Glen-L.com

I have a 750watt motor running at 36volts for my outboard conversion. My supplier is now offering a smart charger that will operate via the PWM unit, but it is rated at only 1.5amps. I understand the charge is modulated between 38 and 44 volts. It is obviously designed for scooters. They claim overnight charging.
However I am fitting 3 @ 130amp hour deep cycle batteries. Will this so called smart charger be enough to charge my batteries?
In my last electric boat which ran on 48 volts I had switches between the batteries and isolated each battery for charging and hard wired an 8amp charger to each battery. (Phil Bolger's suggestion) That worked but each charger is about $80Aust; plus the switches. I would like to save dollars but I need to keep the batteries in good condition as they are the heart of the rig. Rob

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Kalang Boater

G'day Rob,

We've got alot of scooters here, that charge over night; I'll ask the guys at the shop about the chargers they are using. I myself believe you must for safety's sake isolate the batteries, prior to charging.
Probably best to spend the extra cash.

Aloha,

Gregg

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Jolly Roger 30'(Extended)
Marshall Islands, R. M. I.

Thanks Gregg for the comment. The charger that I am being offered delivers a charge for the 3 batteries together at 36 volts so I would have to keep them connected. The charger is rated at 1.5 amps. What does that mean? However the specs say the voltage of the charger modulates at between 38 and 44 volts. Is that a better rating than the amps? Obviously these smart or "intellect" chargers do charge scooter batteries overnight.
But I understand the biggest scooter batteries are rated at 70amps where as I will be using 130 amp hour batteries. This is not my field of expertise. Rob

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Kalang Boater

Rob Bruce

to my calculations the 1.5 amp battery charger would charge the 3 x 130 amp hour batteries in 260 hours thats 1 and a half weeks.


hope this is of help if you need more technical explenation please contact me.

Glenn Matthews

Thanks for the reply. it is obvious that not all of the scooter parts are suitable for a marine application. I have already gone ahead and hard wired 3 variable rate automatic chargers as recommended by Phil Bolger for his "Lily" design. I isolate each of the batteries before charging. Rob

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Kalang Boater

Rob

your batteries fully charged should last 18.75 hours?

Glenn M