Tell Me About Chargers

This is all getting far too technical for me. Last time I had battery troubles was probably thirty or more years ago (apart from on an Aprilia RSV recently, but that was to do with the bike's shonky electrics). Maybe a solar charger is the way forward if you don't have power in the garage..?

 

Don't forget your schottky diode to prevent overnight discharge and a protection circuit against over charge.

 

If you had a volt meter...what would it tell you?
The terminal voltage during charging, off charge?
Not all that useful, unless you can load the battery.

 

The Lidls electronic charger I have now is relatively sophisticated, with functions for car or bike batteries and maintenance, quick charge or pulse charge (for sulphated batteries). It has LEDs to show if it is charging or not. The conventional lead acid battery in my SS that I tried it on was dead and a budget one, so I didn't have much to lose. I was lucky and it paid off, the charger managed to revive the battery and then maintain it nicely, although if left on, the electrolyte level had to be monitored carefully, so now I tend not to just leave it on.
However, prior to this, I had used a really cheap and simple electronic charger and it was this that caused the battery to sulphate. The charger died and somehow managed to drain the battery, causing it to sulphate.
IBM used to have an ad that said that nobody ever got sacked for choosing IBM. Here, Optimate is IBM. Optimate is the more expensive but hopefully safer choice.
When I replace the battery in the 999 I have now, I think I may be inclined to go for an Optimate or maybe a CTek.
I once saw a poster in a shop that said "If you pay too much, you waste some money. If you pay too little, you waste all your money."
There's a lot of truth in that...

 

I have the same Lidl charger and it works well. The first one died but was replaced under warranty with no issues - they didn't even want me to return it. The replacement has been used for a couple of years now and I can't fault it - looks after the batteries in two bikes and two cars and revived a deeply discharged one from my Dad's car too.

 

That's not mine - just an example of a cheap one

 

Does it constantly trickle other than on the test? I would like to know as this is a bad thing (unless you think otherwise)

 

Massively flat out on Air Sourced Heat pump stuff at the moment...
Since people appear to be genuinely interested in this stuff I'll do a quick précis on what's out there and how they work.
What's a good idea and what's not....And I'll touch on the LiPo stuff as well.
I think LiPo is now at the right price that the switch is worth it, especially if you are also about to invest in a battery tender (USA words).
I'll try over Xmas....I normally get really bored.
By the way I don't make or sell battery chargers....but I have designed a few.

 

Glid,

Plainly put, a no frills charger will just charge, and perhaps shut off when it detects the battery is charged.

No problems, and just disconnect when done.

Ctek, optimate etc will cycle the battery for you in order to simulate the discharge cycle, thus the allowing you to keep it constantly connected - in effect they are simulating the battery in constant use.

However if you have a lithium battery then you shouldn't put them through the discharge cycle as then they won't recover until you fool them or shock them into thinking they haven't been flattened.

You can get all elitist about battery chargers, the same way you can get all snobby about only using snap-on when all you of is take your fairings off once a month.

I have used optimate, now I use ctek, but in truth they have both done the same thing and done it equally well.

 

A quick question for Ctek charger users


Which model do you have?

I'll need to get one in order to check its operation.

 

If you want I can lend you one to play with. It's on a US powerlead so you might need a box of tricks or some such as it's on 110v

 

Are they american?
Now this development can lead to some issues.
Do you run it on a linear or a switch mode transformer?
A 240 to 110Volt switch mode transformer could be a small as a plug top.
The most common linear 110vac transformer in the uk would be a yellow plastic box one?
Also known as a site box.

 

I think they're German, it's just my spare charger is an American one. My main charger is for lithium, and from what I can see the only real difference is that it doesn't have the desulphate cycling which regular lead acid batteries have. Either way the offer's there if you want it.

I had planned to just get one of those travel plug adaptor a for American tourists in the uk.

 

Cheers for the offer. I need to see what most people are using.
I'd run it on a linear transformer as the switch mode transformers generate loads of noise (typically) that could upset the charger..

By the way LiPo actually like being run nearly flat. What they don't like is an initial short charge or lots of short cycles. The science behind it is so much more complicated than lead acid that many manufacturers actually monitor the discharge, to calculate the correct charge profile. I think this may be down to low cost processors rarther than actually trying to detect the actual batteries needs.

 

Fair enough.

In which case MXS 7.
My ballistic Evo battery had a lithium ion specific ctek charger.