Charging deep cycle battery

Depends on the make/model of battery. "RTFM", or in this case ask the manufacturer.

PS and laptop are killing my car battery. Finally, my "short" cycle batter y gave up. So, I got a deep cycle battery with 600 CCA and 160 AHr @ 1A. I am thinking about getting a 1000W generator to charge it instead of the c ar engine. What is the practical fast charging current? Can I dump 100Amp (with a custom charger) into it? Most "fast" charger dump only 10Amp in it . Auto alternator probably dump 50Amp in it.

Please note that if the battery has a rated capacity of 'A' Ampere Hours(AH) the maximum safe charging current is A/10. How would one get 100 Amp without specialized equipment ?

On Thursday, December 17, 2015 at 10:34:43 PM UTC-8, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrot e:

GPS and laptop are killing my car battery. Finally, my "short" cycle batt ery gave up. So, I got a deep cycle battery with 600 CCA and 160 AHr @ 1A. I am thinking about getting a 1000W generator to charge it instead of the car engine. What is the practical fast charging current? Can I dump 100A mp (with a custom charger) into it? Most "fast" charger dump only 10Amp in it. Auto alternator probably dump 50Amp in it.

If the battery is capable of dumping 600A, it can certain takes a little mo re than C/10 (160/10 or 15A). I read that it's OK to charge at C/3 or 50Am p or even more at initial stage (deeply discharged battery). Even at 50A ( or 500W), half of the generator power (1000W) is wasted.

Unfortunately, it's hard to find good generators less than 1000W.

You're absolutely right. A car starter battery could probably be safely charged at 20C, as long as you monitor it closely. The C/10 number that's often thrown around for battery chargers assumes that you know nothing about the battery (even the chemistry) and charge it with a really dumb charger. C/10 isn't likely to hurt any battery if it's charged at that forever.

Just because a "generator" is rated for 1000W doesn't mean you have to use 1000W.

Den torsdag den 17. december 2015 kl. 04.29.31 UTC+1 skrev edward....@gmail .com:

PS and laptop are killing my car battery. Finally, my "short" cycle batter y gave up. So, I got a deep cycle battery with 600 CCA and 160 AHr @ 1A. I am thinking about getting a 1000W generator to charge it instead of the c ar engine. What is the practical fast charging current? Can I dump 100Amp (with a custom charger) into it? Most "fast" charger dump only 10Amp in it . Auto alternator probably dump 50Amp in it.

what would a generator get you that a highly efficient car engine wouldn't?

-Lasse

For a long life of the battery it's important to 'dump' the current as much as possible at a voltage of 14.4 V. This increases the number of charge/discharge cycles considerably before the battery gives up.

Also include a safety that prevents discharging below the absolute minimum of 10.5 V, below which damage _will_ occur.

If it's mainly for 'on the road', can't you exchange the car generator with a bigger one?

joe

That applies to some batteries. For the rest, safe charging current is even less or (far more usual these days) lots more.

It's also often a trade-off: higher charge currents will shorten battery life slightly or greatly, depending on the battery.

--

Tim Wescott 
Wescott Design Services 
http://www.wescottdesign.com

"Highly efficient car engine"??

How much do you drive whn you're "on the road"?

Could you install an aftermarket high-output altenator in your car?

--
  \_(?)_

ail.com:

, GPS and laptop are killing my car battery. Finally, my "short" cycle bat tery gave up. So, I got a deep cycle battery with 600 CCA and 160 AHr @ 1A . I am thinking about getting a 1000W generator to charge it instead of th e car engine. What is the practical fast charging current? Can I dump 100 Amp (with a custom charger) into it? Most "fast" charger dump only 10Amp in it. Auto alternator probably dump 50Amp in it.

't?

compared to some random Briggs & Stratton powered generator

-Lasse

I guess "highly" is relative. But still...

e:

GPS and laptop are killing my car battery. Finally, my "short" cycle batt ery gave up. So, I got a deep cycle battery with 600 CCA and 160 AHr @ 1A. I am thinking about getting a 1000W generator to charge it instead of the car engine. What is the practical fast charging current? Can I dump 100A mp (with a custom charger) into it? Most "fast" charger dump only 10Amp in it. Auto alternator probably dump 50Amp in it.

I question whether a bigger charger is needed at all. The bigger battery sh ould be all that's needed. Car alternators even 30 years ago produced 60A, sometimes more, you shouldn't be lacking charge current.

And as pointed out, a 2nd engine generator won't gain much. In some respect s they're worse on efficiency, but running at full load helps greatly, as d oes single speed design. Absence of camshaft is also a real energy saving. Also fuel pump, water pump, fan, etc etc.

NT

ote:

t, GPS and laptop are killing my car battery. Finally, my "short" cycle ba ttery gave up. So, I got a deep cycle battery with 600 CCA and 160 AHr @ 1 A. I am thinking about getting a 1000W generator to charge it instead of t he car engine. What is the practical fast charging current? Can I dump 10

0Amp (with a custom charger) into it? Most "fast" charger dump only 10Amp i n it. Auto alternator probably dump 50Amp in it.

should be all that's needed. Car alternators even 30 years ago produced 60A , sometimes more, you shouldn't be lacking charge current.

cts they're worse on efficiency, but running at full load helps greatly, as does single speed design. Absence of camshaft is also a real energy saving . Also fuel pump, water pump, fan, etc etc.

I don't think I've ever seen anything but 4-strokes so it still has a camsh aft

-Lasse

More to the point, how old is the battery?

That gepends on the car, 35A was a popular size too. less so now with electic power steering becoming popular.

I owned one car that couldn't power the headlights (70w), rear fog lights (42w), and engine fan and full-speed wipers (not sure how much power) at idle, I stalled out with a flat battery at some traffic lights one evening in heavy rain (not a big problem fortunately).

--
  \_(?)_

If his battery is running down while he's on the road, it must mean that he's consuming more power than his alternator is producing. It won't matter how big the battery is, it will eventually run down unless it's topped up somehow.

I find it somewhat difficult to believe that his existing alternator really has so little spare capacity that it can't supply the equipment he's described. I'd be wondering whether the alternator is faulty.

Sylvia.

Not to mention the "Best & Strong" Chinese imitations. :)

joe

Bad brushes (on slip rings) or faulty regulator. He should measure the voltage at the battery poles when the engine is idling and full electrical load.

--

-TV

}snip{

No need for that. The alternator isn't charging (enough).

joe