Batteries S02E01: Spot Welding with Li-Po Chinese Powerbank/Jump Starters
Channel: Mountain Parameters
Date: 21/05/2020

In recent years there have been a plethora of so-called multi-function powerbank style devices that will boost your car, inflate your tires, charge your smartphone, and light your way. We've been given a number of them to test, so S02 of our 'Batteries' Channel will start out with looking at a number of them. We'll test their claims as well as their usefulness as we progress through the different models.

This video looks at trying to use these as a power supply for a spot welder.

Capacity testing:
Our methodology for testing the capacity of these powerbanks was to place a 1 amp load onto the 5V USB output port and measure until low voltage shutoff was triggered by the device itself.

Timeline:
00:20 A look at the spot welder and powerbank setup
00:30 Actual capacity of a claimed 6000 mAH powerbank
00:50 Current output that may drive a spot welder
01:22 Items to be spot welded: Smiley SMA-M antenna base, nickel strip, and counterpoise
01:53 Results of the attempted spot weld
02:30 Same test using a higher capacity models at 100ms maximum setting on the spot welder
02:50 Results of the attempted spot weld
03:00 Test of trying to weld the nickel strip to an 18650 Li-Ion cell (100ms timing)
03:33 Shows the larger (higher capacity) 4800 mAH powerbank device that was used for this test
04:00 Actual tested capacity vs. claimed capacity if this device
04:18 Example of Ali Express listing for similar device
04:30 Example of Amazon listing for popular Sunko spot welder
04:39 Why the Sunko 110V models are not suitable for task, but the 220V units are better.
05:35 Our Arduino spot welder from Malectrics
05:45 End credits, website address for more information.

Links: (we make no commission, receive no freebies, from the suppliers mentioned in our conversation. However, as I will not be providing links to suppliers I have not had positive experience with, you can assume any links I do reference are because we have found they have met or exceeded our expectations):
Arduino Spot Welder Kit:
https://malectrics.eu/