Battery Chargers

[T_Diesel]

I've been overwhelmed by information when it comes to battery chargers.

All I want is a charger that will plug into the wall or draw current from a solar on the the roof of the garage that will keep my aux batteries charged when the 4wd isn't being used.

Can you get a device that charges three batteries at the same time?

Anyone got any reccomendations?

[-Scott-]

If all you're interested in is "float" charging, and all the batteries are conventional lead acid chemistry (i.e. not "calcium" batteries) then any simple single stage voltage regulated float charger will keep three batteries charged. Just simply connect them in parallel.

[drivesafe]

Hi Scott, it actually doesn’t make any difference whether the batteries are Calcium/Calcium or not, a float charge is a float charge.

T_Diesel, if you have solar available, why not use a simple and cheap solar regulator and connect the solar via the reg to your batteries. Any half decent sized solar panel will easily maintain 3 batteries and they can be wired in parallel so all the batteries are maintained simultaneously.

[suggy126]

Be careful if te batteries are different capacities, if they are they won't like sharing a charger. You're best bet might be to buy three small maintanence chargers, one for each battery. Or one good quality charger and swap it between batteries once a week something, basically giving them a good charge one week in 3.

[tektrek]

Diesel, look me up at the Swap Meet on the 14th at the All Wheel Drive Club display. Ask for Evan - el president!

I will have chargers there and can advise about solar charging as I lecture in both fields.

[-Scott-]

Be careful if te batteries are different capacities, if they are they won't like sharing a charger.

No. This is an internet myth, perpetrated as "fact" by people who don't understand charging batteries.

We're talking about float charging lead acid batteries. As long as they're all the same voltage, they can be connected in parallel.

It's only once you start "fast charging" (with multi-stage chargers) that you need to be very careful about connecting batteries in parallel. This is NOT what we're talking about in this thread.

[JustinW]

Just a tip with charging batteries in parrallel, even with maintainence or float chargers.

If the batteries are parralleled connect postive on the charger to the postive post on the first battery and negative on the charger to the negative post on the last battery.

This will help create an even charge across all cells of the battery and stop the first from over chargering, and the last from undercharging.

cheers,

Justin

[-Scott-]

Just a tip with charging batteries in parrallel, even with maintainence or float chargers.

If the batteries are parralleled connect postive on the charger to the postive post on the first battery and negative on the charger to the negative post on the last battery.

This will help create an even charge across all cells of the battery and stop the first from over chargering, and the last from undercharging.

cheers,

Justin

While this will help during charging at higher currents it will make no difference with a float charge.

When float charging, once the batteries are fully charged, there is negligible current flow - so there's no voltage drop anywhere, and it doesn't matter which order things are connected.

If you can connect as mentioned above, by all means do it. It won't hurt. But don't become concerned if it is difficult to achieve; it won't hurt if you don't do it.

[brissle]

what scott said, spot on