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4.0 Frequently Asked Questions
Q
: How can I tell what options are included on my A46(F) charger?
A
: Every charger will have a dedicated manual cover sheet included with the charger manual, which lists all the
options included. If the manual that is shipped with the charger is no longer available, call La Marche and
provide the five digit accessory code at the end of the model number.
Q
: Why is an A46 charger not recommended for use on sealed batteries?
A
: The A46 is an unfiltered version of the A46F. This means high AC ripple voltage can be present on the
output voltage due to the lack of a filter stage. It utilizes the batteries for filtering of the output voltage.
Flooded batteries are maintained and have the electrolyte that is lost, due to the filtering, replenished. Sealed
batteries must be used with a filtered charger due to not having the ability to replenish electrolyte lost. This
means the life of a sealed battery will be drastically affected with the use of an unfiltered charger.
Q
: Can two A46(F) chargers be connected in parallel?
A
: Yes, two or more A46(F) chargers can be connected in parallel as long as they are of the same output
voltage rating. Chargers in parallel are not designed to load share. Paralleling is not to be confused with load
sharing.
Q
: Can the A46(F) charger settings be changed to accommodate charging Nickel Cadmium
batteries instead of the intended Lead Acid battery, or vice versa?
A
: The necessary adjustments can be made, but are dependent on model and number of cells that will be used.
The change that will be necessary for every model type is the output voltage adjustment; call La Marche to
verify that the charger in question will have the necessary output range. If alarm accessories are installed,
alarm thresholds will also need to be changed to the desired battery type defaults, refer to appropriate 16 or 46
series option manual for procedure and default values.
Q
: Can the alarm contact reference on the charger schematic be used for determining
connections?
A
: Not completely. The charger schematic, for a charger with the option included, will show an alarm relay
board with contact indication. However, all the contacts are shown in resting state, which is not true when the
charger is energized. The charger schematic should also include an alarm contact table that specifies which
relays are energized during normal operation, and which are not. Refer to the appropriate option 16 or 46 series
manuals for more information.
Q
: How can the equalize timer be changed on an A46(F) charger?
A
: If the charger is equipped with an equalize timer, which is included in the 16 and 46 series options, the
equalize timer can be changed by accessing the customer calibration menu of the front display. Refer to the
appropriate option manual.
Q
: Why is there a Low Current alarm and can it be disabled?
A
: A Low Current alarm can be triggered by various conditions, but not all are considered to be severe. A
common condition encountered is the batteries reaching nominal voltage and being fully charged with no
constant load present. At this point, the charger is providing trickle charge to the batteries with minimal current
draw and indicating a known low current condition. If this is the case, refer to the option manual for disabling
instructions. More severe conditions include charger failure, loss of AC power, maladjustment of output voltage,
and possible disconnection of DC loads. If this is the case, other alarms will also be present.
Summary of Contents for A46 Series
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