Sterling Power Products 3616CE, 2425CE, 1210CE Charger operation 4 step charge, Around the world

to one which is being used, preferably to the one with the heaviest work load. failure to do this will result in reduced performance of the product,

charger operation 4 step charge:

this unit is a battery charger/powerpack, its first job is to charge the batteries, upon switching the charger on the orange l.e.d and green ( or yellow depending on battery type ) comes on to show the charger is on full current ( constant current charge step 1 ) when the batteries reach 14.4 or 14.8 ( depending on battery setting switch ) the orange l.e.d. will go out and the lower green l.e.d will come on ( the upper yellow/green will remain on as well step 2 ) this shows the charger is on equalizing charge, ie at constant voltage at 14.4 or 14.8, the equalizing charge time will depend on the position of the timing switches. after the equalizing time is complete, the charger top led will go off leaving only the lower green l.e.d., this shows the charger is at constant voltage at 13.5 volts ( power pack mode step 3 ). on this mode the charger will supply its full current if required to maintain the power supply to the boat without using the batteries, in the event of the batteries being discharger below 11.5 volts ( step 4 )the charge sequence starts all over again.

The good the bad and the ugly

about batteries.

this is a list of questions and blunt answers about marine batteries and battery charging in the form of common questions and answers. there are so many old wives tales about this subject that these questions are compiled from my interaction with the public in the last 5 years at international boat shows

around the world.

the biggest problem in the marine world is that the public expect the same solution for all boats , most equipment is sold as leisure rated equipment, the larger boat owners who should be using commercial equipment should not be surprised with some of these answers,

How long will my batteries last?

this is a very difficult question, in a nutshell the less you use the battery the longer it will last, never fully discharge a battery and always plug in the charger power pack where ever possible, remember that the batteries and set up on most boats from 20-40 ft are for leisure, if you use the boat for leisure purposes ie 3-4 weekends per month for 7 months plus 1 x 2 week period in the summer then expect about 3-5 years out of the average leisure type battery. however if you have a crew onboard, or live onboard, expect about 3-5 months use out of the same batteries ( in this case do not blame the batteries, blame the idiot who fitted a leisure battery in a commercial installation )

What is the best battery type?

the answer to this is very much based on the above, for the average leisure user the best value is the conventional leisure ( sometimes called deep cycle but this is a myth ) battery, available at most chandlers, they will offer you 3-5 years trouble free operation, however if you think you are going to use these batteries and give them a heavy duty cycle then the only person you are kidding is yourself.

for live on board, crewed, 40 ft plus, blue water yachts, electric hungry boats with large inverters, there is only one option, use what the professionals use,