mena661 wrote:
With my Iota seemingly on the fritz, I'm thinking about replacing it with an 80A version (Model S-1200-12) of my MeanWell from http://www.12voltpowersupplies.us. I've never done a fully manual charge before so I'd figure I'd ask here first. A couple things I'm confused on here is one, when do I know the batteries are ready for absorption? Does the absorb phase start when battery voltage reaches the chargers bulk voltage? How long do you hold absorb? Till amps start tapering? Thanks much.
You know the batts are ready to start absorption when they start doing that! :) ie when amps start tapering as the battery voltage reaches the charger's voltage. Just pick a charger voltage (Vabs ) and let it run.
You hold absorb for as long as you want depending on what SOC you are trying to reach. Longest would be when amps stop flowing, then drop to your Float. Most converters and automatic chargers stop absorption at about 97% SOC. The converters then stay on but drop to Float, while the chargers just shut down leaving the batts at 97% which they lie about, saying that is "full" (Strangely so does Trimetric have that same notion of "full" so beware)
My modified PM3-100 is like that now. I set it for 14.8v Vabs. It runs the batts up to that and then stays there as long as it is plugged in while the amps then taper. If I left it on it would be still doing 14.8 forever with the batts full so I have to unplug it at some point of my chosing.
Boatand rv had/has some older PM3-100s going real cheap compared with Randy's PM4s so if all you want is a 100amper that acts like my mod one, you can make your own same as I did. I don't know what the charger in the OP costs. Note the PM-100 is PF corrected if that matters to your gen.
The classic manual charger has no setting for Vabs, it just keeps running the battery voltage up till it can't get it any higher. You have to be watching to make sure that voltage does not get too high. To distinguish them from that, there are "automatic" chargers which just shut off when battery voltage reaches a certain level, say 14.3v.
