how to charge sealed 12 vdc gel-cel / lead-acid batteries ?

Posted by Pogo on November 21, 2005, 11:48 pm

What's the best or favorite solution for charging 12vdc sealed gel-cel /
lead-acid batteries. The kind that are about 2" x 3" x 6" .

I would like something that I can use on different voltage batteries if I
end up using them. Say 9vdc, 12 vdc, to 24 vdc.
Thanks !

Posted by The Artist Formerly Known as K on November 22, 2005, 9:47 am

Pogo wrote:

> What's the best or favorite solution for charging 12vdc sealed gel-cel /
> lead-acid batteries. The kind that are about 2" x 3" x 6" .
>
> I would like something that I can use on different voltage batteries if I
> end up using them. Say 9vdc, 12 vdc, to 24 vdc.
> Thanks !
>
>

You really want a good charger -- the batteries will last a lot longer. I use
the Battery Tender line (http://www.batterytender.com). These don't do seperate
voltages, though. Not cheap, but it'll pay for itself pretty quickly.

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Posted by John Mianowski on November 22, 2005, 10:02 am

On Mon, 21 Nov 2005 23:48:38 -0500, "Pogo"

>What's the best or favorite solution for charging 12vdc sealed gel-cel /
>lead-acid batteries. The kind that are about 2" x 3" x 6" .
>I would like something that I can use on different voltage batteries if I
>end up using them. Say 9vdc, 12 vdc, to 24 vdc.
>Thanks !

I use a lot of gel cell batteries, mostly 6V but some 12V & even some
2V. While an expensive charger is needed for some battery
technologies, SLA is not one of those. One of the main reasons that I
stick with SLA technology for my applications is that it is easy to
charge & very forgiving of abuse.

I use the smallest, cheapest 6V/12V motorcycle battery chargers that I
could find at my local auto parts store, at a cost of about US$15
each. I often charge several batteries at once, wired in series,
parallel, or some combination so as to get a convenient voltage that
matches the charger. My chargers deliver 1A, so I leave my batteries
on the charger 1 hour for every AH for which the total collection on
the charger is rated.

I always charge only IDENTICAL batteries together, never mixing brands
or even models of the same brand. The result has been many years of
reliable use at minimal cost.

JM

Posted by Pogo on November 23, 2005, 1:02 am

Thanks for the input guys !

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