Everyone knows about the battery charger. You connect 220 V on one side and the charger produces 12 V to recharge the battery - simplifying it to the extreme, because in reality it is a little more complex. What if you were told that there are 12 V - 12 V battery chargers! You supply 12 V DC (from your engine alternator for example) and you charge your batteries with 12 V. I can already hear the complainers saying that this is what they do every day on their boat: the alternator already recharges the batteries..
This is partly true, except that your battery is never 100% charged. Line losses and regulators "slow down" the current and prevent the battery fleet from being fully charged. To charge a battery properly, it must receive a voltage higher than 14 V. However, often (and you can check this on board), the voltage reaching the battery barely exceeds 13 V. The batteries are never fully charged and therefore wear out prematurely.
The Swedish company Ctek, a global specialist in the field of battery charging, is launching a truly innovative product. It is a DC/DC battery charger (DC = Direct Current). The D250SA is a small box that replaces the battery coupler and offers multiple features.
DC/DC battery charger
The D250SA integrates a current "pump" system. If it receives a 13.7 V current from the alternator, it converts it into a 14.4 V current. This makes the battery faster and, above all, fully recharged. This box also works with AGM batteries and in this case, the box produces 14.8V once configured.
This automatic charger works in 5 steps (different charging phases such as dock chargers) to ensure better charging and above all to preserve the battery life.
Battery separator
The D250SA is an automatic battery separator. It can manage a starter battery and a park of servitude batteries. It is set up to recharge the starter battery and then the service park. A function also allows the maintenance of the starter battery when the servitude park is fully charged.
MPPT controller
The D250SA also offers an entry for solar panels and wind turbines. The controller integrated in the housing is of the MPPT type. This type of controller is the most efficient, as it always makes it possible to get the most out of the solar panel, even if the battery is almost full.
Unlimited power
For small alternators, the D250SA is limited to 20 A, but if you want to use all the performance of its more powerful alternator - on a boat it is not unusual to find alternators up to 100 A - you can add a Smartpass 120 to your D250SA. With the two devices connected to each other, the maximum possible load increases to 140 A.
Priority consumption management
To avoid ending up with completely empty batteries, the D250SA can manage priorities. If the voltage drops below 11.6 V, the box cuts off the power supplies to non-priority consumers (e. g. refrigerator or TV) and leaves only the safety devices powered (VHF, GPS or AIS).
Emergency start
If the starter battery is flat, the D250SA can be used as a booster to help restart the engine. In this case, it will draw 350 A from the service battery for 10 s. The time to restart the engine and then restart the load.
Delivered in a pack
The D250 is a product protected against moisture (IP65). It is available in a package with the D250SA, the Smartpass 120 to boost power and a control screen (ampere counter) to monitor the life of your battery fleet.
- 305 euros D250SA
- 1014 euros D250SA + Smarpass 120 + control screen
