charger/transformer

Submitted: Friday, Oct 10, 2008 at 16:23

ThreadID: 62431 Views:3434 Replies:4 FollowUps:10

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ross

I need a battery charger for a 100 amp deep cycle battery and I also need a 240/12v transformer to run an 80 litre Wacko.

Calibre have one that is a charger and a 20 amp power source with variable voltage.

Anyone see why this wouldnt work?

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Reply By: Member - Troll 81 (QLD) - Saturday, Oct 11, 2008 at 03:50

Saturday, Oct 11, 2008 at 03:50

What does the charger charge at?

AnswerID: 329309

Follow Up By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Saturday, Oct 11, 2008 at 10:33

Saturday, Oct 11, 2008 at 10:33

Why not email Derek on here and ask him if hes got anything

Calibre is a Snoopercheap house brand isnt it

I would be looking for a better known better quality make if it was me.

FollowupID: 596698

Follow Up By: ross - Saturday, Oct 11, 2008 at 11:40

Saturday, Oct 11, 2008 at 11:40

Troll 81. Im not electrically literate. If you mean amps when charging ,I think its 20 Amps.

It has a separate power source for running things off

FollowupID: 596700

Follow Up By: ross - Saturday, Oct 11, 2008 at 11:47

Saturday, Oct 11, 2008 at 11:47

Graham,I honestly dont know about Calibre but I think its unfair to say everything SC sell is rubbish.

All the chargers I have looked at recently are made in China so its a minefield which ever way you go.

The Wacko transformers are $140 or so Im told and have a 12month lifespan with heavy use.
It cant be too hard to beat that

FollowupID: 596701

Follow Up By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Saturday, Oct 11, 2008 at 11:55

Saturday, Oct 11, 2008 at 11:55

Wasnt meaning it was rubbish just that housebrands tend to be

not as good a quality as the better known purpose built stuff.

I dont mind what anyone buys but was just voicing an opinion

FollowupID: 596704

Follow Up By: ross - Saturday, Oct 11, 2008 at 20:51

Saturday, Oct 11, 2008 at 20:51

Yes, I know what you mean regarding plain brands etc.
I dont mind paying for quality if you know you are getting it for certain.
The trouble is you can go to small specialist shops and pay twice as much for the same gear you can get at the big chains

I had a look around this morning and a few of the big auto/campng/fishing chains are stocking the Calibre brand,so fingers crossed.

FollowupID: 596769

Follow Up By: kiwicol - Saturday, Oct 11, 2008 at 21:31

Saturday, Oct 11, 2008 at 21:31

Hi Ross, i have a waco transformer running an explorer fridge freezer, it has been operating non stop for more than 8 plus years and has never let me down, i have never heard that the transformer has a life of 12 months, and nothing in the waco manual says anything about 12 mths. Col

FollowupID: 596782

Follow Up By: ross - Monday, Oct 13, 2008 at 02:47

Monday, Oct 13, 2008 at 02:47

There is nothing in the manual that says the transformer is only good for 12 months.
I got the advice from someone who sells caravans ,campers and he says he sees dead ones all the time.
As with most products,you get a bad apples in the bunch,but the impression I get from people in the industry is that they have an high failure rate.

Someitmes electrical products last longer with constant use and its the infrequent use that can be the real test of longevity

FollowupID: 597040

Reply By: Mike Harding - Saturday, Oct 11, 2008 at 14:38

Saturday, Oct 11, 2008 at 14:38

Despite what you will read on this and other four wheel drive, caravan and camping forums etc charging a lead acid battery, be it wet cell, gell or AGM, is not a complex process and does not require an expensive microprocessor controlled charger. The people who perpetrate such misinformation are, usually, either sellers of such equipment or buyers of same who have invested their money and egos in the product.

A 20 amp power supply which has a variable voltage of 10V to 15V is quite adequate for the task although you will have to provide a little human intervention to ensure things stay on course.

If the power supply is not current limited you will need to ensure the initial charge current is limited when you connect it to a flat battery, there are two way of doing this: place a 0R47 5W resistor in series with the charging circuit or ensure the output voltage of the power is set to be just a fraction above that of the flat battery and monitor the current flowing into the battery. This process is only necessary for about the first hour of charging after that time the battery will have obtained sufficient charge to be able to regulate it’s own current.

If the power supply is current limited just set its voltage to 13V8 and connect it to the battery. NB. Ensure the power supply is switched on before connecting it. With batteries much smaller than 100Ah it would be best to limit the maximum charging current to (say) 10 amps but it’s not critical.

To determine when the battery is fully charged either monitor the charging current or leave the charger connected for 24 hours. If monitoring the current; full charge is reached when there is no significant change in the charging current over a period of two hours.

Mike Harding

mike_harding@fastmail.fm

AnswerID: 329347

Follow Up By: ross - Saturday, Oct 11, 2008 at 20:42

Saturday, Oct 11, 2008 at 20:42

Thanks for that Mike.
I agree you dont rocket science to charge a battery.
I have been using a 22 yo NZ made charger bought from SC's predecessor here and have probably done over a 150 charges for family and friends and it worked well for a 4 amp unit.
But its showing signs of age,so I might let my dad have it back.
I borrowed it circa 1990 LOL

I bought the Calibre and have been running the Wacko 80 on it all day from the DC power supply side.
It has a switch to flip it over to charge.

My main concern was the W80 fridge I got with a camper I bought.
I was assured it worked but I had no way to check it until today.
And its working great : )

The charger/power supply is a 10 amp,I must have got 20 amps from another I looked at.
From reading the instructuons and an inspection of the external quality ,I am happy with it so far.

Could you charge a battery on the DC power supply side and use the voltage adjustment or is it better to use the charging side with it pre set at 14.7v?

I dont have a deep cycle battery any more but have one coming soon and will be eager to test it.

Thanks again and I will keep your information for the commissioning of the new battery.

Ross

FollowupID: 596765

Reply By: kiwicol - Saturday, Oct 11, 2008 at 21:20

Saturday, Oct 11, 2008 at 21:20

Ditch the deep cycle and get a good start battery with a good reserve capacity, made in austarlia. Waco make the best transformer to run the fridge off 240volts . size of the fridge has nothing to do with the size of the transformer, solar panel, or any other power supply . Col

AnswerID: 329396

Follow Up By: ross - Monday, Oct 13, 2008 at 02:40

Monday, Oct 13, 2008 at 02:40

Why ditch the deep cycle?
They are designed to be recharged and dribble out power slowly.
Its my understanding they have thicker plates to handle this type of usage.
Start batteries are designed to deliver heavy load for short periods

I wish I hadnt of sold the deep cycle I had(aussie made Delcor I think).
I recharged it over 30 times and it always come back up to 13.85v.

The guy at the store that sells the WACKO transformer says they have many returns.
I have a dead Wacko that is only 12 months old.

FollowupID: 597038

Reply By: Axel [ the real one ] - Monday, Oct 13, 2008 at 10:11

Monday, Oct 13, 2008 at 10:11

A Ctec 7 is the ducks for the application you are proposing , perfect for charging 100 amp to 200 amp of batteries and also has a dedicated 13.8v power supply setting that a 80lt Waeco loves. Have been using same for somewhere round 4+ yrs ever since the original and then the replacement Mobitronics power supply "died", 1st at 11mths and 2nd at 14mths .

AnswerID: 329626