-2003, 01:19 PM
#2
Tech Apprentice
Have you ever owned an item that runs off of NiCad batteries? The answer is most likely yes. If you have a portable phone, a laptop, or any type of item that uses rechargeable batteries, nine times out of ten they will be NiCad type batteries. I know I'm not the only one that is frustrated when the portable phone stops working because the batteries won't charge; when my camcorder will only run for a few minutes or when my laptop battery only lasts for about an hour. Why do these batteries run down?
The answer is that Nickel Cadmium batteries have a particular chemical property. They only like to be recharged when they are fully discharged. Through age and by not fully discharging them, they build up a memory of where they charge stops. This is caused by tiny chemical whiskers that form to short the battery out. The batteries won't fully recharge because a shorted battery won't recharge.
The answer to this problem is not throwing the batteries away as many people do, but by building the NiCad Zapper. What this project does is send a high voltage current through the battery for a very short amount of time. The time is so short that it doesn't hurt the battery, but it literally blows up these little whiskers; effectively resetting the batteries memory and in most cases making it just like new. I built one of these puppies for my father as a Christmas present. He had four marine CB radios who wouldn't keep a charge very long. It cost $80 to replace each battery. The zapper I gave him, that I built from this circuit, restored them to good as new and he saved quite a bit of money.
How it works:
When assembling this thing, the two wires that are labeled "Test Clips", "+" and "-", should come out of the plastic enclosure and be connected to insulated alligator clips to reduce the risk of shock (And believe me, you will shock yourself). The switch should be turned to the charge position, then clips connected (or held) to the "+" and "-" side of the battery and then thrown to the zap position. Repeate this three of four times to make sure you "zapped" the whiskers. If all went well, recharge the battery and it should work like new. The 10K capacitor is placed parallel to the leads in order to discharge the capacitor if they are not hooked up to a battery, this way it is less likely for anyone to shock themselves.
Tips:
When assembling this project, BE VERY CAREFUL. I shocked myself several times while building it, but I'm also a bit accident prone. Also, it is a good idea to use a 1/2 watt or better resistor for R1. I blew up the resistor every time I turned it to the charge position. I finally used a 47Ohm 1/2 resistor and it worked just fine.
Parts List
R1
22 W
R2
47K W
R3
10K W
C1
80-100mF, 250WVDC Electrolytic Capacitor
D1
1N4007 1-amp, 1000 PIV, silicon rectifier diode
NE1
120V AC neon assembly (Radio Shack # 272-707 or similar)
PL1
AC Plug & Line Cord
S1
DPDT toggle switch
Additional parts include insulated alligator clips, and an all-plastic enclosure.
All resistors are 5 to 10 percent tolerance, 1/4 watt.
The answer is that Nickel Cadmium batteries have a particular chemical property. They only like to be recharged when they are fully discharged. Through age and by not fully discharging them, they build up a memory of where they charge stops. This is caused by tiny chemical whiskers that form to short the battery out. The batteries won't fully recharge because a shorted battery won't recharge.
The answer to this problem is not throwing the batteries away as many people do, but by building the NiCad Zapper. What this project does is send a high voltage current through the battery for a very short amount of time. The time is so short that it doesn't hurt the battery, but it literally blows up these little whiskers; effectively resetting the batteries memory and in most cases making it just like new. I built one of these puppies for my father as a Christmas present. He had four marine CB radios who wouldn't keep a charge very long. It cost $80 to replace each battery. The zapper I gave him, that I built from this circuit, restored them to good as new and he saved quite a bit of money.
How it works:
When assembling this thing, the two wires that are labeled "Test Clips", "+" and "-", should come out of the plastic enclosure and be connected to insulated alligator clips to reduce the risk of shock (And believe me, you will shock yourself). The switch should be turned to the charge position, then clips connected (or held) to the "+" and "-" side of the battery and then thrown to the zap position. Repeate this three of four times to make sure you "zapped" the whiskers. If all went well, recharge the battery and it should work like new. The 10K capacitor is placed parallel to the leads in order to discharge the capacitor if they are not hooked up to a battery, this way it is less likely for anyone to shock themselves.
Tips:
When assembling this project, BE VERY CAREFUL. I shocked myself several times while building it, but I'm also a bit accident prone. Also, it is a good idea to use a 1/2 watt or better resistor for R1. I blew up the resistor every time I turned it to the charge position. I finally used a 47Ohm 1/2 resistor and it worked just fine.
Parts List
R1
22 W
R2
47K W
R3
10K W
C1
80-100mF, 250WVDC Electrolytic Capacitor
D1
1N4007 1-amp, 1000 PIV, silicon rectifier diode
NE1
120V AC neon assembly (Radio Shack # 272-707 or similar)
PL1
AC Plug & Line Cord
S1
DPDT toggle switch
Additional parts include insulated alligator clips, and an all-plastic enclosure.
All resistors are 5 to 10 percent tolerance, 1/4 watt.
07-26-2003, 01:50 PM
#3
should you zap your batteries new???
my gp's are about 3600mah should i zap it will it hurt?
if so how long
how bout my sanyo's how long should i zap them so they become new or even better then new
my gp's are about 3600mah should i zap it will it hurt?
if so how long
how bout my sanyo's how long should i zap them so they become new or even better then new
07-26-2003, 03:26 PM
#4
Tech Apprentice
most of the gp's are already zapped
07-26-2003, 04:32 PM
#5
Originally posted by jakes7
Have you ever owned an item that runs off of NiCad batteries? The answer is most likely yes. If you have a portable phone, a laptop, or any type of item that uses rechargeable batteries, nine times out of ten they will be NiCad type batteries. I know I'm not the only one that is frustrated when the portable phone stops working because the batteries won't charge; when my camcorder will only run for a few minutes or when my laptop battery only lasts for about an hour. Why do these batteries run down?
The answer is that Nickel Cadmium batteries have a particular chemical property. They only like to be recharged when they are fully discharged. Through age and by not fully discharging them, they build up a memory of where they charge stops. This is caused by tiny chemical whiskers that form to short the battery out. The batteries won't fully recharge because a shorted battery won't recharge.
The answer to this problem is not throwing the batteries away as many people do, but by building the NiCad Zapper. What this project does is send a high voltage current through the battery for a very short amount of time. The time is so short that it doesn't hurt the battery, but it literally blows up these little whiskers; effectively resetting the batteries memory and in most cases making it just like new. I built one of these puppies for my father as a Christmas present. He had four marine CB radios who wouldn't keep a charge very long. It cost $80 to replace each battery. The zapper I gave him, that I built from this circuit, restored them to good as new and he saved quite a bit of money.
How it works:
When assembling this thing, the two wires that are labeled "Test Clips", "+" and "-", should come out of the plastic enclosure and be connected to insulated alligator clips to reduce the risk of shock (And believe me, you will shock yourself). The switch should be turned to the charge position, then clips connected (or held) to the "+" and "-" side of the battery and then thrown to the zap position. Repeate this three of four times to make sure you "zapped" the whiskers. If all went well, recharge the battery and it should work like new. The 10K capacitor is placed parallel to the leads in order to discharge the capacitor if they are not hooked up to a battery, this way it is less likely for anyone to shock themselves.
Tips:
When assembling this project, BE VERY CAREFUL. I shocked myself several times while building it, but I'm also a bit accident prone. Also, it is a good idea to use a 1/2 watt or better resistor for R1. I blew up the resistor every time I turned it to the charge position. I finally used a 47Ohm 1/2 resistor and it worked just fine.
Parts List
R1
22 W
R2
47K W
R3
10K W
C1
80-100mF, 250WVDC Electrolytic Capacitor
D1
1N4007 1-amp, 1000 PIV, silicon rectifier diode
NE1
120V AC neon assembly (Radio Shack # 272-707 or similar)
PL1
AC Plug & Line Cord
S1
DPDT toggle switch
Additional parts include insulated alligator clips, and an all-plastic enclosure.
All resistors are 5 to 10 percent tolerance, 1/4 watt.
Have you ever owned an item that runs off of NiCad batteries? The answer is most likely yes. If you have a portable phone, a laptop, or any type of item that uses rechargeable batteries, nine times out of ten they will be NiCad type batteries. I know I'm not the only one that is frustrated when the portable phone stops working because the batteries won't charge; when my camcorder will only run for a few minutes or when my laptop battery only lasts for about an hour. Why do these batteries run down?
The answer is that Nickel Cadmium batteries have a particular chemical property. They only like to be recharged when they are fully discharged. Through age and by not fully discharging them, they build up a memory of where they charge stops. This is caused by tiny chemical whiskers that form to short the battery out. The batteries won't fully recharge because a shorted battery won't recharge.
The answer to this problem is not throwing the batteries away as many people do, but by building the NiCad Zapper. What this project does is send a high voltage current through the battery for a very short amount of time. The time is so short that it doesn't hurt the battery, but it literally blows up these little whiskers; effectively resetting the batteries memory and in most cases making it just like new. I built one of these puppies for my father as a Christmas present. He had four marine CB radios who wouldn't keep a charge very long. It cost $80 to replace each battery. The zapper I gave him, that I built from this circuit, restored them to good as new and he saved quite a bit of money.
How it works:
When assembling this thing, the two wires that are labeled "Test Clips", "+" and "-", should come out of the plastic enclosure and be connected to insulated alligator clips to reduce the risk of shock (And believe me, you will shock yourself). The switch should be turned to the charge position, then clips connected (or held) to the "+" and "-" side of the battery and then thrown to the zap position. Repeate this three of four times to make sure you "zapped" the whiskers. If all went well, recharge the battery and it should work like new. The 10K capacitor is placed parallel to the leads in order to discharge the capacitor if they are not hooked up to a battery, this way it is less likely for anyone to shock themselves.
Tips:
When assembling this project, BE VERY CAREFUL. I shocked myself several times while building it, but I'm also a bit accident prone. Also, it is a good idea to use a 1/2 watt or better resistor for R1. I blew up the resistor every time I turned it to the charge position. I finally used a 47Ohm 1/2 resistor and it worked just fine.
Parts List
R1
22 W
R2
47K W
R3
10K W
C1
80-100mF, 250WVDC Electrolytic Capacitor
D1
1N4007 1-amp, 1000 PIV, silicon rectifier diode
NE1
120V AC neon assembly (Radio Shack # 272-707 or similar)
PL1
AC Plug & Line Cord
S1
DPDT toggle switch
Additional parts include insulated alligator clips, and an all-plastic enclosure.
All resistors are 5 to 10 percent tolerance, 1/4 watt.
07-26-2003, 05:45 PM
#6
im pretty sure they do because i remember reading this off a site but couldnt find it again
hey what are the steps on getting your batteries up again
i remember someone posting something on this
hey what are the steps on getting your batteries up again
i remember someone posting something on this
07-27-2003, 01:45 PM
#7
Tech Addict
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Coming to you LIVE from somewhere in my head
Posts: 508
In theory, there would be not be much benefit from zapping nimh batts, since they do not develope memory like nicads do. But many companies advertise their nimh batts as zapped so it either has some benefit on the nimhs or maybe it is just a ploy so that they can charge an extra $.20 per cell. I suppose that due to the nature of the checmical reation in batts that there could be some residue build up in the nimhs. Worst case senario is you may blow up a perfectly good $50 batt pack in the process to find out.
07-27-2003, 02:26 PM
#8
Originally posted by Boatdork
In theory, there would be not be much benefit from zapping nimh batts, since they do not develope memory like nicads do. But many companies advertise their nimh batts as zapped so it either has some benefit on the nimhs or maybe it is just a ploy so that they can charge an extra $.20 per cell. I suppose that due to the nature of the checmical reation in batts that there could be some residue build up in the nimhs. Worst case senario is you may blow up a perfectly good $50 batt pack in the process to find out.
In theory, there would be not be much benefit from zapping nimh batts, since they do not develope memory like nicads do. But many companies advertise their nimh batts as zapped so it either has some benefit on the nimhs or maybe it is just a ploy so that they can charge an extra $.20 per cell. I suppose that due to the nature of the checmical reation in batts that there could be some residue build up in the nimhs. Worst case senario is you may blow up a perfectly good $50 batt pack in the process to find out.
All cells are based heavily on Internal Resistance. Hence the zapping process to thin out the core plates so the flow of current is higher. I don't want to get into too much detail as I've also had to learn a lot from one of the Sub-C engineers about the core process of these cells. As for the GP, only some are pre-zapped being they are for Trinity. Other OEM cells aren't zapped (green & yellow) labels. One has to remembered that the lower the IR, the higher the output so zapping the cells at a predetermined voltage is essential and will help improve the performance of the cells dramatically. There is a give or take between runtime and output voltage/IR. One being that the higher the output, the lower the runtime shall be and vice versa. It is also possible to obtain an average voltage of 1.18+ with 420 seconds. Also, the newer batch of OEM cells from Gold Peak will have a thinner internal plate which will produce even higher output with enough chemical bodies to run 400+ seconds. We're talking AWESOME!
My $.02 cents
Jimmy
07-27-2003, 02:35 PM
#9
Build your own
Furthermore, it is not worth the money and effort to built you own portable zapper and have it work correctly and reliably unless you're looking to invest in thousands. As a typical matcher will spent between $12k to $50k on a high performance zapper for virgin cells. The aftermarket zappers are good enough for those who planned on maintenence and re-zapping their matched cells. These aftermarket ones run anywhere from $100 to $250 and is a great reconditioning system. But for the new virgin cells, they are simply not strong enough. Bare in mind that most of the high priced individually designed zappers are of Military grade with hard to find components, building one based on the specs readily available on the internet can LEAD to destroying your cells or damaging them with 90%+ risk of shocking yourself.
So in conclusion, for those that would rather built one instead of spending $200 on an aftermarket cell conditioner/re-zapper, good luck and hope it works for you............................
IMHO......
Jimmy
So in conclusion, for those that would rather built one instead of spending $200 on an aftermarket cell conditioner/re-zapper, good luck and hope it works for you............................
IMHO......
Jimmy
07-27-2003, 10:01 PM
#10
Tech Apprentice
All i have to say is that if you don't know anything about electronics, spend the $200 for a zapper. But if you do spend the $20 for the parts and build it your self and it will be as good as the $200 dollar zappers.
But you need to test the cell prior to zapping it to know how much voltage to apply for the specific cell.
But you need to test the cell prior to zapping it to know how much voltage to apply for the specific cell.
07-27-2003, 10:38 PM
#11
only the old one should be zapped not the new ones, will it be nicad or nimh. when you bought the battery, have you read the package "up to 1000cycles" something like that. these cycles represent the life of the battery of up to 1000 charging and discharging(1 cycle = charging and discharging). only old ones developed this whiskers thing and the battery that had been fully discharged or flat liner batts.
i you knew electronics i recommend you to build your own zapper.
i you knew electronics i recommend you to build your own zapper.
07-28-2003, 05:44 AM
#12
Tech Regular
What ever you do, don't go building one with mecanical switches and alligator clips! They will weld-in in no time if it works properly.
07-28-2003, 07:06 AM
#13
Tech Adept
Jakes7,
You made the following statement:
"But you need to test the cell prior to zapping it to know how much voltage to apply for the specific cell."
Unfortunately you do not have in your instructions any operating procedures for how to make these determinations, etc.
You made the following statement:
"But you need to test the cell prior to zapping it to know how much voltage to apply for the specific cell."
Unfortunately you do not have in your instructions any operating procedures for how to make these determinations, etc.
07-28-2003, 08:02 AM
#14
let just say i built a battery zapper
(the one the first guyz posted about)
would i discharge it first then zap it or charge it up first then zap it???
how long would i zap it for?
do i do it cell by cell or the whole pack?
(the one the first guyz posted about)
would i discharge it first then zap it or charge it up first then zap it???
how long would i zap it for?
do i do it cell by cell or the whole pack?
07-28-2003, 03:29 PM
#15
Re: Build your own
Originally posted by Jimmy Fukuyama
Furthermore, it is not worth the money and effort to built you own portable zapper and have it work correctly and reliably unless you're looking to invest in thousands. As a typical matcher will spent between $12k to $50k on a high performance zapper for virgin cells.
Furthermore, it is not worth the money and effort to built you own portable zapper and have it work correctly and reliably unless you're looking to invest in thousands. As a typical matcher will spent between $12k to $50k on a high performance zapper for virgin cells.