I have been watching the posts about battery charging with interest, and I feel there may be a good source of reliable low cost chargers in the hobby world.

I have been flying electric model planes for a number of years, and they are almost exclusivly powered by Lithium Polimer batteries (one day we will use LiPos as well).

All of the smart (computer controlled) chargers I have used also have the capability to charge lead acid batteries. They are very programable, incredibly smart, and because it is a competitive global market, they are very competitivly priced.

Most (not all) are designed to run from a DC source, ranging in voltage from 11 to about 18, you can then program them to charge many types of battery, with varying voltages and capacities.

Most flying fields now provide a static 12v power source, but people will often charge from car batteries. If they want to charge at home they use a different charger with a 240v input, or even a dual input charger (slightly more expensive).

A dual input charger could be ideal in a caravan situation, where you could be charging from 240v, 12V (from the tug), or 18v from Solar

I am not aware how to make them auto start on connection, but I expect it is possible.

I have included a link below for anyone interested.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_listCategoriesAndProducts.asp?whl=XX&pc=408&idCategory=216&curPage=1&v=&sortlist=&sortMotor=&LiPoConfig=

Plendo wrote:

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Hi Peter,

that certainly looks like a very capable unit, however I note it is basically a 280w charger, when it comes to charging it is not any smarter or capable than many of the sub $100 chargers in the hobby world. 

What I am trying to understand is why people charging a caravan or motorhome battery pay many hundreds of dollars, when people operating in another area are getting equipment that is at least as complex, and in many cases significantly more complex (ability to charge many types of battery) for a fraction of the price.

I suspect we are seing a case of companies charging what a market can afford, or has been conditioned to expect to pay. 

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 I think, there i only one answer to that. Greed, my friend. Greed by big "G", nothing else, according to the principle: "Rip as much as you cau can, as quick as you can, and run as soon as you can with al you took"... Some market operators as just plainly shameless. They price themselves out of the market, and cry, the business is slow. The same solar panel, in one place can be bought for 175 $A - as I got one 120W for that price - but in some other places, for exactly the same thing, and often with less functions, they want from 650 to nearly 1000 $A. Of course, some reasonable differences in prices are normal, and must be epected, but such HUGE disrepancies, can not be excused by anything at all. After I saw in one place such 120W faldable panel - looking exactly the same, and with the same functions in one solar shop from 1680.00 $A I got plainy shoked...