The most important reasons for acquiring a charger is preparing the car for the harsh winter climate of Russia. The weather often brings surprises, and many cars do not tolerate them too well.
Every self-respecting motorist in the arsenal must have this device, as well as a spare wheel or a set of keys.
Consider a typical domestic electronics product that copes with the declared functions quite successfully, as evidenced by many positive reviews. Charger "Orion PW325" - we will talk about it.
Importance of Acquisition
Even the most responsible car owner, with the proper operation of his car, who always does everything on time, may feel the need for this device.
When the car moves, the battery receives charging from the generator, but this may not be enough for its full operation.
Short trips cannot provide a full battery charge, while the use of new-fangled gadgets also contributes to increased energy consumption. The situation worsens when you consider that at present most of the cars spend the night in the open.
All this can lead to the fact that at the most inopportune moment, when you are late, look for your car under the snowdrifts for half an hour and, finally, find it will not start.
The ideal solution would be to purchase an Orion PW325 charger. The user manual says about the possibility of using it for preventive purposes or as a starting device.
Preventive actions are when you check and recharge the battery of your car from time to time and maintain a sufficient level of charge.
The starter is useful when you want to start the engine with prolonged shutdown of the machine or with a sharp drop in temperature, since it is quite difficult to set the crankshaft in cold oil in cold weather, and not every car can be “lit” or, worse, started up “from the pusher” . It is more suitable for Russian cars of the last century. Modern models can no longer help this.
Scheme
The launcher is a pulse regulated current stabilizer, for example, Orion PW325, the circuit of which is shown below, TL 494. In this regard, the device has small dimensions and weighs only 1 kilogram.
This scheme is simple, but at the same time has a high efficiency and combines a number of other useful characteristics. If you have knowledge in the field of electronics, the circuit will help to identify any malfunctions of the device.
In the official documentation of the manufacturer, it is indicated that these schemes are patented and classified.
But everything can be found on the Russian-language Internet, including handwritten and printed circuit diagrams of the Orion PW325 and other models.
General purpose
The Orion PW325 car charger is primarily used to charge the batteries of cars and some freight vehicles, as well as motorcycles.
This device can even recharge batteries that are discharged to zero. In automatic mode, it provides boiling control and will not allow overcharging. It is not necessary to remove the battery from the car network.
Opportunities
The Orion PW325 charger (reviews from the owners on the positive side characterize additional technical features of the device) is a constant current source for low-power devices or for charging them.
It can be electric tools, car radios, lamps, and many other devices that are suitable for consumption parameters.
The Orion PW325 charger can also be used as a prestart mechanism.
How to choose the right device
The manufacturer offers us an extended range of similar models of chargers. They all work on the same principle, the difference is only in the adjustment of the charging current, well, minor functions are added that seem to be needed, but in general you can do without them.
Each model has its own current supply range. In earlier models, it is in a fairly low range, they have a lower cost. Those with higher charging current levels are more expensive, but still not that expensive compared to their competitors.
Some models can only work with 6 Volt batteries (motorcycles, scooters, some types of gardening equipment), others with 12 Volts, like the Orion PW325. The instruction allows it to be used for cars and selectively trucks. There are also rated for 24 Volts - these are SUVs, buses, large special equipment.
So before buying, you should definitely read the instructions or consult with the seller-consultant regarding which unit suits you best.
You can opt for a universal device that can service different types of rechargeable batteries. This option is suitable for car owners and additional vehicles (motor boats, snowmobiles, mini-tractors), the same models are suitable for car services.
If you have one car, then just select a device with parameters similar in characteristics to your battery. If there are several vehicles, it is better to purchase with wider settings.
The maximum current consumption of the device should be three times higher than the battery capacity. If your battery has a capacity of 60 A / h, then you should choose a device with a starting current of at least 180 A / h.
The type of work
The Orion PW325 charger is powered by a standard 220 V network and can be connected to any electrical outlet that is at hand.
The device has two wires with terminals “+” and “-”, which must be connected to the terminals of the rechargeable battery.
On the Orion PW325 charger, customer reviews talk about using two modes of operation: automatic and manual.
The latter provides for charging the battery with constant voltage. Here you rotate the current regulator yourself and determine which parameter you need to set.
It is necessary to monitor the operation of the device to prevent boiling of electrolytes. A session can take quite a long time, it depends on the initial state of the battery (15-17 hours). Therefore, immediately consider this factor.
In automatic mode, everything is, of course, simpler. The device, despite its simplicity, will determine the level of charge itself and in several stages will bring it to the desired level. Overcharge is excluded and boiling is not allowed. After a full charge, the process will automatically stop.
Using
Before use, make sure that the device is working correctly. After turning on the power cord, the “Network” indicator light should light up. You need to install the current strength lever and turn it to the left until it stops, to a minimum.
Then you can proceed directly to the charging itself: connect the terminals of the charger to the battery terminals in accordance with their polarity. Usually, red or light wires are indicated by a plus, black or dark colors are a minus.
After the LED lights up, smoothly set the required current value. To correctly determine it for your battery, you need to select the position at which the LEDs start to light up, and set the regulator to an intermediate position.
After reaching 15 A on the battery, the current will automatically decrease. In this case, you can not set the regulator to a higher value, as provided by the scheme.
Improper use of the device will lead to its malfunction or breakdown, as evidenced by numerous reviews on the Orion PW325 charger.
pros
Reviews on the Orion PW325 charger highlight a number of its positive features:
- compact enough and lightweight, which allows easy transportation if necessary;
- easy and quick to configure;
- acceptable price;
- the ability to independently set the current strength;
- work in automatic mode;
- the ability to charge batteries of any degree of discharging.
Minuses
For the Orion PW325 charger, customer reviews also highlight the negative aspects that occur during operation:
- some hum or unpleasant sound;
- specific smell;
- short-lived;
- poorly tolerates voltage drops;
- the case is not resistant to damage;
- it is inconvenient to store, packaging for moving is not provided.
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Manufacturer's Warranty
The manufacturer from the time of purchase of this product has a guarantee obligation to the buyer for up to 12 months in case of breakage in the presence of a warranty card from the applicant.
You can exchange the device for a similar one or return money for a purchase. However, in case of mechanical damage of a different nature or when using the device for other purposes, warranty repairs will be refused.
Do not forget about safety
Before using this device, inspect it for visible damage, check the integrity of the network cable.
Try to use the device in such a way as to avoid chemical substances: gasoline, acids, paints and other reagents, as well as water getting on the case and wires.
It is necessary to recharge the batteries, especially heavily discharged, in well-ventilated rooms in order to avoid the accumulation of harmful emitted gases.
The instructions provided with the Orion PW325 charger indicate that the device can charge the battery automatically. Despite this, you must definitely control it and monitor the parameters of work.
Keep the device in a dry and safe place out of the reach of children, clean contacts in a timely manner if they are oxidized.
To avoid overheating of the device, the device should not come into contact with anything, and everything else is already provided for here: forced ventilation, if the temperature inside the case rises, and a circuit for limiting the output current. This is quite enough to prevent heating of the housing and its individual elements.
Customer reviews
About "Orion PW325" reviews acquired it in bulk are positive. Most of them are happy with the purchase, the device lasts for years, it works quite well.
Negative complaints about the incorrect operation of the device, failure after a short operation indicate the presence of fakes on the market. Alas, this is not going to get anywhere in our time.
Keep checks and warranty cards, and you can always exchange or return your money for a purchase.
All of the above disadvantages can also be caused by non-compliance with the rules of transportation of goods to points of sale. Subsequently, internal or external damage that affects the operation of the device is observed.
In general, this thing is quite necessary and, judging by the prevailing positive reviews of car owners, it is worth it to purchase. After all, battery malfunctions can overtake us at the most inopportune moment.