Marcum Charger

[hovermn]

WARNING, long winded post ahead

A few days ago, I checked my LX-5, which was left charging using the DCS 100 charger all summer. I've done this for a couple of years now with no trouble. However, this time, the battery, charger, and transformer were all hot, and the DCS flashed 0%. The battery voltage was at 8.5

I figured that the charger was hosed, and thought I'd have to figure out how to get a new one. While at FF yesterday, I picked up a 9 amp/hr battery, then swapped batteries. I noticed that the Marcum bat. is a 7.6 amp/hr and the new one is a 9. Shouldn't be a big deal, right?

Well, just for kicks, I hooked up the DCS to the battery and it read 40%. Sweet! It works?! After plugging the trasformer in, it seemed to start charging just fine. I tested it with a volt meter, which read 13.6v. Seems fine.

After about an hour, it was up to 70%, but that's where it stayed. I waited another hour before unplugging the transformer, then checked the voltage again. 13.57, 56, 54, 53. It was dropping, which I think is normal for a battery just off the charger. 30 min. later I checked again and it was stable at 13.3 something with 100% reading on the DCS. Well, I plugged the transformer back in, and it went to 60, then 70, and after 10 min. jumped to 80. Another hour or more went by, but it never made it to 90, so I unplugged it again. This morning, the voltagae was sitting at around 13.2 and the DCS read 100% (transformer not plugged in)

I guess if I hadn't have had the original issue with the other battery, I would have just left everything plugged in overnight, but now I'm concerned that maybe the DCS is bad.

Anyone have any suggestions? I'd hate to loose another batter, let alone the house if something shorts.

[Jim Almquist]

Quote:

which was left charging using the DCS 100 charger all summer

Did you mean you had it plugged in 24/7 or just did a maintenance charge once a month ? I really think that you did not give the new battery enough charge time. The new battery is close to 1/4 bigger ( 7amp vs 9amp ) so it will need more time to charge now but should last longer when used. What was the voltage of the old battery or did you trade that one in ?

[mike morris]

You had it plugged in all summer long?

[Shawnny B]

remember guys the DCS is a Trickle/float charger, even with that I still dont leave mine plugged in all year, I think it was just time for that battery with all the bumping around and use you got out of it hovermn.

Shawn

[hovermn]

The DCS is a smart charger, and allows you to leave it plugged in for extended periods of time. Yes, it was plugged in all summer. I've done this for 3 or 4 summers now with the LX3 and LX5

I was hoping that maybe I didn't give it enough time, but with the hour getting late, and being unsure if I had a bad charger with perhapes the "smart" feature disabled, I didn't want to take that chance. I'll plug it in again and see what happens now that I can monitor it again.

The voltage of the old battery was 8.5v when unplugged. I'm hoping that the battery passed it's life and stopped excepting a charge. The heat is what really concerned me, though.

[Random guy]

If the charger was plugged into the wall all summer it was exsposed to 100s if not thousands of power spikes, surges pulses and all sorts of eletric trickery. Not to mention I'm sure it spent the last 180 days building heat inside the unit.My guess is you may have cooked the charger.

The DCS system is a chargeing system designed to do just that and not so much the job of a battery minder. The best solutoion is once a month (I do this when the power bill shows up)go out and plug in your deep cycles and other batteries for a day or two then unplug them; basic maintenance charge.

As for the DCS system and the battery any battery coming off of charge will need time to settle into its grove along with the fact the DCS system is a three step operation that drops charge amps as the battery charges making for a solid yet healthy charge. I have also noticed that when my batteries come inside and warm up they will gain a little, its a bunch of Bill Nye sceince guy stuff but warmer batteries just produce better and will gain a small short term charge when they warm.

Let the whole works settle out and try it again, just allow time for the DCS system to do its thing.

That and any of those little batteries have a short life, I go through them like socks.

[Jim Almquist]

The old battery was definitely shot and my guess would be that is why your charger was hot. That is the reason why I will only do maintenance charges during the summer so I can keep a eye on what the DCS is telling you. Most times within a couple of hours you will know if the battery is taking a charge or it is shot and now it is discharging. It sound like your DCS is still good cause it is able to charge. I need to pick up one of those 9 amp just for the long weekends.

[hovermn]

Well, disaster diverted!! Plugged it in, and after 40 minutes or so, she hit 100%

Hey Jon, you have some great advice. I am a layman when it comes to these smaller batteries, but I'm not sure that I agree with the condition of the power over the summer ruining the DCS. My computer, microwave, TV, phone charger, etc... still work great, and they're never unplugged. But hey, I've never been wrong before

[zamboni]

I have had mine UNplugged all summer, and it still reads 70% charged.

[Neiko]

I unplug mine from the camera or flasher when I put it away for the season. I put the charger on them in the beginning of the season and they hold there charge surprisingly. I might have to charge them a little but it saves on the battery life if you leave them unplugged for the summer.

[slipperybob]

Well, disaster diverted!! Plugged it in, and after 40 minutes or so, she hit 100%

Hey Jon, you have some great advice. I am a layman when it comes to these smaller batteries, but I'm not sure that I agree with the condition of the power over the summer ruining the DCS. My computer, microwave, TV, phone charger, etc... still work great, and they're never unplugged. But hey, I've never been wrong before

Fortunately most electronics can handle thousands of power surges. It only takes one bad surge to fry something or one more that puts it over the edge. I've seen brand new PC's fried like a toaster over very minute power surges and other's survive a lightning storm.