Camelion battery chargers?

[KevinMalone]

Any experience with Camelion battery chargers? They're sold at Costco Canada under Shell branding:

Shell SBC100 1 Amp Battery Charger and Maintainer

Shell SBC400 4 Amp Battery Charger and Maintainer

Not much on their website about automotive products, but Google found a PDF of their jump starter and chargers: http://www.camelionbattery.com/UserFiles/upload/file/20230413/20230413112007597.pdf

 

[KevinMalone]

The manuals offer some more insight on how they work:

1 Amp manual: https://mobilecontent.costco.com/live/resource/img/static-ca-pdf/100808178-User_Manual_EN.pdf

Qualification
The charger will check the battery condition, such as voltage, state-of-charge and health, to determine whether the battery is good for charging. If the battery is slightly sulfated, the charger will rejuvenate and recover the battery. As a safety measure, charging process will begin only if the battery is above 4V.
Soft Start
If the battery is at a very low state of charge, small charging voltage and current will be applied in order to prepare the battery for the next charging step.
Pulse
The battery undergoes the desulfation process to break down the sulfate and to restore the battery capacity.
Recondition
This stage reactivates the battery for bulk charging after desulfation.
Bulk Charging
The battery is charged at a constant current of 1A. This stage will charge the battery to approximately 85% of full charge.
Absorption
The charger switches to constant voltage charging. Charging current is gradually reduced allowing the battery to absorb more power until it achieves the 100% charged state.
Analysis
Charging stops when the battery is charged to its full capacity. The charger will check if the charging process is successful. Voltage test will be carried out to determine the state of charge of the battery. Based on the result, the charger will decide whether the battery will go to the next charging step or if it is a dead battery.
Maintenance
The battery is charged at constant voltage to maintain its full charged state without overcharging or damaging the battery

4 Amp manual: https://mobilecontent.costco.com/live/resource/img/static-us-pdf/100799354-894__1.pdf

Qualification
The charger will check the battery condition, such as voltage, state-of-charge and health, to determine whether the battery is good for charging. If the battery is slightly sulfated, the charger will rejuvenate and recover the battery. As a safety measure, charging process will begin only if the battery is above 2V.
Soft Start
If the battery is at a very low state of charge, small charging voltage and current will be applied in order to prepare the battery for the next charging step.
Pulse
The battery undergoes the desulfation process to break down the sulfate and to restore the battery capacity.
Recondition
This stage reactivates the battery for bulk charging after desulfation.
Bulk Charging 1
The battery is charged at a constant current of 4A. This stage will charge the battery to approximately 75% of full charge.
Bulk Charging 2
The battery is charged at a constant current of 3A. This stage will charge the battery to approximately 80% of full charge.
Bulk Charging 3
The battery is charged at a constant current of 2A or 1A if slow charging rate is selected. This stage will charge the battery to approximately 85% of full charge.
Absorption
The charger switches to constant voltage charging. Charging current is gradually reduced allowing the battery to absorb more power until it achieves the 100% charged state.

 

[Escape08]

With a few bucks more over the 1 amp, I'll choose the 4 amps

https://www.amazon.com/Shell-Automotive-Battery-Charger-Lead/dp/B08MB1KM48

 

[GMBoy]

Computerized "smart" chargers are nice, I have a few but they simply won't work on a battery that is too low (I forget what voltage) so that is why a good old manual charger is a must to have around as well. Several times I tried to charge a battery and the smart chargers wouldn't so had to pull the manual charger out.

 

[KevinMalone]

Computerized "smart" chargers are nice, I have a few but they simply won't work on a battery that is too low (I forget what voltage) so that is why a good old manual charger is a must to have around as well. Several times I tried to charge a battery and the smart chargers wouldn't so had to pull the manual charger out.

Seems like the 4A charger has a "force mode" for this situation

 

[mk378]

If there isn't a force mode you can get an automatic charger started by connecting a good battery in parallel with the dead one with jumper cables. Connect the charger also to the dead battery. Let them both charge for a while then disconnect the good battery. A jump start pack that is based on a lead-acid battery and a switch (not a "smart" one which refuses to connect to a completely dead battery) can serve as the "good battery."