Thanks Brett, much appreciated. That specific post and then pages 6 & 7 from
this Odyssey document is what has me concerned about the suitability of using those batteries in my ArkPak. These AGM batteries are so damn expensive... I want to make the right choice up front!
Cheers,
Mike
Hi Mike
it is great to see that you are taking a real interest in your battery choice and the more you know about your battery the longer it will last for you.
after reading over both links and looking at the concern of the correct charge cycle and rate the information that i can tell you that if you refer to post 247 which is located on page 25 of this thread you see my answer about the float voltage and several post after that you should see what the reply is from KTMman1 when he explain it to his battery supplier.
in relation to odyssey chargers they are only a 3 stage charger this is not a bad thing but the Ark Pak has a 7 stage charging system and the max voltage allowed when charging an AGM is 14.5 Volts any more then this and you will fatigue the battery i do not agree with giving any 12v battery a 16.5 volt charge this is not healthy for the battery over the long term in my opinion.
please refer below information on the 7 stages of the Ark Smart charging system
Stage 1: Charge
Commences recovery of your battery back to peak voltage. Then charges the battery at 6 amps up to a set voltage, at which point the battery is approximately 90% charge.
Stage 2: Testing
Checks the battery capacity and predicts the hours left until fully charged.
Stage 3: Bulk
The period just before boost when the volts are constant.
Stage 4: Boost
Peak charge for maximum performance. Battery is charged for two hours at constant voltage.
Stage 5: Resting
Allows the battery to consolidate after boost. The ArkPak ceases charging and allows the battery to rest while allowing voltage to drop to 13.2V.
Stage 6: Float
Maintains performance and prolongs battery life - as your battery is continually monitored and the voltage is maintained at 13.2V. It does this by automatically adjusting charge current for 500 hours.
Stage 7: Re-awaken
This exercises the battery and avoids sulphation build-up. After 500 hours of conditioning the charger automatically returns to charge cycle.
some parting thoughts would be that when you break it down the only difference between a 6AMP charger and a 40AMP charger is the time it take to complete the charge cycle, they both do exactly the same thing its just the 6 amp charger does it at a slower rate this is the only difference.
if you feel i have not answered the question or may have left some thing out please let me know
Regards
Brett from Ark
