DC to D-tap battery charger?

M

Mikeyschaefer

New member
I'm wondering if anyone has a solution for charging v-mount/gold mount batteries via d-tap direct from a DC power source? I spend a fair bit of time on remote locations where we charge batteries via solar but it is a circuitous process of going from solar to something like a Goal Zero Yeti and then plugging in an AC battery charger. That process doesn't seem very efficient to me as I've always been told there is some loss going from DC to AC back to DC. This process also relies on more parts that can fail which is a problem in a lot of locations for me. It is also heavy.

I've seen the PAGlink micro charger but it is only for PAG and Sony batteries. Something similar that just outputs to D-tap is what I am looking for.

Any suggestions even if a bit hacky?
 
Thanks fo the suggestion, unfortunately the linked charger still requires AC power. Maybe I wasn't clear in my original post but I'd like to completely cutout the AC from the system as there is no reason to go from the the solar panels 18-22V DC then to an AC inverter to a AC charger that just outputs DC in the 14V range. The PAG micro charger will take a DC source (eg a DC 12v car adapter) and covert it to the correct charging voltage for a cine battery
 
Seriously for a DC to DC conversion like that, personally I would be using a BUCK converter with an adjustable input level and an adjustable output voltage. You said you have an input between 18-22 volt which can easily be adjusted if the voltage output from your panels varies as is the case with most solar panels. I see this every day when monitoring the output of my home's PV array. With a quality buck converter, you can vary the output voltage very precisely. Most V Loc battery chargers have an output of 16.8 volt 2.8 amps or very close to that. A buck converter like the following one should work quite satisfactorily as it is fully adjustable on the input and output voltage and importantly its output current. All adjusted via trim pots and press button switches. The other useful thing with this particular type of buck converter is that it has a 5 volt USB output useful for charging phones. Comes in a pretty solid-looking plexiglass/polycarbonate type housing and is not too large. Easy to throw into your camera kit. Price is right too!

AN IMPORTANT NOTE! Most good quality V Loc chargers and their companion batteries, like an IDX or Sony unit they have two-way communication between the battery and the charger via onboard micro-processor exchanges monitoring five or six critical stages of Lithium battery charging via the five pinouts on the bottom of the battery. That being said if you have decent batteries, and I've experienced this myself with those smaller portable travel AC chargers that have D Tap plugs the batteries seem to handle the charge input using their own onboard charge monitoring quite happily with just the two positive and negative terminals. What type of effect continued charging in this manner would have on the long-term life of a battery is anyone guess. As with any electrical advice it's given in good faith but no responsibility is taken. Much like the airlines, I fly with. :)

Chris Young

https://bit.ly/3fmCmuo

Buck converter.jpg
 
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