Small 1 to 12 amp battery chargers

Windsun
Windsun Solar Expert Posts: 1,164 ✭✭
in Solar Product Reviews & Opinions #1
We are looking for some small regulated, preferably 3 stage, battery chargers for 12 and/or 24 volts in the 1 to 12 amp range to stock.

We see tons of wall-wart types, but none of those are suitable for "setup and forget" applications, since few (if any) are really regulated.

Any suggestions on what anyone has seen or tried?
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,617 admin
    #2
    Re: Small 1 to 12 amp battery chargers

    I had the same need and could not find any that would not boil a battery dry in a month or three (cars sitting between uses).

    My cheap and dirty solution was to get a mechanical lamp timer and set it to turn on a 1 amp (for car sized battery) one to four hours per day (if parasitic loads like Lojack, GPS, OnStar, etc.---set to the longer time).

    Obviously, not a solution that you can sell.

    From another thread:
    Kamala wrote: »
    Battery Tenders (brand name) have worked well for me with 12V BCI 31 AGMS (~100AH). The Battery Tender comes in 2 "sizes." The smaller is .75A. I bought 2 of the larger, 1.75A, units for each of my 100AH AGMS. Been working well for 3yrs+. I agree that paralleling batteries to one tender might not work well.

    Craig

    FreeBrrd had said she had good luck with a "Battery Tender" (I believe she was mentioning the brand name--but could have been just talking about the functional name--from the same thread above).

    A review here seems to indicate that it works OK for motorcycle batteries (which I assume would be more likely to be boiled dry from even a smaller battery charger).

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • 2manytoyz
    2manytoyz Solar Expert Posts: 373 ✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Small 1 to 12 amp battery chargers

    I use a Xantrex 10TB charger at work and at home (until recently got a bigger charger). These work great, and despite the 10 Amp rating, they are a current regulated product, not a voltage regulated.

    So most automotive chargers may start at 10 Amps, but they drop off the charge quickly. The Xantrex charger stays at 10 Amps for most of the bulk charge, then steps down. Consequently, this little 10 A charger rivals larger chargers.

    Best price I could find was $109: http://www.campinggeardepot.com/store-products-804-0111---11248-XANTREX-TRUECHARGE-10-TB-2-BANK-HARDWIRE-BATTERY-CHRG_40424021.html

    Two thumbs up from me. I used it at home to maintain a "wet" battery bank. Using it at work to maintain a 75A sealed lead acid battery. Setting for both.
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  • Windsun
    Windsun Solar Expert Posts: 1,164 ✭✭
    #4
    Re: Small 1 to 12 amp battery chargers

    Unfortunately, the 10TB and the related line of chargers is being discontinued by Xantrex.
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Small 1 to 12 amp battery chargers

    A more complicated style, is the Vector (Black & Decker now)
    Look at the VEC1086BBD
    http://www.blackanddecker.com/ProductGuide/CategoryOverview.aspx?cPath=4010.4013
    or any of their "smart chargers"

    I have a VEC1093 (100+ amp) and it's a pain to step thru the setup
    (5A, 10A, 25A 50A,100A) and the battery selection GEL, CAR, Deepcycle
    and they are reverse proof, but need at least 8V present to begin charging.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • 2manytoyz
    2manytoyz Solar Expert Posts: 373 ✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: Small 1 to 12 amp battery chargers
    Windsun wrote: »
    Unfortunately, the 10TB and the related line of chargers is being discontinued by Xantrex.

    Yes, unfortunate. Don't know the reasoning because they do work well. FWIW, they are still available for now.

    Xantrex has also dropped the Prosine line of inverters for the new inexpensive, but feature lacking, SW (True Sine Wave) series (only $479 for a 2KW). The Prosine was another good product, but Xantrex has no ability to fix them in the USA. Long story, but a coworker bought a dead one on Ebay, and we spent a fair amount of time on the phone with Xantrex. They would replace one still under warranty with a factory refurbished model. If it was out of warranty, no joy. No fix, wouldn't sell a refurbished one. Once Xantrex had enough piled up on a pallet, they would be sent to China for repair, and came back as refurbished units for warranty replacements.

    As my battery bank out grew my 10TB, I replaced it with an Iota 75 Amp model. Very popular in the RV industry. These are available in various sizes, and a 3 stage (brain) module can be added (simply plugs in).
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  • Windsun
    Windsun Solar Expert Posts: 1,164 ✭✭
    #7
    Re: Small 1 to 12 amp battery chargers
    2manytoyz wrote: »
    As my battery bank out grew my 10TB, I replaced it with an Iota 75 Amp model. Very popular in the RV industry. These are available in various sizes, and a 3 stage (brain) module can be added (simply plugs in).

    I am aware of the Iota, we have been selling them for over 10 years http://store.solar-electric.com/bach1.html

    What we are looking for is something for smaller batteries, and for long term trickle charge. The smallest Iota is 15 amps, and they can overload the small 34 AH batteries.
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  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    #8
    Re: Small 1 to 12 amp battery chargers

    Well, I was looking at chargers and trying to find one with temperature compensation.

    I found Samlex...

    http://www.samlexamerica.com/products/subcategory.asp?CategoryID=8

    Scroll down a ways and you find 12 and 24v 3a, 5a and 10a 3-stage power factor corrected chargers.

    And you already deal the Samlex inverters...why not the chargers?



    EDIT: And while we're at it...what kind of price can you get me on the SEC-1260A? :D

    http://www.samlexamerica.com/products/productdescription.asp?ProductsID=80021

    EDIT AGAIN: And while we're while we're at itting it...the 900-RC remote (the 1260 already comes standard with the temp sensor):

    http://www.samlexamerica.com/products/productdescription.asp?ProductsID=15006
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  • Kamala
    Kamala Solar Expert Posts: 452 ✭✭
    #9
    Re: Small 1 to 12 amp battery chargers
    Windsun wrote: »
    We are looking for some small regulated, preferably 3 stage, battery chargers for 12 and/or 24 volts in the 1 to 12 amp range to stock.

    The Battery Tender Plus is a 1.75A three stage charger (no EQ) that, in my 3 year experience, has worked very well on my AGMS. They are:

    BCI 31's - Trojan 100AH: MegaPower 105AH.

    Also a Werker 33AH.

    The Battery Tender has treated the above batteries very well. I have also used the charger on a flooded BCI 24 that came with my RV. I did see some water loss over 3 months. But that will happen with FLAs.

    I enthusiastically endorse this product. FWIW. I have 3. One for each battery. I got them from Batterys +. Not goin' back there except in an emergency.

    Craig
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  • sub3marathonman
    sub3marathonman Solar Expert Posts: 300 ✭✭✭
    #10
    Re: Small 1 to 12 amp battery chargers

    I have been very happy with the Battery Tender Jr., which is a 0.75 amp charger, but is also a bit cheaper than the larger version. I have used this charger for many years, and got long life from my motorcycle batteries. I alsu used the slower charger to initially charge the motorcycle batteries, since the first charge a battery gets is the most important to battery life. Most places do an initial charge much too fast.
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  • tallgirl
    tallgirl Solar Expert Posts: 413 ✭✭
    #11
    Re: Small 1 to 12 amp battery chargers
    Windsun wrote: »
    I am aware of the Iota, we have been selling them for over 10 years http://store.solar-electric.com/bach1.html

    What we are looking for is something for smaller batteries, and for long term trickle charge. The smallest Iota is 15 amps, and they can overload the small 34 AH batteries.

    The battery tenders are nice. My preference is the Smart Charger family of chargers from Black and Decker (formerly Vector).

    I'm sure most people here understand battery charging better than your average bear, but for anyone who doesn't, have a post from my blog --

    Battery Chargers: The gory technical details

    another similarly interesting article --

    Summer heat and car batteries

    (And for my fans, because I know I have them!)

    When too much trying to save is too much.

    That patent is one I did my best to avoid in my previous job (I submitted something like 30 or 40 applications related to renewable energy in the last 2 years, including one I filed a week or two ago) and that patent is just as annoying as can be. But! I've found clever ways around it already.
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  • Brock
    Brock Solar Expert Posts: 639 ✭✭✭✭
    #12
    Re: Small 1 to 12 amp battery chargers

    I prefer the battery tender line as well. I have an electric scooter that uses five 40 amp 12v batteries. I wired it up to be able to charge each one individually to avoid over charging or undercharging individual batteries.

    In the Deltran line I have the battery tender jr 750mA?, battery tender waterproof 800mA, battery tender Plus 1.25a and the newer battery tender international with either 2.5 or 5 amp rate. The Deltran 1.25 and 2.5 or 5 amp version have a nice three stage setup where the smaller ones are two stage. The finish voltage is very close in all the Deltran's.

    On the other hand, I have 5 Black & Decker 2, 4 or 6 amp charge rates. I use them to charge up the electric scooter. The problem is I had one charger fail in about a month, stuck on, that was bad. About a month later one just stopped working, and about 3 months later I had a fan fail on another. The fans are all noisy to start with and run no matter what. The finish voltage on the 5 working ones varies by over .7 volts. So whatever they are using it isn't very accurate. I just swap around the chargers once in a while to sort of even out the charges.

    I wish I could afford 5 Deltran's, even the 1.25a ones to replace them. Over the weekend I will let my two Deltran 1.25 units charge up each battery to make sure they are fully charged and even.

    Of all the smaller chargers I have had the Deltrans seem to be the most reliable and robust over time. For larger I prefer the iota, to bad they don't make an automotive or smaller version.
    3kw solar PV, 4 LiFePO4 100a, xw 6048, Honda eu2000i, iota DLS-54-13, Tesla 3, Leaf, Volt, 4 ton horizontal geothermal, grid tied - Green Bay, WI
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  • Windsun
    Windsun Solar Expert Posts: 1,164 ✭✭
    #13
    Re: Small 1 to 12 amp battery chargers

    Thanks all for the info and feedback, we are looking into stocking the Deltran battery tenders, if we can get a decent price on them.
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