Darryl Ramm@darryl_ramm@hachyderm.io
@KrajciTom@universeodon.com
I would not mess around with this. I'd not bother about small differences in float voltage... and fancy chargers might temp compensate that anyhow.
Given the limitations of a float only charger I'd likely toss this and get one capable of doing bulk as well as float charge. Like the one I have: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FRLO9Y
Which will do 7A constant current charging... handy if needing to get a flattish battery charged again (although these and many other modern chargers will not charge a super-discharged battery (~<2V in this case)). I like that charger but have not characterized it's charge cycles/performance, but you don't need all the over the top fancy feature claims.
What is this for? For your car in the garage over winter?
You charging what battery specs? (what is C and is this VRLA, flooded LA, LiFePO4, etc. does it have a BMC?)
Is there a problem with the batteries?
Have they been checked with a discharged into a load that simulates real world load? Or maybe just ~C/20 discharge rate... since that's the rate used to define the battery marketing capacity. But good battery manufactures will provide discharge curves at multiple constant current loads. Old car headlight or similar make OK "constant current" loads. Yes this is not testing CCA but it's still very useful. Until you do that you don't have a good handle on battery health or what measuring a voltage and guesstimating a SOC from that really means.
TomKrajci 🇺🇦
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@KrajciTom@universeodon.com
@darryl_ramm@hachyderm.io
This is for a variety of lead-acid batteries I have. Smallest is less than 10 amp-hour for the wing rigger, my generator battery, all the way up to the truck battery.
I have not characterized them well, but I have done some evaluation of them under appropriate load.
My ancient charger has no brains, so it can't handle everything I require of it. Newer ones have more modes/options.
I want to be ready as I get the glider ready for flight testing, and winter is coming. A bunch of lead-acid batteries need to be healthy and ready.
The FES batteries are lithium and have their own special charger and battery management system.
I'll do some shopping for a new charger, but I may still tweak this old one, but only a little bit.