Batteries with single-stage charger
Our newly acquired TC has a single-stage charger that I plan to upgrade. It operates at 13.5 or 13.6 volts. How long can this charger operate without risking damage to the batteries?
Forum Discussion
Most chargers that claim to be 3 or 4 stage are really nothing more than a standard charger with a float mode. They start out trying to put something like 14.7V across the battery terminals, but are usually current limited so the voltage slowly rises while the current stays constant. Manufactures call this stage 1. Once the battery is charged enough that the charger max current can raise it to that 14.7V, then the current begins to slowly decrease. Manufacturers call this stage 2. In reality though, what the charger is doing is exactly what a fixed voltage DC power supply will do,and there is nothing special about either one of these “stages”.
When the current being drawn by the battery drops to about one Amp, then the charger actually does something smart. It reduces the output voltage to a little over 13V, which is below the point where most gassing occurs. This stage keeps the battery topped off without causing it to vent or go dry quickly. Some chargers shut down and check the battery periodically after a period of time.
When the current being drawn by the battery drops to about one Amp, then the charger actually does something smart. It reduces the output voltage to a little over 13V, which is below the point where most gassing occurs. This stage keeps the battery topped off without causing it to vent or go dry quickly. Some chargers shut down and check the battery periodically after a period of time.
