This article is something every motorist needs to know. Winter is coming very soon and many owners of a car with an old battery will be in for a surprise: when attempts to start their steel horse will not be crowned with success. As a result, the battery will be completely discharged due to these actions. Such a failure may well happen to owners of completely new batteries. No one is immune from this.
It's good if you have a car charger on hand. But life often brings us to such situations when this device may not be at hand or, as luck would have it, it will fail.
If you are faced with a similar problem, then ingenuity will help you.
We will need power supply from a laptop, which is usually found in every home and sometimes not in single quantities. They are almost all of the same type and run on a voltage of 19 Volts. Car light bulb 21 Watt (12V 21V). If you want to speed up charging, you can take two of these bulbs connected in parallel to each other, or take one 55-watt high or low beam lamp. If suddenly you don’t have an extra light bulb, take it out of any available flashlight while charging.
We take the battery, unscrew the lids of the cans for better ventilation.
Then we take a block from a laptop and a light bulb and connect all these three elements, including the battery, in series using a wire.
Charging, of course, takes a long time, but it takes a couple of hours to refresh the battery a little.
In general, when my charger burned out, I left this circuit overnight - and in the morning I received an almost fully charged battery, provided that, of course, it was not completely discharged.
The current through one 21 Watt light bulb is approximately 1 Ampere. If you take two of them, it will be approximately 2 Amperes. In general, it is quite possible to charge a battery in a day, even from scratch.
If you have the opportunity to measure the battery voltage, then 14.2 is the voltage of a fully charged battery.
Yes, keep in mind that the load current of the unit, look at the housing and do not exceed it. Typically it is 3 Amps.
Computers cannot work without electricity. To charge them, special devices called power supplies are used. They receive AC voltage from the mains and convert it to DC. The devices can deliver enormous amounts of power in a small form factor and have built-in overload protection. Their output parameters are incredibly stable, and DC quality is ensured even under high loads. When you have an extra device like this, it makes sense to use it for many household tasks, for example, by converting it from a computer power supply into a charger.
The block has the shape of a metal box with a width of 150 mm x 86 mm x 140 mm. As standard, it is mounted inside the PC case using four screws, a switch and a socket. This design allows air to flow into the cooling fan of the power supply unit (PSU). In some cases, a voltage selector switch is installed to allow the user to select the readings. For example, in the United States there is an internal power supply that operates at a nominal voltage of 120 volts.
A computer's power supply consists of several components inside: a coil, capacitors, an electronic board for regulating current, and a fan for cooling. The latter is the main cause of failure for power supplies (PS), which must be taken into account when installing a charger from an atx computer power supply.
IPs have a certain power, indicated in watts. A standard unit is typically capable of delivering around 350 watts. The more components installed on a computer: hard drives, CD/DVD drives, tape drives, fans, the more energy is required from the power supply.
Experts recommend using a power supply that provides more power than the computer requires, as it will operate in a constant "underload" mode, which will increase the life of the machine due to the reduced thermal impact on its internal components.
There are 3 types of IP:
Power supply parameters that can be used when creating a charger from a computer power supply:
The IP has many different power connectors. They are designed in such a way that there is no mistake when installing them. To make a charger from a computer power supply, the user will not have to spend a lot of time choosing the right cable, since it simply won’t fit in the connector.
Types of connectors:
Cheap motherboards are equipped with a 4-pin connector. More expensive "overclocking" motherboards have 8-pin connectors. Additional ones provide excess processor power during overclocking.
Most power supplies come with two cables: 4-pin and 8-pin. Only one of these cables needs to be used. It is also possible to split the 8-pin cable into two segments to ensure backward compatibility with cheaper motherboards.
The left 2 pins of the 8-pin connector (6+2) on the right are disconnected to ensure backward compatibility with 6-pin graphics cards. The 6-pin PCI-E connector can supply an additional 75W per cable. If the graphics card contains a single 6-pin connector, it can be up to 150W (75W from motherboard + 75W from cable).
More expensive graphics cards require an 8-pin (6+2) PCI-E connector. With 8 pins, this connector can provide up to 150W per cable. A graphics card with a single 8-pin connector can handle up to 225W (75W from motherboard + 150W from cable).
Molex, a 4-pin peripheral connector, is used when creating a charger from a computer's power supply. These pins are very long lasting and can supply 5V (red) or 12V (yellow) to peripheral devices. In the past, these connections were often used to connect hard drives, CD-ROM players, etc.
Even GeForce 7800 GS video cards are equipped with Molex. However, their power consumption is limited, so nowadays most of them have been replaced by PCI-E cables and all that remains are powered fans.
The SATA connector is a modern replacement for the outdated Molex. All modern DVD players, hard drives and SSDs run on SATA power. The Mini-Molex/Floppy connector is completely obsolete, but some PSUs still come with a mini-molex connector. These were used to power floppy drives with up to 1.44 MB of data. They have mostly been replaced by USB storage today.
Molex-PCI-E 6-pin adapter for powering the video card.
When using a 2x-Molex-1x PCI-E 6-pin adapter, you must first make sure that both Molexes are connected to different cable voltages. This reduces the risk of overloading the power supply. With the introduction of ATX12 V2.0, changes were made to the 24-pin system. The older ATX12V (1.0, 1.2, 1.2 and 1.3) used a 20-pin connector.
There are 12 versions of the ATX standard, but they are so similar that the user does not need to worry about compatibility when installing a charger from the computer's power supply. To ensure this, most modern sources allow you to disconnect the last 4 pins of the main connector. It is also possible to create advanced compatibility using an adapter.
A computer requires three types of DC voltage. 12 volts is needed to supply voltage to the motherboard, graphics cards, fans, and processor. The USB ports require 5 volts, while the CPU itself uses 3.3 volts. 12 volts are also applicable for some smart fans. The electronic board in the power supply is responsible for sending converted electricity through special cable sets to power devices inside the computer. Using the components listed above, AC voltage is converted into pure DC current.
Almost half of the work done by a power supply is done with capacitors. They store energy that will be used for continuous work flow. When making a computer power supply, the user must be careful. Even if the computer is turned off, there is a chance that electricity will be stored inside the power supply in capacitors, even several days after the shutdown.
Inside the power supplies, the user sees many cable sets coming out with different connectors and different numbers. Power cable color codes:
The output voltages of a computer's power supply can be measured using a proper multimeter. But due to the higher risk of short circuit, the user should always connect the black cable with the black one on the multimeter.
The hard drive wire (whether it is IDE or SATA) has four wires attached to the connector: a yellow one, two black ones in a row, and a red one. The hard drive uses both 12V and 5V at the same time. 12V powers the moving mechanical parts, while 5V powers the electronic circuits. So all these cable kits are equipped with 12V and 5V cables at the same time.
The electrical connectors on the motherboard for processors or chassis fans have four legs that support the motherboard for 12V or 5V fans. Besides the black, yellow, and red, other colored wires can only be seen in the main connector, which goes directly into the motherboard socket. These are purple, white or orange cables that are not used by consumers to connect peripheral devices.
If you want to make a car charger from a computer power supply, you need to test it. You will need a paperclip and about two minutes of time. If you need to reconnect the power supply to the motherboard, you just need to remove the paperclip. There will be no changes in it from using a paper clip.
Procedure:
Although the paperclip will not produce a large shock, it is not recommended to touch the metal part of the paperclip while it is energized. If you need to leave a paperclip indefinitely, you need to wrap it with electrical tape.
If you start making a charger with your own hands from a computer power supply, take care of the safety of your work. The source of the threat is capacitors, which carry a residual charge of electricity that can cause significant pain and burns. Therefore, you need to not only make sure that the power supply is securely disconnected, but also wear insulating gloves.
After opening the power supply, they assess the workspace and make sure that there will be no problems with clearing the wires.
They first think through the design of the source, measuring with a pencil where the holes will be in order to cut the wires of the required length.
Perform wire sorting. In this case, you will need: black, red, orange, yellow and green. The rest are redundant, so they can be cut off on the circuit board. Green indicates power on after standby. It is simply soldered to the black ground wire, which will ensure that the power supply is turned on without a computer. Next you need to connect the wires to 4 large clamps, one for each set of colors.
After this, you need to group the 4-wire colors together and cut them to the required length, strip the insulation and connect them at one end. Before drilling holes, you need to take care of the chassis circuit board so that it is not contaminated with metal shavings.
Most PSUs cannot completely remove the PCB from the chassis. In this case, it must be carefully wrapped in a plastic bag. Having finished drilling, you need to treat all rough spots and wipe the chassis with a cloth to remove debris and plaque. Then install the retaining posts using a small screwdriver and clamps, securing them with pliers. After this, close the power supply and mark the voltage on the panel with a marker.
This device will help the car enthusiast in a difficult situation when he urgently needs to charge the car battery without having a standard device, but using only a regular PC power supply. Experts do not recommend constantly using a car charger from a computer power supply, since the voltage of 12 V is slightly below what is required when charging the battery. It should be 13 V, but it can be used as an emergency option. To increase the voltage where previously there was 12V, you need to change the resistor to 2.7 kOhm on the trimmer resistor installed on the additional power supply board.
Since power supplies have capacitors that store electricity for a long time, it is advisable to discharge them using a 60W incandescent lamp. To attach the lamp, use the two ends of the wire to connect to the cap terminals. The backlight will slowly go out, discharging the cover. Shorting the terminals is not recommended as this will cause a large spark and may damage the PCB traces.
The procedure for making a charger from a computer power supply with your own hands begins with removing the top panel of the power supply. If the top panel has a 120mm fan, disconnect the 2-pin connector from the PCB and remove the panel. You need to cut the output cables from the power supply using pliers. You shouldn’t throw them away; it’s better to reuse them for non-standard tasks. For each connecting post, leave no more than 4-5 cables. The rest can be trimmed on the PCB.
Wires of the same color are connected and secured using cable ties. The green cable is used to turn on the DC power supply. It is soldered to the GND terminals or connected to the black wire from the bundle. Next, measure the center of the holes on the top cover, where the fixing posts should be secured. You need to be especially careful if a fan is installed on the top panel, and the gap between the edge of the fan and the IP is small for the fixing pins. In this case, after marking the central points, you need to remove the fan.
After this, you need to attach the fixing posts to the top panel in the order: GND, +3.3 V, +5 V, +12 V. Using a wire stripper, the insulation of the cables of each bundle is removed, and the connections are soldered. Use a heat gun to heat the sleeves over the crimp connections, then insert the tabs into the connecting pins and tighten the second nut.
Next, you need to return the fan to its place, connect the 2-pin connector to the socket on the circuit board, insert the panel back into the device, which may require some effort due to the bundle of cables on the crossbars, and close it.
If the screwdriver has a voltage of 12V, then the user is lucky. It can make a power supply for the charger without much modification. You will need a used or new computer power supply. It has several voltages, but you need 12V. There are many wires of different colors. You will need yellow ones that output 12V. Before starting work, the user must make sure that the power source is disconnected from the power source and has no residual voltage in the capacitors.
Now you can start converting your computer's power supply into a charger. To do this, you need to connect the yellow wires to the connector. This will be the 12V output. Do the same for the black wires. These are the connectors into which the charger will be connected. In the block, 12V voltage is not primary, so a resistor is connected to the red 5V wire. Next you need to connect the gray and one black wire together. This is a signal that indicates energy supply. The color of this wire may vary, so you need to make sure it is the PS-ON signal. This should be written on the power supply sticker.
After turning on the switch, the power supply should start, the fan should rotate, and the light should light up. After checking the connectors with a multimeter, you need to make sure that the unit produces 12 V. If so, then the screwdriver charger from the computer power supply is functioning correctly.
In fact, there are many options for adapting the power supply to your own needs. Those who like to experiment are happy to share their experiences. Here are some good tips.
Users shouldn't be afraid to upgrade the unit's box: they can add LEDs, stickers, or anything else they need to upgrade it. When disassembling the wires, you need to make sure that you are using an ATX power supply. If it's an AT or older power supply, it will most likely have a different color scheme for the wires. If the user does not have information about these wires, he should not re-equip the unit, since the circuit may be assembled incorrectly, which will lead to an accident.
Some modern power supplies have a communication wire that must be connected to the power supply for it to work. The gray wire connects to the orange and the pink wire to the red. A high wattage power resistor may become hot. In this case, you need to use a radiator for cooling in the design.
Many people, when purchasing new computer equipment, throw their old system unit into the trash. It's pretty short-sighted, because it may still contain functional components, which can be used for other purposes. In particular, we are talking about the computer power supply, from which you can.
It is worth noting that the cost of making it yourself is minimal, which allows you to significantly save your money.The computer power supply is a voltage converter, respectively +5, +12, -12, -5 V. Through certain manipulations, you can make a completely working charger for your car from such a power supply with your own hands. In general, there are two types of chargers:
Chargers with many options (engine starting, training, recharging, etc.).
A device for recharging the battery - such charges are needed for cars that have low mileage between runs.We are interested in the second type of chargers, because most vehicles are used for short distances, i.e. The car was started, driven a certain distance, and then turned off. Such operation leads to the car battery running out of charge quite quickly, which is especially typical in winter. Therefore, such stationary units are in demand, with the help of which you can very quickly charge the battery, returning it to working condition. The charging itself is carried out using a current of about 5 Amps, and the voltage at the terminals ranges from 14 to 14.3 V. The charging power, which is calculated by multiplying the voltage and current values, can be provided from the computer power supply, because its average power is about 300 -350 W.
Converting a computer power supply into a charger
The charger for acid batteries is damaged, it is expensive to buy a new one. I decided to make it out of what I had, and there was a 120 Watt universal power supply with voltage setting.
Now let's move directly to the automatic charger for an acid battery.
I assembled the automation for the charger according to the diagram below. All components are inexpensive and available.
When the battery is charging, the red LED lights up
