Charge Rate for gel cell battery?

"quietguy" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@REMOVE-TO-REPLYconfidential-counselling.com...

Don't use a car charger to start with, gel cells have different requirements to wet cell batteries.

OK, if the battery is your run of the mill 12V 7A Panasonic style gel cell then a charge rate around 2Amps is OK. However, your charger needs to specifically cater for lead acid batteries as you need a Constant Voltage Charge (CVC) rather than our more common Constant Current Charge (CCC).

I'm not going to pretend I know too much about batteries but take a look at

"quietguy" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@REMOVE-TO-REPLYconfidential-counselling.com...

Get one of the "trickle" chargers used to keep up motorcycle/lawnmower/ATV batteries during periods of non-use. They'll charge it nicely.

Morris

Constant Voltage regulated to 13.6V. download the Ace CVC charger assembly and operation instructions

As the others have pointed out, charging at max 2 amps, preferably one, is the way to go. If you are looking to do it on the cheap, you can gut an old emergency light. Just make sure it's 12 volt. Be safe and stick it in a sealed project box of some kind.

Thanks - no sweat as I have a Swallow charger - just didn;t know what to set the charge rate at

David

"A.T." wrote:

Thanks - no sweat as I have a Swallow charger - just didn;t know what to set the charge rate at

David

John Alt wrote:

Thanks

David

The Raven wrote:

Thanks - no sweat as I have a Swallow charger - just didn;t know what to set the charge rate at

David

AeroMutt wrote:

start at C10, recommend max .6A, charger will then adjust down to a maintenance trickle whilst keeping a constant voltage.

in

Great charger that one - I assume you're in Oz as none of the Yanks seem to have got hold of that unit yet.

Just to throw in my 2c, my understanding is that gel cells don't like being discharged or charged terribly much - they expect a quiet life living on a trickle charge inside alarm panels etc. I'd suggest a 1A charge, which obviously will take quite a while to charge a 7Ah batt. The other thing to know about gel cells is never leave them in a discharged state for any period of time - a flat cell left a month or 3 will never recharge again.

The Swallow charger

And I agree, it is a lot of charger for the price.

Red S.

For the money hard to beat I reckon, and yep I'm an Ozzy

OK, Thanks

David

Didn't you mean

Red S.

"> The Raven wrote:

"quietguy" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@REMOVE-TO-REPLYconfidential-counselling.com...

I believe the Swallow and Swallow Advance has a lead acid charging mode. Charge somewhere between 1 and 2Amps depending on your urgency.

I should have grabbed a Swallow Advance when one of the hobby shops had them on sale recently. While I like my SuperNova 3000 the Swallow is a more practical size for the field box.

Oops, thanks for the correction as it may help someone.

The Swallow does have a Pb charging mode - I never used it as I use a cheap mains-powered 1A lead-acid charger that seems to do a pretty good job of constant-voltage charging.

Unfortunately all my RC gear got stolen a month ago - the thieves broke into the workshop, stole 2 chainsaws, a compound mitre saw, ignored all the other tools and some very valuable equipment, but flogged my plane and all my RC gear. Go figure.

Thankfully insurance has coughed up - I'm going to get a Swallow Advance as a replacement, but damn, it has mighty ugly panel artwork.

Bastards

I thought that too - but in real life they look much better than they do in mags - sort of grows on you I reckon - and for $85 I was prepared to live with bloody ugly!

David

$85? Hstore want $125 for the sucker - where'd you get it?

I got the replacement compound mitre saw yesterday - it has a laser! Best Invention Ever.

Hmmm, the Swallow Advance was recently $79 AUD. Figure out the exchange rate of AUD to USD and you guys are getting ripped off.

Been looking at one myself, will probably get a low end model given my limited use and woodworking skills. Of course, I have to make room in the shed first which tends to rule out any new purchases at the moment (where to put them).