12v powered rapid chargers for nimh and li-lion

Batteries and Chargers Chargers
1

I have a cabin that is off grid, solar powered, and 12v. im looking for a charger for my headlamps as well as various aa batts i have in some stuff up there.

id like to be able to charge 2 18650s at 2a each. the 2 im looking at right now are the vapcell s4 plus and the folomov a4… the latter is cheaper, but ive also read issues about inconsistent charging and overcharging. the downside to both is that they would require some snipping of the charging wires. id rather something out of the box ready to go, but if the price is right, im ok with modifying the plug…

looking for recommendations on chargers that fit the bill, as well as a place to pick them up cheaply.

thanks!

2

I am in the same boat as you. I built 2 12v aux sockets that come off the 12v side. I use a Golishi 6 slot charger and I like it a lot. I run blf lanterns in each room. I now run a 24v system and use a small converter to give me the 12v leg. I run a samlex EVO inverter charger and it rocks. If samlex ever comes out with their new 48v EVO I will go over to LIPO batteries from lead acid 6v gold cart and never look back.

One of the 12v aux sockets has a 2 slot usb socket and I run a 6 port Anker usb charge hub. Anker makes good stuff.

3

yeah, our setup is kind of neat. we have the whole cabin retrofitted to 12v. 12v water pump, 12v propane stove, car stereo, rv lights with led panels… woodstove with computer fans that push air into the back room… each room has an outlet box with a blank wallplate and one of these mounted in them.

then we have a couple different car chargers that get moved from room to room for charging phones and such… we try to do most of our charging during the day after the sun has already topped off our battery bank and the panels are just sitting there doing nothing. which is why i want a charger that can push off some amperage. get the juice into the batteries before it gets dark…

ive been reading about the lion batts… apparently they dont like cold… which is a dealbreaker for us, because often when we get to the cabin its below freezing and we cant wait for the woodstove to heat everything up before we turn things on. we are pretty low budget as is… 3 100w panels on a renogy mppt controller charging a single 31 series rv battery. works for our needs. lets us do everything we want, while still limiting us to the semi-basics to make sure we know we are at the cabin, and not at home :smiley:

4

Thought of running 12v but went with EVO instead. It sleeps when not in use and has very low drain. I run a chest freezer with an inline “ink-bird” thermometer. I have to set to run at 34f and stop at 33f. Keeps our food cold. The EVO is wonderful it can:

The Samlex America Evolution F Series EVO-1212F Inverter/Charger is a 1200 Watt pure sine wave inverter, 60 Amp adaptive battery charger, and 30 Amp transfer relay - all in one unit. This heavy-duty, continuous rated, DSP micro-controller based Inverter/Charger is designed to provide reliable AC power wherever it’s needed including boats, RVs, cabins and specialty vehicles, as well as alternative energy, back-up and emergency power applications.

The EVO-1212F outputs pure sine wave power suitable for sensitive loads and features soft start technology to reduce high starting inrush current drawn by AC loads such as Switched Mode Power Supplies (SMPS) and motor driven loads like fans, pumps, and compressors. This means less mechanical stress, wear and tear and increased lifetime of your appliances. The EVO-1212F is also capable of surging up to 3X the continuous power rating and can exceed the continuous power output by the Power Boost Allowances without triggering an overload fault. Get 150% for 30 seconds, 140% for 1 minute, 120% for 10 minutes or 110% for 30 minutes.

The built-in 60 Amp battery charger maintains 6 different programmable charging profiles for charging a wide variety of battery types including Lead Acid flooded, AGM, Gel Cell, Lead Calcium and Lithium. It also features an adaptive charging algorithm that monitors Lead Acid type batteries during the bulk charging stage to assess their condition. The remaining charging stages are then based on the battery’s condition, rather than a pre-set charging time, thereby minimizing excess charging time while extending battery life.

The batteries feeding the EVO-1212F can also be charged from a solar system by connecting up to a 50 Amp external solar charge controller, allowing the solar charge controller to operate in parallel with the internal charger. The current delivered by the external charge controller is measured in real time and the internal charging current is controlled to ensure that the combined current fed to the battery does not exceed the programmed bulk charging current.

Additionally, the EVO-1212F’s Online Mode can be used to prioritize Batteries/Inverter over the grid, ideal for those who want to operate primarily on solar power, even when the grid is available, e.g., when the grid is costly. The EVO-1212F’s internal 30 Amp automatic transfer relay feeds AC output from the inverter when grid or generator power is not available. When external AC power is available it passes it through to the load, while feeding AC power to the battery charger at the same time. Once the external power comes back on, the inverter synchronizes with the incoming wave form and transfers instantly at zero crossing without any interruption to the load.

The EVO-1212F is ETL safety listed to UL 458 and CSA standards, is EMC Compliant to FCC requirements, and comes with a 3-year warranty.

Product Features
1,200 watts continuous power output
3,600 watts surge capability
Active power boost of up to 150% for 30 seconds
Pure sine wave output for sensitive electronics and inductive loads
Compatible with Lead Acid, AGM, Gel, Lead Calcium, and Lithium batteries
6 programmable charging profiles – 2, 3 and 4 stages with Equalization
Adaptive battery charging option for Lead Acid batteries
AC power cord inlet and duplex GFCI outlet
Input for solar charge controller
Online mode to prioritize batteries/inverter over the grid
Built-in 30 Amp synchronized transfer relay
Dual GFCI outlets
AC power cord inlet
Wide operating temperature range
Temperature controlled cooling
Programmable power save mode
UL 458 listed
CSA STD. C22.2 No. 107.1-01 listed
Certified to FCC Part 15(B), Class A
3 year warranty
Protection Features
Battery low-voltage protection (user selectable from 9.1 to 12.0 VDC)
Battery over-voltage protection (user selectable from 14.0 to 17.0 VDC)
Over-current shutdown
Overload shutdown
Short-circuit protection
Ground-fault protection
Transformer and heat sink overheat shut down
Immunity against conducted electrical transients in vehicles
Available Accessories
Remote control with 33’ cable (EVO-RC-PLUS)