Help with multi stage battery chargers, whats best and whats not?
Submitted: Monday, Jun 02, 2008 at 12:39
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Member - G N (VIC)
Hi all
I am looking at multi stage battery chargers and its hard to compare them.
Does any have experience or knoledge to shed some light on whats is required please?
I am running lead acid type batteries of different types with an independant charge system.
I currently have a dual 12v power supply (that will run eva cool from 240v/ that is also a 10 amp regulated battery charger (these units are no longer available as a combo unit for some reason?) The unit does
well when batteries are new ie it charges
well and then tuns off when battery is full, however once the battery is over a year old , but still working
well, the charger does not reconise it as being full and will keep charging the battery and it then looses liquid rapidly.
Is a 3 stage charger what i require?
I like the 10 amp capacity as gives me a good chance to top up the aux battery if having an overnight stop with 240v available.
I saw some "min kota" chargers advertised (same brand as 12 v outboard motors) which have a 5amp 3 stage unit with 2 outputs which sounds good for when vehical was not in use and could set up with one output per battery.
Could the 2 x 5amp be directede to one battery ie the aux for faster charge over night?
I wish the unit to be permanently mounted on the cargo barier so size / weight is somewhat important too.
Sorry its a bit long winded but i needed to supply details of the situation i fel for a decent reply.
Kind regards
GN
Reply By: Member - Ed. C. (QLD) - Monday, Jun 02, 2008 at 13:23
Monday, Jun 02, 2008 at 13:23
Well, I reckon for value, it's hard to go past the
Projecta range...
e.g., you can pick up a 15A switchmode 3-stage charger on ebay for around $120.00.. I have one of these, and have no reason to be dis-satisfied with it...
These are light and compact, so mounting to a cargo barrier would present no problems I would think...
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AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - G N (VIC) - Monday, Jun 02, 2008 at 22:27
Monday, Jun 02, 2008 at 22:27
Thanks ED
Will check em out
GN
FollowupID:
573262
Reply By: TerraFirma - Monday, Jun 02, 2008 at 13:43
Monday, Jun 02, 2008 at 13:43
Personally I would buy the Ctek chargers, made in Sweden and better for many reasons. Firstly they are very good at dealing with various batteries, multistage including float etc and they do not spike , you cannot short circuit them via reverse polarity etc. The 15 Amp models are around $250 on Ebay.
AnswerID:
307324
Follow Up By: Krakka - Wednesday, Jun 04, 2008 at 05:14
Wednesday, Jun 04, 2008 at 05:14
Think you will find they are designed in Sweden and made in China. Mine is.
FollowupID:
573491
Follow Up By: TerraFirma - Wednesday, Jun 04, 2008 at 11:30
Wednesday, Jun 04, 2008 at 11:30
Yes whatever..? Designed in Sweden , made in China.
FollowupID:
573526
Follow Up By: Krakka - Thursday, Jun 05, 2008 at 05:18
Thursday, Jun 05, 2008 at 05:18
Mate, it's not "whatever" it's fact. I'd be pretty disappointed if I was told it was made in Sweden, buy it and then find it was made in China!!!
Splitting hairs, but a relevant point.
Cheers Krakka
FollowupID:
573672
Follow Up By: TerraFirma - Thursday, Jun 05, 2008 at 10:07
Thursday, Jun 05, 2008 at 10:07
Hey China, It's whatever for me, I couldn't give a rats where it's made nowdays. My brand new Hilux is made in Thailand.! Whatever China, Thailand, Japan etc etc, as long as I get a warranty I'm happy. China is with us forever , because many companies have moved their production there so as to compete on a cost base level. How many people would buy Ctek chargers for $900 just because they were made in Sweden..?
For me it's whatever..!
FollowupID:
573693
Reply By: GoneTroppo Member (FNQ) - Monday, Jun 02, 2008 at 15:26
Monday, Jun 02, 2008 at 15:26
GN
Have had a ctek 15a for 18months very happy with it, it's used constantly for amongst other things recharging lead acid batteries we use for electic fences, also keeping tractor and machinery batteries charged, and finally a set of AGM's in the camper.
It's excellent and also has a temp sensor cut out.
I my experience you tend to get what you pay for in this area and the important bits are not always what is visible.
AnswerID:
307337
Follow Up By: Member - G N (VIC) - Monday, Jun 02, 2008 at 22:32
Monday, Jun 02, 2008 at 22:32
Hi gonotropo
Thanks for info
Bit sus on the ebay, can ya get em else where?
GN
FollowupID:
573264
Follow Up By: GoneTroppo Member (FNQ) - Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 07:20
Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 07:20
Try this,
http://www.fridge-and-solar.net/
I found the bloke there Val to be very helpful, not the chepaest but really know his stuff and he ships anywhere.
FollowupID:
573293
Follow Up By: TIGER - Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 22:28
Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 22:28
Hi GoneTroppo or any wise member with a Ctek.
I have a Ctek 25000 that is hard wired to 2 lead acid 120ah calcium batteries in my camper. My question is with the Ctek plugged into 240 volts and batteries in CT charging do you leave it in normal mode (on Ctek) all the time. i.e Do you switch Ctek off after so many hours/days OR do you select a float mode after so many hours/days OR will the Ctek do it all itself.
Very interested in what other users do as I have my camper Ctek plugged into 240v continously inbetween trips in normal mode. Would hate to be doing this at the expense of battery life.
Cheers
Glen
FollowupID:
573471
Follow Up By: GoneTroppo Member (FNQ) - Wednesday, Jun 04, 2008 at 07:47
Wednesday, Jun 04, 2008 at 07:47
Glen
The idea is you leave it connected and it will just keep it topped up automatically.
In general batteries love being at full charge all the time. So for max life this is the way to go.
Here is a copy of the manual for your charger
http://www.ctek.com/Manuals/300W_en.pdf
FollowupID:
573496
Reply By: TD100 - Monday, Jun 02, 2008 at 19:21
Monday, Jun 02, 2008 at 19:21
G N,
i bought a Jaycar 4 stage charger,i have charged gels,agm,and flooded cell batteries with it and it works a treat. it has settings for 25 to 100ah and 100 to 200ah.reverse polarity and all the usual features.for $150 i think it was good value. cheers Paul
AnswerID:
307361
Follow Up By: Rod - Thursday, Jun 05, 2008 at 09:45
Thursday, Jun 05, 2008 at 09:45
I'll second that. This is a good unit and well priced
FollowupID:
573691
Reply By: Dunaruna - Monday, Jun 02, 2008 at 19:47
Monday, Jun 02, 2008 at 19:47
With modern batteries, temp sensing is pretty much a must. Some don't have the temp sensor feature.
The ctek range win my vote but there are other brands just as good.
AnswerID:
307366
Follow Up By: Member - G N (VIC) - Monday, Jun 02, 2008 at 22:30
Monday, Jun 02, 2008 at 22:30
Hi Dunaruna
Sorry but i am not up with the "temp sensing" stuff.
How does this work? and why is it important ?
Regards GN
FollowupID:
573263
Follow Up By: Dunaruna - Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 20:35
Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 20:35
Most cheaper smart chargers rely solely on termination voltage or timing to drop into float/maintain mode but temp plays an important role in whether or not 100% charge is reached. Also, bulk charging can create too much heat which causes gassing, in some types of batteries that is a death sentence.
Temp sensing solves those issues.
FollowupID:
573425
Follow Up By: Nomadic Navara - Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 21:21
Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 21:21
The chargers Dunaruna is referring to have a temperature sensing element that you tape or glue to the side of the battery.
Peterd
FollowupID:
573442
Reply By: Gazal Champion - Monday, Jun 02, 2008 at 20:56
Monday, Jun 02, 2008 at 20:56
Hi GN,
I agree with Terra Firma, Gone Troppo and Dunaruna.
The CTEK are pretty hard to pass up. They are expensive but you can connect them to your battery 24 hours a day every day (according to their blurb) and I have done it, and they will only do your batteries good.
I hook mine up to the AGM in the van permanently when we are touring. Brilliant.
Regards,
Bruce
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AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Steve - Monday, Jun 02, 2008 at 22:01
Monday, Jun 02, 2008 at 22:01
when you say permanently, do you mean ervery time you have 240v available?
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Follow Up By: Gazal Champion - Wednesday, Jun 04, 2008 at 19:37
Wednesday, Jun 04, 2008 at 19:37
Yes Steve I mean always whenever it is plugged into shore power (240V).
I also use it to charge the tractor and dozer batteries and in that instance I leave the CTEK connected and powered 24 hours a day. Apparently they are one of the few chargers that you can do that with as far as I am aware. The charger senses the slight voltage drop, which flooded lead acid batteries do all the time, unlike AGM, that is loose power while just standing around even when fully charged according to an article I read. May have been on these pages in the past. AGM apparently only loose a very small amount over a very long time (many months).
Regards,
Bruce
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Reply By: beelzebug - Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 09:15
Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 09:15
I have one of Derek Bester's Sidewinder 15 amp smart charger. Works beautifully on all my various batteries, both lead acid and AGM. He advertises on this site too.
AnswerID:
307469
Reply By: neil&brenda - Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 20:44
Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008 at 20:44
There is a large array of battery chargers available today. Most of them will cater for the more popular battery configurations (sealed lead,gel,deep cycle etc.) I suggest a "smart charger" that runs a 3 stage cycle. This will cater for your initial current boost that you are after and once charged, float until you are ready to use it . A set and forget setup is advisable and will also lengthen the life of your batteries. You should be getting a lot longer than 12 months out of your batteries! As for brands, I can only say that the projecta range seems to cater for your needs.
Good hunting
AnswerID:
307584