Principles of Operation
Page 3
LI-282 Rev. 2.2 September 2019
3. Principles of operation
The Activator 282 plugs into any global power outlet of 100 ~ 240 VAC, 50 ~ 60
Hz. It uses a switching power supply to efficiently convert the line/mains
voltage to 24 ~ 32 Volts DC, regulated by its microcontroller.
Voltage limits stated in this section are for a Lead Acid battery. See the table in
the section “Activator 282 Charging Cycles” for Nickel Cadmium voltage levels.
When AC line power is applied, the display will light up with a white backlight
and all three indicator lights will illuminate for several seconds. The Activator
282 will display the battery voltage for approximately five seconds if one is
present, otherwise it will show a low voltage coming from its own power supply.
If a battery is connected, the unit will begin charging the battery. If no battery is
connected, the unit will display “Er1” and a red FAULT light. The power must
be turned off to clear the error message “Er1”.
During charging, a yellow “CHARGING” light is on.
When the battery reaches its nominal charge voltage of 28.2 Volts the Activator
282 continues with a “topping” charge for a short time. Voltage is regulated by
the microcontroller to prevent over-charging. Counting from when AC power is
first turned on, the first topping charge is about one hour.