Posts: 2753
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Joe- sounds like you've settled on a good choice for your needs.
A word of caution- I forgot to add in my previous post. The bulk charging current (charger amp rating) also should be no less than 5% of the battery AH rating. So if we use the same 105AH battery as an example; the charger current should not be greater than ~21A, or less than ~5A. Some folks think giving the battery a long slow charge is good, f. ex. using a 2A setting on a 105AH battery. That's wrong! It can also damage the battery, i.e., to long of a recharge time.
There are all kinds of ways to kill a battery, i.e., "That battery just didn't die, it was murdered!"
Another good feature to have in your charger is: "Ambient temperature compensation". Lead-acid batteries are typically rated for 77 deg. F. , i.e., that's where the manufacturer specifies the AH capacity and the recharge voltages (float or equalize as appropriate). Temperature compensation automatically lowers the charger output voltage as the ambient temperature goes higher. Really high-end chargers have a temperature probe that you actually place on the battery. However, generic ambient temperature compensation is sufficient for our typical application.
Have fun!
Al |
