Odyssey PC310, User Manual, Page: 7 / 8

CHARGING ODYSSEY BATTERIES
Charging is key to the proper use of a rechargeable battery. Inadequate or improper
charging is a common cause of premature failure of rechargeable lead acid batteries.
(A) Selecting the right charger for your battery
Qualifying chargers for your ODYSSEY battery is a simple two-step process.
Step 1 Charger output voltage
Determining the charger output voltage is the most important step in the charger
qualification process. If the voltage output from the charger is less than 14.2V or more
than 15V for a 12V battery do not use the charger. For 24V battery systems the
charger output voltage should be between 28.4V and 30V. If the charger output
voltage falls within these voltage limits when the charge current starts dropping,
proceed to Step 2; otherwise pick another charger.
Step 2 Charger type - automatic or manual
The two broad types of small, portable chargers available today are classified as
either automatic or manual. Automatic chargers can be further classified as those that
charge the battery up to a certain voltage and then shut off and those that charge the
battery up to a certain voltage and then switch to a lower float (trickle) voltage.
An example of the first type of automatic charger is one that charges a battery up to
14.7V, then immediately shuts off. An example of the second type of automatic
charger would bring the battery up to 14.7V then switch to a float (trickle) voltage of
13.6V; it will stay at that level indefinitely. The second type of automatic charger is
preferred as the first type of charger is likely to undercharge the battery.
WARNING: If using a wheeled service garage charger, DO NOT use any setting above
20A as they typically have voltages in excess of 15V at current settings above 20A
A manual charger typically puts out a single voltage or current level continuously and
has to be manually switched off to prevent battery overcharge. Should you choose to
use a manual charger with your ODYSSEY battery, do not exceed charge times
suggested in Table 3 below.
Charger amps Battery model Time to full charge
PC310
6 - 10 PC535 8 – 10 hrs.
PC545 8 – 10 hrs.
PC625 12 – 14 hrs.
PC680 14 – 16 hrs.
15 –20 PC925 8 – 10 hrs.
PC1200 12 – 14 hrs.
PC1700 14 – 16 hrs.
PC2150 14 – 16 hrs.
PC2250
Table 3: Suggested charge times for ODYSSEY batteries
Concluding remarks
We believe there is no other sealed-lead battery currently available commercially that
can match ODYSSEY battery for sheer performance and reliability. We hope that the
preceding material will help the reader arrive at the same conclusion.
Publication No: US-ODY-UG-001 - February 2005 www.odysseyfactory.com 7