Can I use my balance charger for my 1:1 car battery?

[everclear1984]

I recently picked up a mobility scooter for my nan, it runs on 2x 12v car batteries. The supplied charger is a 4amp trickle charger with no display, I'd like to know what condition the cells are in as it's been stood for a while so I was thinking, could I use my hobby charger?

[jony nitro]

if it as the settting yes.

[autobutcher]

Soon to be a brushless powered nan maybe? 

[everclear1984]

I'd be lying if I said it hadn't crossed my mind. I've alsl got a couple of spare servos that would happily operate the forward and reverse controls

[b19jas]

lead acid batteries cant be monitored using the cells. The only real tests that can be done is holding a full charge over a given period and drop under load given consumption of the motors.

[everclear1984]

I assume you'd get a voltage reading though so I could check whether it's taking a charge. Then it's just a case of checking how well it holds it. The trickle charger provides zero information, I can't even tell whether it's charging.

[danb1974]

My hobby charger has a lead (Pb) battery program, so it can charge car batteries. I suspect most of the "4 button plus lcd" rc chargers have that program.

[Si Coe]

It can be done and I have done it, but be aware that most chargers aren't designed for the capacity of a decent sized Lead-Acid. They frequently feature a max time or max capacity limit intended to prevent overcharging regular cells which you may well hit before the Lead Acid is actually charged. You can normally turn that off, or just set the charger going again.

[everclear1984]

Yeah I figured I might have to restart it a couple of times. It's an Overlander RC6-VSP, I'm pretty sure it has a lead-acid setting but I'll know for sure when I get home from work.

 

Cheers guys

[Ziggy122]

You can get an indication from the capacity input

For example its a 40ah battery

If it took 5000mah anf says its charged

Its dead really (if from flat)

If it puts in 36000mah itd be pretty decent still

Ive charged many car batteries though with my 50w charger

Some taken there time

Ziggy

Sent from my GT-I8190N using Tapatalk

[dazp1976]

If it has 12v pb battery setting then charge them one at a time. Use the capacity reading on the charger and a volt meter to monitor voltage on the battery is the best way to see what it has in it. So I'd fully charge it, then discharge it and monitor voltage with the meter on the battery at intervals and use capacity taken out as a reasonable guide.

Edited April 2, 2016 by dazp1976