WiFi Dongle Warning?

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emjaiuk

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My Huawei 5577c is normally permenantly installed, hardwired topower and external aerial. It's been installed about 3 yearsI recently removed it prior to contacting Huawei over a software issue and discovered the battery had blown, ie swollen out of shape. Having watched YouTube horroe videos with lithium batteries I'm a bit concerned that it might happen again. Has anyone else experieced this or can comment?
 
Had a similar battery problem with my Netgear MIFI, not hardwired but inadvertently left in full sun over an extended period. When tried to use noticed the battery cover misplaced found the battery very blown up, I guess the excess heat had killed it.
Maybe your permanently installed charger has malfunctioned?
Bought a new battery (bloody expensive) and all OK.
 
I have no experience of your dongle but Lithium ion and more so Lithium Polymer batteries can be quite volatile If overcharged or charged at a higher rate than their design. (possibly due to overheating)

I have witnessed the above distortion of a battery and have also witnessed a cheap Chinese replacement battery In a mobile phone actually combust, which is even more daunting than it sounds when you see it happen.
 
I've heard reports of MiFi batteries swelling although it hasn't happened to me. I've now got a broadband router which will run off twelve volts and I'm looking to install this in the van instead.
 
A known problem with the Huawei if left on charge permanently. I fitted a USB charger that turns off when it detects the connected device is charged.

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Lenny HB said:
A known problem with the Huawei if left on charge permanently. I fitted a USB charger that turns off when it detects the connected device is charged.
Click to expand...
Sounds good, have you got the details please?
 
Not huwaii but have/had a solar usb charger, when we last went to checkmon the van it had blown, fortunately no damage to the van, had had it for about 6 years so think i got my moneys worth, will need to replace it as it was used a lot. we do have a couple of usb ports in the van but i also use it when travelling in the doblo.
 
I wouldn't say it was a known problem for Huawei, in the many thousands of Huawei units we've sold I've only seen it happen a couple of times. By contrast, this was a regular occurrence with Netgear devices, and one of the reasons we discontinued them alongside their disintegrating SIM card slots.

In the original firmware for the E5577, the router would in fact run without a battery present and you could remove the battery when the device was turned on and powered and it would still run. This is because once the battery was charged the device will no longer involve the battery and run directly from 5v. Later software versions now result in a 'battery error' message since Huawei no longer supplies a power adapter and so the battery is needed to mitigate problems with the input supply to ensure device stability.

The issue of the battery swelling is not one of overcharging in the sense of having the device powered on all the time, the issue is due to the quality of the power supply used to power it and its ability to adjust and regulate the output in response to a varying input voltage (solar panels, mains charger, alternator etc).

In addition, if the problem is the opposite and the power supply is not sufficient the Huawei unit will look to switch to the battery when under load and therefore you may see the device quickly switching between a state of fully charged and charging the small amount it has used.

This was the reason we developed our own power supply in our Quick Mount for the Huawei device.

Lithium battery cells do occasionally fail due to overheating or other faults, but I can think of fewer than 5 instances of this being reported to us when used with a genuine Huawei battery and suitable power supply.

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scotzsue said:
Not huwaii but have/had a solar usb charger, when we last went to checkmon the van it had blown, fortunately no damage to the van, had had it for about 6 years so think i got my moneys worth, will need to replace it as it was used a lot. we do have a couple of usb ports in the van but i also use it when travelling in the doblo.
Click to expand...

Lenny, as far as I can see, your link was to a vltage regulator. I can't see any ref to cutting out when a battery is fully charged. Is it the correct link?
 
Addie said:
This was the reason we developed our own power supply in our Quick Mount for the Huawei device.
Click to expand...

Addie, do you still do this? I couldn't see it on your web page. Also, when I reinstall it, does it matter which way round the two aerial connections from your roof-top antenna?
 
emjaiuk said:
Lenny, as far as I can see, your link was to a vltage regulator. I can't see any ref to cutting out when a battery is fully charged. Is it the correct link?
Click to expand...
SpecSavers for you, from the listing:
2 in 1 step-down DC / DC converter, voltage regulator for 5-36V DC with USB charging function, which switches off automatically when the battery is fully charged
 
emjaiuk said:
Addie, do you still do this? I couldn't see it on your web page. Also, when I reinstall it, does it matter which way round the two aerial connections from your roof-top antenna?
Click to expand...
Just for the aerial connections, there's no polarity with those so any way round will work. imo
 
emjaiuk said:
Addie, do you still do this? I couldn't see it on your web page. Also, when I reinstall it, does it matter which way round the two aerial connections from your roof-top antenna?
Click to expand...

Hi Malcolm,

If this device had been supplied by us send me an e-mail with its IMEI number and I'll send you a replacement battery out free of charge.

I hadn't assumed that we had, usually, a customer would contact us directly, but you indicated on another thread that you are an iBoost and 5G customer so I don't know if we might have supplied this router also.

I used to be able to associate everyone's username to customers/people I'd met at shows (what are they now?) but that is a skill that seems to be leaving me with age.

Adam.

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Lenny HB said:
SpecSavers for you, from the listing:
2 in 1 step-down DC / DC converter, voltage regulator for 5-36V DC with USB charging function, which switches off automatically when the battery is fully charged
Click to expand...
:blush: Oops! Now if you'd sent a jpg of the page with the relevant line highlighted:Smile: Funny enough my wife says something similar when whatever what I'm looking for doen't jump out at me.
 
5696B120-6DC3-4F02-B3C6-3B2D410EC38A.gif

😂😂😂
 
Thanks for the offer Addie, but it's the only thing I didn't get from you. I purchased it from Amazon in a hurry originally for my daughter when she had to go on location for a contract.
 
Lenny HB said:
SpecSavers for you, from the listing:
2 in 1 step-down DC / DC converter, voltage regulator for 5-36V DC with USB charging function, which switches off automatically when the battery is fully charged
Click to expand...
I have just taken delivery of such a step down converter (see photo) for using with my Huawei Mifi that, in our French house, is plugged in all day. This is the only way we can get internet. Trouble is, the only instructions are in German.
Can someone please give me a Noddy's guide how to use this device. Feels very well made.
IMG_1044.JPG




IMG_1045.JPG
 
I think the key thing to consider with that power supply is it won't actually prevent overcharging since the management of charge/discharge of the battery is handled by the Huwaei device not the external power supply.

When the Huawei device is powered on, it will be drawing a current from the power supply regardless of if the battery is being charged or the device is fully charged and now running from 5v.

The power supply will only stop supplying power when there is no longer any current draw and that will only occur when the MiFi is both turned off and the battery is fully charged.

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Ingwe said:
I have just taken delivery of such a step down converter (see photo) for using with my Huawei Mifi that, in our French house, is plugged in all day. This is the only way we can get internet. Trouble is, the only instructions are in German.
Can someone please give me a Noddy's guide how to use this device. Feels very well made.View attachment 403937



View attachment 403938
Click to expand...
If you are only using the USB output you don't need to do anything.
The buttons allow up to select what the display shows, input voltage, output voltage/current/power.
The multiturn pots are to set the output voltage & current for the terminal outputs.

1593780677410.png
 
Addie said:
The power supply will only stop supplying power when there is no longer any current draw and that will only occur when the MiFi is both turned off and the battery is fully charged.
Click to expand...
That is one of the reasons I fitted that power supply so when the mifi was off I could leave it connected without fear of overcharging it.
I know you say it is generally not a problem I didn't know how widespread the problem was when I first saw reports of it and I needed a supply to feed other devices so the extra couple of quid for this one made sense for me.
 
Lenny HB Save starting a new thread, and it’s relevant. I’ve been powering my HUAWEI with a CPT 12v/5v usb converter which has just failed and I need to get a new power supply. Your eBay link no longer works, do you have a full description of what I should be looking for?
 
emjaiuk said:
Lenny HB Save starting a new thread, and it’s relevant. I’ve been powering my HUAWEI with a CPT 12v/5v usb converter which has just failed and I need to get a new power supply. Your eBay link no longer works, do you have a full description of what I should be looking for?
Click to expand...
Can't anyone help?
 
This site contains affiliate links for which MHF may be compensated.
I was asking Lenny because he had a power supply that automatically disconnected when the battery was full

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