Battery charger choice for Optima type battery?

magnumv8 · 03-24-2012, 12:34 PM

While it may not be common,I, DO NOT recommend using a regular battery charger on any type of AGM battery.....I was bench charging one of my Optimas and was gone for a few minutes and when I came back there was a flame coming out of the vent a good 6 to 8 inches high (it was set on low).....I am glad it was on the bench and not in the car, there would have been nothing left......

D L Rambo.....

Lew Silverman · 03-24-2012, 12:44 PM

Optima has their own charger coming out this Spring, here's a link to it -

http://www.optimabatteries.com/optima_products/charger/

Here's some charging information on the Optima/AGM batteries -

http://www.optimabatteries.com/produ...t/charging.php

Good Luck!

Lew

treessavoy · 03-24-2012, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lew Silverman

Optima has their own charger coming out this Spring, here's a link to it -

http://www.optimabatteries.com/optima_products/charger/

Here's some charging information on the Optima/AGM batteries -

http://www.optimabatteries.com/produ...t/charging.php

Good Luck!

Lew

Lew,

Thanks for the good info.

JimR

Doug Domm · 03-24-2012, 02:28 PM

Yes Lew thank you for the info. If I'd had my thinking cap on I should have went to the Optima site in the first place! Having said that this has provided some technical dialogue. Bonus! Doug

Myron Piatek · 03-24-2012, 06:52 PM

Along the lines of what magnumv8 said, I've been using "automatic" battery chargers on Optima and Odyssey batteries for years with no issues and getting long life out of the batteries. I've used a Schumacher auto taper charge with 2amp and 10 amp switches. At the moment I forget the name of the brand I'm using now, but it's a well know company who makes a variety of crappy tools. "Orange" is their color. But this battery charger has been working well and it basically goes into a trickle cycle to maintain it once fully charged.

I've always heard that it's important to keep batteries fully charged, so I keep them up during the races and fully charge them as soon as I can after the races.

Bob Mulry · 03-24-2012, 07:24 PM

Just going to add my 2 cents to this thread...........

I learned a trick about charging gel-cell batteries from when they first came on the market....

If your gel-cell will not take a charge try the procedure below....

Take your charger and connect the cables to a conventional lead-acid battery next you connect, in parallel (negative to negative and positive to positive, + to + and - to -), your gel-cell battery with a pair of jumper cables. Turn on your charger with the lowest charging rate that you have…..

This will put a load on the charger and act as an electrical damper for the gel-cell.....

I have brought many gel-cells back to life with this procedure.....

Bob

Doug Domm · 03-24-2012, 09:34 PM

Bob Mulry you have a PM

442OLDS · 03-24-2012, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by magnumv8

While it may not be common,I, DO NOT recommend using a regular battery charger on any type of AGM battery.....I was bench charging one of my Optimas and was gone for a few minutes and when I came back there was a flame coming out of the vent a good 6 to 8 inches high (it was set on low).....I am glad it was on the bench and not in the car, there would have been nothing left......

D L Rambo.....

Might be a good idea to get that charger checked out.

magnumv8 · 03-24-2012, 01:29 PM

Not an issue with the charger, the charger couldn't sense the charge condition of the battery and because of that didn't "back down" the charge rate....I install charging systems in emergency vehicles that are connected 24/7 and you need a system that can sense the charge and roll it back so as not to cook the battery but still left on the battery so it maintains it's full charge....

D L Rambo.....

03-24-2012, 12:34 PM	#1
magnumv8 Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Coraopolis, Pa. Posts: 172 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Battery charger choice for Optima type battery? While it may not be common,I, DO NOT recommend using a regular battery charger on any type of AGM battery.....I was bench charging one of my Optimas and was gone for a few minutes and when I came back there was a flame coming out of the vent a good 6 to 8 inches high (it was set on low).....I am glad it was on the bench and not in the car, there would have been nothing left...... D L Rambo.....

03-24-2012, 12:44 PM	#2
Lew Silverman VIP Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Newport News, VA Posts: 1,435 Likes: 371 Liked 129 Times in 59 Posts	Re: Battery charger choice for Optima type battery? Optima has their own charger coming out this Spring, here's a link to it - http://www.optimabatteries.com/optima_products/charger/ Here's some charging information on the Optima/AGM batteries - http://www.optimabatteries.com/produ...t/charging.php Good Luck! Lew __________________ Lew Silverman #2070 "The Wagon Master" N/SA

03-24-2012, 02:28 PM	#4
Doug Domm Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: canada Posts: 251 Likes: 29 Liked 84 Times in 21 Posts	Re: Battery charger choice for Optima type battery? Yes Lew thank you for the info. If I'd had my thinking cap on I should have went to the Optima site in the first place! Having said that this has provided some technical dialogue. Bonus! Doug

03-24-2012, 06:52 PM	#5
Myron Piatek VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Florida Posts: 1,542 Likes: 34 Liked 138 Times in 51 Posts	Re: Battery charger choice for Optima type battery? Along the lines of what magnumv8 said, I've been using "automatic" battery chargers on Optima and Odyssey batteries for years with no issues and getting long life out of the batteries. I've used a Schumacher auto taper charge with 2amp and 10 amp switches. At the moment I forget the name of the brand I'm using now, but it's a well know company who makes a variety of crappy tools. "Orange" is their color. But this battery charger has been working well and it basically goes into a trickle cycle to maintain it once fully charged. I've always heard that it's important to keep batteries fully charged, so I keep them up during the races and fully charge them as soon as I can after the races.

03-24-2012, 07:24 PM	#6
Bob Mulry VIP Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Coarsegold, CA Posts: 1,016 Likes: 57 Liked 320 Times in 102 Posts	Re: Battery charger choice for Optima type battery? Just going to add my 2 cents to this thread........... I learned a trick about charging gel-cell batteries from when they first came on the market.... If your gel-cell will not take a charge try the procedure below.... Take your charger and connect the cables to a conventional lead-acid battery next you connect, in parallel (negative to negative and positive to positive, + to + and - to -), your gel-cell battery with a pair of jumper cables. Turn on your charger with the lowest charging rate that you have….. This will put a load on the charger and act as an electrical damper for the gel-cell..... I have brought many gel-cells back to life with this procedure..... Bob __________________ Bob Mulry 7516 STK A & M Motorsports

03-24-2012, 09:34 PM	#7
Doug Domm Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: canada Posts: 251 Likes: 29 Liked 84 Times in 21 Posts	Re: Battery charger choice for Optima type battery? Bob Mulry you have a PM

03-24-2012, 01:29 PM	#9
magnumv8 Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Coraopolis, Pa. Posts: 172 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Battery charger choice for Optima type battery? Not an issue with the charger, the charger couldn't sense the charge condition of the battery and because of that didn't "back down" the charge rate....I install charging systems in emergency vehicles that are connected 24/7 and you need a system that can sense the charge and roll it back so as not to cook the battery but still left on the battery so it maintains it's full charge.... D L Rambo.....