Top 10 Battery Charger Tips

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The first thing you need to pay attention to when choosing a charger is the type of control. That is how the machine works. There are three main branches: manual, automatic and microprocessor control. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages to consider:

Control type	Advantages	Flaws
Manual	Allows you to accurately set the current parameters; You can charge completely dead batteries; Have an attractive price tag; Stable work; Suitable for all types of batteries.	It is necessary to carefully monitor the entire charging process; The electrolyte may boil.
Automatic	No need to track the process of work; Automatic tracking of the current charge level; Simple operation.	It costs more than a manual counterpart; It does not make it possible to revive completely dead batteries.
microprocessor	Works completely independently; Controls all current parameters; Diagnoses the condition of the battery; Has compact dimensions.	The most expensive charger; There is no way to set parameters manually.

These are not all the differences, but even they are enough to understand which device to choose for you. Want to get the most out of your battery? Take the manual option. But you need to constantly monitor and control the process. No time to track? An automatic machine will do everything for you. Not limited in finances and want to know everything about your battery? Take microprocessor memory, which will not take up much space even in the glove compartment of the car.

The charger is selected depending on what kind of battery you have. The most important number is voltage. If you have a passenger car, most likely it has a 12V battery. Accordingly, this figure will be indicated in the charging data sheet. There are also universal models that charge both 6, and 12, and even 24V.

Another important value is amperage. The range in one device can be very large, from a couple of tens to several thousand. Note that if you have a passenger car, then you simply do not need a parameter above 55 amperes. It is needed to charge large batteries from trucks. Also in the memory documentation you can find the letters En / Eff. They mean the minimum and maximum current of the device. These are the extreme values ​​that charging is capable of.

To charge a car battery, the device needs to take the voltage from the household network, convert it to the desired values ​​and transfer it to the donor. The easiest method is to use a transformer. Before, there was no alternative at all. Today, impulse devices have appeared, more advanced and convenient. Transformer charging is still considered the most reliable and durable. In addition, they are easy to repair yourself. That's just they weigh a lot, and the size of the case can exceed the size of the battery itself.

Pulse chargers are more compact, but also expensive. In addition, if a failure occurs, you yourself are unlikely to repair it. It is difficult to say which device to choose in this regard. If you have a large garage and you won't carry the device around with you, you can take a reliable transformer option. It will last for many years with no problems at all. However, pulse modules cannot be called low-quality, but the choice of model and manufacturer will have to be approached more thoroughly.

A car battery can use different energy storage systems. The cheapest batteries use antimony storage. Many try to abandon them, preferring more expensive, but at the same time reliable ring batteries. Unfortunately, chargers are not able to tell the difference, and it is very important.For example, antimony batteries cannot be charged with currents above 14 volts. They boil quickly. While the ring requires 16 volts and above. We are talking about 12V batteries. Complex GELs and AGMs require an even more careful approach. Before choosing a device, determine what kind of battery you have, and only then take the device, taking into account its requirements. This applies to automatic and microprocessor models, since in the case of mechanical ones you can set the parameters manually, which once again speaks in their favor.

The automatic charger always delivers the same current. There are models with several modes, but the feed will still be stable. Ideally, if your machine has modes for specific batteries. If they are not, pay attention to the previous selection advice.

The hand models look the most interesting. In them you can set the desired voltage and type of charging. For example, the amperage is selected depending on the battery capacity and is about 10%. With voltage, too, not everything is so simple. A 12V car battery needs to be charged with a current of 13-14V. Ring batteries - from 16V, and helium and fiberglass - from 18V. Microprocessor charging is the best option if you have several batteries and they are all different. It is able to adapt to the characteristics of the battery and itself will set the desired parameters.

In the process of battery operation, plaque forms on the walls of its plates. These are sulfates, which reduce the performance of the battery. Removing them manually is not possible unless you decide to disassemble the case. The only way is to use a memory with a desulfation mode. Most often it is found on manual devices, less often on automatic ones.During charging, you just need to activate it, and the carbon deposits will peel off the plates, thereby increasing the life of your battery.

Note that the mode does not occur as often as we would like, besides, it significantly increases the cost of the memory. If you are willing to spend an extra couple of thousand rubles and want to extend the battery life, it makes sense to look for this type of memory.

There are chargers with a start function, labeled as ROM. They are able not only to charge the battery, but also to start your car if it is completely dead. For example, you forgot to turn off your headlights at night, or the temperature dropped sharply outside, and now your car is completely immobilized. With the help of the ROM, you do not have to remove the battery and drag it home or to the garage. It is enough to connect the device directly to the terminals and start it up. Very convenient, but not everyone needs this feature. For example, if your car is in a warm garage and you never forget to put out the lights, you can save money on it.

The simplest manual or automatic type device simply supplies current to the terminals without diagnosing the battery in any way.If your battery dries up, or a bank has jumped in it, you will never know about it. The best option in this case is a microprocessor charger that can calculate all battery parameters such as health, capacity and structural integrity.

It is also preferable to choose a device with a set of protective functions, such as emergency shutdown, protection against current surges and polarity reversal. The more additional features your memory has, the better you are protected from errors, but you will have to pay for them separately.

The most bulky and heavy devices are transformers. They are difficult to carry from place to place and are best used as stationary if there is room for them in the garage. Note that today such devices are becoming rarer. They were almost completely replaced by pulsed memory, which have much smaller dimensions.

But the smallest form factor microprocessor. This device can fit in a pocket or glove compartment of a car. At the same time, the memory is also a diagnostic tool, and is also often equipped with a start function. Ideally, always have it on hand. Such a kind of car assistant. True, the price of such devices is often shocking. The choice of form factor is a purely individual matter, besides, there are a lot of options on the market with a wide variety of content.

There is no clear leader in the charger market. Experts often recommend the products of an Italian company Telvin. That's just the price tag there starts from 12 thousand, which is far from affordable for every motorist. This is if we are talking about the original instrument. There is also a Chinese equivalent with the same name. It costs less, from 2 thousand, but its experts are no longer in a hurry to advise.

If you need something cheaper, but no less reliable, consider German memory FUBAG or QUATTRO ELEMENTI. Within 5,000 rubles, you can take an excellent universal charger that will work in several modes and have additional diagnostic functionality.

Among Russian brands, devices from Auto electrics and Pennant. They have both manual and automatic models in the price range from 2 to 10 thousand rubles. These brands specialize in chargers, so the issue of quality is approached with particular scrupulousness.

Could not go past and such giants as bison, Patriot and Caliber. Firms produce a variety of electrical equipment. Including ZU. The brands are Russian, but it should be understood that they produce goods in China. There is nothing wrong with this, but you will not find a lot of rave reviews about these products either.