What is a “converter”?

One of my automatic battery chargers has "SUPPLY" mode who will hold the voltage for powering stuff.
I guess this makes the charger a converter when used in this mode.

Some "converters" are just simple-minded voltage converters (24VDC->12VDC) that lack the technology to *properly* monitor and charge a battery.

Most if not all "chargers", in addition to possibly converting voltages up or down, know how to monitor a battery's charge level and apply the appropriate bulk, absorb, float and maintenance charges.

It does seem many 120VAC->12VDC products are just called "converters" even though they have battery charging smarts too. And in the case of my Progressive Dynamics Inc. "converter with charge wizard", it can safely power things WITHOUT a battery.

The upshot, the terminology is not 100% standard, and I'd say you need to make sure the specs call out battery charging if that's one of the things you want.

--tg

jimh425 wrote:

toedtoes wrote:
Sheesh. You guys need to get out more. Really, arguing if a converter is actually a converter?? ;)

We really need the ability to like a post. ;)

I like both of these posts! :)

Primary purpose of a converter is to supply 12v to RV from 120v AC shore power.
An inverter creates 12v AC from 12v DC.

toedtoes wrote:
Sheesh. You guys need to get out more. Really, arguing if a converter is actually a converter?? ;)

We really need the ability to like a post. ;)

Sheesh. You guys need to get out more. Really, arguing if a converter is actually a converter?? ;)

I dont like the term battery charger for the converter. If i dont have a battery I plug in my converter and the DC stuff works. Saying its a battery charger implies i have a battery in the system or that the converter is only used for one thing. My converter has fuses for multiple things. I dont have a battery charger that does that.

Additional note, when RV converters and battery chargers might be consider identical twins, most of the time they are not.
All RV converters I had , supply above 14.5V, what on long run boils the battery dry.

English language is famous for words multi-meaning, but for me this case is easy.
Conversion is changing the same parameter to different value.
Like transformer is converting 1 AC voltage to another, who later can be "straighten" by diodes to simulated DC, what makes RV converter.
Inverter changes DC to AC, so this is new invention.
Battery charger is multi-task device, where converter is part of it.