Best Battery Chargers 2016

[Ether]

Originally Posted by swootton

Then when the light turns green as fully charged they switch to trickle mode.

From the description in the user manual, it sure doesn't sound like it uses trickle charge. What they call "maintenance mode" in the manual sounds like float, not trickle.

[GeeTwo]

Edit: My post is intended not so much for OP, as to document our learned battery charging rules for benefit new teams. If we're doing something wrong/not quite right, I'd love to hear it.


We have used a wide variety of chargers over the years. The #1 key feature is to get something which explicitly supports gel/AGC batteries. The other "nice" feature is the "float charge", which keeps batteries topped off, more important if your team takes a serious break outside of build/competition season. [Edit 2: That is, if the batteries are not kept on float chargers, put each one on a charger every two weeks or so until it is "topped off".)

Based on my reading (and not contradicted by experience), at least as important as your charger is your usage/charging rules. During competition, change batteries between every match, and put the battery on a charger stat. During practice and demo, do NOT wait for your batteries to fail, but replace them on a schedule. If you're actively driving and shooting and such, it may be as often as every five or ten minutes. If you're just shooting balls using pneumatics, but doing little driving (as our robot is doing this year at many demos), you may be able to go to a half hour or more on a charge. If your batteries ever get below 12V with no load, you've let them work way too long. We currently try to get our battery changes for relatively low draws around 12.5V (or pereferably higher). Also, after use, put batteries back on a charger as quickly as possible. Lead-acid batteries sitting discharged are batteries heading for recycling.

[swootton]

Originally Posted by Ether

From the description in the user manual, it sure doesn't sound like it uses trickle charge. What they call "maintenance mode" in the manual sounds like float, not trickle.

You are technically correct. Both serve exactly the same function but a float charger is a "smart" charger that can turn the charging circuit on and off based upon the state of charge of the battery which is obviously better.

[Ether]

Originally Posted by swootton

You are technically correct. Both serve exactly the same function but a float charger is a "smart" charger that can turn the charging circuit on and off based upon the state of charge of the battery which is obviously better.

Because of the differences, they don't serve exactly the same function.

You can leave a battery connected to a properly designed and configured float charger for months without harming the battery.

If you do the same thing with a trickle charger, you run the risk of destroying the battery.

[Janna3]

With these chargers are you then adding the Anderson connectors to them yourselves or are you just using the clamps to charge? I am interested in these in expensive single port chargers.

CHARGE IT! 4506 6/12V (6/2) Amp Smart Charger


Our team has a DualPro 2 port and 3 port charger so in theory we could charge 5 batteries at a time. We are now down to only two working ports. The mentors were talking about going to single chargers so that we don't lug around dead ports.

[Janna3]

Originally Posted by swootton

We've been using 4 of these for the past 3 years. Working in the automotive industry lead me to these. 2 amps for topping off at the shop and 6 amps at the competition.
http://smile.amazon.com/CHARGE-4506-12V-Smart-Charger/dp/B004RTJOH0?ie=UTF8&keywords=4506%20battery%20charg er&qid=1465490955&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2

Yes they have buttons but they work great, are small in size and <$30 each.

Hi, did you add Anderson connectors to the ends of these or just use the clamps for charging?

[swootton]

We added Anderson connectors to them and plug them directly into batteries.

[maxnz]

We got a Noco Genius G4 6V/12V 4 Bank charger at the beginning of last year. It is a little expensive, but is slightly cheaper than the Andymark 3 bank charger. (Also, it was on sale for about $75 off when we got it)