charging AGM & wet cell tog ether?

thanks derek

Tony,

I'd go for the 14 amp unit too. Have a 7 amp one here, and while it does a good job, can take all night or longer, to bring a battery(N70T) up to float.

7amp are $299, how much are 14 amp?

Hooroo...

You can get a 15amp 3 stage charger for under $300- these days. I've got 2 of them (one permanently mounted for the 120a/h Fullriver in the Patrol; the other mounted in the camper for the 2 Supercharge Gold SLA batteries in there).

One querie though; you say you have a Deep Cycle for your cranker? Is this a typing error? Mostly a Deep Cycle will not cut the ice as a cranker for very long.

Cheers

Roachie

no typing errror i, ve just bought the 2 agm s and have moved my aux bat to be my crank and dispensed with my crank ,so ican run the agm s parrell to run fridge & lights etc.... (1 in camper 1 under the bonnet )on advice from a guy at pirana in bayswater ,have i been led up the garden path? your thoughts please you ve got me nervous now ,roachie
thanks mate.

On the ctek site I can't find the 14A charger, they go to 7A then jump up to 25A. Does anybody have a link to the one in the middle

Lorne...........

14 Amp

Due in June 2006

Regards Derek.

G'day Tony,
Sorry mate, not trying to worry you, but everything I have ever read about Deep Cycle batteries is that they should not be used as a cranking battery. Obviously if you were out in the boonies and your main battery dies and left you with only a DC battery still functioning, then you wouldn't want to die waiting to be rescued just cos ........"Roachie said I shouldn't use a DC battery to start my vehicle"..........

I'm no expert, but I do read a LOT of stuff on this site. The construction of a DC battery is such that there are fewer plates, but they are much thicker than a starter battery. The result is that the DC battery likes to have a constant draw of relatively low amperage (like radios, lights, fridges etc), rather than be subjected to a "big hit" every now and then (as is the case with a starter battery being used to crank a cold motor etc).

My understanding of it, is that the DC battery will die a LOT sooner than it ought to if it is asked to do the job of a starter battery for very long.

Others will know more about it than me, so seek advice from more important people.......

Cheers

Roachie

I have also heard all the experts say not to use a deep cycle as a starter, however I happened put one in as a starter as said above "out in the boonies" with the intention of changing it back at home. 4 years later it finally died and it was about 1 year old when it went into my car as the starter. I have always thought after that I will get a deep cycle as a starter battery all the time, but never do, so I don't know if its was just a uncanny battery or if what we are being told is not quite right.

Tony

interesting, thanks for that info.

Had a look at the 6 amp version at KMart (they don't have the 15 amp version yet) and the current is adjustable so you can use it with smaller batteries.

It says it will work with Wetcell, AGM and Gel batteries, although you can't change the voltages.

It even uses Pulse charging when in float mode to maximise charge.

Mike