Thread: 12V Charger
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Old 6th Dec 2014, 8:35 pm   #10
broadgage
Nonode
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Somerset, UK.
Posts: 2,129
Default Re: 12V Charger

A modern battery charger can contain some fairly complex electronics. Some older large or industrial battery chargers are also quite complex. I have a couple of "Lucas Marinapower" 12 volt 10 amp battery chargers that are now vintage, they are fairly complex and use a thyristor controlled output, and detect the presence of a battery before producing any output.
Such sophistication was unusual and expensive, they cost £100 each IIRC over 30 years ago.

An old domestic battery charger is usually much simpler consisting of a step down transformer, a full wave bridge rectifier, and a moving iron meter.
In theory a regulating resistance is also required in order in order to limit the charge current, but in most designs the resistance of the transformer windings, meter, rectifier and connecting leads is sufficient to avoid the need for a resistance.
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