New battery charger

That is definitely a consideration. My batteries should be good for 3-4 years then I will be looking at lithium.

I have the same Enerdrive charger it is brilliant. It is not cheep but it is excellent value for the money. Chris

I have the Victron IP22 30Amp 240v charger & have been very happy with it over the past few years. It is highly configurable with the phone app & suitable for all batteries including Lithium. At $265 it is hard to beat. Comes with either 1 or 3 outputs (same price) & a 5 year warranty.

https://www.outbackmarine.com.au/victron-blue-smart-bluetooth-ip22-battery-charger-BPC123047012?utm_term=&utm_campaign=Smart+Feed&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=9792451670&hsa_cam=12446934461&hsa_grp=117214926414&hsa_ad=501833997571&hsa_src=u&hsa_tgt=pla-293946777986&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmIuDBhDXARIsAFITC_7LbIyhJQZFPErh2tvKWlvQAUhxOr0WeThnbPLvXJp-VQCU2XmwS94aAtXJEALw_wcB

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/281847639366?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-139619-5960-0&mkcid=2&itemid=281847639366&targetid=1137314459002&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9069101&poi=&campaignid=12499395101&mkgroupid=117789236134&rlsatarget=pla-1137314459002&abcId=9300512&merchantid=107465786&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmIuDBhDXARIsAFITC_6V7gABWeqh0Ki9mfSUHEc7dmQk58BwDobMghb6xpV7ClcLbZjCEM0aAvogEALw_wcB

Crikey, Cuppa, you made those links work.Well done! But why not use the link button?



Cheers mate :-)

"Crikey, Cuppa, you made those links work. Well done! But why not use the link button?"

Ummmmmmm ..... I plead ignorance.

1 outlet

3 outlets

I looked at the Victron as I have several of their products. However the Enerdrive offered 4 various rates of charge. In hindsight I should have gone the 60 amp model. Lithium loves the higher amperage.

Whatever you choose. go for quality...not some e-bay special.

There is plenty of quality stuff on ebay - just because an item is bought in a shop does not mean it is quality.

Thats true Ozzie. However there is a hell of a lot of chinese junk that is rebadged and made to look as it is a world beater. Cheap agm and lithium batteries are flooding the markets. As I said buy quality the first time. Lot of rubbish also sold in shops. So much 12 volt electrical equipment flooding the scene now and there is just so much rubbish amongst it as well.

Bigfish
Lithium does accept the higher charge rate than normal batteries, but do they really love it? Maybe their life is longer if not stressed so much during the charging regime. I know Bill Shorten can charge his Tesla in 8 minutes, but the battery isn't going to last long in his vehicle, if true.

I really think that when the topic of Lithium Batteries (LiFePo4) is discussed it should be clarified whether the batteries in question are the ‘drop in replacements’ or the custom built battery packs. They might have the same chemistry but are very different batteries. Drop in replacements are just that & require no special charging regimes as their built in BMS is designed for simple drop in replacements of the previously owned lead acid batteries, including their charger, but are generally limited to how much current they can provide at any given time. Plenty of anecdotal evidence around of folk asking too much of them & killing the built in BMS & thus the battery too. The custom battery packs do require a specific Lithium charger & are capable of providing higher currents. Both have the advantage of lighter (than lead acid) weight, & faster charging (due to accepting higher charging current) but if wanting to run high current appliances like air con, coffee machines, kettles, toasters & hair dryers then the drop in types are no more suitable than lead acid batteries. At least that is my understanding & I find the promotion of most drop in types bordering on dishonest in this respect. I believe that many folk will be quite disappointed when they find their drop ins dying prematurely.

Spot on, Cuppa.

Spot on Cuppa. Drop in replacements is in my opinion just more marketing jargon. With my lithiums I have dedicated, chargers, both dc/dc and ac as well as lithium capable regulators.

RMD...The recommended charge current for my lithiums is 20-50 amps...Manufacturers figures. They readily accept this and will not shorten their life. Agm/wet cell the charge rate is around 10% of the A/h capacity....about 15A/h for a 120 A/h agm. Manufacturers figures once again.... They also happily take this. I have good quality lithiums and rely on the manufacturing knowing a lot more about their product than others. I am comfortable using recommended settings.