Simultaneous charging dis-similar batterys..
Submitted: Thursday, Jun 11, 2009 at 15:06
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Member -Signman
Just been to the Auto Elec to get the battery and alternator output checked before our next trip.
I noted on a bench, 5 batterys all of different sizes/conditions being charged simultaneously off a single charger. It was one of those old VANE brand things, with a transformer as big as a house brick !!
I daren't not ask him about the practice- as I reckon he'd know more about battery charging than I'll ever know !!
The ole fella has been there for yonks (even still has a pounds /shillings/pence cash register).
So is there some new theory in battery charging that wasn't around 40+ years ago?? that specifys batterys charged in parallel must be of equal capacity and type??
Reply By: Member - Mike DID - Thursday, Jun 11, 2009 at 18:44
Thursday, Jun 11, 2009 at 18:44
Despite all the Marketing hype, must Battery Isolators simply connect the Auxiliary Battery directly in parallel with the Starter Battery - there is simply no regulation of current into either battery.
This works because Lead Acid batteries are self-regulating in normal circumstances - i.e. if they are not heavily discharged, temperatures are in a normal range and they are not left on for days.
You cannot charge batteries in parallel of they have different charge voltages e.g conventional Lead Acid in parallel with Calcium-Calcium batteries.
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Reply By: Nomadic Navara - Thursday, Jun 11, 2009 at 22:46
Thursday, Jun 11, 2009 at 22:46
There is not much problem with charging mixed type batteries in parallel from a vehicle alternator - the big problem is leaving them connected in parallel without the alternator running.
There is nothing new about using one of the older Vane chargers to charge many dissimilar batteries. They operated the batteries in series and controlled the current so as not to charge the lowest capacity too quickly. Whilst charging they monitored the batteries with a hydrometer to
check when to disconnect them. You would walk into the local garage and see a few 6 V and 2 V batteries on the charger and occasionally a 12 V one as
well. (The 2 V batteries were used to supply the cathodes/heaters in the old console battery radios.)
PeterD
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