"smart" charger?

David M

David M

New member
I am putting together a poor man's ups ( deep cycle batteries, inverter, and charger). I have read of the "smart" charger that will top off the batteries as needed without cooking them but have no clue where to find one. Anyone have any product info like a manufacturer, model number or source to buy one?
 
I have a battery tender that does just this, but it is only a 1.5 amp charger, so likely won't be able to keep the batteries charged if you are running anything big off them constantly.
 
Got a brand name or source? I'm just going to run airpumps with it, about 100 watts . Less than one amp.
 
I work at the local motorcyle dealer and we sell these 800mA Tenders made by Yuasa. They cost about $30. I do believe walmart sells an equivalent for around $25 but you don't want to know what I think about walmart products. Cheers
 
I just looked at those at a Pep Boys :) The 800 ma was $39 and the 1.25 A was $69. I'll wait to see what else is available.
 
Any charger that has an auto shutoff to prevent overcharging should suffice. You probably want one that will fast charge at say 8A then switch to 2A, then to trickle or OFF. Brand name is not nec, and should be roughly $30-40.

Plz dont shop at the "Evil W" :)

HTH
 
With all due respect, "what h20" said is not at all consistent with anything I have learned so far about battery life and conservation. Sure it works, I had makeshift UPS systems like that with automobile chargers in St Thomas. The problem is battery life, those chargers that overcharge and then simply shut off are really rough on the batteries, which tend to be the most costly component of the system. I'd much rather spend an extra $50-$60 on the charge circuit than have to regularily replace five or six $100 batteries :rolleyes:
 
sorry for the short response and actually i totally ignored the $ line

i was focused on You probably want one that will fast charge at say 8A then switch to 2A, then to trickle or OFF though float would be better than off. both gateway electronics, and that one over by octopus gardens should have several to choose from.
 
I went to Gateway yesterday, they have the components necessary to build one but sent me looking at auto parts stores for a complete unit, in their opinion it would make more sense than building. I didn't even think of Grainger, good idea. I'll check today :D
 
smart chager = high amp charging till 75 percent. then slow charge to 100 then 'float' charge ( maintains it at 13 volts for a 12 volt battery)
look at westmarine.com
 
David batteries are only good for about 18 months anyway (regardless of their charge/discharge history). At the 18 month point they begin a pretty steep nose dive. The decay is akin to a half life and by 30-36 months most people become rudely aware of the problem because the cells refuse to work at all. Of course a good charger and battery maintenance can help get the best of the 18-36 months period by reducing crytalization and warping of the plates.

Bean
 
David,
Not sure what you mean by "hard on the batteries".
This is the purpose of buying a charger of this type, so that it will shut off BEFORE overcharging the batteries. It will sense the voltage and if it is very low will fast charge then progressively switch to lower amperage to top it off.
To boot, most chargers can be manually set at a certain amp rating if you did not want to charge that fast (or buy a smaller charger)
I was simply recommending the same types of chargers as the posts above mine.

If I am mistaken, please point me to a link that sheds more light on this.
 
Get the deep cycle Optima batteries and charge with a current limited power supply or charger that has a voltage float of 13.2V and you'll get 5 yrs out of the battery- assuming that you're just using it for a UPS.

I would not recommend using a battery charger that pulses current as a float. This will most likely damage the battery if left alone for too long. I've designed 3 stage chargers using SLA batteries that have been in the field for 4-5 yrs before replacement.
 
I wasn't trying to critisize, I'm just learning here and parroting back what I'm reading. Sorry if I offended.

"BatteryMINDer Charger/Maintainer/Desulphator-Conditionerâ€"œCharges, maintains, and conditions all types of 12 volt batteries. Two, Four or Eight amps of available charge current combined with a unique patented PulseMode circuitry that restores older batteries that are noticeably declining in performance caused by sulphation. This is an excellent unit for all sizes and types of lead acid batteries up to 200% faster charging than conventional constant voltage chargers. For use in long term battery storage/maintenance mode, will not overcharge batteries.

The BatteryMINDer is a 3-stage charger/maintainer/desulphator-conditioner that extends performance and life of all types of 12 Volt lead acid batteries"

Another product:

"The Float / Maintenance function maintains batteries at proper storage voltage without the damaging effects caused by trickled chargers."

Maybe it's all just advertising hype? I think the point the manufactures are trying to make is that there is more to it than just charge or not charge where battery life/ condition is concerned, but like I say I don't know and that's why I started this thread in the first place . :D
 
older chargers did not progressively drop instead either never droped and relied on you to unplug(or a timer), or droped in big jumps, often passing the point where they should be shut down neither are good for long term use.
 
xrunner... we usualy agreee 100%... but 4-5 year cell life? I am not saying that they will not hold a charge after 3 years... but they sure will have a degraded capacity :( If battery arrays lasted 5 years the entire UPS industry would be jumping for joy (or at least the end users).

Again... I am not saying that cells can't last that long.. but in real world installations 18 months is the usual lifespans that the cells will meet the published cycle times and 36 months is usually the point at which the cell becomes a liability. BTW, most plaes I know use SLA/AGM type cells... but a few still use wet cells to get that last bit of performance out of them (though I don't agree due to the HUGE maintenance costs).
 
Bean...Yes, we almost always agree.
I'm talking about the deep discharge marine (I think golf cart batteries are the same also). They have excellent life and
if charged with a low float should last for 5 yrs. Now this is assuming room temp, and not discharged often. If this is incorrect, please let me know.

Look at car batteries. Mine usually last for 2-3 years max and that is in a 60C, cyclical (starting) environment.
 
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