QMaster-EZ, BBQ Controller with built-in Li Ion battery

[woodpelletgrill]

QMaster-EZ is upgraded from QMaster-Junior by adding 4 pieces of rechargeable Li-Ion Battery, type 18650
Battery 18650 is most commonly used in laptop.
Battery is not allowed to send via air mail.
You can buy from eBay. Japanese brands are recommended

the 4 pieces of 18650 is much bigger and can power 50 CFM blower in full speed continuously for around 2 hours.
In a regular smoker, the blower does not spin in full all the time.
It can power the smoker for 10 to 20 hours easily.

The competitor uses AA battery and a very small blower. Compared with QMaster-EZ, it is nothing but a toy.

The batteries can be charged while theQMaster-EZ is working on AC/DC adapter. This way the battery is always in full power. You never worry about forgetting recharging. As the batteries are built-in, you never worry about forgetting bring batteries with you.

Instead of mechanical buttons on QMaster-Junior, QMaster-EZ uses touch sensor. The operation is very easy by just slight touching a button by your fingers

QMaster-EZ also adds a support leg on the back. So you can put it at angle for easy reading.

[beaver]

are you using the 18650's with the voltage cutout circuitry out of interest?

[woodpelletgrill]

are you using the 18650's with the voltage cutout circuitry out of interest?

I do not quite understand you
Voltage of 18650 is 3.6 to 4.2 VDC.
My AC/DC adapter is 12 VDC.
To charge 4 pieces of 18650 and supply power to controller needs smart arrangement.
Yes you can raise voltage of 3.6 VDC to 12VDC. But it has a big drawback of losing/wasting big power.
We do not use any circuit in the controller to increase/decrease voltage, and in turn no extra power lose/waste.
The 4 pieces of 18650 are linked in series when supplying power to the controller, but in parallel and series when recharged.

[beaver]

18650's because they are a lythium battery can be dangerous if taken below their safe voltage.
for this reason many of the batteries have a "protection circuit" built into the positive connector on the battery.
there are "unprotected" ones avaliable for applications where the risk of a popped battery is outweighed by the requirement of power even at low volts.

high temps, hi charge or high discharge will flick the protection circuit which may be an issue in your applicaiton from vdroop due to high draw as one of your 4 cells will just TURN OFF

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/sho ... ed-18650-s

good read

this is why i ask

[woodpelletgrill]

18650's because they are a lythium battery can be dangerous if taken below their safe voltage.
for this reason many of the batteries have a "protection circuit" built into the positive connector on the battery.
there are "unprotected" ones avaliable for applications where the risk of a popped battery is outweighed by the requirement of power even at low volts.

high temps, hi charge or high discharge will flick the protection circuit which may be an issue in your applicaiton from vdroop due to high draw as one of your 4 cells will just TURN OFF

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/sho ... ed-18650-s

good read

this is why i ask

Yes there is protect measure in the circuit.
You can not over charge it, nor you can over discharge it.
There are 3 LED lights of green, yellow and red.
The circuit will protect the battery and will show the status by LED lights.
Also you can check present voltage and percentage of energy.

[woodpelletgrill]

There is protect circuit inside QMaster-EZ already, you need to buy UN-protected battery

[beaver]

Nice work!