Posts: 2753
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | joe- The rule for recharging sealed-lead acid batteries is that the charging current should not exceed 20% of the ampere hour rating. This means if you have a 105AH AGM deep cycle marine battery, the charging current should not be larger than ~21A. Put this battery on a 75A automotive charger, you will cause damage, including potentially a fire.
Just make sure the max charger rating meets the 20% criteria, and that it has digital control. Better yet if it has setting for each battery type, i.e., wet-cell, absorbant glass mat (AGM), or gell-cell. Then the charger will use the right charging profile for the battery type selected. I also recommend getting a charger with selectable charging currents versus a charger with one fixed current rating, f.ex. 2A, 10A, 15A etc. then you can use it with a variety of battery sizes, etc.
Any of the major manufacturer's are good choices for standalone chargers, i.e., Vector or Schumacher. Of course you get what you pay for. The advantage to standalone chargers versus a permanently installed marine battery charger, is that you can use it for other batteries, i.e., motor cycle, lawn mower, truck, tractor, etc.
The advantage to permanently installed marine chargers is that they are hassle free, i.e., just plug in the power cord. However, they also seem to carry a premium price.
Al |
