I would like to modify a 12V 20A power source designed for two-way radios and use it as a 12V battery charger for automotive type lead acid batteries. Problem is, there's no built in regulator in my power source. It's designed to deliver power at a steady rate. This would boil over a lead acid battery were the device to be left "on" after the battery had achieved maximum charge. Someone even told me it would damage the plates in the battery.
Any suggestions? I'm a novice at electronics but I have to think there a simple way to automatically control output amperage/voltage from my power source as needed by the battery.
A lead-acid battery should be charged from a constant voltage source. The current delivered to the battery will decrease as the charge progresses. If you can adjust the source to 13.8V you can use it without further modification. The current will drop to zero once the battery's voltage reaches that of the source. However, I would use a 20A charger only on a decent sized (capacity) battery. With a small one there is a risk of plate buckling at the initial high current.
You may be able to incorporate current limiting (not regulation) but I would need to see the circuit diagram of your source to comment further.
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Battery Charger
Posted - Mar 13 2008 : 12:37:32 PM
