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MEP-803A Batteries Series or Parallel?

Slate

Slate

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Just FYI kloppk has much knowledge on these and a remote start setup for these at a reasonable price.

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stugpanzer

stugpanzer

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Slate said:
There is a diagram on the inside of engine cowling door that shows how to wire them up.

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Click to expand...
OK Thank you... It looks like they are connected in series as the negative is connected to the positive. If they were parallel they would have been positive to positive and negative to negative. I am going to put a trickle charger on so now I know to put positive on one battery and negative on the other.
kloppk said:
Series
Click to expand...
Hello Kloppk. My reason for asking is I want to put a trickle charger on my generator. Since it seems the batteries are connected in series, I should connect positive form the charger to positive on one of the batteries and negative on the charger to negative on the other battery. can you confirm that I am correct in what I am saying here?
 
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kloppk

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OK, you can only charge one of the batteries at a time with that charger.
You'd hook the chargers positive to one batteries positive and the chargers negative to the same batterys negative. Doing so will only charge that one battery. Once charged the charger can then be hooked to the second battery. Again chargers positive to the second batterys positive and the chargers negative to the second battery negative to charge it.
 
stugpanzer

stugpanzer

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kloppk said:
OK, you can only charge one of the batteries at a time with that charger.
You'd hook the chargers positive to one batteries positive and the chargers negative to the same batterys negative. Doing so will only charge that one battery. Once charged the charger can then be hooked to the second battery. Again chargers positive to the second batterys positive and the chargers negative to the second battery negative to charge it.
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Thank you....
 
K

kloppk

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If you want to "trickle charge" 24/7/365 be sure to use a smart charger that stops charging once a battery is fully charged and only resumes charging if the battery voltage falls. The best way is to use two 12 volt smart chargers, one one each battery. Second best is to use a 24 volt smart charger to maintain both batteries at once. Before doing so with a 24 volt smart charger it's best to charge each battery with a 12 volt charger beforehand to get the two batteries balanced. Also both batteries should be the same type and age to maintain balance.

If using two 12 volt chargers be sure their AC power plugs are 2 prong plugs.

Some chargers can possibly be damaged if the set is started with the charger attached and charging. Be sure to check the chargers owners manual about this possible issue.
 
Last edited:
stugpanzer

stugpanzer

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Sandwich, IL
kloppk said:
If you want to "trickle charge" 24/7/365 be sure to use a smart charger that stops charging once a battery is fully charged and only resumes charging if the battery voltage falls. The best way is to use two 12 volt smart chargers, one one each battery. Second best is to use a 24 volt smart charger to maintain both batteries at once. Before doing so with a 24 volt smart charger it's best to charge each battery with a 12 volt charger beforehand to get the two batteries balanced. Also both batteries should be the same type and age to maintain balance.

If using two 12 volt chargers be sure their AC power plugs are 2 prong plugs.

Some chargers can possibly be damaged if the set is started with the charger attached and charging. Be sure to check the chargers owners manual about this possible issue.
Click to expand...
I actually have two of the chargers I showed you that does that. Can I connect one each to a battery without disconnecting any cables?
 
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kloppk

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It's a bit complicated. Internally some chargers connect their negative charging outputs to the 3rd ground pin on the AC input. If both chargers are plugged in their 3rd ground pins on the AC plug are effectively connected together. This makes both battery chargers negative outputs connected together electrically. If you hook them to two batterys is series the voltage between the two batterys negatives have a voltage difference of 12 volts. That 12 volt difference is shorted by the two chargers negative leads once connected to the batteries. The result is sparks and one or both chargers being damaged.
I made that mistake once and fried a charger. Fortunately I was as able to repair it.
 
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