So I have used a Noco G7200 and while I know it works good for desulfating batteries I have had bad luck with reliability. 2 that only lasted 2 or 3 years and then 1 that made 5 years. I am looking for a good charger that is known to do a good job desulfating batteries that will last. Looking for brand and model and would like to keep the price around 100.
Good charger to desulfate batteries.
- Thread starter countryboy9799
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I've had good luck with the Pulsetech XC100. I've got one maintaining my motorcycle for a few years, and another at a trailer.
Pulsetech charger
Other quality brand pulse type desulfators are probably quite similar, however.
Pulsetech charger
Other quality brand pulse type desulfators are probably quite similar, however.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
If you're charging your batteries often, what makes you think you have a sulphation issue?
Originally Posted by countryboy9799
I am looking for a good charger that is known to do a good job desulfating batteries that will last. Looking for brand and model and would like to keep the price around 100.
BatteryMinder, but at that price range, you'll only be able to afford the 2012 model which has max current of 2A:
https://www.amazon.com/BatteryMINDer-Model-2012-Maintainer-Motorcycles/dp/B005EKY1EM
If you need higher current and are willing to stretch your budget a bit then here is your charger:
https://www.amazon.com/BatteryMinde...or-Motorcycles-Snowmobiles/dp/B01D3SWXUA
I've had the 2012 model for 6+ years and it's my favorite charger. My Noco and ProLogix are sitting and collecting dust.
![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/BChRBTNh.jpg "[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]")
With that said, I am not 100% convinced that the desulfation function actually does anything. How would one reliably determine that?
I am looking for a good charger that is known to do a good job desulfating batteries that will last. Looking for brand and model and would like to keep the price around 100.
BatteryMinder, but at that price range, you'll only be able to afford the 2012 model which has max current of 2A:
https://www.amazon.com/BatteryMINDer-Model-2012-Maintainer-Motorcycles/dp/B005EKY1EM
If you need higher current and are willing to stretch your budget a bit then here is your charger:
https://www.amazon.com/BatteryMinde...or-Motorcycles-Snowmobiles/dp/B01D3SWXUA
I've had the 2012 model for 6+ years and it's my favorite charger. My Noco and ProLogix are sitting and collecting dust.
With that said, I am not 100% convinced that the desulfation function actually does anything. How would one reliably determine that?
These fully enclosed chargers are likely getting too hot, and staying hot for too long to have such a high failure rate. Are they IP 65 rated or something? No ventilation holes?
What will get them hot fast is putting them on a well depleted battery, where they put out their maximum current in the quest to bring the battery to maximum/Absorption voltage, at which point the amperage tapers in order to not overvolt the battery.
YOu might consider using another charger to bring them closer to full, before using these as maintainers. but it could just be poor design and lack of heatsinking.
Did you open it up and have a look, see if 115vac is actually reaching the circuit board, test for continuity across the fuse, sniff it for that distinctive burnt electronics smell?
I use extra heatsinks on hard working transistors. One side of a transistor is usually attached to a heatsink, but the other side usually is not, I prefer to sandwich them on any task critical device. I've also found the lack of a thermal grease in between transistor and heatsink to be common on most made in China devices. Gotta save that 0.03 cents each unit by not using an adequate amount.
But heck, it works, they sold you three. Much more profitable than just one.
I'm of the opinion holding two equally sulfated batteries at the same voltage for the same duration will have the same revival effect, one of them marketed as pulse desulfation and the other just plain jane power supply.
My best luck in restoring battery capacity and performance is to relatively quickly discharge them to 10.5v, then high rate recharge them and get them to about 100f then hold them at ~14.4v for a few hours until amps stop tapering then start rising.
Cant cook pasta in 68f water. Long term heat is bad, heating from within while charging at a high rate likely stands the best chance of redissolving hardened sulfation back into solution.
The only way to get a high rate for an appreciable amount of time in order to heat the battery from within, is to start from a low state of charge, and of course have a charging source capable of at least 20 amps per 100Ah of capacity that can seek and hold mid 14 voltages until amps stop tapering and perhaps start rising again.
What will get them hot fast is putting them on a well depleted battery, where they put out their maximum current in the quest to bring the battery to maximum/Absorption voltage, at which point the amperage tapers in order to not overvolt the battery.
YOu might consider using another charger to bring them closer to full, before using these as maintainers. but it could just be poor design and lack of heatsinking.
Did you open it up and have a look, see if 115vac is actually reaching the circuit board, test for continuity across the fuse, sniff it for that distinctive burnt electronics smell?
I use extra heatsinks on hard working transistors. One side of a transistor is usually attached to a heatsink, but the other side usually is not, I prefer to sandwich them on any task critical device. I've also found the lack of a thermal grease in between transistor and heatsink to be common on most made in China devices. Gotta save that 0.03 cents each unit by not using an adequate amount.
But heck, it works, they sold you three. Much more profitable than just one.
I'm of the opinion holding two equally sulfated batteries at the same voltage for the same duration will have the same revival effect, one of them marketed as pulse desulfation and the other just plain jane power supply.
My best luck in restoring battery capacity and performance is to relatively quickly discharge them to 10.5v, then high rate recharge them and get them to about 100f then hold them at ~14.4v for a few hours until amps stop tapering then start rising.
Cant cook pasta in 68f water. Long term heat is bad, heating from within while charging at a high rate likely stands the best chance of redissolving hardened sulfation back into solution.
The only way to get a high rate for an appreciable amount of time in order to heat the battery from within, is to start from a low state of charge, and of course have a charging source capable of at least 20 amps per 100Ah of capacity that can seek and hold mid 14 voltages until amps stop tapering and perhaps start rising again.
Originally Posted by gathermewool
If you're charging your batteries often, what makes you think you have a sulphation issue?
So I have done this a few times where my bigger Schumacher charger will pause for a long time at 83% and then show "bad". I will then give them several repair cycles and they are then capable of going to 100% so I think it is making a difference. Also when I look in the cells the water inside gets very grey so I am assuming that is the sulphur breaking up. As far as charging batteries often I could do a better job but with about 20+ batteries on our place they don't always get charged up every month. The recent car was on a 14 Corolla with OEM batteries, I have done this with batteries in my pickup that are 15 years old.
If you're charging your batteries often, what makes you think you have a sulphation issue?
So I have done this a few times where my bigger Schumacher charger will pause for a long time at 83% and then show "bad". I will then give them several repair cycles and they are then capable of going to 100% so I think it is making a difference. Also when I look in the cells the water inside gets very grey so I am assuming that is the sulphur breaking up. As far as charging batteries often I could do a better job but with about 20+ batteries on our place they don't always get charged up every month. The recent car was on a 14 Corolla with OEM batteries, I have done this with batteries in my pickup that are 15 years old.
Originally Posted by wrcsixeight
These fully enclosed chargers are likely getting too hot, and staying hot for too long to have such a high failure rate. Are they IP 65 rated or something? No ventilation holes?
What will get them hot fast is putting them on a well depleted battery, where they put out their maximum current in the quest to bring the battery to maximum/Absorption voltage, at which point the amperage tapers in order to not overvolt the battery.
But heck, it works, they sold you three. Much more profitable than just one.
It is sealed up which may be the issue with overheating but it is a charger and should be able to be plugged in and not worry as it is a "smart charger"
They only sold me 2, I like the first one right away so I bought a second one with the repair mode. Then the first one went and was replaced through warranty is why I had 2 fail. I am on my last at this point. I did open the G7200 up today because the "mode switch" is bad so I cannot change the functions, I was able to bypass the switch and make it work so I may be able to get some life out of this one. The only bad thing is I saw a resistor with some rusty looking stuff coming out of it so I am guessing it doesn't have much life left in it and I have not gotten it wet.
These fully enclosed chargers are likely getting too hot, and staying hot for too long to have such a high failure rate. Are they IP 65 rated or something? No ventilation holes?
What will get them hot fast is putting them on a well depleted battery, where they put out their maximum current in the quest to bring the battery to maximum/Absorption voltage, at which point the amperage tapers in order to not overvolt the battery.
But heck, it works, they sold you three. Much more profitable than just one.
It is sealed up which may be the issue with overheating but it is a charger and should be able to be plugged in and not worry as it is a "smart charger"
They only sold me 2, I like the first one right away so I bought a second one with the repair mode. Then the first one went and was replaced through warranty is why I had 2 fail. I am on my last at this point. I did open the G7200 up today because the "mode switch" is bad so I cannot change the functions, I was able to bypass the switch and make it work so I may be able to get some life out of this one. The only bad thing is I saw a resistor with some rusty looking stuff coming out of it so I am guessing it doesn't have much life left in it and I have not gotten it wet.
I've had 3 CTEKs for about 20 years, never an issue. Those are 4.3 Polar, 7.3 and 20 A models. Additionally, I have an Optimate 7 Select, and that one had a warranty job once by the mfg. Had to ship it to Canada with the Customs paperwork rigmarole. Spent about $30 for the shipping. And time. Moral: buy those from a local dealer/distributor. I bought mine from Amazon, and there was something fishy about it. The warranty folks called me from Canada and asked me where is the seal/gasket? Did I open it before, etc.? That was a surprise. One cannot trust Amazon. After that I'd rather give extra 30 to a local guy with a good reputation. Think who gets your money. At least, think sometimes... Otherwise, I am happy with the Optimate as I am very happy with my CTEKs. They display differences in their algorithms, but I didn't look deeply enough to say what is it.
The best option is a good rectifier with enough headroom aka dc power supply, but we are a nation of ignorant lovers of shortcuts that we conveniently market to each other as solutions.
The orator above and right below digs Physics of it, I would look up all his posts on the subject. I can also refer you to Mr Michael Faradey and a few electro-chemical laws of his.
The best option is a good rectifier with enough headroom aka dc power supply, but we are a nation of ignorant lovers of shortcuts that we conveniently market to each other as solutions.
The orator above and right below digs Physics of it, I would look up all his posts on the subject. I can also refer you to Mr Michael Faradey and a few electro-chemical laws of his.
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The % displays on Schumacher chargers, and most 'smart' chargers are to be taken with a huge grain of salt.
They are based entirely on battery voltage when the unit is first attached to a battery. Battery voltage is only accurate on a well rested battery, one that has not seen any charging nor discharging for quite some time. One battery might rest fully charged at 12.62 and an AGM might rest fully charged as high as 13.16v, and be only 70% charged at 12.62v. Battery Voltage is not like a fuel tank gauge, it is a general indicator at best and only accurate on a well rested battery when the full charge resting voltage has previously been determined when the battery was newish. There are alos several variables which make any instantaneous voltage reading highly inaccurate in guessing at state of charge.
There is no magical device which can be attached to a battery and give instantaneous state of charge percentages with any degree of accuracy. A true battery monitor/ columb counter counts amps into and out of the battery and needs a known full charge, as a starting point, and then somewhat regular calibration, as some batteries need 105% of the juice taken out to return to full and some others might need 130% or more and this will vary with temperature, average depth of discharge and time since the last true full charge and even the best of battery monitors are likely only 95% accurate and they will drift out of whack with time.
And smart chargers are not designed to truly fully charge each and every battery, they are design to never Overcharge any battery. They usually fall well short of a true full charge, Which usually is inconsequential to most driver's batteries, and more than good enough for most, especially when product pride and marketing are considered.
When one has the tools and the aptitude and the gumption to insure a true full charge of a hard working lead acid battery, in an attempt to insure maximum longevity, one can see just how short 'smart' chargers fall. Most can't, won't, never do, and remain proudly ignorant.
But most engine starting batteries have a relatively easy life and don't qualify as 'hard working' so the 'good enough' bar is quite low.
-------
I've had a relatively young inverter look like it was dipped in a salt bath, yet never having gotten wet, not even used much. Other electronics located in the same area have been fine for a decade or more.
My schumacher sc2500a 'intelli' charger is batcrud crazy. I can't trust it and leave it unattended, as it will significantly overvolt a battery sometimes, yet others give up and revert to float prematurely, well short of anything even remotely considered fully charged. Very rarely does it ever actually bring the battery to the 95% State of charge range without intervention. I don't trust it and rarely use it, and would go insane if I were trying to figure out what it was thinking/attempting by its Bizarre behavior.
I think it escaped a mental institution then started dropping acid and now thinks it is an orange in the corner and every battery is trying to peel it. So when i see someone put any faith in their Schumachers % display I get a chuckle and see an orange with red numbers followed by a %.
Some Caig Deoxit d5 can sometimes act like magic electrical juice. I've had it return items to function for no logical reason I could determine. I tend to spray the circuit boards of salt exposed items to Caig DeOxit S5 Shield spray, but do not get it on the soft silicone boots inside electrical connectors as they tend to swell and make refitting them quite difficult. Its pricey but great to have on hand for any electrical connection. Electrical connections need lube too. What looks pristine might make a d5 dipped cotton swab turn black from pink.
Good luck. I think the battery minders with the optional temperature sensor are where I would go for a maintainer. My buddy has the 12248 though i think it has failed now. I used it on some marine batteries that were chronically undercharged with no Improvement.
Now if I am asked to revive a battery I put it on an adjustable voltage power supply and watch amps respond to different voltages( electrical pressure) to get an idea where its at, then discharge it nearly fully, taking note of how much it had to give for how long, then charge it at a relatively high rate until amps taper to low levels or temperature gets above 105f. The next discharge almost always proves to have gained over that first one, and a second one might or might not be beneficial. Often i can see the battery is not going to respond as it has nothing to give and few amps take it to absorption voltage, and holding it at absorption voltage only heats it excessively.
In the manuals of top battery manufacturers, granted they are for deep cycle lead acid applications which is fairly different from starter battery usage, none of them say any pulse desulfation chargers are beneficial in any way.
http://lifelinebatteries.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/6-0101-Rev-E-Lifeline-Technical-Manual.pdf
https://rollsbattery.com/public/docs/user_manual/Rolls_Battery_Manual.pdf
If you read and digest even 1/4 the info in these two manuals you will understand more about lead acid battery care and feeding than 99.99% of the population.
if I had a fleet of batteries to maintain, I would have an adjustable voltage power supply set to 14.7v, and lots of 18AWG zip wire and anderson powerpole connectors, and have it on a timer for 10 minutes a day in winter and set to 14.2v in summer.
Long term float at an incorrect voltage is no good, and the ideal float/maintenance voltage is different at different temperatures and different for different batteries, and different for the same battery as it ages.
One size does not fit all. One size fits none perfectly, despite the marketing claims saying otherwise
They are based entirely on battery voltage when the unit is first attached to a battery. Battery voltage is only accurate on a well rested battery, one that has not seen any charging nor discharging for quite some time. One battery might rest fully charged at 12.62 and an AGM might rest fully charged as high as 13.16v, and be only 70% charged at 12.62v. Battery Voltage is not like a fuel tank gauge, it is a general indicator at best and only accurate on a well rested battery when the full charge resting voltage has previously been determined when the battery was newish. There are alos several variables which make any instantaneous voltage reading highly inaccurate in guessing at state of charge.
There is no magical device which can be attached to a battery and give instantaneous state of charge percentages with any degree of accuracy. A true battery monitor/ columb counter counts amps into and out of the battery and needs a known full charge, as a starting point, and then somewhat regular calibration, as some batteries need 105% of the juice taken out to return to full and some others might need 130% or more and this will vary with temperature, average depth of discharge and time since the last true full charge and even the best of battery monitors are likely only 95% accurate and they will drift out of whack with time.
And smart chargers are not designed to truly fully charge each and every battery, they are design to never Overcharge any battery. They usually fall well short of a true full charge, Which usually is inconsequential to most driver's batteries, and more than good enough for most, especially when product pride and marketing are considered.
When one has the tools and the aptitude and the gumption to insure a true full charge of a hard working lead acid battery, in an attempt to insure maximum longevity, one can see just how short 'smart' chargers fall. Most can't, won't, never do, and remain proudly ignorant.
But most engine starting batteries have a relatively easy life and don't qualify as 'hard working' so the 'good enough' bar is quite low.
-------
I've had a relatively young inverter look like it was dipped in a salt bath, yet never having gotten wet, not even used much. Other electronics located in the same area have been fine for a decade or more.
My schumacher sc2500a 'intelli' charger is batcrud crazy. I can't trust it and leave it unattended, as it will significantly overvolt a battery sometimes, yet others give up and revert to float prematurely, well short of anything even remotely considered fully charged. Very rarely does it ever actually bring the battery to the 95% State of charge range without intervention. I don't trust it and rarely use it, and would go insane if I were trying to figure out what it was thinking/attempting by its Bizarre behavior.
I think it escaped a mental institution then started dropping acid and now thinks it is an orange in the corner and every battery is trying to peel it. So when i see someone put any faith in their Schumachers % display I get a chuckle and see an orange with red numbers followed by a %.
Some Caig Deoxit d5 can sometimes act like magic electrical juice. I've had it return items to function for no logical reason I could determine. I tend to spray the circuit boards of salt exposed items to Caig DeOxit S5 Shield spray, but do not get it on the soft silicone boots inside electrical connectors as they tend to swell and make refitting them quite difficult. Its pricey but great to have on hand for any electrical connection. Electrical connections need lube too. What looks pristine might make a d5 dipped cotton swab turn black from pink.
Good luck. I think the battery minders with the optional temperature sensor are where I would go for a maintainer. My buddy has the 12248 though i think it has failed now. I used it on some marine batteries that were chronically undercharged with no Improvement.
Now if I am asked to revive a battery I put it on an adjustable voltage power supply and watch amps respond to different voltages( electrical pressure) to get an idea where its at, then discharge it nearly fully, taking note of how much it had to give for how long, then charge it at a relatively high rate until amps taper to low levels or temperature gets above 105f. The next discharge almost always proves to have gained over that first one, and a second one might or might not be beneficial. Often i can see the battery is not going to respond as it has nothing to give and few amps take it to absorption voltage, and holding it at absorption voltage only heats it excessively.
In the manuals of top battery manufacturers, granted they are for deep cycle lead acid applications which is fairly different from starter battery usage, none of them say any pulse desulfation chargers are beneficial in any way.
http://lifelinebatteries.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/6-0101-Rev-E-Lifeline-Technical-Manual.pdf
https://rollsbattery.com/public/docs/user_manual/Rolls_Battery_Manual.pdf
If you read and digest even 1/4 the info in these two manuals you will understand more about lead acid battery care and feeding than 99.99% of the population.
if I had a fleet of batteries to maintain, I would have an adjustable voltage power supply set to 14.7v, and lots of 18AWG zip wire and anderson powerpole connectors, and have it on a timer for 10 minutes a day in winter and set to 14.2v in summer.
Long term float at an incorrect voltage is no good, and the ideal float/maintenance voltage is different at different temperatures and different for different batteries, and different for the same battery as it ages.
One size does not fit all. One size fits none perfectly, despite the marketing claims saying otherwise
most quality batteries will live a long 5 yrs or so life if kept fully charged regularly, EXCEPT those in HOT + DRY areas like Arizona that dry out sealed batteries + thats when a battery that you can add water is BETTER IF you can get a fitment as many newer vehicles mount fuses etc over the battery, so relocation-modifications will be necessary using other than stock configuration
I just replaced my 2011's original battery last year. And it was still testing good.
I do feel that the Noco G7200 that I have does help the battery with the repair mode because as stated earlier I can charge with my Schumacher that will say it is bad, I believe it because of the times that it has happened I felt the battery was bad due to age and cranking ability. That is why I am looking for a more reliable charger that has the repair mode because as soon as I do a few of those the same Shumacher charger no longer shows bad, maybe it isn't the most accurate but I feel that the repair mode has helped prolong battery life for me when needed. I have had a few that it did not work on but they may have had other issues that were not repairable.
I think I am leaning towards the CTEK 7002, 7 amps is enough for what I do and it looks like that has a dedicated repair mode, can someone confirm this? Or are there other/better options in this amp range?
I think I am leaning towards the CTEK 7002, 7 amps is enough for what I do and it looks like that has a dedicated repair mode, can someone confirm this? Or are there other/better options in this amp range?
JHZR2
Staff member
Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
Originally Posted by countryboy9799
I am looking for a good charger that is known to do a good job desulfating batteries that will last. Looking for brand and model and would like to keep the price around 100.
BatteryMinder, but at that price range, you'll only be able to afford the 2012 model which has max current of 2A:
https://www.amazon.com/BatteryMINDer-Model-2012-Maintainer-Motorcycles/dp/B005EKY1EM
If you need higher current and are willing to stretch your budget a bit then here is your charger:
https://www.amazon.com/BatteryMinde...or-Motorcycles-Snowmobiles/dp/B01D3SWXUA
I've had the 2012 model for 6+ years and it's my favorite charger. My Noco and ProLogix are sitting and collecting dust.
With that said, I am not 100% convinced that the desulfation function actually does anything. How would one reliably determine that?
+1. 2012 is a great unit and my preference.
Ive recently tested noco gen 2 chargers, as they claim to be temperature compensated. While my 2012 is floating at 13.73v, the noco is 12.97.
May not really matter, and part of me has to wonder if for true long term storage, lower voltage will actually be better for energized capacitors in the vehicle... it's not an appropriate temperature compensated float...
Originally Posted by countryboy9799
I am looking for a good charger that is known to do a good job desulfating batteries that will last. Looking for brand and model and would like to keep the price around 100.
BatteryMinder, but at that price range, you'll only be able to afford the 2012 model which has max current of 2A:
https://www.amazon.com/BatteryMINDer-Model-2012-Maintainer-Motorcycles/dp/B005EKY1EM
If you need higher current and are willing to stretch your budget a bit then here is your charger:
https://www.amazon.com/BatteryMinde...or-Motorcycles-Snowmobiles/dp/B01D3SWXUA
I've had the 2012 model for 6+ years and it's my favorite charger. My Noco and ProLogix are sitting and collecting dust.
With that said, I am not 100% convinced that the desulfation function actually does anything. How would one reliably determine that?
+1. 2012 is a great unit and my preference.
Ive recently tested noco gen 2 chargers, as they claim to be temperature compensated. While my 2012 is floating at 13.73v, the noco is 12.97.
May not really matter, and part of me has to wonder if for true long term storage, lower voltage will actually be better for energized capacitors in the vehicle... it's not an appropriate temperature compensated float...
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
Originally Posted by countryboy9799
Originally Posted by gathermewool
If you're charging your batteries often, what makes you think you have a sulphation issue?
So I have done this a few times where my bigger Schumacher charger will pause for a long time at 83% and then show "bad". I will then give them several repair cycles and they are then capable of going to 100% so I think it is making a difference. Also when I look in the cells the water inside gets very grey so I am assuming that is the sulphur breaking up. As far as charging batteries often I could do a better job but with about 20+ batteries on our place they don't always get charged up every month. The recent car was on a 14 Corolla with OEM batteries, I have done this with batteries in my pickup that are 15 years old.
What's the voltage at for the "repair cycle" and how long is that voltage applied?
It could be that you're seeing sulphation, but it could just be the charger, as well. if the "repair cycle" is jumping up the voltage too high, you may be shedding an excessive amount of good plate material for no reason while attempting to desulphate. In theory, higher voltages should only be applied for desulphation after the battery is fully charged. For instance, I use a completely manual DC power supply, usually set to a nominal 14.4VDC to charge my batteries to 100% - 100% is indicated by a bottomed-out amperage at 14.4VDC (usually 0.05-0.09A, depending on parasitic draw).
Every so often, after I charge the battery to 100% I'll then step the voltage up to 15.0VDC for a little while for an equalizing charge. I do this more to equalize the charge between the highest-reading cell and the lowest-reading cell, but it likely results in desulphation, as well.
Originally Posted by gathermewool
If you're charging your batteries often, what makes you think you have a sulphation issue?
So I have done this a few times where my bigger Schumacher charger will pause for a long time at 83% and then show "bad". I will then give them several repair cycles and they are then capable of going to 100% so I think it is making a difference. Also when I look in the cells the water inside gets very grey so I am assuming that is the sulphur breaking up. As far as charging batteries often I could do a better job but with about 20+ batteries on our place they don't always get charged up every month. The recent car was on a 14 Corolla with OEM batteries, I have done this with batteries in my pickup that are 15 years old.
What's the voltage at for the "repair cycle" and how long is that voltage applied?
It could be that you're seeing sulphation, but it could just be the charger, as well. if the "repair cycle" is jumping up the voltage too high, you may be shedding an excessive amount of good plate material for no reason while attempting to desulphate. In theory, higher voltages should only be applied for desulphation after the battery is fully charged. For instance, I use a completely manual DC power supply, usually set to a nominal 14.4VDC to charge my batteries to 100% - 100% is indicated by a bottomed-out amperage at 14.4VDC (usually 0.05-0.09A, depending on parasitic draw).
Every so often, after I charge the battery to 100% I'll then step the voltage up to 15.0VDC for a little while for an equalizing charge. I do this more to equalize the charge between the highest-reading cell and the lowest-reading cell, but it likely results in desulphation, as well.
Originally Posted by gathermewool
What's the voltage at for the "repair cycle" and how long is that voltage applied?
According to G7200 OM, the repair mode pushes up to 1.5A @ 16.5V for "up to 4 hours."
What's the voltage at for the "repair cycle" and how long is that voltage applied?
According to G7200 OM, the repair mode pushes up to 1.5A @ 16.5V for "up to 4 hours."
Originally Posted by gathermewool
Originally Posted by countryboy9799
Originally Posted by gathermewool
If you're charging your batteries often, what makes you think you have a sulphation issue?
So I have done this a few times where my bigger Schumacher charger will pause for a long time at 83% and then show "bad". I will then give them several repair cycles and they are then capable of going to 100% so I think it is making a difference. Also when I look in the cells the water inside gets very grey so I am assuming that is the sulphur breaking up. As far as charging batteries often I could do a better job but with about 20+ batteries on our place they don't always get charged up every month. The recent car was on a 14 Corolla with OEM batteries, I have done this with batteries in my pickup that are 15 years old.
What's the voltage at for the "repair cycle" and how long is that voltage applied?
It could be that you're seeing sulphation, but it could just be the charger, as well. if the "repair cycle" is jumping up the voltage too high, you may be shedding an excessive amount of good plate material for no reason while attempting to desulphate. In theory, higher voltages should only be applied for desulphation after the battery is fully charged. For instance, I use a completely manual DC power supply, usually set to a nominal 14.4VDC to charge my batteries to 100% - 100% is indicated by a bottomed-out amperage at 14.4VDC (usually 0.05-0.09A, depending on parasitic draw).
Every so often, after I charge the battery to 100% I'll then step the voltage up to 15.0VDC for a little while for an equalizing charge. I do this more to equalize the charge between the highest-reading cell and the lowest-reading cell, but it likely results in desulphation, as well.
I am not sure what the repair cycle voltage is or if it does damage but I only do this when I see a reason as in the battery needs to be replaced anyways.
Originally Posted by countryboy9799
Originally Posted by gathermewool
If you're charging your batteries often, what makes you think you have a sulphation issue?
So I have done this a few times where my bigger Schumacher charger will pause for a long time at 83% and then show "bad". I will then give them several repair cycles and they are then capable of going to 100% so I think it is making a difference. Also when I look in the cells the water inside gets very grey so I am assuming that is the sulphur breaking up. As far as charging batteries often I could do a better job but with about 20+ batteries on our place they don't always get charged up every month. The recent car was on a 14 Corolla with OEM batteries, I have done this with batteries in my pickup that are 15 years old.
What's the voltage at for the "repair cycle" and how long is that voltage applied?
It could be that you're seeing sulphation, but it could just be the charger, as well. if the "repair cycle" is jumping up the voltage too high, you may be shedding an excessive amount of good plate material for no reason while attempting to desulphate. In theory, higher voltages should only be applied for desulphation after the battery is fully charged. For instance, I use a completely manual DC power supply, usually set to a nominal 14.4VDC to charge my batteries to 100% - 100% is indicated by a bottomed-out amperage at 14.4VDC (usually 0.05-0.09A, depending on parasitic draw).
Every so often, after I charge the battery to 100% I'll then step the voltage up to 15.0VDC for a little while for an equalizing charge. I do this more to equalize the charge between the highest-reading cell and the lowest-reading cell, but it likely results in desulphation, as well.
I am not sure what the repair cycle voltage is or if it does damage but I only do this when I see a reason as in the battery needs to be replaced anyways.
gathermewool
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Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
Originally Posted by gathermewool
What's the voltage at for the "repair cycle" and how long is that voltage applied?
According to G7200 OM, the repair mode pushes up to 1.5A @ 16.5V for "up to 4 hours."
Well, I guess it's worth gassing the [censored] out of the other cells to possibly bring a very weak cell(s) up a bit and keep a bad battery going for a little while longer.
Just keep anything flammable away from the battery while doing this, I guess.
Originally Posted by gathermewool
What's the voltage at for the "repair cycle" and how long is that voltage applied?
According to G7200 OM, the repair mode pushes up to 1.5A @ 16.5V for "up to 4 hours."
Well, I guess it's worth gassing the [censored] out of the other cells to possibly bring a very weak cell(s) up a bit and keep a bad battery going for a little while longer.
Just keep anything flammable away from the battery while doing this, I guess.
This thread got me to reading up on battery charging, since I maintain a couple of tractor batteries over the winter, and of course I have car batteries to charge every so often. According to the majority of information, desulfating batteries is a myth, and doesn't have any real successful benefit. The chemistry of desulfating doesn't make sense to me. The real solution to keeping a battery from sulfating in the first place is to keep it charged. If being used, as in a daily driver, obviously it's not a problem, for a battery in storeage, then a battery maintainer that keeps the charge above 12 volts will eliminate the problem.
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