"Marine" chargers vs. "gel" chargers question, info wanted

[Jack Blake]

Use "marine" battery charger to charge wheelchair "gel cel"
batteries??

Can I damage my electric scooter's 24 volt gel cell battery pack by
charging it with a "marine" battery charger? Info, please, thanks. Is
there is an FAQ site on this subject?

[philo]

"Jack Blake" <smogkil...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9e26fed2.04081...@posting.google.com...

the "marine" battery charger is probably set for a non-gel battery...
if so it will *overcharge* your gel-cell. it's best to get the proper
charger for it...
one with a "gel-cell" setting

[Jack Daynes]

Jack Blake wrote:

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You're going to have to run some tests on your
charger to make a determination about 'safety'. I
suggest a DMM as the only tool you need.
Measurement of the voltage output of the charger
while connected to a battery. It's not important
whether the battery is 'gel', 'AGM', or 'marine'
type. I disapprove of the usage of some of these
terms ... not so much AGM or gel, but 'marine' &
'deep-cycle' get applied to technologies that do
not maintain proper distinctions.

Some chargers will push current into the battery
until the voltage reaches a certain value, then
turn off and drop to a lower voltage, possibly
turning on again for another cycle (repeating).
Some will taper off the current as the voltage
climbs to a higher voltage. I prefer this type for
AGM and gel batteries, keeping the following in mind:

A 'deep-cycle' battery by my terms is a
'lead-antimony' (LA) battery. It will NEVER be
sealed. Ideally, this battery should 'float' at
near 2.17 volts per cell (VPC), and 'equalize'
(about 8 hours per month) at near 2.4 VPC. A
'marine' battery may or may not be of this type.
(Do your math, keeping in mind that 6 volt
batteries have 3 cells, 12 volt batteries have 6
cells.)

Gel and AGM batteries will ALWAYS be of a
'lead-calcium' (LC) type. The best chargers (IMO)
for these is a constant voltage of 2.25~2.3 VPC. I
try to set mine for 2.27 VPC at 77°F (25°C). Below
2.25 VPC will not properly maintain a LC battery.
Voltages above 2.35 VPC for any extended period
may damage AGM or gel batteries by expelling
gasses from the vents, thus causing it to dry out.

--
-- Jack --
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Everything you see is temporary.
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