Generator keeps tripping (DC)

[AstonHill]

Battery chargers like these View attachment 307601 are so cheap at around £15 and charge at 3.8 or 5 amp using stage charging it is hardly worth using the 12 volt output from the generator. The problem is under around 7.5 volt they see the battery as 6 volt, so only way to charge a completely discharged battery is to connect it in parallel to a good one.

I know those ones; the guy with the shop down the road uses them! When battery flat like 8 volts or something, you need to trick them using another charged battery first to think its 12volts first then connect flat battery. Stupid piece of junk has no "flat battery" button to press

I use something like this View attachment 307604at work, but other than when used to jump start, within ¼ hour the charge rate has dropped to nearly the same as the cheap chargers, so in the main the cheap Lidi charger would do same job.

So are you saying get an AC-DC big battery charger rather then use the inbuilt DC output on the genny

 

[AstonHill]

I cannot recall the exact reason for this battery to become hot and swollen but it came close to spectacular self destruction.

View attachment 307626

Hah! my phone battery did that last year when exposed to a bit of heat (i think as i recall) but still holds charge today

 

[Mr Chibs]

I know those ones; the guy with the shop down the road uses them! When battery flat like 8 volts or something, you need to trick them using another charged battery first to think its 12volts first then connect flat battery. Stupid piece of junk has no "flat battery" button to press



So are you saying get an AC-DC big battery charger rather then use the inbuilt DC output on the genny

Yes, I think he is saying use a 240v battery charger.

No idea where the fuse is either... didn't even know it had one, nothing in the manual.

Note to self, next time buy a Honda!

 

[AstonHill]

Yes, I think he is saying use a 240v battery charger.

There is something hear that I do not understand!
AC output generators (for some reason) dont like battery chargers! I mean the charger works for a while then cuts out then works again and so on and so on

I think for an 8.3 amp, 12volt out put load from the generator, that the wires are to thin! They get hot very easy and specily when working at full load charging say a big or flat battery. Is this why the breaker keeps tripping I ask?

 

[AstonHill]

Battery chargers like these View attachment 307601 are so cheap at around £15 and charge at 3.8 or 5 amp using stage charging it is hardly worth using the 12 volt output from the generator. The problem is under around 7.5 volt they see the battery as 6 volt, so only way to charge a completely discharged battery is to connect it in parallel to a good one.

I use something like this View attachment 307604at work, but other than when used to jump start, within ¼ hour the charge rate has dropped to nearly the same as the cheap chargers, so in the main the cheap Lidi charger would do same job.

But did you use them from mains or a generator?

 

[ericmark]

I found generator outputs in general at 12 volt hard to use to charge a battery, they tend to have minimal control, in the main it was a rectifier from a coil in the flywheel and a zenor diode to sink excess to earth, or a cross ones fingers job. So using a switch mode battery charger connected to the 230 volt supply was so much easier.

The two Lidi chargers I have shown turn the AC to DC then back to high frequency AC which allows them to use a smaller cheaper transformer then back to DC, so the AC supply can have a wide variation of voltage, I have used one powered from an inverter as a DC to DC battery charger so see no problem running them from a generator.

 

[AstonHill]

Battery chargers like these View attachment 307601 are so cheap at around £15 and charge at 3.8 or 5 amp using stage charging it is hardly worth using the 12 volt output from the generator. The problem is under around 7.5 volt they see the battery as 6 volt, so only way to charge a completely discharged battery is to connect it in parallel to a good one.

I use something like this View attachment 307604at work, but other than when used to jump start, within ¼ hour the charge rate has dropped to nearly the same as the cheap chargers, so in the main the cheap Lidi charger would do same job.

I found generator outputs in general at 12 volt hard to use to charge a battery, they tend to have minimal control, in the main it was a rectifier from a coil in the flywheel and a zenor diode to sink excess to earth, or a cross ones fingers job. So using a switch mode battery charger connected to the 230 volt supply was so much easier.

The two Lidi chargers I have shown turn the AC to DC then back to high frequency AC which allows them to use a smaller cheaper transformer then back to DC, so the AC supply can have a wide variation of voltage, I have used one powered from an inverter as a DC to DC battery charger so see no problem running them from a generator.

Remind me agian? Which one of the two attachments are you refering to that you bough from llidel?

 

[ericmark]

This one is the latest Lidi one, it does need one to press the button to start the charge, but once started it will continue.

 

[AstonHill]

View attachment 307874This one is the latest Lidi one, it does need one to press the button to start the charge, but once started it will continue.

As I remember you had to press the button to set it to car, bike or frost
The bigger grey one you bough later, what was its out put and what did you pay for it?

 

[ericmark]

Grey one 3.8 amp (ULGD 3.8 A1), red one 5 amp (ULGD 5.0 D2), the 3.8 amp model will only alternate between 0.1 and 0.8 amp once it has passed through the 3.8 and 3 amp stages, but the 5 amp model will if voltage drops revert to 3 and 5 amp modes, but other wise nearly the same. Seem to remember both models were about £14 each.

There was an earlier model too (ULG 3.8 B1) without the volt meter. Aldi also did one, and there is also the Ring model, and the well known Ctek each has slightly different things.

 

[SUNRAY]

View attachment 307874This one is the latest Lidi one, it does need one to press the button to start the charge, but once started it will continue.

For what it's worth, the 2 versions I have the button is to select motorbike, car or frost.
Each time I move them I simply clip on the battery and plug in, I don't think I have to push the button each time.

 

[ericmark]

Although at first glance the 4 Lidi chargers look very similar they are clearly not the same.

 

[SUNRAY]

Although at first glance the 4 Lidi chargers look very similar they are clearly not the same.

Indeed, as Aston mentioned and why I posted.

 

[AstonHill]

The guy I borrowed one of them from has two, and even he says you need to select the button first otherwise nothing will happen; I mean I set there all night thinking the battery was dead when the charger was switched off

 

[SUNRAY]

I've just double checked mine, I have 4 (2 of each ULDG 5.0 A1 & B1).

From Powered down, clipping on a battery and powering up. One of the B1's remembers the car setting, the other 3 don't and a double button push is required.

I obviously do this without thinking and typically load 4 batteries in the car, use them and then restack/reconnect chargers at home with regularity. I leave the chargers on permanently so they are always ready for use.