Very Inexpensive Battery Maintenance Charger
1.0 ampere output. 13.8 volts regulated charge limit. This unit is good for 100 amp hours worth of batteries. IMO the voltage is a tad high for a high antimony RV battery with temps 60F or higher but ...
Forum Discussion
No worries. At 13.75 current flow is seven milliamps. This and the zero Delta T temperature differential satisfies me the battery is near in-stasis. I kept a group 31 flooded at 13.82 volts for FIVE YEARS at 30C and it never needed one drop of water. It finally went to work in an outboard motor and at last report, for two years it has been performing to the satisfaction of the owner.
"Forum" opinions and my opinion about voltages seem to differ. That's fine and dandy. BTW the "secret" to the Lifeline is careful construction with top quality materials, not uranium u-249 or Super XV Osmium Hexachloride plate additive. ZERO antimony in the plates of an AGM allows a higher operating voltage, same as with lead calcium. .115" positive plates allows me to be a bit flagrant - sort of a little advantage over an AGM with .060" plates.
And no one said including me the Lifeline was going to spend 24/7/365 at 13.75
That's why the WFCO has a 20 amp toggle switch. With it's 1% month self discharge, it's going to get periodic rests. But for the first 30 days, until the 10th of November, it's full-on float. I STRONGLY disagree with maintaining this or any other AGM at a 13.2 volt float setting. I have seen far too many five thousand dollar AGM banks lose capacity after sitting on float for a year or two on shore power at a dock. Because of lower impedance the Lifeline can probably survive longer at 13.2 volts than lesser absorbed glass mat batteries. That is not what I seek. I seek maximum kWh per dollar performance, as weighed against hours of usage. More than likely I know what I am doing...
"Forum" opinions and my opinion about voltages seem to differ. That's fine and dandy. BTW the "secret" to the Lifeline is careful construction with top quality materials, not uranium u-249 or Super XV Osmium Hexachloride plate additive. ZERO antimony in the plates of an AGM allows a higher operating voltage, same as with lead calcium. .115" positive plates allows me to be a bit flagrant - sort of a little advantage over an AGM with .060" plates.
And no one said including me the Lifeline was going to spend 24/7/365 at 13.75
That's why the WFCO has a 20 amp toggle switch. With it's 1% month self discharge, it's going to get periodic rests. But for the first 30 days, until the 10th of November, it's full-on float. I STRONGLY disagree with maintaining this or any other AGM at a 13.2 volt float setting. I have seen far too many five thousand dollar AGM banks lose capacity after sitting on float for a year or two on shore power at a dock. Because of lower impedance the Lifeline can probably survive longer at 13.2 volts than lesser absorbed glass mat batteries. That is not what I seek. I seek maximum kWh per dollar performance, as weighed against hours of usage. More than likely I know what I am doing...
