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Aaron wrote: >I just got a used AUL light (Thanks Barry!) and I have some questions about >charging the batteries. I could just go get a cheap auto battery charger I >guess, but I already have a perfectly good 0 to 14V adjustable power supply >that can be limited on amperage as well. Set the voltage between 13.5 and 14.7 volts..... The amperage should be between ..25 (for float applications) and approx 1.50 amps for a faster charge. But be careful to not either overcharge or undercharge your batteries. > >What I want to do is set the power supply to a given voltage, and charge the >batteries. The power supply has a current (amp) meter as well as voltage, >and is infinitely (versus discrete) adjustable for volts, and infinitely >limitable (intermittent breaker) for amps. Can I get away with using this? >What is the desirable voltage to charge batteries? What should I expect in >current draw? How many amps should I put on the batteries? I realize that as >the batteries charge, the amps drawn should drop, will this allow me to >judge the level of charge? Limit the initial current to .25 of the rated capacity of the battery to be charged. Charge until battery reaches 2.45 volts per cell (6 volt 7 amp hour batteries have 3 cells, however when connected in series to a second 6 volt 7 amp hour battery one should multiply by 6 cells)or 14.7 volts and hold at 14.7 volts max until current drops approx .01 Ampere of the batteries capacity. The battery will be fully charged under these conditions. Either remove the battery from the charger or dial in a lower current and float the battery. > >So, if I have two 7 AH batteries in series for a total of 14 AH, what is a >good current (amps) to charge at? Your above statement is incorrect. Batteries connected in a series configuration will double the voltage as opposed to the amperage. Batteries connected parallel will double the amperage but the voltage will remain an average of the two batteries. What voltage should I expect that to be >for fully discharged batteries? My power supply can sustain 20 amps, and >peak to 30 amps, so I'm sure I could cause something destructive to happen >if I'm not careful, what is an absolute limit in amps? Again the voltage should be between 13.5 and 14.7 volts. Charging at a lower steady current will be a more efficient method of obtaining a solid charge. "SILT HAPPENS" JD JEFF DISLER SAFE CAVING NSS 26000 -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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