For those of you considering bank charging I just stumbled across a single unit bank charger at a reasonable price from a known manufacturer. It's switchable and can handle up to 6 batteries:
It's comparable in price to buying 5 Vectrix chargers - and cheaper than buying 6 (although many folks will be charging a 60V system so won't need that capability).
I just bought Don "I'm doing it by the book" Cristobal's chargers so I'm all set. Otherwise I would have gone this route instead. I still might.
this style of charger was mentioned before. two drawbacks.
1) the posted price is $209 plus shipping. My 5 chargers were $165 delivered.
2) and most important. If one of mine fails, I still have four working. If the one you are asking about fails, the whole system is down.
Robert Dudley
E-Scoot Tech
I think this would be a better choice as it has the connections to charge each battery in the bank separately.
Here is another link with more technical data about the charger. The first link was the best price I could find.
Chas S.
He Charles and everyone:
would the Deltran charger work for silicone batteries
(like say greensavers)as well as Lead-acid?
Does the kind of battery ever matter in terms of choosing a charger?
is the $200 dollar difference between deltran and schumacher all about the 5 seprate connections versus the one?
does that price differential make sense?
thanks a lot
John, the unit you link to is a string charger! It says multi-battery, but I think that just means it has a switch to do multiple voltages, depending on how many batteries are in the string. Am I missing something?
ZEV 7100 Alpine
Fort Collins, CO
I think it just has one output. It says that it, "includes charger and 5 jumpers for connecting batteries in series."
It's a nice string charger though, and the price is really low.
[url=/forum-topic/motorcycles-and-large-scooters/587-my-kz750-electric-motorcycle-project]KZ750 Motorcycle Conversion[/url]
[url=/forum-topic/motorcycles-and-large-scooters/588-fixing-my-chinese-scooter]900 watt scooter[/url]
Pic from http://www.electri
I think the Battery Tender is the better choice because you don't have to worry about how long you leave it on the battery pack. So if you are not riding for long periods you can just leave the charger attached so when you are ready to go no problems. I use 2 Battery Tender single units on my boat. One on the Starter Battery and the other on the Trolling Battery. I leave them connected all year, when the boat is not in use, and my batteries normally last 4 to 5 years in the boat. I have had excellent service from these charges. I have no experience with the Schumacher chargers and I don't know if you can leave them connected. Here are all the specifications I could find on the 2 chargers.
Battery Tender 5 bank 12 V charger
Description
Battery Tender 5 bank 2 amp charger is a MICOPROCESSOR TECHNOLOGY QUALITY COMMERICAL charger. Safe, No Spark Charging! Deltran's advanced SuperSmart Battery Tender Battery Management System is light years ahead of any standard battery charger. It's the first fully automatic, constant-current battery charger designed to charge and/ or maintain up to 5 12-volt batteries simultaneously @ 2 amps.
Features
* Simultaneously charges and/or maintains up to 5 batteries.
* 4 Step Fully Automatic Charging
* 2 amps per output charging current
* Six foot lead with clamps included
* Use on Sealed, AGM, Maintenance Free and Wet Lead Acid Batteries
* Built-in Mode Indicators
* Spark Free Hook Up
* Demand Sensing
* Reverse Polarity Protection
* Short Circuit Protection
* Overload Protection
* Load Regulation
* 3 Year Warranty
Schumacher Chargers SE-1072
For low-rider cars, fleet, and industrial operations where charging several batteries is a daily routine. This model is perfect for those applications where portability is a must. Charge up to 12 batteries in a series all at once - 72 volts total! Dual rate output. Has overload and short circuit protection as well. * 10 or 5 amp rate * Includes 5 jumpers for connecting batteries in series. * Charge up to six 12 volt or twelve 6 volt batteries. * 2 year warranty
If you note the charge rate of the Battery Tender is 2 amps per battery where the Schumacher Charger is rated at 10 amps over 72-volts this is 1.6666667 amps per battery. Also with the Battery Tender the batteries do not have to be in a string so you could charge 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 batteries independently of each other.
For my money I would buy the Battery Tender, you get what you pay for.
Hope this helps,
Chas S.
Could any of these chargers handle the vibrations and the weather if they were permanently mounted as an on-board chargers?
Maybe in their own waterproof but fan-ventilated box, mounted on foam or rubber to reduce vibrations?
Mr. Mik
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!
I found the Schumacher 72v charger a little cheaper here:
http://www.boatandrvaccessories.com/SE-1072.htm
Schumacher also carries a bank charger but it is expensive:
http://www.boatandrvaccessories.com/CS-810A.htm
[url=/forum-topic/motorcycles-and-large-scooters/587-my-kz750-electric-motorcycle-project]KZ750 Motorcycle Conversion[/url]
[url=/forum-topic/motorcycles-and-large-scooters/588-fixing-my-chinese-scooter]900 watt scooter[/url]
Pic from http://www.electri
OK, my bad. No good for bank charging. But as Andrew pointed out - it's a good price for a 72V string charger.
I'll be more careful next time!
John H. Founder of Current Motor Company - opinions on this site belong to me; not to my employer
Remember: " 'lectric for local. diesel for distance" - JTH, Amp Bros || "No Gas.
Hey John,
Don't feel bad, I read about the thing and missed it too till I went back and looked again.
Chas S.