Battery Charger

[glowjet]

I have just taken delivery of two new 17 A/hr batteries, the lead acid types as used in alarm systems, I am looking for a charger and have been most interested in the CTEK range, does anyone have any first hand knowledge of the unit, as it will also come in useful for the car as well. Or what other recommendations please.

John.

[Gilps]

I can recommend the CTEK XS3600 as that is the one I use. I originally bought it to keep my motorbike's battery charged, but have used it on leisure batteries for my shooting club, my van, and the forklift truck at work. It's an intelligent charger so you can just plug it in and leave it.

[glowjet]

Thanks Gilps, one on order

John.

[Psychobilly]

I know you have already ordered but another vote for CTEK's

Billy...

[NickK]

I know you have already ordered but another vote for CTEK's

Billy...

Will also do 100Ah batteries (ie large Bosch S5 at 100Ah).

[Psychobilly]

I use the Multi XS 7000 ... I have fitted the scocket to the battery on the V6 as its a pain to get to the battery terminals ... if its not being used much it gets put on charge at weekends... the rest of the week the chargers on the 110AH lesiure battery tahts used as for "backup" in the obs... during normal running the battery is connected in parallel with a 20A Ripmax PSU this has saved me from many a brown out and power cut before the electricity board finally got round to cutting the trees that were hitting the old fashiones bare overhead cables we have around here...

Billy...

[glowjet]

Peter, it would seem there is much confusion over the charging of my new Power-Sonic 17 A/h and 7A/h SLA batteries which I have been passed to me by my friend who is in the Alarm trade, when ordering the SX3600 Ctek, I was advised this may not be suitable, another outlet, "yes these could be ok", Power-Sonic themselves were not all that forthcoming either, the 7 A/h is a Gel battery and the 17 A/h is a AGM (absorbed glass matt type), the one thing I did learn, being dim of course, was that in charging, the charger should deliver in the region of one quarter of the batteries total A/h capacity, if it is only a small charger 1 to 2 amps, you could in effect damage large capacity batteries by using it. I have subsequently ordered Power-Sonics own unit specifically for the 17A/h which is a 4Amp unit, I was wondering, if you are into electronics, whether I could construct a simple current limiting device to reduce the current to around 1.75 Amps to use with the 7 A/h batteries?, otherwise it means buying another charger just to suit.

John.