08-07-2020, 12:37 PM
(08-07-2020, 11:06 AM)Slack Alice Wrote: I always thought a 12 volt battery should show 14.4 when fully charged.
That is the old "lead acid" type.
Reading the Forum I discover that there are now batteries with different internal compositions, which have different end point voltages when charged.
So: maybe some internet research needed? Do you know what kind of battery it is?
A 12V battery, fully charged is 12.6 - 12.8 V depending on temperature.
14.4V is the voltage used to "bulk charge" the battery, which will always promote current flow through it. Excess current will overcharge the battery and will lead to destruction eventually, so modern "smart" chargers will raise the voltage to 14.6 for the bulk charge period, then, when the current levels out, switch to "float charge" at 12.8V which will maintain a few mA through the battery and can be maintained indefinitely without degradation.