Super-simple DIY charger for NiMh button cells.

I bought a batch of NiMh button cells from an eBay seller to repair solar garden lights. Before storing them I decided to top their charge up, and made a small loom to do several at once. Note that you can't use this circuit for lithium cells.
The terminal crimping tool I use is specifically for those crimps and I'm not sure if the common eBay units will work with them. I got mine from a UK seller called Rapid Electronics.

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[bruce]

I've been an electronic technician for almost thirty years and I can tell when someone knows what they are doing, and when they don't. Big Clive is an expert at electronics and especially at soldering. I haven't seen too many people do one handed soldering. It took me awhile to learn this skill. One suggestion for the heat shrink that is too small. Take a pair of needle nose pliers and stretch it by putting them inside the heat shrink. You can stretch it pretty far without it ripping.

[MatthewHendersonn]

Truly the Bob Ross of engineering; I appreciate that you leave mistakes and hiccups in the videos.

[stevesquire]

Thankyou Clive. I have put together a 5 button cell charger as you demonstrated plus a single cell charger and they both work flawlessly. Many thanks. Religiously watch your channel

[jerome_morrow]

For these non-standard shape NiMH batteries, I charge them with my usual mains AA/AAA NiMH charger. I connect up the relevant terminals using crocodile clip cables with small neodymium magnets to bridge the contact surfaces. Works well.

[TATICMOOR]

I love these build it yourself vlogs by BCDC and here we have a nice simple charger circuit to build. If one glues the connectors together along the edge of another to make a block terminal. Hopefully, the gap between the plugged-in cells will then be great enough not to have the cells to short circuit against each other. One could also glue the plugs to a short piece of acrylic sheet or a small plastic box to house the charging loom, with a reasonable gap between each plug so the cells don't touch when inserting them to charge. This vlog is from 2017 and with a lot of people owning 3D printers, it is simple enough to design and print a dedicated instrument box for oneself.

[JerryEricsson]

You know the best thing I ever learned from watching your videos is that double tin and flow method of connecting wires. Man does that work great! and when I think I may have a problem, I add a touch of flux from a flux pen (another item I learned existed from watching your videos!)

[ilaril]

Thank you for your informative videos! Even though I can't use this knowledge that well, if at all, I like to learn new things. Plus you are like the Bob Ross of electronic stuff. I can just listen you go all day about anything. Thank You.

[ronniepirtlejr]

Big Clive would be a good guy to have in your group after an apocalyptic war. No easy working computers or machines or easy anything. Only true Tradesman and Craftsman with knowledge could make things out of spare parts. Big Clive could fix or reverse engineer just about anything!

[johanponin]

I appreciate these kind of videos much more than the disassembly ones.

[BenjaminEsposti]

+bigclivedotcom
Clive, I have a little tip for you (and anyone else who reads this comment ... hopefully, lol).
If you're soldering wires to resistors or other components, you can leave the component leg a little longer so that it overlaps the wire's insulation. The purpose is that, when shrink-wrapped, this will reinforce the wire connection and reduce any bending forces on those thin, fragile wire strands! :)

Even better, overlap the wires with the component itself. That will prevent broken component legs. :D
(Though it does make the whole thing thicker.)

P.S. I know exactly what you mean about putting the iron close to your fingers. I do the same, and it's rare for me to get a burn. (Usually when I do get burns, I get them from touching components that haven't cooled down enough. XD)

[ryulien]

Your soldering skills are amazing and so graceful to watch! Love the videos!

[lasersbee]

14:22 The professionalism and quality of work is in the details...;)

[bradleymorgan]

clive is so graceful with the soldering iron... i aspire to that level of confidence

[therealjammit]

This is a way to test small NiMh batteries.
1) Get one of those single cell travel alarm clocks that have actual hands (nothing digital).
2) Add wires to the battery terminals.
3) Add an appropriate load resistor to the wires in parallel with a battery socket.
4) Set the clock to 12:00 and add a charged battery.
When the battery dies you can read the clock and see how many hours it ran under load. If it ran for ten hours with a 10ma load that means the battery had a 100ma hour rating.

[DogsBAwesome]

Who needs ASMR when you have big Clive.

[evanpapp]

clive you are the bob ross of electronics! GREAT vids!

[garrypkeogh]

Your tip for today Clive from the island to your left:
When your heat shrink (or any "elastic" material tube in fact) is too small, insert a suitable pointed pliars into the tube and gently stretch the tube, dare I say in a sort of gynaecological fashion. This works superbly with heat shrink, delicate touch needed. For nylon compressed air line or neoprene fuel line chewing the end first softens the tube as does a mug of boiling water, tea or coffee. Stretch over the pointed pliars as before. Garry

[jlucasound]

Thanks Clive!! I love rechargeables and you gave us a basic circuit to do it right. Awesome!

[kfishy]

Speaking of leaky batteries, if I remember correctly NiMH and NiCd batteries actually don't leak (much) when they are deep discharged as they don't have much liquid inside. Alkalines however do leak like crazy and they have the characteristic fluffy stuff coming out the ends.

[PhattyMo]

A trick I use when the heat shrink won't fit...stick some small needle nose pliers in there, and spread/stretch it a bit. It tends to relax back to it's nominal diameter fairly quickly, but usually it's long enough to get it over the joint/whatever.