Schumacher MODELS SC-600A, SC-1000A owner manual

11.3Battery Percent and Charge Time: This charger adjusts the charging time in order to charge the battery completely, efficiently and safely. The microprocessor automatically performs the necessary functions. This section includes guidelines that can be used to estimate charging times.

The duration of the charging process depends on three factors:

•Battery State – If a battery has only been slightly discharged, it can be charged in less than a few hours. The same battery could take up to 10 hours if very weak. With Models SC-1200A, SSC-1000A and SSC-1500A the battery state can be estimated by using the built-in voltage tester. The lower the reading the longer charging will take.

•Battery Rating – A higher rated battery will take longer to charge than a lower rated battery under the same conditions. A battery is rated in ampere hours (AH), reserve capacity (RC) and cold cranking amps (CCA). The lower the rating, the quicker the battery will charge.

•Charge Rate – The charge rate is measured in amps. The 2A rate is for charging smaller batteries such as those used for motorcycles and garden tractors. Such batteries should not be charged using the higher rates. The 4A, 6A and 8A rates are for charging automotive, marine and deep-cycle batteries. The 10A, 12A and 15A rates are for charging automotive and light truck batteries. All charging modes will decrease the charge rate as the battery approaches maximum charge. After the charging process has started, the digital display can be used to deter- mine charging progress by selecting the BATTERY % mode. (Models SC-1200A, SSC-1000A and SSC-1500A)

There are some important facts to keep in mind when charging a battery.

•When the display indicates 77% charged, the battery has been charged enough to start most vehicles.

•When the battery is fully charged, the display will indicate 100% charged.

•The battery % shown in tester mode is an estimate based on the battery voltage.

•The battery % shown in charger mode is an estimate of the relative charge in the battery compared to the charge it should have if the charging process is allowed to complete and can be used to estimate the relative charge time. The lower the % shown the longer the charge time for a given battery.

•The battery % shown in charger mode is an indication of the relative progress of the charging process. The higher the battery % displayed, the less charge time remains.

•The more a battery is discharged, the faster it absorbs charge from a charger. That means that the battery % increases faster at the beginning of the charging process than at the end. In other words, it takes longer for the battery to absorb the last few percents of charge than the first several percents.

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