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sjturbo's avatar
sjturbo
Explorer
Dec 10, 2014

B&D VEC1093DBD vs Mega Watt S-350-12

As some of you know I have a bank of four CR235's in series parallel. And you also know that I have a Mega Watt S-350-12 that I have to top charge them. And that it takes a long time for the batteries to reach even 14.8V, (about 10-12 hrs). My important question is I have found a B&D VEC1093DBD and wondered if I would be better served with it's 40a and higher voltage capabilities than with the Mega Watt? I realize that monitoring the charging is important so I would not intend to set it and forget it initially until I knew it's charging characteristics.
  • I have the time the 40a Vector takes to do a 50-90 on your bank of 470a. ( 6 hours) The charging profile of the VEC is not the same as other current- limited chargers, in that the voltage keeps rising during Absorption so that by the time it gets to 90% SOC the voltage will be about 14.5-14.6. It will reach 14.8 by the time it gets to 97% SOC and shuts off, saying FUL.

    However that 50-90 time will be the same or shorter than another charger that does the classic rise to Vabs of 14.8 and then holds at 14.8 for the entire absorption stage. (ugly graph of VEC vs adjustable PowerMax)

    So your comparison measurement has to be in battery SOC vs time, not by when each gets the batts to 14.8v. Other 40 amp cc/cv chargers should take about the same time as the VEC

    That 6 hours is why, with a 458AH bank, I use 150 amps of chargers and try to get the 50-90 done in 2 hours. Of course you need enough generator to run the 150a and it helps if that is PF corrected so you don't need so much of a generator.

    The VEC can be left alone to do it all including its Equalizing, because it shuts off when it is done. You don't need to babysit it. It has the amps read-out so you can tell when you are down to 5 amps per battery at 90% so you know you are done and can shut off the generator.
  • That is not a top charge if it takes 10 hours to get to 14.8 volts. That is called a bulk charge.

    Use the converter 24 hours. Then the MW should be just doing a top charge the next day.
  • You need BOTH. You're trying to feed a coal-fired locomotive boiler with a teaspoon.

    Hence the reason for my monster BORG charger. When I twist the Intermatic timer dial the sucker goes to work. Ignore the brownout it may cause, the batteries are charging!

    I feed my (on the ground) bank, almost 600 amperes @ 28 volts at times. The same wattage (energy) as 1,200 amperes @ 12 volts.

    Put a TIMER on the Megawatt, so you don't forget. A shut-off timer, not a ding-ding timer.

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