OPTIMA Batteries is best known for its popular lineup of REDTOP, BLUETOP, and YELLOWTOP batteries you see powering racing and high-performance vehicles the world over. That might have you thinking its production of these popular absorbent glass mat (AGM) batteries is its sole product. But, they also know a thing or two about charging those batteries, as well.
More Than Batteries
OPTIMA builds a battery charger that is far more than just, well, a battery charger, and has put considerable engineering effort into its design. Whether in your shop or at a race, this charger does more than just throw some amperage at your battery.
The OPTIMA Digital 1200 uses digital charging technology to deliver multi-stage charging, automatic battery maintaining, and reconditioning modes. This multi-stage charging and auto-maintain effort keeps the battery at a peak charge level for many rodders and racers.
Old Battery Chargers
The charger we are replacing is an old-school charger that offers simply three different charging levels. Typically you set the charging level based on your impatience. With a set 12-volt output, the low, medium, and “buzz the hell out of it” are the three different amperage levels supplied by the old units.
The OPTIMA 1200 Performance Charger offers features tailor-made for the shop and the pits. A rubberized bottom holds the unit in place and does not scratch paint. A hatch door holds the battery and plug-in cables. Also, each charging clamp has a switched LED light for use in the dark.
We spoke to Jim McIlvaine, eCare Manager at OPTIMA Batteries, who stresses, “It’s not difficult for a drag racer to have good battery habits with a digital charger. A digital charger delivers multi-stage charging, conditioning, and automatic battery maintaining. The circuitry senses, charges, and maintains batteries between rounds, even if you have cooling fans and more still operating.”
A lead/acid or AGM battery low on initial voltage is in a discharged state. Batteries in this condition will more readily accept a charge. As a battery charges, you may see your old battery charger register a lowering of the needle at the gauge. These gauges are an amperage meter though many chargers only signify charging with a red-yellow-green indicator. This gauge does not represent a lessening of the charge amperage from the charger, but rather, illustrates that the battery is accepting less amperage as it becomes fully charged. However, the charger is still…
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