Unique : diagnoses, recovers, charges, checks & maintains safely, for months

Transcription

1 Unique : diagnoses, recovers, charges, checks & maintains safely, for months OptiMate IIISP is the most advanced fully automatic diagnostic battery charger and maintainer for all 12V lead-acid batteries from 2,5 to 32 Ampère-hours capacity. 12V DESULPHATING CHARGER OptiMate IIISP s unique diagnostic function automatically identifies deeply discharged (sulphated) batteries and applies a controlled high voltage with small fixed current for a limited period to recover them. All major starter battery manufacturers recommend maintaining such batteries FULLY CHARGED during periods of non-use. OptiMate IIISP is totally safe for months-long connection and maintenance of irregularly or seasonally used batteries even while still connected to the vehicle. No risk of over-charging. Electronically protected against user errors. Just connect the OptiMate IIISP to your battery, the rest is automatic. There is no switch, no fuse... and there are no sparks. De-activates automatically if connections are broken. IP42 Splash-proof design 5 MAJOR MOTORCYCLE MANUFACTURERS SAY OPTIMATE IIISP 1

2 OPTIMATE IIISP 2 DESULPHATING CHARGER 5-stage automatic programme : 1. Tests the battery for possible deep discharge or sulphation. If necessary, the OptiMate IIISP automatically engages a special high voltage recovery mode (up to 20V) with controlled very low fixed current, so as to desulphate very flat batteries, for up to 2 hours, controlled by an internal timer. 2. Charges at 0,6 Amps constant current («bulk charging» stage) for maximum safe rate recharge until such time as the battery is normally able to crank the engine. 3. During a 30 minute timed verification stage the OptiMate IIISP ensures that even well-used batteries are brought to full charge saturation. If necessary within this period, the programme reverts automatically to the bulk charging stage, repeating steps 2 & 3 as many times as may be necessary until the battery is thoroughly charged. 4. Connection and accessory options During a timed 30-minute pause in its programme, the circuit monitors the battery s voltage retention when «off charge». This identifies batteries unable to hold their charge adequately, or, if the battery remains connected to the vehicle s electrical system, that an excessive power drain is occuring some-where in the system. The green LED indicates 5. for batteries which pass the voltage retention test. They are then offered charge current according to need for 30 minutes so as to support connected electronic alarms or other small loads. The voltage retention check (step 4) is then repeated and alternates thereafter with step 5 for as long as OptiMate IIISP and battery remain connected. Problems are identified by the red LED indicating. The circuit will continue to offer the battery float charge support until disconnected. AMGATES TM77 AMEXTEND TM73 2,5m AMCLAMP TM74 AMEYEDL TM71 AMDCPLUG TM72 AMEYE TM76 DINSOCKET TM78 AMBRACKET TM70 OMBRACKET TM75 Delivered with two interchangeable connection sets, one with clamps for bench charging (TM74), the other with in-line battery protection fuse and eyelet terminals for permanent attachment to the battery posts of on-vehicle batteries (TM71) for subsequent easy connection and disconnection of the charger. This accessory, order code TM71, has an unique weatherproof rubber cover which protects the 2-pole charging cable connector against dirt & damp when the charger is not connected. Other connection & accessory options are illustrated above. Limited 2 year warranty, except on cables, plugs and connectors.

3 TecMate s chargers: technical terms simply explained. Battery Resistance: A large battery has less resistance than a smaller battery of similar construction if both are in the same condition or status. A fully charged battery has higher resistance than the same battery part-discharged. A deepdischarge or sulphated battery has very high resistance & is therefore extremely difficult to recharge again. Think of men eating: a really big man eats more & can eat faster than a small kid. A big man who is really hungry will eat even faster. But the same man lost in a dessert for a week or so might be very hungry indeed but cannot swallow due to a swollen closed throat. Constant voltage ( logarithmic ) chargers cannot recharge such closed throat batteries. But constant current chargers often can because the voltage they apply rises automatically in response to the battery s resistance. Constant voltage charging is however useful for the absorption & maintenance of float stages, see below, when the battery is already sufficiently charged to start the engine. Constant Current: the first & main stage of the charging program, during which the current stays constantly at or very close to the stated rated value for the relevant model. Think of this as the boost stage. TecMate chargers do maintain a constant boost stage current, unlike most competitors. Constant Voltage: when applied to chargers, Constant Voltage mans that the voltage at which the battery charger delivers current to the battery is held at a stated value, and the current passed into the battery varies according to the battery s internal resistance, falling progressively with time as the battery s internal resistance against further current input rises. (This progressively decreasing charge current is also known as a logarithmic charging characteristic, and is often the sole charging stage of most common chargers). Absorption stage: Where the Constant Current stage can be thought of as the boost stage, the Constant Voltage absorption stage can be thought of as the fill stage. The voltage gradually rises during the constant current charging stage as the battery recovers it s charge. When the battery is about 75 to 85 % fully charged (75% for small motorcycle batteries, 85% for larger automotive batteries) the voltage reaches the 14.3V or 14.4V level (14.7v for gel DC, 16 to 16.9V for MF) at which prolonging the constant current stage would risk gassing the battery, so the charge voltage should now be limited at this level or less. This second stage of charging is called the absorption stage because it allows the battery to absorb further current according to it s need before passing into the

4 medium to long term maintenance stage (float charge mode). In practice the absorption stage continues (the voltage being limited at V) until he current absorbed by the battery at this voltage has fallen to one sixth of the boost stage to ensure a thorough charge replenishment. Automotive & truck batteries which have discharged significantly might need several days connection to a maintenance type charger before reaching the float charge stage. Float Charge Mode: When in absorption stage the current absorbed by the battery has reduced to one sixth that of the boost stage the green LED indicates that the battery is now (close to) fully charged & ready to use The voltage limit is now automatically reduced to V for medium to long term maintenance of the battery without gassing. The battery can draw current according to need to support small loads (or current leaks in the vehicle wiring circuit) varying from zero to up to one sixth of the boost stage. The AccuMate & AccuMate PRO charging circuits can revert to the absorption stage if their monitoring circuits find that the battery needs more current to maintain its charge than is available in float charge mode. See below for more details. Standby feature: This is a special feature of the AccuMate & AccuMate PRO circuits! During the float mode these circuits continuously monitor the current drawn by the battery. This is especially important when the battery remains connected within a wiring system, whether those of a vehicle or of a power support system. For example collectors classic automobiles may well still have their original wiring whose insulation is deteriorating & whose electrical contacts may have become corroded or loose, thus giving rise to leaks of current in the system and consequently rapid or sudden battery drain. Fully Interactive: he current the battery needs to support such leaks or loads may rise right up to the limit allowed in float mode. Should AccuMate monitoring circuit sense this, the green LED goes out, the yellow LED comes on again, & the circuit reverts automatically to it s boost stage which allows up to the full charge current to the battery as required until once again near fully charged, when the Absorption Stage will follow until the green LED once again replaces the yellow LED as the float mode is once again attained. This fully interactive characteristic is what distinguishes the AccuMate & AccuMate PRO as the ideal medium term charger-maintainers for collectors oldtimer vehicles. Thermal Protection: AccuMate & AccuMate PRO have an NTC Thermistor to monitor internal temperature & reduce output current if conditions become too hot through ventilation blockage or extreme ambient temperature. AccuMate PRO has a built-in cooling fan which diverts air away from it s thermal ambient sensor which varies charging voltage settings. Both also have thermal fuses in the transformer.

5 OptiMate IIISP the UNIQUE desulfating 6-step automatic charger and battery maintainer 1a. THE CIRCUIT CHECKS IF THE BATTERY RETAINS AT LEAST 1 VOLT. (BELOW THIS VOLTAGE NO BATTERY IS RECOVERABLE TO A USEABLE STATE). BATTERY > 1V BATTERY < 1V RECYCLE TEST OF BATTERY CONDITION TO DETERMINE 1b. CORRECT CHARGE CYCLE FOR THE BATTERY UNIQUE BATTERY SULFATED BATTERY DISCHARGED RECOVERY CYCLE, MAXIMUM 2 2. UNIQUE HOURS : VOLTAGE OF UP TO 20V DRIVES FIXED 200mA, 3. BATTERY DISCHARGED: CONSTANT CURRENT BULK CHARGE TILL VOLTAGE REACHES 14,3V NOT TIMED VERIFICATION STAGE OK CHECKS DURING 30 MINs 4. FOR REAL FULL CHARGE OK UNIQUE 30 MINs CHECK IF BATTERY RETAINS CHARGE OK 5. UNIQUE FLASH WEAK GOOD 6. SUSPECT BATTERY, BATTERY CHARGED OR FAULT IN THE & READY. VEHICLE ELECTRICS. RETESTED HOURLY NO FURTHER TESTS MAINTENANCE CYCLE : 13,6V FLOAT CHARGE: THE BATTERY CAN DRAW UP TO 0,6A IN EVERY OTHER ½-HOUR, THEREBY MINIMISING WATER LOSS UNIQUE UNIQUE

6 OptiMate, its recovery mode, BMW Gel batteries, and incorrect suggestions that the up to 20V delivered by the OptiMate in recovery mode ro restore very flat batteries can damage vehicle electronics. Yuasa Battery (Inc., USA) explicitly state that to recover a deep-discharged battery a voltage of up to 25V is required). Some quarters have made insinuations that OptiMate's high voltage recovery mode could cause damage to a vehicle's electronics)... we gather this is based on some statement emanating from BMW Motorcycles and/ or Panasonic who apparently will not accept any claims for warranties if the user has used a charger with high voltage. This warranty policy is a general policy, not anything specific to the OptiMate, and we know that thousands of BMW riders have OptiMates, yet we have never received any claims of damaged batteries or vehicle electronics. In situations where the user suspects that the battery is deep-discharged, or where OptiMate indicates a deepdischarged battery, we recommend that the battery is removed from the motorcycle. There are 2 main reasons for this: 1 - OptiMate will not engage its recovery mode if it senses vehicle circuitry or if an alarm (or other accessory) is fitted which has a high current requirement. 2 - a battery which appears to be deep-discharged may actually have an internal defect as the defect is an unknown quantity it is common sense to remove the battery from the bike as defective batteries are unpredictable. An (extremely rare) example is a battery with a hairline crack in a connecting plate which can in rare circumstances produce internal sparks it is important to note that this is not in any way due to OptiMate s recovery charge this can equally happen under load from the bike (e.g. starter), or when being charged by the bike s alternator or by an unregulated charger. The following text explains why OptiMate s recovery circuit will not damage the bike s electrical components In order for the recovery mode to engage, the OptiMate circuit needs to "see" a high resistance across the battery terminals. In the case where the battery remains connected to the vehicle's wiring system, any battery-supported accessories will automatically lower the overall resistance (battery plus accessories) that the OptiMate is going to "read" when it tries to pass the limited maximum 200 ma to the battery. Therefore the OptiMate will not read the battery resistance as being high enough to indicate deep discharge / sulphation and therefore will not engage the recovery mode. Normally a motorcycle's electronics would be disconnected from the battery when the key switch is in the off position, otherwise the battery would be discharged quite soon. In the case of a deep-discharged or sulphated battery, with the key switch off & no high-current draining accessory (e.g. alarm) connected, the recovery mode would engage. However, the moment the key switch is turned to "on", (in other words thereby bringing the vehicle electronics into the circuit and thereby exposing them to the supposed risk of damage), the overall resistance across the battery drops and the OptiMate will immediately go to normal charge mode, thereby automatically anulling any risk. Technically this occurs because the vehicle electronics will require a support current exceeding 200mA whereas the OptiMate in recovery mode cannot deliver more than 200mA. Any good alarm system, and CERTAINLY any costly electronics component such as the ECU will incorporate protection against voltage spikes that could be caused by a battery or regulator / alternator malfunction. OptiMate will sense such protection and disable the recovery mode. Finally, since OptiMate was introduced (1995) TecMate has yet to receive a claim from any user or manufacturer of damage to vehicle electronics.

7 Storage and maintenance of batteries during periods of non-use. Batteries of older design types such as lead-antinomy (such as often found on classic vehicles) tend to self-discharge in storage more quickly than the more modern lead-calcium or sealed MF batteries which retain their charge for several months if stored in a cool ambient. Sealed MF or AGM motorcycle batteries (whose acid electrolyte is held by Absorbent Glass Mat separators) retain their charge in storage better than starter batteries with filler caps, but are more difficult to recover once truly deep-discharged. The warmer the ambient temperature of the storage area the faster the battery s tendency to self-discharge. Batteries not in regular use which for any reason cannot be maintained by a good maintenance charger are thus best stored in cold ambient, BUT NOT FREEZING! If you know not be used for several weeks or months it is best to remove it from the vehicle for maintenance by an appropriate charger as described below in isolation from the vehicle s wiring system. However most motorcycles are now fitted with alarms or immobilizers which require the battery to be maintained while remaining connected to the vehicle s wiring system. In such cases it is vital to select a maintenance charger whose parameters are gentle enough to avoid causing problems with the vehicle s electronic systems. An in-line fuse between charger & positive battery terminal is wise to protect alarms from disablement by thieves & where a failing car bonnet or other accident could short a charger cable. Battery manufacturers recommend that engine-start batteries are best kept fully charged at all times. All batteries have finite life-spans, often referred to by manufacturers in terms such as so many duty-cycles (under certain specified procedures of se & recharging). Maintaining the battery fully charged throughout periods of non-use therefore avoids using up some of the battery s lives. Some chargers sold as battery conditioners for medium term maintenance, which charge, then stop, then kicks in again only when a battery has discharged to a certain level, are therefore not recommended. Far better are more advanced chargers such as OptiMate (12V), AccuMate (selected 6V/12V), & AccuMate PRO (selectable 12V/24V), which by a combination of both voltage & current sensing during & following the main constant current charging stage, automatically double-check that the battery is truly fully charged at the conclusion of the main (constant current) charging stage & then only proceed into float charge to offer the battery whatever current it needs periodically, but continuously, thereby ensuring a permanently fully charged battery. The important advantages are firstly that these chargers do ensure the battery IS fully charged BEFORE passing to a (lower voltage limit) float charge mode, and that in this mode it is the battery which signals to the charger and draws from it just the amount of current needed to support the load of alarms, accessories or current leaks in the vehicle wiring.

8 Only by both current & voltage sensing can truly smart circuitry be sure the battery is fully charged before passing into the lower voltage-limited float charge stage. Sensed voltage alone may indicate a full battery in cases of abnormal resistance due to deep discharge. The OptiMate & AccuMate circuits which monitor both current & voltage, check that the battery does not draw significant current during trial initiation of the maintenance float charge stage, BEFORE fully engaging this stage, (& indicating battery ready green LED). Both chargers thus revert automatically to constant current mode if the monitored parameters indicate that the charging mode has prematurely passed into maintenance mode. This ensures the battery is really ready for the maintenance stage even in cases of an irregularly rising voltage characteristic during the constant current stage. Removal of filler caps of non-sealed batteries connected to an AccuMate or OptiMate in unnecessary. Automatic charging current regulation according to monitored charger temperature (such as with the AccuMate) enhances charger service life while providing most effective charging. Charging voltage variation according to the battery s casing temperature is the best way to ensure perfect long term maintenance for sealed batteries. This feature is offered as an option with TecMate s AccuMate Pro, which comes as standard with an ambient temperature sensor which varies the charge voltage. The Accumate PRO has a built-in fan which blows away any heat that might otherwise influence the sensor. Even better technically, an optional 2m long sensor allows monitoring of the actual battery casing which accordingly automatically varies charging voltage settings.