Amps and volts…what’s the difference?
Amps
are the unit of measure for the amount of current that is flowing
through a circuit. Volts are the unit of measure for the electrical
force that actually moves electron flow in a circuit. Here’s a good
analogy to help distinguish the two:
Compare an electric circuit to a river. Volts would represent how
much water is in the river. Amps represent how fast the river is
flowing. Minn Kota’s chargers are designed for 12V, 24V, 36V or 48V
trolling systems, with total outputs ranging from 6 amps to 40 amps.
How does a charger work?
Automatic Temperature Compensation — Why is it important?
The temperature of a battery affects its ability to take a charge.
All lead acid batteries need to be pushed to their “gassing threshold”
in order to become fully charged. However, the gassing threshold
changes with the temperature: it is higher in colder temperatures and
lower in hotter temperatures.
A charger that does not have automatic temperature compensation can
cause boiling of batteries at high temperatures, or under charging of
batteries at low temperatures. It is also possible for thermal runaway
to occur at higher temperatures.
Minn Kota® chargers utilize automatic temperature compensation to
measure the temperature of the battery, and then adjust the output
voltage to assure 1) that the battery is fully charged by reaching and
maintaining the gassing threshold while 2) protecting the battery from
“boiling” due to overcharging at high temperatures.
What is multi-stage charging…and why do I need it?
Select Minn Kota chargers offer multi-charging capabilities (bulk,
absorption and maintenance/float) to properly charge and maintain
batteries. By properly and automatically controlling the current and
voltage during the charge cycle, Minn Kota chargers recharge faster
while preventing overcharging (which can damage and shorten battery
life). With Minn Kota’s multi-stage charging you get back on the water
faster and extend the life of your batteries.
Bulk — provides high amps at low voltages until the battery reaches ~75% charge.
Absorption — when the battery reaches 75% charge, the current begins to taper down until the battery voltage reaches 14.6V.
Maintenance (or Float) — when the battery reaches full charge, charge output is dropped to 13.2V - 13.4V (.1A - .3A).
What makes a durable, reliable charger?
Heat and moisture can destroy a
battery charger. That’s why Minn Kota®’s chargers are enclosed in
aluminum extrusions with cooling fins, to efficiently dissipate heat
from inside. This protects sensitive electronics against damage from
overheating. And, our chargers are completely sealed with waterproof
gaskets. That means no moisture, and no potting compound to trap heat
inside the charger. To verify the safety and performance of our
chargers, we had the experts at Underwriter’s Laboratories test them.
Minn Kota is the only full-line manufacturer of waterproof on-board
chargers that bear the UL logo.
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