Charging batteries properly is complicated by the fact that most battery chargers are, despite the claims made for them, not capable of charging any battery properly. Or at least not without a lot of user intervention.
Smart Chargers Are Not That Smart
by John Harries
Next: Equalizing Batteries, The Reality
Previous: WakeSpeed WS500—Best Alternator Regulator for Lead Acid¹ and Lithium Batteries
- One Simple Law That Makes Electrical Systems Easy to Understand
- How Batteries Charge (Multiple Charging Sources Too)
- How Hard Can We Charge Our Lead Acid Batteries?
- Cruising Boat Electrical System Design, Part 1—Loads and Conservation
- Cruising Boat Electrical System Design, Part 2—Thinking About Systems
- Cruising Boat Electrical System Design, Part 3—Specifying Optimal Battery Bank Size
- The Danger of Voltage Drops From High Current (Amp) Loads
- How Lead Acid Batteries Get Wrecked and What To Do About It
- 11 Steps To Better Lead Acid Battery Life
- 10 Tips To Install An Alternator
- Stupid Alternator Regulators Get Smarter…Finally
- WakeSpeed WS500—Best Alternator Regulator for Lead Acid¹ and Lithium Batteries
- Smart Chargers Are Not That Smart
- Equalizing Batteries, The Reality
- Battery Monitors, Part 1—Which Type Is Right For You?
- Battery Monitors, Part 2—Recommended Unit
- Battery Monitors, Part 3—Calibration and Use
- Do You Need A Generator?
- Efficient Generator-Based Electrical Systems For Yachts
- Battery Bank Size and Generator Run Time, A Case Study
- Battery Options, Part 1—Lithium
- Battery Options, Part 2—Lead Acid
- Why Lithium Battery Load Dumps Matter
- 8 Tips To Prevent Lithium Battery Load Dumps
- Lithium Ion Batteries Explained
- Should Your Boat’s DC Electrical System Be 12 or 24 Volt?—Part 1
- Should Your Boat’s DC Electrical System Be 12 or 24 Volt?—Part 2
- Q&A—Are Battery Desulphators a Good Idea?
- Renewable Power
- Wind Generators
- Solar Power
- Hydro Power
- Watt & Sea Hydro Generator Review
- A Simple, Efficient and Inexpensive¹ 12 or 24 Volt DC Electrical System
- 8 Checks To Stop Our DC Electrical System From Burning Our Boat
John was born and brought up in Bermuda and started sailing as a child, racing locally and offshore before turning to cruising. He has sailed over 100,000 miles, most of it on his McCurdy & Rhodes 56, Morgan's Cloud, including eight ocean races to Bermuda, culminating in winning his class twice in the Newport Bermuda Race. He has skippered a series of voyages in the North Atlantic, the majority of which have been to the high latitudes. John has been helping others go voyaging by sharing his experience for 25 years, first in yachting magazines and, for the last 20 years, as co-editor/publisher of AAC.
