Schumacher Electric SC1283 Owner's Manual page 5

RATE SELECTION BUTTON
Use this button to select one of the following:
• 6<>2A CHARGE – For charging small
and large batteries. Not recommended
for industrial applications. The charger
will automatically adjust the charging
current, based on battery size, in order to
charge the battery completely, efficiently
and safely.
11. OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
WARNING: A spark near the battery may
cause an explosion.
CHARGING A BATTERY
IN THE VEHICLE
1. Turn off all the vehicle's accessories.
2. Keep the hood open.
3. Clean the battery terminals.
4. Place the charger on a dry, non-
flammable surface.
5. Lay the AC/DC cables away from any
fan blades, belts, pulleys and other
moving parts.
6. Connect the battery, following the
precautions listed in sections 6 and 7.
7. Connect the charger to a live grounded
120V AC outlet.
8. Select the desired rate.
9. Press the START/STOP button to begin
charging immediately. If the START
button is not pressed within ten minutes
after unit was first powered up, and the
charger detects a battery that is properly
connected, the charging process will
begin and finish automatically. Unit will
automatically switch between BOOST
and CHARGE rates as needed.
10. When charging is complete, or if you
are done using ENGINE START or
BOOST modes, press the STOP button,
disconnect the charger from the AC
power, disconnect the clamp attached to
vehicle's chassis, and finally remove the
clamp from battery terminal.
CHARGING A BATTERY
OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE
1. Place battery in a well-ventilated area.
2. Clean the battery terminals.
3. Connect the battery, following the
precautions listed in sections 6 and 7.
4. Connect the charger to a live grounded
120V AC outlet.
5. Select the desired rate.
6. Press the START/STOP button to begin
charging immediately. If the START
button is not pressed within ten minutes
after unit was first powered up, and the
charger detects a battery that is properly
• 10A BOOST – For quickly adding
energy to a severely discharged or large
capacity battery prior to ENGINE START.
• 55A ENGINE START – Provides
additional amps for cranking an engine
with a weak or run-down battery. Always
use in combination with a battery.
connected, the charging process will
begin and finish automatically. Unit will
automatically switch between BOOST
and CHARGE rates as needed.
7. When charging is complete, or if you
are done using ENGINE START or
BOOST modes, press the STOP button,
disconnect the charger from the AC
power, disconnect the clamp attached to
vehicle's chassis, and finally remove the
clamp from battery terminal.
8. A marine (boat) battery must be
removed and charged on shore.
POWER-UP AUTO-START
This charger is equipped with an auto-
start feature, which is triggered only when
the charger is first powered up. If no
button is pressed within 10 minutes, and a
battery is properly connected, the unit will
automatically start the charge of the battery.
The yellow/orange CHARGING/BOOST/
ENGINE START LED will lit, and the unit
will automatically switch between BOOST
and CHARGE rates as needed, depending
on the level of charge of the battery.
CHARGING MODE FULLY AUTOMATIC
The 6<>2A CHARGE mode of this unit
is fully automatic, so depending on the
level of charge of the battery, the unit will
automatically switch between BOOST
and CHARGE rates as needed. Once
the battery is fully charged, the unit will
automatically switch to MAINTAIN mode.
NOTE: To override the automatic BOOST
mode, press the RATE button once. Rate
mode will return to 6<>2A CHARGE, and
will remain in that mode until the charge is
completed.
MAINTAIN MODE
(FLOAT MODE MONITORING)
When the CHARGED/MAINTAINING
(green) LED is lit, the charger has started
MAINTAIN mode. In this mode, the
charger keeps the battery fully charged by
delivering a small current when necessary.
If the charger has to provide its maximum
maintain current for a continuous 12 hour
period, it will go into ABORT mode (see
Aborted Charge section). This is usually
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