About the charger kit

Lead-acid cells are a reliable power source for operating radios and supporting equipment. Characteristics of the lead-acid family of cells include prolonged standby capability, high capacity, and high current discharge capability. 

A key factor in obtaining optimum performance from this battery technology is a proper charging environment. Charge voltage and current must be accurately controlled and matched to battery temperature to obtain maximum energy return and long life. This charger uses a charge controller IC designed to accomplish this.

The charger requires 18 to 22 volts DC input. This voltage may be obtained from an 18-volt laptop computer adapter if you have one available. Optionally, you may populate the rectifier and the filter components and provide 16 to 20 volts AC if you use the bridge configuration or 32 to 40 volts AC if you use the full-wave configuration. This offers you the greatest versatility in providing a power source to charge the battery.

The kit includes step-by-step board assembly instructions as well as design guidance for packaging the completed board. Considerations for proper heatsink selection and power input requirements are also discussed.