Charger recommendation 4 Rolls 500Ah 6v

[Gpearston]

Looking for some recommendations on a smart charger that can handle Rolls 6v 550aH. I have 4 of them. They are almost three years old. The short version is that they came out of a 24v system Xantrex Solar charge controller and Xantrex Inverter/Charger. The previous owner was moving out of state and the new owner had no desire to do Solar. The controller and charger were spoken for before I could get my hands on them. Not ready to spend the big bucks and get a Xantrex charger just yet. The charger I have is not a smart charger but can push 50A but it is a Trace so I am reluctant to beat up on it. Any suggestion on a charger for the rolls? I am thinking I am best served charging them as a set of 24v but maybe I am wrong on that.

Thanks

[Mike90250]

24v IS the way to go, 4 batteries in series. but 50A at 29v is 1,450watts, which is the limit for common outlets.

what is your expected usage for them? if you are daily cycling, may as well get the good stuff. Or get an Iota or something to keep them on float.

[Gpearston]

Ultimately they will become the daily cycle batts. Currently using 12v so moving to 24v is going to be a big expense but I understand the upside. I want to make sure the Rolls are given the best charging cycle that I can afford. The 50A that I stated was merely a guess as to what the bulk should be. Is there a decent charger that will provide an appropriate charge, float and condition to a 24v bank that is in the 550A range?

[NEOH]

Ultimately they will become the daily cycle batts. Currently using 12v so moving to 24v is going to be a big expense but I understand the upside. I want to make sure the Rolls are given the best charging cycle that I can afford. The 50A that I stated was merely a guess as to what the bulk should be. Is there a decent charger that will provide an appropriate charge, float and condition to a 24v bank that is in the 550A range?

More importantly, are you charging those batteries today? now?
Do not leave the batteries in a PSOC.
You need to wire those batteries up as 12 Volt and get them charged up to 100% SOC, ASAP.
Bulk until 14.8 Volts then Absorb, the electrolyte needs to bubble.
When was the last time they were Equalized? ( Hard sulfate is like cancer )

This will buy you time to make a decision.
Will your existing PV Array support a 24 Battery Bank at 50 Amps?
If not, then just stay at 12 Volts.

How much will it cost to replace your DC-to-AC Inverter?
While, 24 Volts may be technically optimal, it may not be financially optimal.
There are many charge controllers that can do the job: Xantrex, Midnite, Outback, Victron, Tri-Star.

You say,
I want to make sure the Rolls are given the best charging cycle that I can afford.

Spending more money does not always equate to a better charging cycle.
You set the charge parameters, that is your responsibility.

[littleharbor]

[QUOTE=NEOH;n365874]



This will buy you time to make a decision.
Will your existing PV Array support a 24 Battery Bank at 50 Amps?
If not, then just stay at 12 Volts.


Are the 4 batteries not 1100 Ah. @ 12 volts? Now you're talking 110 amps to charge at 10% and two charge controllers minimum

[Gpearston]

I live in Alaska so solar is done for the season (until 3rd week of March) so I have time regardless of the solar array.

The batteries are 6v 550Ah so to get to 24v I will have 24v@550Ah. So I believe I will want a 50A charger.

I like the feature set of the Xantrex, don't like the price tag and since they do not make a 50A I would need more than one unit.

I like the AIMS price tag, the feature set is less but that is understandable. The warranty on the AIMS is 1 year and the Xantrex is 2 yr but at 4 times the price (2 units), I don't see spending that much.

Am I missing a better alternative for the charger?

[Mike90250]

what is the Power Factor for each charger? poor power factor = larger genset. I don't think think the Iota can do an EQ, but 2 would bubble the cells

https://www.iotaengineering.com/dlsx24.htm

[Gpearston]

The IOTA DLS 27-40 will do an EQ charge when the IQ4 module/option is added. It requires a 7 day float so in my case that would never happen. The IOTA has a power factor of 1100w.

I will likely go with the IOTA to charge the Rolls and float them while I figure out the long term plan.

Also wanted to say thank you. You recommended the Optimate6 to me while back to test out some Concord batteries. That little Optimate6 kicks butt. It has been used on a lot of batteries and brought all but one back to outstanding condition. That thing is worth every penny and more. So thank you.