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Post Info TOPIC: One for the sparkys
deverall11


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Does anybody know if you can connect two battery chargers in series in order to get 18v or 24v.

Cheers,

Larry



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Sahara05


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Yes have done so for years.



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Peter_n_Margaret


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No. The smoke will come out.

Cheers,
Peter

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patrol03


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Yes Peter ,I can smell smoke too.

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Sahara05


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Have you tried it....No... I have and are still doing it,Two 12v chargers of same or similar specs works well



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Peter_n_Margaret


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Sahara05 wrote:

Have you tried it....No... I have and are still doing it,Two 12v chargers of same or similar specs works well

 In series?

 

Cheers,

Peter



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OKA196, 4x4 'C' Class, DIY, self contained motorhome. 960W of solar, 400Ah of AGMs, 310L water, 280L fuel. https://www.oka4wd.com/forum/members-vehicles-public/569-oka196-xt-motorhome
 

 
Sahara05


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Yes in series producing 24v.



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03_Troopy


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Maybe an old non smart charger will...

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dorian


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Smart chargers have several stages. Some are constant current, others are constant voltage. At some point in the cycle the charger also tests the resistance of the battery. I can't see how you could use such a device as a single constant voltage source let alone two in series. Even some dumb chargers may not work if they need to sense the presence of a battery.



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oldtrack123


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Hi I would not try to do it with modern multi stage chargers they could tie themselves in knots as Dorian has pointed out.
But it could be done / has been done with very basic single stage chargers[ high impedance transformer +rectifier ,constant current]
I have series connected 2 x6V for 12V.

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Aus-Kiwi


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One charger on each battery ? Then connect load side to what is required .

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Wombat 280


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Why not buy a suitable charger not all that expensive

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Peter_n_Margaret


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Sahara05 wrote:

Yes in series producing 24v.

 Maybe you could tell us exactly what these chargers are please?

 

Cheers,

Peter



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sandsmere


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deverall11 wrote:

Does anybody know if you can connect two battery chargers in series in order to get 18v or 24v.

Cheers,

Larry

Larry, go to a reputable, qualified auto electrician.

Too many "would be if they could be's on here".cry 



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03_Troopy


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sandsmere wrote:
deverall11 wrote:

Does anybody know if you can connect two battery chargers in series in order to get 18v or 24v.

Cheers,

Larry

Larry, go to a reputable, qualified auto electrician.

Too many "would be if they could be's on here".cry 

 Actually his question has been answered by a couple of people already. Unfortunately lack of information about what kind of chargers they are, makes it impossible to give a definitive answer.

Totally dismissing everything you read on here only displays your lack of knowledge of electronics. And in that case, you are better off going to a "reputable, qualified auto electrician"



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dorian


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Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
Sahara05 wrote:

Yes in series producing 24v.

 Maybe you could tell us exactly what these chargers are please?

I'm still waiting, too.



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Sahara05


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Sorry been out of action.

in reply to question run of the mill chargers from Repco etc

 



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Peter_n_Margaret


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Sahara05 wrote:

Sorry been out of action.

in reply to question run of the mill chargers from Repco etc

 

 That is not much help. Could we have a model number please?

 

Cheers,

Peter



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Sahara05


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Projecta automatic 6/12v 2700Ma charger



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03_Troopy


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Better off buying a 24V charger than using 2 X 2.7A chargers in series. It would take you a donkey's age to charge anything with them, even if they did work in series.

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Aus-Kiwi


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I have the 6 amp model as a trikle charge for RV batteries .. 2 x 12v ..

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Peter_n_Margaret


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Sahara05 wrote:

Projecta automatic 6/12v 2700Ma charger

 Is that a 3 stage charger, or just a power supply?

 

Cheers,

Peter



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OKA196, 4x4 'C' Class, DIY, self contained motorhome. 960W of solar, 400Ah of AGMs, 310L water, 280L fuel. https://www.oka4wd.com/forum/members-vehicles-public/569-oka196-xt-motorhome
 

 
oldtrack123


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Of course the best way to use them, would be to simply connect each to a battery
ie #1 to battery "a'
#2 to battery "b'
No need to separate batteries
Each would then charge the battery it is connected to with no problems, except for time to charge IF a large battery or heavily discharged

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oldtrack123


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deverall11 wrote:

Does anybody know if you can connect two battery chargers in series in order to get 18v or 24v.

Cheers,Larry

 

Hi Larry the real question is do you want to use them in that configuration to charge batteries or as power sources

The OC & load voltage will not be the nominated battery voltages.



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dorian


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oldtrack123 wrote:
deverall11 wrote:

Does anybody know if you can connect two battery chargers in series in order to get 18v or 24v.

Cheers,Larry

 

Hi Larry the real question is do you want to use them in that configuration to charge batteries or as power sources

The OC & load voltage will not be the nominated battery voltages.

 

Exactly. I understood that the reqirement was for a voltage source rather than a charger.

The charger alluded to by Sahara05 appears to be model AC400:

http://www.projecta.com.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/Battery%20Chargers/Automatic_Chargers_instructions.pdf

The AC400 has a minimum start voltage of 3V. This means it needs to see a battery before it can output anything, so it cannot be used as a voltage source.



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deverall11


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dorian wrote:

 

Hi Larry the real question is do you want to use them in that configuration to charge batteries or as power sources

The OC & load voltage will not be the nominated battery voltages.

I was intending on using this as a power source to power a drill.

Larry



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Aus-Kiwi


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If you read the instructions . Being it has variable voltage to battery charge .. They cannot be used for direct use .

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dorian


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The Projecta AC800 has a dual function switch. One position selects charge mode, the other selects "engine start" mode (5 mins on, 20 mins off). The latter might be OK to power a drill for short periods.

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Phil C


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Gday from the beaten track at Penong on our way back from Perth...

I will put my two peneth in here.. Any electrical item that isnt used for its intended purpose may attract problems. I would suggest for you to get the appropriate device to charge your battery and an appropriate device to run the drill.. Thats just my opinion, not a red rag to a bull..

Cheers
PS. we have had a great trip... next 2 months up the guts of Vic, NSW and QLD to Longreach and back... woo hoo

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