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We are selecting a charger for a small cabin sailer. It has a 72Ah battery. We have some difficulty to decide on the best model:
Blue Smart IP65 7A
Blue Smart IP65 10A
Blue Smart IP67 7A
Blue Smart IP67 13A
Note that between the last two, the 7A might be a bit on the small side (7A < 10% * 72Ah), but 13A might be overkill?
Thank you for your feedback, JohnC. You say chose big, because you "can limit" the current, but will the charger do so?
Apart from that, is there a difference between the IP65 and IP67 models beyond the IP ratings? The enclosures as well as user manual layouts look rather different, but looking at the actual features they seem rather similar?
Yeh, the Connect app should do that limiting fine. If you actually bother - it's not such a big deal (for me, not necessarily you).
I'm not personally privy to how Victron manufacture them, but I do note the IP67 is resin encapsulated and weighs twice as much. I guess that's where the "waterproof" thing holds some sway. You could likely run a truck over that one without issue.
Bit like buying a car, hey. Buy a blue one, choose your own model/engine. :)
Hi Oscar. All of those would be adequate, but the "best" will be the biggest.
You may be picky about holding charge rate to (say) 10% of Ah rating, but that's ok because you can limit it anyway.
I tend to look to the future. Perhaps your next batt replacement will be 100Ah, or even more? Or a Li? Or you want to run a load at the same time - say a tv or sound system.
I'd go the 13A, it's only money. Sailors have plenty of that, don't they? :)
