A question about Top Charging?
To be clear, I am referring to the high voltage charging on already near full batts; NOT "absorption", "finishing", "top", etc., all terms used to refer to 80-97% charging. ??? When setting the cha...
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Your questions have a lot of merit IMO.
Top charging is definitely not merely the application of 15 volts with a large charger. It is a process where 5% of amp hour rating is applied initially to an otherwise "fully charged" flooded battery but unlike equalization the 5% amperage figure can slump as voltage rises. Finish amperage as the battery approaches 15.0 volts can be as low as one ampere. A five ampere 18 volt transformer type wall wort should be ideal for this but they do not grow on trees. An 18 volt power supply used for outdoor lawn care is AC so it would have to have a 5 amp silicon rectifier soldered into one lead. The place that sells CheapOWatts also sells variants that are smaller and cost less. They must not be used for any charging that exceeds their wattage rating. ie. 15 volts at 5 amperes is 75 watts. Used intelligently these diminutive power supplies may be ideal. Starting at 13.2 volts surface charge, this IMO is a viable option. A Schumacher 6 amp transformer charger is also ideal. More expensive but rahter bulletproof.
Top charging is definitely not merely the application of 15 volts with a large charger. It is a process where 5% of amp hour rating is applied initially to an otherwise "fully charged" flooded battery but unlike equalization the 5% amperage figure can slump as voltage rises. Finish amperage as the battery approaches 15.0 volts can be as low as one ampere. A five ampere 18 volt transformer type wall wort should be ideal for this but they do not grow on trees. An 18 volt power supply used for outdoor lawn care is AC so it would have to have a 5 amp silicon rectifier soldered into one lead. The place that sells CheapOWatts also sells variants that are smaller and cost less. They must not be used for any charging that exceeds their wattage rating. ie. 15 volts at 5 amperes is 75 watts. Used intelligently these diminutive power supplies may be ideal. Starting at 13.2 volts surface charge, this IMO is a viable option. A Schumacher 6 amp transformer charger is also ideal. More expensive but rahter bulletproof.
