> > Speaking of charging, I've got the schematics for the Tropica charger. > Thanks Matt! I was looking over it this weekend and it's "brains" are a > BQ2003 which seems to be a NiCad charger. If I understand the options they > have it wired for, it does a constant current charge of 12amps to a set > voltage and then shuts down. That doesn't sound like a good plan for lead > acid does it?
No. The battery will be consistently undercharged. > I looked at another part from Benchmarq, the bq2031, which is > designed for lead acid. It has a constant current bulk charge followed by a > constant voltage charge and terminates on hitting a min current or a delta > voltage. The parts look close in the support they need but certainly not pin > compatible. Any comments on the wisdom of replacing the 2003 with the 2031? Much better charge profile. You need to figure out if the time and effort are worth it. If you don't have another charger to use, the car will be inoperable until the charger is working again. Is the education worth the down time? Will you be happy with a customized charger or do you want something that someone else is supporting? Do you have the test equipment and tools to finish the project? I would not attempt this upgrade project unless I had a charger to use in the car while this one is being upgraded. Joe Smalley Rural Kitsap County WA Fiesta 48 volts NEDRA 48 volt street conversion record holder [EMAIL PROTECTED]
