William_H
Well-Known Member
Battery charging
I disagree with those who say take the regulated charger off the boat. Certainly you could use either the crude battery charger or the regulated PS but not both at once.
The Regulated supply if connected to the batteries (and mains) will present 13.8 volts to the electrical system. This will charge the batteries to a degree depending on the state of charge of the batteries and will also supply any demand on the electrical system. It will in fact function in exactly the same way as engine generators have in cars boats etc for many years. As the charge in the battery rises with no additional drain the charge will taper off to a small amount. Meaning it is safe to leave connected and running 24/7.
I can't help thinking that the boating populous have been blinded by the publicity on stepped chargers to now see them as the only way to charge a battery.
A stepped charger is essentially only a regulated power source where the regulated voltage is adjusted automatically to reflect the state of the charge. So a stepped charger will decrease the voltage on start up so inrush current is not too high then crank up the voltage to get a large charge current in as the battery voltage rises finally returning to low current when charged.
So yes a stepped charger will get more current in more quickly but if you have patience the RPSU described will do quite a reasonably job.
The old crude battery charger has a useful role also. It will push in a largish current regardless of charge state. It may overheat if the battery is completely discharged and if a large charger is used on smaller batteries it can cook the battery as the current will continue even when the battery is fully charged.
It is therefor the best option if you have a limit of say 1 hr at the site where power is available (or don't want to leave it on when you are away) It will push in a good current in that hour compared to the RPSU but is a disaster if you forget to turn it off.
The RPSU and the stepped charger are more fool proof in this regard.
The really useful device is the charge amp meter so you know what is going into the battery.
good luck olewill
I disagree with those who say take the regulated charger off the boat. Certainly you could use either the crude battery charger or the regulated PS but not both at once.
The Regulated supply if connected to the batteries (and mains) will present 13.8 volts to the electrical system. This will charge the batteries to a degree depending on the state of charge of the batteries and will also supply any demand on the electrical system. It will in fact function in exactly the same way as engine generators have in cars boats etc for many years. As the charge in the battery rises with no additional drain the charge will taper off to a small amount. Meaning it is safe to leave connected and running 24/7.
I can't help thinking that the boating populous have been blinded by the publicity on stepped chargers to now see them as the only way to charge a battery.
A stepped charger is essentially only a regulated power source where the regulated voltage is adjusted automatically to reflect the state of the charge. So a stepped charger will decrease the voltage on start up so inrush current is not too high then crank up the voltage to get a large charge current in as the battery voltage rises finally returning to low current when charged.
So yes a stepped charger will get more current in more quickly but if you have patience the RPSU described will do quite a reasonably job.
The old crude battery charger has a useful role also. It will push in a largish current regardless of charge state. It may overheat if the battery is completely discharged and if a large charger is used on smaller batteries it can cook the battery as the current will continue even when the battery is fully charged.
It is therefor the best option if you have a limit of say 1 hr at the site where power is available (or don't want to leave it on when you are away) It will push in a good current in that hour compared to the RPSU but is a disaster if you forget to turn it off.
The RPSU and the stepped charger are more fool proof in this regard.
The really useful device is the charge amp meter so you know what is going into the battery.
good luck olewill
