Bosch heated jacket with 3rd party battery

[HackedFridgeMagnet]

I have a nice Bosch heated jacket 10.8V.
Bosch have since bought out a 12v jacket which may in fact be identical.

I am wanting to know the maximum voltage that I can use to power my 10.8V Jacket.
I would like to use the batteries from my power tools if possible. Hitachi 14.4 and 18V.

The jacket itself has 3 power settings so it has a bit of logic and also a USB charger.
Has anyone got a schematic of this jacket or a similar jacket?
I am guessing I need to use a converter but then again maybe I dont.
Sewing isn't my strong point, so I can't just take it apart.

[MT]

There must and obviously be a PWM chip in there as such easy to "modify" for higher voltages.
Interesting those electrical clothes, how long does a charge last, for normal heat setting?

[XOIIO]

Heh, try it, and tell us what your local news channel is, I don't want to miss it.

[AndyC_772]

It won't be sophisticated. If you put 12V across a heating element designed for 10.8V, it'll get 23% warmer. Personally I'd be amazed if that's an issue.

I have a Keis jacket which I wear for motorcycling. It has a "12V" battery, but I've also used it wired straight into the bike's electrics (about 14.4V when running), and on a 13.8V bench supply on a cold day at home. No issues in any case.

http://www.ukmonster.co.uk/monster/showthread.php?t=48589

[chrism2010]

As far as power tools are concerned, the lithium batteries/tools labelled as "12v Max" are in fact using normal 10.8v packs.
Following their initial launch,  marketing departments started to refer to the "12v Max"  which is the peak post-charge voltage. AFAIK, all of the major brands now call their 10.8-volt tools 12V Max, with the exception of Makita.

So I'll bet the newer jacket is the same, but as for using higher voltage packs, I'd be inclined to step this down.

[HackedFridgeMagnet]

Yeah it's got to have a converter for the USB. It has a single momentary switch with 3 heat levels and off. so it probably has a flip flop or micro running off the 5 volts.

But I don't wont to BBQ the converter by connecting to high a voltage.

I wasn't sure if the element is current controlled or just 3 elements in parrallel.

Ok I guess I will try the 14.4s anyway.

As to how long it lasts. I dont know, not very long at high power I suspect. I only turn it on if it is really cold and then have to turn it off, as the jacket is warm anyway.
The batteries that are supplied are probably only a couple of only 1.3 Amp hours.

As far as power tools are concerned, the lithium batteries/tools labelled as "12v Max" are in fact using normal 10.8v packs.
Following their initial launch,  marketing departments started to refer to the "12v Max"  which is the peak post-charge voltage. AFAIK, all of the major brands now call their 10.8-volt tools 12V Max, with the exception of Makita.

How bloody annoying are those marketing guys.

[MT]

The BBQ meant "you" not the converter!   18Volt are dangerous stuff!

So there is no thermostat built in!? My car seat heater have a thermostat so when its -30C its get bloody
hot quite quickly so i have to end the heating prematurely, in the summer at cold evenings it barely heats
at all, some what annoying not to well designed thermostat.

When you say element , are the heating pattern even or is it hot spots?
I thought these clothes used kind of telfonized kantal wire or so, no?!

You have to do a tear down so wee can see what its built with.

[HackedFridgeMagnet]

Yes I knew you were talking about me being bbqued. But I was worried about the jacket.
There is no thermostat. I haven't noticed any hot spots in the wires, it warms the middle of the back and the front chest. So three separate elements but all turn on even on low. I think it is just element wire sewn into a patch.

No tear down, no way.

there are 2 more left in the shop on sale at $100 AU. I guess because 12v Max isn't written on the box.

[kpurintun]

I get that this is an old thread, but the history above is all relevant and useful, and i want to add to it as i am trying to sort this out also.

I have the same jacket, and i wanted to get larger cap batteries.  and they don't seem to work.. a 12v (10.8ish) li-po pack does not work at all.  so i am wondering if they are sending the voltage up the line wish some kind of "authentication" signal to differentiate the incoming power from their battery packs vs. power from another source.  my power pack (Amazon 9800mAh "DC 1298A") with a 5.5mm connector with positive center pin shows the same 11.5v DC as the Bosch BHB120 power pack.  but there is no chooch with the 3rd party pack.

There is only 2 wires (pos and neg) going into the jacket with a standard 12v 5.5mm male jack.  no extra signaling wires or anything.  the obvious measurements with my multi meter seem the same.

There is definitely a controller of some kind in the jacket managing the power flow to the heating pads.. 

my goal is to have a larger capacity, flatter, smaller feeling battery..  the 12v max battery and adapter is pretty freaking large for 2000mAh.  the 4800 and 9800mAh packs will double/quadruple the cap and they lay much flatter in the jacket.


the only thing else i can think of is to tear open my new battery pack, connect the balance wires to another connector, then use the board in the BHB120 with the new batteries.  (that would be ugly)

KP

[HackedFridgeMagnet]

I ended up just putting 12v on it, current limited, both polarities, but It didn't work hope I didn't break it.
It wasn't a cold winter at all this year, so then I sort of forgot about it.
Will look into it again one day.