Charging batteries with generator?

10 amps in is not a lot at all for 180 amp hr total battery size. With 10 amps it would be difficult to 'fry' your batteries. It will take all day to charge them back up if you let them get down to 50% capacity. You could charge your combined battery bank at 20 amps max without being a problem. Use a volt meter to see when your batteries come up to full voltage. You should know roughly how much power you are using a day and if you have a decent digital voltmeter permenantly connected you can see the battery voltage before you start charging so this would give you a good idea at what state of charge the batteries are and how much they need. You are going to run that generator for a large part of the day if you are using a 12v fridge and other gear.
Running a generator and then a 240v battery charger just makes it more inefficient than ever.

I assume your batteries are wet cell?
With 10 Amps into that capacity it's near IMPOSSIBLE to "fry" your wet cell batteries.
A bit of overcharge occasionally will not hurt your batteries at all, provided you watch electrolyte levels.
You'll do far more harm by flattening them too much (say beyond 70% discharge) and by not charging them ASAP after discharge.
Just remember, Lead Acid batteries like being fully charged, and hate being flat.
If you want to go into smart chargers the sky is the limit- talk to a specialist, but be prepared for some serious dollars.
Cheers

Cobes

I have been looking into this as well and have decided to buy a battery charger from 12 volt shop
10amp = $299
20 amp = $399
I am going for the larger one. They are both 3 stage charges and can be left permatly on charge e.g., home, c/van park.

I have a honda eu1 with a dc out put but was told that this doesn't stop when full and will damage batteries ( use only in an emergancy)
www.12volt.com.au

ATB, RoxEaster at Yardie creek

Hi Cobes
Once the charger(whichever) is put on the batteries, they will quickly become surface charged, and a volt meter wont help determine their charge state.Thats where a hydrometer comes in handy. They will need a long time to recharge, as the design of deep cycle batteries also means deep recharging is necessary. Best way would be to put them on a regulated 240v recharger, but in the sticks, the generator will do to top them up. When you say the dc is unregulated, i disagree. It is regulated to 12 volts, and can put out a charge of 10 amps max if the battery will take it, but remember that the resistance in a battery changes from empty to full, and therefore in laymans turms, the battery will take what it is given but as it fills, the generator will not be able to put the 10 amps in as easily as it did when the battery was empty.
the formular is volts=resistance x amps
v is almost constant (regulated)
r changes with charge state of battery
a therefore must change to balance the equasion
Hope this is right
Andrew

William
'Have you not researched all the feed back from the 12Volt Shop. Perhaps you need to look at some other websites about them. " Please in form me.Easter at Yardie creek

I saw lots of people at caravan show recharging batteries via EU10 gen sets directly of the dc supply. I latter asked 12 volt shop ant they said its not regulated and for long life use a proper 3 stage charger other wise you may cook your bateries. some said they only tack what they need but 12 volt shop sain diferent.

I'de like to know if thats just a sales pitch!!!?Around Oz 06/2004

cobes,
I have two Delco, 80 amp/hr deep cycle batteries wired in parallel, (160 amp/hrs, $270, total) managed by a Piranha DBE150S electronic Dual Battery Isolator, charged by the vehicle altinator while driving and also an 80 watt Solarex Solar pannel when stationary in the bush.
I use a 10 amp battery charger, charging through a trickle charge add on module from K-Mart, when in the city, it remains connected at all times. I think both units were only about $70 or $80 each??
The dual battery setup only powers a 50 ltr fridge/freezer, radio and camp lights etc, I don't have battery hassles, as is stated elsewhere they Must be kept fully charged to work at their peak and retain amps.