Two quick charging questions...

[jasoutside]

So I picked up this charger...

1. The setting on the right is for Batt Type - "Standard", "AMG", or "Gel Cell". For my deep cycle group 27 what setting? Standard?

2. The setting on the left is Display = Voltage or % - I noticed that at about 14.4 Volts, I switch to % it reads about 80%. If I charge to 100%, am I over charging? I guess I was thinking batts need to charge to 14.4, is that right?

Rookie questions, sorry.

Thanks in advance guys

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Two quick charging questions...

Your group size 27 deep cycle is a flooded lead-acid battery and as such is "standard".
Batteries are charged at a 14.4 volt "rate" -- that is not what the battery measures when fully charged. That is verified when you switched to the Percent (&) reading and it showed 80%. It would remain at 14.4 volts or thereabouts through the entire charging process. A fully charged battery a few minutes after disconnecting the charger should read 12.6 volts. That's because it is a 12 volt battery made up of six cells in series, each of which a 2.1 volt cell. 2.1 x 6 = 12.6. Look at the voltmeter in your car, boat or truck. When running it will likely show about 14.5 volts. It has to show more than 12.6 or the battery would not be charging.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Two quick charging questions...

Got it, thanks for helping me out Silvertip!

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Two quick charging questions...

Silvertip has it. The voltage (14.4) is the charging voltage, not the actual battery voltage. Also, you didn't pick up the glasser-only version, did you? LOL

 

[NYBo]

Re: Two quick charging questions...

I have the same charger!

Silvertip is correct on all counts (gee, what a surprise).

 

[dwparker99]

Re: Two quick charging questions...

I have the same charger (about a year old now) and charge the same group 27 battery. I've noticed that, according to the amount of discharge, the charging voltage starts at around 13.4 volts and slowly climbs to 16.1 volts. At full charge, the percentage display will show 100%, the green "charged" light will be on, and the voltage will have dropped to around 13.1 volts. I usually charge on the 10 amp setting unless pressed for time and then I'll use the 15 amp setting.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Two quick charging questions...

Thanks for the heads up fellas, appreciated!

 

[Flynny]

Re: Two quick charging questions...

Just wanted to throw my 2 cents in...

That's a good charger. I've used it for a over a year to charge my trolling batteries. It doesn't give you many options, but it is a smart charger. Sometimes it will sit on a percent for a while and look like it's not charging, but it actually may be analyzing it or doing something else.

So good pick.

 

[M9.9]

Re: Two quick charging questions...

Hi all, I have a similar charger and it's worked verygood over the years. I trickle charge at 2amp/hr when time permits as I understand it's the better way to charge, ie low&slow.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Two quick charging questions...

Hi all, I have a similar charger and it's worked verygood over the years. I trickle charge at 2amp/hr when time permits as I understand it's the better way to charge, ie low&slow.

Not necessarily so! A battery can be charged at a rate up to 20% of its capacity. A 100 AHr battery therefore can be safely charged at a 20A rate. Get it charged. Trickle charging is just that -- it is intended to "maintain" a fully charged battery. Charge the battery - THEN switch to the trickle rate until the next use (assuming this is a "smart charger").

 

[M9.9]

Re: Two quick charging questions...

As I said, I understand low and slow ie 2amp/hr is the better way to charge a battery if time permits. I didn't say what's the fastest rate.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Two quick charging questions...

As I said, I understand low and slow ie 2amp/hr is the better way to charge a battery if time permits. I didn't say what's the fastest rate.

As I said -- charge it -- then maintain it. It's your battery so do what makes you happy. A trickle charger on a lead-acid battery is barefly capable of keeping up with the self-discharge rate of the battery itself which is why they are called "maintainers". Time is the problem -- not the solution. Discharged batteries need to be charged quickly.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Two quick charging questions...

As I said -- charge it -- then maintain it.

OK, follow up Q...

So both my starting batt and deep cycle batt are pulled out of my boat, in my basement, on the shelf, fully charged at this point.

What is the best/preferred practice from here?

Should I just hook up the charger a few times throughout the winter and make sure they are "topped off" so to speak?

I suppose wasn't thinking that I should keep it hooked up and charging at the 2amp rate, correct?

Thanks!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Two quick charging questions...

Whether you charge at a two amp (trickle) rate continuously or not depends on the quality of the charger. If it is truly a smart charger it knows when to charge and when not to. Those are ok to leave on permanently. If it is not a smart charger, charging once a month for a couple hours is fine.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Two quick charging questions...

Yah, it's supposed to be a smart charger but I think I'll just do things the old fashioned way and hook em up myself, eh

Appreciate your time silvertip!

 

[M9.9]

Re: Two quick charging questions...

Your 12v chargers' quite similar to mine. Though they are smart chargers that'll shut off on there own, I agree in charging it up once a week/month will suffice. Had both my batteries a little over ten years now and I charge both that way.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Two quick charging questions...

10 years, nice! I'd be amped to get that kind of like out of my batts! (dorky pun intended, sorry)

 

[M9.9]

Re: Two quick charging questions...

They have probably lasted that long since there's been no hard-continual usage, just keeping them trickle-charged on a monthly basis and keeping them warm during the winter. Car battery--another matter--lol.

Edit: Oh, my smart charger has the identical visual LED configuration as the one above. Except it's max output is 12 amp/hr. WOndering if it's the same OEM?, but under a different name. It's worked great over the years.