Best 48 Volt Charger

[AzRoute66]

I am in the market for a good versatile charger to make sure my off grid system, and my friends' systems, get a good finishing charge once per week and an equalization once per month.

At a minimum it would be fully settable for all reasonable setpoints of a four stage charging regimen for a 48 volt FLA battery, capable of being run on a standard 120VAC 15 or 20 amp dedicated circuit, be portable, and have robust amount of self, and battery, protections.

Bonuses would include being able to charge a wide variety of battery types, nominal voltages, and retain all settings between uses.

A nod of the head if affordable, easy to use, or comes with English language instructions.

[SWFLA]

How many ah is the battery bank?

[Sunking]

At a minimum it would be fully settable for all reasonable setpoints of a four stage charging regimen for a 48 volt FLA battery, capable of being run on a standard 120VAC 15 or 20 amp dedicated circuit, be portable, and have robust amount of self, and battery, protections.

You would be wasting your money on something you have no use for.

All that is needed to support a solar system is a very simple Constant Current Constant Voltage charger that allows you to set voltage. All you need is one voltage, no stages, that just slows things down and cost extra money. What you want and need is a charger that fully charges the batteries as fast as possible.

Last question is how do you know 15 to 20 amps is enough, to much, or not enough? What is the battery capacity?

Anyway all you are looking for a a Golf Cart Battery Charger. Real easy to fin din AZ. Every garage in Sun City has one.

[AzRoute66]

I am looking for a charger that is versatile enough to use on other peoples stuff. In particular at the moment, my friends 5th wheel (24V), and a cabin four of us are purchasing in Canada. Also one that allows me to change my charging philosophy. So, I would be looking for something with a settable constant current (Bulk) output for sure.

Also, I understand Smoke Charging from the solar panels, but I had envisioned a kinder, gentler charging profile with this since time is not a problem. Normal/full absorb, and float might be refreshing for a battery bank from time to time.

Bonuses would include being able to charge a wide variety of battery types, nominal voltages, and retain all settings between uses. (an echo?)

I have some info on a Schumacher and an Iota model that I am comparing the 'other stuff' to.

Per Sunking, "You would be wasting your money on something you have no use for." I already have you on my lists for BOTH knowing what I might could use, AND what are good places for my money. You have just not quite bubbled up to the top yet. I was hoping to add you to the 'guy that knows his battery chargers' list.

[Sunking]

I already have you on my lists for BOTH knowing what I might could use, AND what are good places for my money. You have just not quite bubbled up to the top yet. I was hoping to add you to the 'guy that knows his battery chargers' list.

I know battery chargers well, very well, but what you are asking for are far and few between. Hobby Chargers made for RC Planes, Trucks, Helicopters, Quads, and Trucks have them. Catch is they only go up to 36 volts, and you need a good DC Power Supply to supply power. What you want (12, 24, & 48does not exist to my knowledge.

Today's chargers and batteries, there is no need for 4 stages. Look at any good battery manufacturers like Rolls, Crown, Trojan, US Battery they no longer specify 3 or 4 day algorithms. Daily Charge and Float is all you get plus EQ. Example Trojan is Daily Charge at 14.83 volts until current stops, then Float at 13.6. Crown charge at 14.85 volts until current Stops, then Float at 13.6 volts. If you =want kind and gentle there is no better algorithm than plain ole Float at 13.6 volts. That is what every data center, communications center, military, Telephone, and cell phone towers all use Float Chargers. Have done so for 100 years. That is how they get 10 to 20 years out of batteries. Just one catch. It takes up to 24 hours to recharge. Unacceptable for daily cycle applications.

You have fallen victim with Marketing Terms and catch names like 3-Stage, 4-Stage, and 5 Stage Smart Charger. They are all Float Chargers with a controller that keeps changing the voltage. You boost voltage up real high to charge as fast as you can, then reduce to Float.

If you want chargers that can be programmed to do lots of batteries you can have. Once of the best is Elcom like model PFC 1500. It wil charge any battery from 24 to 240 volts DC. It is a 1500 wat charger which means at 24 volts is 40 amps and at 240 volts is 5 amps. Just one catch. You must specify what voltages and algorithms you want when you order them. Up to 8 profiles, but you cannot change them. But they will charge any battery type from 24 to 240 VDC with any algorithm you want. They even have CAN BUSS to talk to motor Controllers and BMS. Manzanita is another one to look at.

Iota, Samlex, Pro Mariner, and Power Max all make good chargers. You just have to decide what voltage and current model they make. Good luck finding one for 12/24/48/ volts you can program to do anything you want for less than $2000

[AzRoute66]

It was my understanding that the recommended charging parameters from the manufacturers was changed to 'Smoke Charging' not because it was the better charging algorithm, but it was to attempt to stave off the warranty claims resulting from chronic undercharging (primarily from solar users). Not sure it is the algorithm they would choose if the full and complete 3 stage, etc. were available. I guess I better learn/know before I have my charger programmed.

See, your last two paragraphs were great for me. Thanks. I had never heard of Elcom, and the other names were just nebulous things out there that could be the pinnacle of design and function, or an industry joke. Very helpful to have them recommended by you. Would be just as helpful, perhaps more, to know which would not be recommended if you know of any popular lines you consider to be less than desirable (for whatever reason).

I just saw an Elcom PFC 1500 for $550, which doesn't seem unreasonable, certainly more appealing than $2000. Thanks again.

[NEOH]

AzRoute66
Mean Well Battery Charger...

http://www.meanwellusa.com/product/inverter/inverter02_2.html

[Sunking]

It was my understanding that the recommended charging parameters from the manufacturers was changed to 'Smoke Charging' not because it was the better charging algorithm, but it was to attempt to stave off the warranty claims resulting from chronic undercharging (primarily from solar users). Not sure it is the algorithm they would choose if the full and complete 3 stage, etc. were available. I guess I better learn/know before I have my charger programmed.

Let you in on a secret. Well not secret in the industry. All Battery Chargers work exactly a alike. Every charger made is a Constant Current and Constant Voltage Charger (CC/CV). Only thing that changes is the Voltage Setpoints, Monitoring, and Current. It does not matter what the manufacture calls it charger, Float, Fast, 3-Stage, 4-Stage, or Puff the Magic Dragon everyone of them is a CC/CV charger. Anything else like a Pulse Charger Is just a gimmick.

In the mean time I will look around for 12/24/48 volt chargers. There are a few, not sure they are worth the money.

[SWFLA]

Being in the marine industry I have been looking for a good multi voltage charger for some time with no luck. I even work on some old 32v systems that Hatteras used to use.
Those mean-well chargers are single voltage. And not the quality I would spend My money on.

[Sunking]

BThose mean-well chargers are single voltage. And not the quality I would spend My money on.

Yep you are correct, uni-taskers. I never heard of them.

[AzRoute66]

It is truly vexing. If I need to charge C/8 in November and January, and C/7 in December, but want to charge at a more leisurely heat friendly C/10 in the summer, why shouldn't I be able to set that in my charge controller (or battery charger)? If I want to Smoke Charge at 14.8V, and go up from there until my hydrometer tells me I've hit the sweet spot (a spot that changes with a variety of variables including seasonally) why shouldn't I be able to do that? Then if my AC charger is brought in, why can it not do all of that plus also follow the recommended three stage charging procedure, and/or bump the equalization or float voltage up or down a notch or two. And while I am at it, who decided a 'Green/Orange/Red' LED is all the feedback I need? Is an ammeter and voltmeter too much to ask for a piece of $___ machinery that only deals with volts and amps? Just shoot me.

[SWFLA]

Good charge controllers are much more flexible than a portable a/c battery charger. What you need to go along with your solar charge controller(s) is a good combo inverter/charger for each system. The only thing to reasonably use between the two 24/48v systems is the generator your going to need.

[Mike90250]

AzRoute66
Mean Well Battery Charger...
http://www.meanwellusa.com/product/i...erter02_2.html

When you make a joke, it's customary to place it in Comic Sans font.

[Sunking]

It is truly vexing. If I need to charge C/8 in November and January, and C/7 in December, but want to charge at a more leisurely heat friendly C/10 in the summer, why shouldn't I be able to set that in my charge controller (or battery charger)?






If I want to Smoke Charge at 14.8V, and go up from there until my hydrometer tells me I've hit the sweet spot (a spot that changes with a variety of variables including seasonally) why shouldn't I be able to do that? Then if my AC charger is brought in, why can it not do all of that plus also follow the recommended three stage charging procedure, and/or bump the equalization or float voltage up or down a notch or two. And while I am at it, who decided a 'Green/Orange/Red' LED is all the feedback I need? Is an ammeter and voltmeter too much to ask for a piece of $___ machinery that only deals with volts and amps? Just shoot me.

Not sure what your point is. Most of it is silly.

If you charge a battery within the parameters set by manufacturers of say C/8 to C/12, there is no difference between C/8 and C/12 except for the amount of time it takes to recharge the battery. C/8 to C/12 is conservative. Many a FLA batteries can be charged at C/4 like a Trojan Golf Cart battery. C/4 to C/12 is a LARGE WINDOW.

Now here is where it gets silly. The only difference is the amount of Time it takes to recharge. Time is not a commodity or luxury Solar has to spare. Fact is 90% or more of off grid battery systems suffer chronic under charge. How about recharging with AC Power. Why do you want to take longer? What about a generator? Last thing you want to do is take longer on a generator. Think about running a genny 6 hours instead of a whole 24 hour day.

Lastly it comes down to this, and this is silly. You basically said you want to slow down charge rate in the summer right? This is plum silly. Summer is when you can run the big loads during the mid day after the batteries are charged up, so you can run and utilize excess Solar Power alone and NOT BATTERIES while the Sun is up. You go limiting current and guess what happens?

• To start it will take your batteries longer to recharge, which means you do not have excess power until later in the day to utilize. Not good.
• Secondly to do that also means you limit power to something much less than full power. How are you suppose to utilize all that lost power you limited yourself to for no reason. Not good.

You are not utilizing available power and a lot of it. What you are saying is I want to screw myself and give money away. Think of how much power and time you screwed yourself out of. Summer is a bounty of energy. Use it, don't waste it.

To the point. You are not going to find many battery chargers that allow you to select 12/24/48 volts with Variable Current. What few you might find like I showed will be expensive. The market is a Fixed Battery Voltage and Fixed Current. In any charging application, especially lead acid, charge as fast as you can without exceeding the manufacture specs. Example both Trojan and Rolls is C/6.

Now if you have to be a control freak, you can limit charge current easily. Do just what the Controller would do, remove a panel or two. Now that would be silly huh? That is what you are asking for.

Charge as fast as the manufacture says you can and recommends. You can go slower, just no faster. That is a big window of C/12 to C/6

So for a 48 volt Battery, the largest charger you can run on a 120 VAC Plugin is 25 amps and that translates to 1250 watts, and a few rare ones at 30 amps or 1500 watts. A great candidate charger would be a Golf Cart charger. They run 15 to 20 amps. You can even get them with Warm Fuzzies like 3-Stage, and 4-Stage for extra cash to slow down charging for you.

[AzRoute66]

Sunking, I included a terrible example and you focused on it, even to the point of basing your comments on a solar charging instead of AC chargers. That was silly. To start, I should have never have included something that looked like 'C/anything' because that is not what I want. I want to be able to limit maximum current to a value, and it doesn't matter if that is 8 amps, 10 amps, 12 amps, 15 amps, 20 amps, 25 amps, or even 18.75 amps. I hereby REJECT all charger candidates that have a "C/anything" selector knob. But, for the sake of argument, lets say that I do go out and get a 'C/6' 16.667 Amp Sunking Approved charger for my 100 Ah bank, then all off the sudden someone smarter than you told me to current limit the Bulk charge to 3 - 5 Amps for the sake of the 100 Ah battery - toss out your blessed charger and go get another right?

You didn't say that my desire to be able to set the voltage setpoints to various values was silly, I thank you for that. Very magnanimous. Especially when I think I want to finish my daily charging at 16.2 volts, and the one you would have me buy doesn't 'do' 16.2 volts in the standard charging cycle. (12 V nominal terms --- 2.7 vpc) I know that because I read your stickies.

You didn't say that my desire to do a full three stage charge was silly, but you sure did imply it. So, there is another silliness avoided. Both Trojan and I appreciate that.

Seems if you can get over your Smoke Charge to squeeze in your amps in a standard winter solar day rant, lots of my 'silliness' still doesn't sound all that silly to me.