kinetik power!

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

SC-1200A - 12/8/2 Amp Charger/Maintainer/Tester thatt charger? Do you have it set on the agm setting?

" Electronic Push Button Controls – easy-to-feel switches for selection of Display Mode, Charge Rate or Battery Type. Choose from regular automotive (low maintenance or and maintenance-free), deep-cycle, AGM or gel cell batteries."

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

I just tried both of the ones I have and both read 14.54V

 

[4Nine 10+ year member]

Thats the one.

Just checked it again its reading 15.4 @ 94%

Yes its set to AGM and to the 8a-medium charge mode.

Maybe its because of the different models?

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

hmmmm you measure it at the terminals with a DMM or is that what the charger says? Is the battery getting warm?

 

[lostdaytomorrow 10+ year member]

Measured with DMM and on the charger, both get up to 15.5v during all 3 charging setting (2,8,12), all in AGM mode.

I check the battery about once every 30 minutes when they charge individually and they do get a slight bit warm when they stay over 15 for a few hours or longer. Never hot though, barely warm, and no physical swelling at all of course.

Is this dangerous and shortening the life of my batteries? Why would it charge over 15v in AGM mode?

 

[4Nine 10+ year member]

Medium mode-8a

DMM 15.1

Charger 15.4

Cool to the touch

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

here are some pics I just took with mine. 14.55v and a pic of one of the chargers I have

 

[lostdaytomorrow 10+ year member]

So AGM mode shouldn't go over 14.6 volts or so correct?

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

So AGM mode shouldn't go over 14.6 volts or so correct?

It will get pretty warm before anything bad happens. I am going to call schumacher tommarow though to get the scoop. My fathers 1200A doesnt have a desulfating mode either and that is used on cars and trucks including the lawnmower which also has a kinetik in it. I have never seen it go over 14.7v, then again i didnt watch it for 2 straight hours but I did peak in and out on it out in the barn while getting mugged by a frizbee happy Weimaraner.Its only been on a charger 1 time in 2 years and thats when I put it in.

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

How long does it stay at 15v while charging? Did the charger go into desulfate mode prior to it charging?

 

[RAM_Designs 5,000+ posts]

I've been using Vector chargers and they work great. Has an auto AGM mode and is simple as pie. I grabbed the 2/6/10 model on ebay for $22 new. And my dad has the 2/10/20 version...both work great, never go above 14.5V or so. I believe Kinetik rebadges the higher model Vector for one of their chargers(or they did at one point, I remember them looking exactly the same a year or so back).

 

[RAM_Designs 5,000+ posts]

VECTOR Car Battery Charger - 12V [10amp-6amp-2amp] NIB : eBay Motors (item 190390213059 end time Apr-25-10 18:54:03 PDT)

But I grabbed mine auction style for cheap.

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

I've been using Vector chargers and they work great. Has an auto AGM mode and is simple as pie. I grabbed the 2/6/10 model on ebay for $22 new. And my dad has the 2/10/20 version...both work great, never go above 14.5V or so. I believe Kinetik rebadges the higher model Vector for one of their chargers(or they did at one point, I remember them looking exactly the same a year or so back).

Vector made the charger for kinetik I am pretty sure, that model has been discontinued. it was a 2-10-20-35 amp charger with a desulfating mode and alt checker.

 

[RAM_Designs 5,000+ posts]

Vector made the charger for kinetik I am pretty sure, that model has been discontinued. it was a 2-10-20-35 amp charger with a desulfating mode and alt checker.

Yeah, I knew they looked pretty similar. Why doesn't Kinetik do a 12V charger anymore?

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

Yeah, I knew they looked pretty similar. Why doesn't Kinetik do a 12V charger anymore?

They should they do with the newer KIPS units, those are power supplies and battery chargers all built into one that actually do an advanced maintaining of the batteries after they are charged. Good to use in 12v comp/demo cars because it wont over charge the batteries and if you use the 80 amp unit/units it/they can actually help power the system if pluged in. Alot of guys wire them in perminately and just run ac cords to charge up their batteries. Having a lower cost desulfating charger would be handy for a lot of people. Especially those who do not want to spend 200ish bucks to charge 150-300 dollars in batteries in smaller set ups. I think the 12-35 charger just had too many features for what it needed to do. You can do a lot with a 10-20 amp desulfating charger, hell if it saves 1 or 2 batteries it more than likely paid for itself.