The idea
I wanted to see whether I could turn an old telecom rectifier into something useful on my electronics bench, rather than let a piece of enterprise hardware that was never meant for a hobbyist desk go to waste.
What it does
The core of the system is an Eltek Flatpack2 HE telecom rectifier, intended to become an adjustable, high-current 48V bench supply and controlled lithium battery-charging setup.
How it works
A Flatpack2 breakout adapter exposes the rectifier’s output, feeding a high-current adjustable buck converter to bring the voltage down to something usable, with DC protection devices, custom wiring, and connectors along the way. The goal is controlled charging for lithium battery packs, with appropriate current and voltage regulation and protection at each stage of the power path — plus, eventually, monitoring integrated with the homelab.
Interesting challenges
This is a project about reusing industrial equipment and understanding power electronics: converting a telecom-grade DC source into something safe and controllable for lithium charging is not a drop-in job, and the protection and regulation stages matter as much as the conversion itself.
Progress and outcomes
Hardware — the rectifier, breakout adapter, and buck converter — has been acquired. The design and integration work, including protection circuitry and battery charging control, is in progress rather than complete. This is not yet a verified, safe battery charger, and shouldn’t be treated as one.
What comes next
Building out the protection and regulation stages, fabricating an enclosure, and — longer term — exploring rectifier monitoring and integration with the homelab.