Charging fishfinder 12v sal battery question.

So I bought a 12v 5ah sal battery from Home Depot. The kind that's used in emergency lighting and backup alarm systems. My question is... Is it ok to charge it with a 12v car battery charger? It has the option to charge it on deep cycle or regular and 10amp or 2 amp. I charged it on 2 amp/hr. on deep cycle. I read somewhere that it has to be charged at 20% of the mah your battery is rated for at around 13-14v. So in my case it would have to be charged at 1 amp per hour. (5ah x .20=1ah) can I damage it by charging it at double the recommendation? BTW I don't plan to use this all the time, I have a more compact battery on the way. Thanks in advanced.

Like you, I have 2 of those. Mine 7AHr and 12AHr. Heavy as..well..lead. Used it for my old pontoon, float tubes, and kayaks as source for my electronics.

I use the vehicle charging system, designed for automotive, 3 different types of batteries, at rates of 2A, 5A, and 10A. Never..ever..go for 5A and 10A. Stay as low as you can to preserve the battery's longevity. Lost my 12AHr due to my hastiness going for 5A rate. 2A rate lasts for years. 5A rate..dead in less than 5 charges. Battery swelled up like a lead balloon.

I use the last 7AHr as a backup battery for my kayak, while using the 2 ultra light LiPO packs (7.8V and 14.6V). Perfect for 95% of my application, including fish finder, charging cell, GPS navigation, and LED lighting system for dawn-dusk periods.

Thanks for the response. I don't think i ruined it then. I might just have to pick up a charger with a little less amps per hour. Any suggestions?

Plenty of chargers for 12V at RadioShack, between 1A to 5A. The better variety of charging options, the better. Otherwise, just head to Freight Harbor and grab a vehicle battery charger at 12V/24V, with 2A/5A/10A rate for $30. You're golden on either approach.


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Cool man. Thanks again!

Just an fyi, your battery will last longer if stored with a full charge.