Mains charger problem ?

[PaulRainbow]

Another thing I would be doing is trying the charger at (or at least near) its full rated load.
Load the battery with a bunch of car headlight bulbs or other plain old linear load, then see if the charger can balance that.

I've been trying to get the OP to load test the charger since post #21. This is why i asked him to apply some loads and note the current draw from the batteries, then try the same loads with the batteries disconnected and the charger in power supply mode. It should supply the correct current with the batteries disconnected.

Thanks for feedback
I’ve had a kind offer to test my charger on a test rig (from Harbour Marine Services at Southwold) so I’ll take them up on that and report back the results

Julian

All you need to do is to apply some known loads and see if the charger will keep up with those loads. This is why a suggested to apply some loads and not the current draw, you then have some accurate load figures. If the then use the charger in power supply mode (batteries disconnected) the charger should match the loads, if it doesn't it's not working correctly.

 

[matthewriches]

Charger is in the post sorry took so long but have a bench full of electrical items in varying states of disrepair! Output was within manufacturers technical spec but not 100% stable and thermal imaging camera was showing a few choice components to replace. Scope now shows it is stable after about 36 hours of testing. Will need to keep an eye on it incase quick component degradation.

Batteries will need a good inspection to ensure there is nothing untoward there as the charger was not technically "broken", although it was giving a dirty DC feed.