This Victron Phoenix battery charger has three legs, or outputs: 2 sharing the rated capacity for house banks, and a third 4 amp trickle charger for a start battery. This is a unique feature and spares the start battery from the higher voltages delivered to the house banks during bulk and absorption phases.

Basic charging characteristics for bulk current, absorption voltage, and float voltage are user-configurable directly at the charger using a typical voltmeter, or with the Phoenix remote panel. In addition, absorption time is settable with the remote panel.

Adaptive 4-stage charge characteristic: bulk – absorption – float – storage
The Victron Phoenix battery charger features a microprocessor controlled adaptive battery management system that can be set to suit different types of batteries. The ‘adaptive’ feature will evaluate the way the battery is being used, and automatically optimise the charging process.

Variable absorption time
When a battery bank experiences only shallow discharges (as with a yacht connected to shore power), the absorption time is kept short to prevent overcharging of the battery. After a deep discharge, the absorption time is automatically increased to make sure that the battery is completely recharged.

Preventing damage due to excessive gassing with the BatterySafe mode
If, in order to quickly charge a battery, a high charge current along with a high absorption voltage has been chosen, the Phoenix battery charger will prevent damage due to excessive gassing by automatically limiting the rate of voltage increase once the gassing voltage has been reached.

Less maintenance and aging when the battery is not in use with the Storage mode
The storage mode is activated when the battery has not been subjected to discharge during the previous 24 hours. In the storage mode float voltage is reduced to 2.2 Volts/cell (13.2 V for a 12 V battery) to minimise gassing and corrosion of the positive plates. Once a week the voltage is raised back to the absorption level to ‘equalize’ the battery. This feature prevents stratification of the electrolyte and sulphation, a major cause of early battery failure.

Increased battery life with temperature compensation
Every Victron Phoenix charger comes with a battery temperature sensor. When connected, charge voltage will automatically decrease with increasing battery temperature. This feature is especially beneficial with sealed batteries, and when fluctuations of battery temperature are expected.

Battery voltage sense
In order to compensate for voltage loss due to cable resistance, Phoenix battery chargers sense the voltage at the battery, so that it always receives the correct charge voltage.

Universal 90-265V AC input voltage range and also suitable for DC supply (AC-DC and DC-DC operation)
Victron battery chargers will work on standard AC voltages worldwide, onereason they are so popular on cruising sailboats and long-distance motor yachts and commercial craft.

Computer interface
Phoenix Chargers will communicate with a computer through its RS-485 data port. Together with their VEConfigure software, which can be downloaded free of charge, and the data link MK1b (see accessories), all parameters of the chargers can be customised.

Additional information:

We highly recommend Victron's Energy Unlimited book to anyone who is working with battery storage systems.

For more information, see the Owner's Manual and this white paper on Adaptive Charging.