Battery Charger Testing Results

[pasadena_commut]

CCA is irrelevant on the Prius. There is a brief current spike of a bit over 20A when the car turns on, and for the rest of the time the inverter is charging the 12V battery. Capacity in Ah does matter though. So far I have not seen any change in Ah or voltage, and resistance may be edging up slightly. Testing has been mostly "first thing the next morning" after charging through the preceding day but not overnight. Wish I had weighed this battery when I bought it. It seems awfully light compared to other similar batteries, but there really isn't any way to find out what it weighed new. Even if I weighed a new one with the same part number it might not be the same battery inside, Toyota apparently doesn't change the part number on these batteries when they change suppliers.

 

[Mav123]

Do you guys observe any benefits in restoring/maintaining batteries on 150/1510 vs 2112 or 128CEC2 ?

 

[pasadena_commut]

I only have the 1500. Its manual says that float is 13.4 V but it actually sits at 13.15 V or so (with minimal temperature compensation), which is really too low for an AGM battery. On the preceding page in this post

Post in thread 'Battery Charger Testing Results'

Aug 28, 2025

Here is a comparison of the Battery Minder wall wart from Northern Tool (1 amp) then I switched over to the Battery Minder 2012AGM. You can see the difference in the algorithm. The NT version does not do the battery test every 12 hours, and its temperature compensation is more mild, compared to the 2012agm. Battery Minder admits the NT version wall wart does not use the same algorithm as their other products.

• f355spider

there is a graph of a 2012AGM which shows its float at 13.4 V, which is where it should be for that battery type, at least at 25C.

 

[f355spider]

Do you guys observe any benefits in restoring/maintaining batteries on 150/1510 vs 2112 or 128CEC2 ?

I don't own the 1500/1510 (they are the same product), but the algorithm seems similar to the 12117TC I do own as far as temperature compensation (very mild compared to the 2012AGM and 128CEC2 I own)...for that reason it is relegated to a back up only.

 

[f355spider]

I only have the 1500. Its manual says that float is 13.4 V but it actually sits at 13.15 V or so (with minimal temperature compensation), which is really too low for an AGM battery. On the preceding page in this post

there is a graph of a 2012AGM which shows its float at 13.4 V, which is where it should be for that battery type, at least at 25C.

As I have posted several times before, Battery Minder changed their base line float voltage from 13.4vt to 13.2 vt at 77F/25C. It floats up or down in voltage based on temperature from that baseline. This was done several years ago, according to their tech I spoke to. But they have never updated their documentation, either supplied with the product or on their website. The claim they did this to prevent overcharging symptoms that customers were reporting.

I have also stated the graph I used above is NOT at 25C, it is in February in my unheated garage (see my previous post #338), which means there is some temperature compensation going on. I have been using these Battery Minders on three vehicles with a total of four AGM batteries for over three years now...and the batteries range in age from 4 to 7.5 years and all are testing at or above their posted specifications.

 

[f355spider]

Do you guys observe any benefits in restoring/maintaining batteries on 150/1510 vs 2112 or 128CEC2 ?

If cost is a concern, the best price for a Battery Minder is here:
https://www.batterystuff.com/search.html?q=battery+minder
Their prices include free shipping and no sales tax.

Note that the 2012 is for flooded and standard plate type AGM batteries. The 2012AGM is specifically for Optima, Odyssey, Polaris, Yuasa & Other High Performance Specialty 12 Volt Sealed AGM Lead-Acid Batteries.

I have been running a 2012AGM on a Interstate plate type AGM contrary to Battery Minder recommendations without issue for three years now...so not sure how big a deal it is...but I didn't understand the differences and their recommendation. I have two 128CEC2 and use them on the flooded setting on my other plate type AGMs.

The 128CEC2 has three settings for both flooded/AGM, Odyssey and lithium batteries.

 

[Mav123]

If cost is a concern, the best price for a Battery Minder is here:
https://www.batterystuff.com/search.html?q=battery+minder
Their prices include free shipping and no sales tax.

Note that the 2012 is for flooded and standard plate type AGM batteries. The 2012AGM is specifically for Optima, Odyssey, Polaris, Yuasa & Other High Performance Specialty 12 Volt Sealed AGM Lead-Acid Batteries.

I have been running a 2012AGM on a Interstate plate type AGM contrary to Battery Minder recommendations without issue for three years now...so not sure how big a deal it is...but I didn't understand the differences and their recommendation. I have two 128CEC2 and use them on the flooded setting on my other plate type AGMs.

The 128CEC2 has three settings for both flooded/AGM, Odyssey and lithium batteries.

I talked to their Tech support, Dave and he stated 1510, 2012 and 128CEC2 are "virtually" the same except for the charging amperage.

 

[Mav123]

Do you guys find this useful to be used for charging a couple of cars, ABS-248 12/24 Volt Battery Charger Temperature Sensor and which units support them, 2012 and 128CEC2?

 

[f355spider]

Do you guys find this useful to be used for charging a couple of cars, ABS-248 12/24 Volt Battery Charger Temperature Sensor and which units support them, 2012 and 128CEC2?

I don't. My cars and the Battery Minder are in the same unheated garage, so the temperatures are largely the same.
My one car that is charged in the driveway, the Battery Minder is again, in my unheated garage, but the temperatures don't differ enough that I'm worried about it. And that extension cord for the temperature sensor is much too short at 6 feet...I would need it to be at least 20 feet. Remember, the majority of battery tenders have no temperature compensation at all.

 

[Mav123]

I don't. My cars and the Battery Minder are in the same unheated garage, so the temperatures are largely the same.
My one car that is charged in the driveway, the Battery Minder is again, in my unheated garage, but the temperatures don't differ enough that I'm worried about it. And that extension cord for the temperature sensor is much too short at 6 feet...I would need it to be at least 20 feet. Remember, the majority of battery tenders have no temperature compensation at all.

Thank you.

 

[repairman54]

Do you guys observe any benefits in restoring/maintaining batteries on 150/1510 vs 2112 or 128CEC2 ?

I have 2 old batteries that are still doing their job on both a 1500 and a 1510 BatteryMinder. One is a '13 Yuasa in a snowmobile and the other is a '11 Odyssey in a Harley. Both see sub zero winter storage temps.
Those maintainers will be used until they stop working.

 

[Mav123]

I'm trying to set up 3 to 4 batteries to be maintained with varying degrees of sulfation and different ages, from about 7 years old to as recent as 1 year old. I read through the online manuals for BatteryMinder units, and they state that in order to put them together is necessary to thoroughly desulfate each one. Would you guys recommend just getting 3w or 4 1500/1510 units, or one 128CEC2 and keep them that way?
Thank you.

 

[f355spider]

I'm trying to set up 3 to 4 batteries to be maintained with varying degrees of sulfation and different ages, from about 7 years old to as recent as 1 year old. I read through the online manuals for BatteryMinder units, and they state that in order to put them together is necessary to thoroughly desulfate each one. Would you guys recommend just getting 3w or 4 1500/1510 units, or one 128CEC2 and keep them that way?
Thank you.

Whatever you decide, you will need an Ancel BA101 and test the battery every one to two weeks to verify when the battery no longer benefits from desulfation. Then you can move on to another battery, and/or keep them all maintained together off a single Battery Minder with their Y adapter. Depending on the amount of sulfation, it took up to 8 weeks in some cases. That is a long time if you have 3 or 4 batteries you want to service. And I am doing this with the 2 amp or 4 amp settings. Might take even longer with the 1.5 amp wall wart versions. I would also consider two each 2012s

One reason I own four Battery Minders, one Pulse Tech and two Granite Digital.

 

[Mav123]

Whatever you decide, you will need an Ancel BA101 and test the battery every one to two weeks to verify when the battery no longer benefits from desulfation. Then you can move on to another battery, and/or keep them all maintained together off a single Battery Minder with their Y adapter. Depending on the amount of sulfation, it took up to 8 weeks in some cases. That is a long time if you have 3 or 4 batteries you want to service. And I am doing this with the 2 amp or 4 amp settings. Might take even longer with the 1.5 amp wall wart versions. I would also consider two each 2012s

One reason I own four Battery Minders, one Pulse Tech and two Granite Digital.

Yes, this is very likely that I will need to desulfate for up to 8 weeks. How would you approach this, then, with 4 batteries, getting a separate unit for each? You would recommend 2012s, not 1500/1510? Which BM units do you have?

Also, am I correct in understanding that desulfation only happens when you directly connect a BM to 1 battery, instead of connecting several at a time? (I talked to Dave in Tech support, and he said that even during the maintenance stage, desulfation functions work.

 

[f355spider]

Yes, this is very likely that I will need to desulfate for up to 8 weeks. How would you approach this, then, with 4 batteries, getting a separate unit for each? You would recommend 2012s, not 1500/1510? Which BM units do you have?

Also, am I correct in understanding that desulfation only happens when you directly connect a BM to 1 battery, instead of connecting several at a time? (I talked to Dave in Tech support, and he said that even during the maintenance stage, desulfation functions work.

I apologize I am getting repetitive here, but I get you don't want to back through my posts in this thread as it is getting longish.
I would get at least two units...which ones is up to you, but don't discount the 2012. I have no experience with the 1500/1510, but experience with the other Battery Minder wall wart version sold exclusively through Northern Tool 12117TC. It seems to charge and maintain at a lower voltage and its temperature compensation was mild. It did not increase as much or decrease as much with temperature as my 2012AGM or 128CEC2. The above testing by pasedena_commut seems to show the 1500 wall wart operates similarly.

So I lean toward their more substantial units. I own one 2012AGM and two each 128CEC2 and the previously mentioned 12117TC.
It should desuflate no matter how many batteries are connected...you can connect up to 7 or 8 depending on the model, and using their Y adapters. BUT, from reading the manuals, it appears it tends to favor one battery over the other...not sure what conditions cause this...the one with higher or lower resistance? I don't recall. So that is why they recommend that each battery is fully desulfated before maintaining several batteries off one Battery Minder. Desulfation with Battery Minder is continous in all phases of charging, to include float according to their documentation.

I will repeat again, that the 2012AGM is recommended to be used with Odyssey, X2 Power and Optima batteries. Standard plate type AGMs should use the 2012 or the flooded setting on the 128CEC2. Now how important that is, I don't know. I have been using a 2012AGM on an Interstate plate type AGM for three years without issue.

As much as I like the 128CEC...if all you wish to spend or can afford is one unit...and the four batteries end up taking 8 weeks or more each to fully desulfate, that is a hugely long time...and how are you maintaining the desulfated batteries in the meantime??

 

[pasadena_commut]

Whatever you decide, you will need an Ancel BA101 and test the battery every one to two weeks to verify when the battery no longer benefits from desulfation.

About that...

With the BatteryMinder 1500 and the HF Viking battery tester (this one

https://www.harborfreight.com/12v-digital-battery-and-system-tester-58759.html

)

there seems to be a strange phenomenon where if the battery is charged every day (for ~12 hours only during the daytime), not driven, and then tested the next morning (about 11 hours later), the SOH and AH (or CCA) go steadily down in small increments each day. However, if the car is allowed to sit an extra day without being charged the SOH and AH (or CCA) will improve to at least where they were before the charging started. (After that they start to go down again very slowly, because I think both measurements are based in part on SOC, and that is decreasing slightly from the parasitic current.)

Observed this on an AGM battery and a sealed FLA. I'm not convinced that the effect is real as there are other variables that have not been controlled, starting with temperature. 11 hours seems like it should be plenty of time for the battery to bleed off any surface charge (especially given the ~25mA parasitic draw present in both cars) and to diffuse any chemicals that needed to move, but there could be something really peculiar about the way these two devices charge and then read the battery. Also this isn't charging continuously (mostly in float), but unplugging and starting over every day, so it goes through the whole charging cycle (quickly) each day before getting to float, starting with a battery that tests at 100% SOC.

BatteryMinder does say that the proper method to determine if the desulfation is working is to unplug the battery and let it sit 24 hours before testing. Perhaps lead acid batteries have a very slow diffusion step when coming down from >13V and it really does take that long for the final values to settle?

 

[Mav123]

I apologize I am getting repetitive here, but I get you don't want to back through my posts in this thread as it is getting longish.
I would get at least two units...which ones is up to you, but don't discount the 2012. I have no experience with the 1500/1510, but experience with the other Battery Minder wall wart version sold exclusively through Northern Tool 12117TC. It seems to charge and maintain at a lower voltage and its temperature compensation was mild. It did not increase as much or decrease as much with temperature as my 2012AGM or 128CEC2. The above testing by pasedena_commut seems to show the 1500 wall wart operates similarly.

So I lean toward their more substantial units. I own one 2012AGM and two each 128CEC2 and the previously mentioned 12117TC.
It should desuflate no matter how many batteries are connected...you can connect up to 7 or 8 depending on the model, and using their Y adapters. BUT, from reading the manuals, it appears it tends to favor one battery over the other...not sure what conditions cause this...the one with higher or lower resistance? I don't recall. So that is why they recommend that each battery is fully desulfated before maintaining several batteries off one Battery Minder. Desulfation with Battery Minder is continous in all phases of charging, to include float according to their documentation.

I will repeat again, that the 2012AGM is recommended to be used with Odyssey, X2 Power and Optima batteries. Standard plate type AGMs should use the 2012 or the flooded setting on the 128CEC2. Now how important that is, I don't know. I have been using a 2012AGM on an Interstate plate type AGM for three years without issue.

As much as I like the 128CEC...if all you wish to spend or can afford is one unit...and the four batteries end up taking 8 weeks or more each to fully desulfate, that is a hugely long time...and how are you maintaining the desulfated batteries in the meantime??

Thank you for your reply. I was reflecting and contemplating on the units that you suggested, such as 128CEC2 and even 2012. My dilemma is the cost. I know the cost of replacing batteries is higher. I have about 4 batteries and one 1 of 1510 unit that I bought 8 years ago or so. The higher-priced units are pretty high in price, and in the meantime, I'm trying to decide if I were to have 1 unit of 1510 to desulfate and rotate every 2-3 months and trickle charge with Noco Genius 1, which is about $20 (just buy 3 of them) that such units will keep the batteries charged.
I have also seen positive reviews about Clore Prologix will STOP charging at a complete charge, periodically monitor the state-of-charge by monitoring acceptance current at a voltage, and will periodically "exercise" the battery by putting a small load on it and then re-charging. https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/agm-batteries-dos-dont.269750/#post-4394637

They have several units, such as this one, meant for 1 battery https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007P7ABE6
and this one, which charges 4 batteries independently at the same time (something that Battery Minder does not have as it can keep maintaining multiple batteries but not bring up lower charged batteries and maintain the others at the same time) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01F3R4SUW

They are priced at about $60 and $100, respectively, now Amazon jacked up the price, but that lower price was as early as August this year.

 

[f355spider]

Thank you for your reply. I was reflecting and contemplating on the units that you suggested, such as 128CEC2 and even 2012. My dilemma is the cost. I know the cost of replacing batteries is higher. I have about 4 batteries and one 1 of 1510 unit that I bought 8 years ago or so. The higher-priced units are pretty high in price, and in the meantime, I'm trying to decide if I were to have 1 unit of 1510 to desulfate and rotate every 2-3 months and trickle charge with Noco Genius 1, which is about $20 (just buy 3 of them) that such units will keep the batteries charged.
I have also seen positive reviews about Clore Prologix will STOP charging at a complete charge, periodically monitor the state-of-charge by monitoring acceptance current at a voltage, and will periodically "exercise" the battery by putting a small load on it and then re-charging. https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/agm-batteries-dos-dont.269750/#post-4394637

They have several units, such as this one, meant for 1 battery https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007P7ABE6
and this one, which charges 4 batteries independently at the same time (something that Battery Minder does not have as it can keep maintaining multiple batteries but not bring up lower charged batteries and maintain the others at the same time) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01F3R4SUW

They are priced at about $60 and $100, respectively, now Amazon jacked up the price, but that lower price was as early as August this year.

Be aware that not all Clore product claim to desulfate. I have also not see anyone confirm it desulfates well on the models with a desulfation claim.

The Pulse Tech both desulfates and does the same maintenance profile of the ProLogix. It my testing of the Pulse Tech, it charges, then stops and lets the voltage of the battery drop then starts charging again. I think it must put a load on the battery as I watch the voltage drop on m Bluetooth battery monitor graph and it would do this over about one day...which the battery would normally take two or three weeks to drop that much without a load or help from the maintainter.

I have not used the Pulse Tech on a weak battery to test its desulfation mode, but there are people here and online that says it works well.

The four bank Pro Logix seems to tick the most boxes for you...and has desulfation and temp compensation. You may need some extension cables to reach all the batteries, depending on location. That is my issue with a mulitple battery maintainer. I don't see a convenient location to reach all four cars with cables running all over the place...and I certainly don't want to be driving over them.

 

[Mav123]

Be aware that not all Clore product claim to desulfate. I have also not see anyone confirm it desulfates well on the models with a desulfation claim.

The Pulse Tech both desulfates and does the same maintenance profile of the ProLogix. It my testing of the Pulse Tech, it charges, then stops and lets the voltage of the battery drop then starts charging again. I think it must put a load on the battery as I watch the voltage drop on m Bluetooth battery monitor graph and it would do this over about one day...which the battery would normally take two or three weeks to drop that much without a load or help from the maintainter.

I have not used the Pulse Tech on a weak battery to test its desulfation mode, but there are people here and online that says it works well.

The four bank Pro Logix seems to tick the most boxes for you...and has desulfation and temp compensation. You may need some extension cables to reach all the batteries, depending on location. That is my issue with a mulitple battery maintainer. I don't see a convenient location to reach all four cars with cables running all over the place...and I certainly don't want to be driving over them.

Thank you. What are your thoughts on Noco Genius 1 or 2 to keep batteries charged up and then desulfate on my Battery Minder 1510?

 

[Mav123]

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