Sooner or later, any car enthusiast is faced with the problem of a discharged battery, especially when the temperature has dropped below zero. And after a couple of starts using the “lighting” method, there is a firm belief that the automatic charger is an essential item. The market today is simply replete with a variety of such devices, from which the eyes literally run up. Various manufacturers, colors, shapes, designs and, of course, prices. So how do you figure this out?
Choosing an automatic charger
Before you go shopping, you need to decide which battery you have to charge. They come in many different types: serviced and maintenance-free, dry-charged or drenched, alkaline or acidic. The same applies to chargers: there are manual, semi-automatic and automatic
chargers for car batteries. The latter are preferable to choose, since they practically do not require outside intervention, and the entire charge process is controlled by the device itself.
They provide the most optimal battery charging mode , while there is no overvoltage hazardous to the battery. Smart electronic filling will do everything according to the correct, predetermined algorithm, and some devices are able to determine the degree of battery discharge and its capacity, independently adjust to the desired mode. Such an automatic charger is suitable for almost any type of battery.
Most modern chargers and launchers have the so-called fast charge mode (BOOST). In some cases, this can really help a lot when, due to a weak battery charge, it is not possible to start the engine with a starting device. In this case, it is enough to charge the battery in BOOST mode for literally several minutes, and then start the engine. You cannot charge the battery for a long time in BOOST mode, as this can significantly reduce its battery life.
How does an automatic charger work?
Typically, this device, regardless of the manufacturer and price category, is intended for charging, as well as cleaning plates of lead sulfate (desulfation) of twelve-volt batteries having a capacity of 5 to 100 Ah, as well as quantifying their charge level. Such a charger is equipped with protection against incorrect connection and short circuit of terminals. The use of microcontroller control allows you to choose the optimal mode for almost any battery.
The main modes of operation of the automatic charger:
- Charging mode. Usually occurs in several stages: first, a charge occurs until a voltage of 14.6 V is reached with a stable current of 0.1 C (C is the battery capacity in Ah), then a charge of 14.6 V occurs until the current drops to 0 , 02 C. In the next step, a stable voltage of 13.8 V is maintained until 0.01 C is reached, and at the final stage, the battery is recharged. If the voltage drops below 12.7 V, the cycle repeats.
- Desulfation regimen. In this mode, the device operates in the following cycle: 5 seconds of charging with a current of 0.1 C followed by a 10-second discharge with a current of 0.01 C until the battery voltage reaches 14.6 V, after which a normal charge occurs.
- Battery test mode. Allows you to determine the degree of its discharge. In this mode, after the battery is loaded with a current of 0.01 C for 15 seconds, the voltage at its terminals is measured.
- Control and training cycle. When an additional load is connected and the charge or training mode is activated, the battery is first discharged to 10.8 V, after which the specified mode is activated. By measuring the current and charge time, the approximate battery capacity is calculated, which is displayed on the display when charging is complete.
It should be remembered that a properly selected automatic charger for a car battery can not only ensure its reliable and uninterrupted operation, but also significantly extend the service life.