On 8/23/2010 3:43 PM, Martin Gregorie wrote:
On Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:04:35 -0700, Eric Greenwell wrote:


The Pro-Peak appears to be identical to the Multiplex LN5014 that I
already have. I like the charger, it works well, it's simple to use, and
is very handy for the glider and other purposes, but I still wish for
one that charged 12 volt SLA batteries at 14.6 volts instead of 14.0,
and would discharge at 1 amp or more, instead of only 0.4 amps.


That last sentence makes it unlikely that they are identical - the Pro-
Peak has a max. discharge rate of 1.0 A. I don't think I ever turned it
up that far, but I've certainly run discharges at 0.5A and know I could
have set it higher.

The Multiplex will discharge up to 1 amp, but it also has a 5 watt
discharge limit. At 12 volts, that means a current of 0.4 amps. I can
set it for a 1 amp discharge, but it won't exceed that 5 watt limit,
automatically using only a 0.4 amp discharge.

It would be great if the Pro-Peak can discharge 12 volt batteries at one
amp. Can you check your manual for the watt limit? Or try to discharge a
12 volt battery at 1 amp? If it will do the 1 amp, let it run for a
couple of hours to see if it survives. My interest in the discharge rate
comes from having 18 ah and 36 ah batteries in my motorglider, so a 0.4
amp discharge rate takes forever (two full days for just the 18 ah battery)!
Its branded and distributed by Ripmax, a UK model supplies distributor,
but its almost certainly an OEM device. Sez on the box that it was made
in Korea but all addresses, etc. are in the UK.

They don't seem to offer it any more, and I can't find a manual for it,
so maybe it's moot. They do offer the Imax B5, which is functionally
identical to the Multiplex, so it's not any help.

About a year ago, I did do some searching and asking around about 12 vdc
input chargers, but the units I found were expensive ($200) and
complicated, not the kind of thing I'd recommend to average pilot who
just wants to charge and test his batteries, not develop a new hobby!

--

Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (netto to net to email me)

- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Feb/2010" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm http://tinyurl.com/yb3xywl

- "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation Mar/2004" Much of what you need to know tinyurl.com/yfs7tnz