Joined: Jun 18, 2009 Posts: 77 Location: North Carolina
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2023 7:29 pm Post subject: m-38 24 Volt charging system
When I want to hook up trickle charging to my batteries, Can I just hook up one with all cables attached and move to the other one in a few days or do I need to unhook battery cables and use trickle chargers on each battery? Do not have a 24 volt charging system. I guess they still make one , But probably not a trickle charger? Anyone have any information on this as my jeep sometimes sets for extended amount of time between starts and would like to help preserve my new batteries long as possible.
24V electrical systems are with us for many years to come. There are regular and trickle/maintainer chargers available for 24V. A battery's worse enemy is it's sister battery! Why you ask. Well the manual specifies replacing these dual batteries as a matched pair for a reason. They all have a tendency to vary slightly in current state of charge even though they are installed as a pair. the lower one will drag the higher one down with it. The less matched the batteries are the more prevalent the loss of charge while sitting becomes. With this in mind it stands to reason it will be better to charge them as a matched pair. Thus the need for 24V charging equipment. Trust me when I say not maintaining these paired batteries evenly shortens both of their lives.
Choices are twofold.
1 - Stay cheap with 12V charger only and disconnect the batteries and charge them separately. Both when putting a full charge or a trickle charge.
2 - Spend the money for a quality 15 to 30 amp 24V battery charger and a quality 24V maintainer 2 amp charger
You'll notice several 24V maintainers for under $30. There are very nice combo 15A / 2A chargers for $100. There are 24V 30A reg chargers from $39 to $200. _________________ Wes K
45 MB, 51 M38, 54 M37, 66 M101A1, 60 CJ5, 76 DJ5D, 47Bantam T3-C & 5? M100
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