Portable battery charger

What brought me to looking for a better battery charger is my RV hardly ever gets plugged in. Last time it was plugged in was this spring when I pulled it out for the season and put the batteries back in place then hooked up the 200 watt solar system. So for 5 months the batteries have been charged by the solar which when using the RV I set to 14.8 volts, a couple days after returning from a trip I turn the solar down to 13.8 volts. Thinking back at my volt meter readings I hardly ever see anything over 14 volts and when the solar is putting in 14+ volts its never for very long. Most the time after it gets dark my volt meter reads 12.4 to 12.5 volts and drops to 12.3 rather fast.

This past weekend I installed a volt meter on a buddies new trailer the second day of the trip and noticed his batteries were reading 12.5 after a light night of use. The next morning his batteries were at 12.3. Same size batteries as mine and no charging. This got me thinking about my batteries and if they were really getting a full charge. After research and reading posts here I would say they are not getting a full charge and there is very little bulk charging going on.

So if I keep going the way I'm going I can see that I need to charge the batteries every once in a while not to mention the boat batteries that never see the trailer.

I value this forum for educational purposes. A reader can gain accurate information then make an intelligent decision based on experience and obvious wisdom. There just is not one single system that works for everyone. Weighing the pluses and minuses, sleeping on it then committing to a plan is almost infallible.

BTW the front panel of The BORG got shot with two coats of bed liner this morning. I am going to sub assemble and wire it so when I get my hands on the second power supply final assembly should not take that long and then I will have the battery charger that's right for me. With the horrible internet connectivity here, NinerBikes kindly offered to receive the images of the sub assembly and post them here. Be glad to answer questions :)

My preference is to let the generator do my bulk charging, short and sweet, quick and dirty, with the generator, and the solar panel can do the top charge last 10-15% the rest of the day while the sun is shining. Let each system do what it does best, and most efficiently, for charging purposes. Bulk is bulk, run it hard and fast, get 'er done, get that generator turned off ASAP, then let mother nature and solar panels take care of the gentle portion or cycle of the battery charging regime, the top charge. Let the two systems do what they do best, a gas generator off the grid is not efficient top charging... never has been, never will be. Solar or on the grid is good for top charging.

That is some of the best info yet! Could not have said it better myself.

MM49 wrote:
I answered the OP's question
MM49

And the OP asked you to stop

smkettner wrote:
I would like to see a voltage-current graph and end of absorption hydrometer reading before I call anything bad on this CTEK 25000.
Even if charging 600+ amp/hrs.

For the money, I'd put a 14.7V jumper cabled Iota 30 DLS up against this with IQ4 pendant, as doing a better job, if the job consists of daily recharging while dry camping for anything longer than a weekend.

Is the Iota Smart? Not really, but it does have the proper 14.7V voltage for flooded lead acid batteries that most run around here to get the bulk charging done in an efficient, timely manner .while sucking down expensive gasoline or propane in a generator.

My preference is to let the generator do my bulk charging, short and sweet, quick and dirty, with the generator, and the solar panel can do the top charge last 10-15% the rest of the day while the sun is shining. Let each system do what it does best, and most efficiently, for charging purposes. Bulk is bulk, run it hard and fast, get 'er done, get that generator turned off ASAP, then let mother nature and solar panels take care of the gentle portion or cycle of the battery charging regime, the top charge. Let the two systems do what they do best, a gas generator off the grid is not efficient top charging... never has been, never will be. Solar or on the grid is good for top charging.

MM49 wrote:

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Cannot connect. Rotten internet. From Niner's post I can tell you this thing is a joke. Try finding those patent numbers like I chased down the phony Underwriters Laboratory numbers off of Chinese garbage. Eighteen patents today would cost around three million dollars. I went ALL THE WAY THROUGH THAT FUNAROUND IN 1990. The attorney alone charged me sixteen thousand dollars. You are looking at something that smells like week old carp. Chase down those numbers. I've got sore feet from too many BS snipe hunts. Welcome to the 21st century with no Federal Trade Commission. In a couple of month Ron Popiel RONCO will be hawking them on the Shopping Channel. 18 patents my a$$.

Talk is cheap, your talk is cheaper than most. CTEK is industry leader in high quality battery chargers. Your flowery talk doesn’t hold water.
MM49

Pop that 2500, er, 25000 open and take some pictures of the inside guts of it, and then lets talk. We have enough EE's around here to cut through the snark and poop to see what it is really made of.


You might want to do it in your own new thread. Thread fapping is considered bad form.

JohnnyG1: From website.. NOCO Genius G7200 Smart Battery Charger
Ideal for charging and maintaining most 12V and 24V battery capacities from 14-230Ah@ 7.2 amps..

230 amp/hour equates to one battery for most situations. Put it back in the box!

From of of the dialogue here you should be able to determine you need something to shake up the plates with a "boil" and 7 amps will not get there.

Lot's of good info above to make a decision.

I learned that after two cheesey Canadian Tire chargers that they were not big enough to do any good.. The larger putting out 20 amps. it was never enough to shake thinsg up. Only after I got a 60 amp model did my batteries come alive.

check my original post for my experience..
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/28488801.cfm

MM49 wrote:

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Cannot connect. Rotten internet. From Niner's post I can tell you this thing is a joke. Try finding those patent numbers like I chased down the phony Underwriters Laboratory numbers off of Chinese garbage. Eighteen patents today would cost around three million dollars. I went ALL THE WAY THROUGH THAT FUNAROUND IN 1990. The attorney alone charged me sixteen thousand dollars. You are looking at something that smells like week old carp. Chase down those numbers. I've got sore feet from too many BS snipe hunts. Welcome to the 21st century with no Federal Trade Commission. In a couple of month Ron Popiel RONCO will be hawking them on the Shopping Channel. 18 patents my a$$.

Talk is cheap, your talk is cheaper than most. CTEK is industry leader in high quality battery chargers. Your flowery talk doesn’t hold water.
MM49

Dude give it a rest, you guys have p***** away a perfectly good thread because you got your feelings hurt. If you would read old posts and get some idea who is who around here you will see that some of these old cranky gray hairs have just a little experience in these things and just might know a thing or two. I'm sure it hurts your pride to realize you wasted money on a subpar item but instead of sucking it up you have to walk around with your chest puffed out yelling about how stupid the other guy is. Maybe if you would sit down, shut up and listen you might learn a thing or two instead of muddying up a post with your school yard shenanigans.

Thanks for the help to the guys that have posted great info.

OVERHEATING PROTECTION
The MULTI US 25000 is equipped with overheating protection. In high ambient temperatures
the output power is reduced. Do not cover the charger.


BATTERY CABLES
MULTI US 25000 is equipped with a set of battery cables with battery terminal clips. Do
not shorten the battery cables.


TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION
MULTI US 25000 has a sensor cable placed together with the battery cables. The unit will
automatically adjust the charging voltage if the temperature deviates from +77°F. A high
temperature lowers the voltage and freezing conditions is handled by higher voltage.
The temperature is best measured on or very close to the battery. Therefore always place
the sensor as close to the battery as possible when charging. The sensor cable could be
prolonged or cut to length with the same functionality. A short-circuited or disconnected
sensor is indicated by lamp A. The charging voltage will then be 14.4V.


MAINTENANCE
The MULTI US 25000 is maintenance-free. The charger must not be opened; doing so
will invalidate the warranty. If the power cable is damaged it must be replaced by CTEK or
its authorized representative. The charger casing can be cleaned using a damp cloth and
mild cleaning agent. Remove the plug from the power socket before cleaning.
14 • US


LIMITED WARRANTY
CTEK Power Inc, 2374 Edison Blvd, Twinsburg, OH 44087-2376, USA issues this limited
warranty to the original purchaser of this product. This limited warranty is not transferable.
CTEK Power Inc warrants this unit for 2 years from the date of purchase against defect
workmanship or material. It is the obligation of the purchaser to forward the unit together
with proof of purchase to the manufacturer or its representative with transportation cost
prepaid. This warranty is void if the unit is abused, handled carelessly or repaired by anyone
other than CTEK Power Inc or its authorized representative. CTEK Power Inc makes
no warranty other than this limited warranty and expressly excludes any implied warranty
including any warranty for consequential damages. This is the only expressed limited
warranty and CTEK Power Inc neither assumes nor authorizes anyone to assume or make
any other obligation towards the product other than this limited warranty.
CTEK Power Inc.
2374 Edison Blvd
Twinsburg, OH 44087-2376
USA
Fax: + 1 330 963 0982
www.ctek.com