If you read the highlighted part of the Lifeline Battery Technical Manual you will see that Lifeline correctly understands the difference between BULK and ABSORPTION charging. Many companies, including Balmar and many others, do not correctly understand using the word "bulk" correctly. When a company tells you that "bulk" is a voltage limited stage of charging this is PURE MARKETING BOVINE DUNG. Simply put bulk=constant current charging not constant voltage.


BULK - Bulk Charging is the constant current stage of charging where the charge source is limited only by what it can deliver in current. Bulk charging is not a voltage limited stage of charging despite many companies bastardizing the term bulk for apparent marketing purposes.


ABSORPTION - Absorption, float and equalization are all examples of constant voltage charging stages. Absorption or constant voltage is where the charge source holds voltage steady, hence the term "constant voltage". Once voltage is held steady, or it becomes voltage limited, current begins to decline and the charge efficiency worsens. Float charging is a further reduction in the constant voltage limit and an equalization voltage would be a further increase in the constant voltage limit of charging.


The charging devices we use on boats are all considered CC > CV charge sources, or constant current then to constant voltage. Simple stuff really. Please understand that BULK is not a voltage limited stage of charging, despite the marketing guru's vastly missing the mark on this one...


Kudo's to the guys at Lifeline Battery for properly understanding the difference between BULK and ABSORPTION. Shame on companies like Balmar for grossly misleading the consumer.. Words mean certain things and when we blur the definitions to sell $hit, it CONFUSES PEOPLE. (grin)


Let's take a look at a Balmar regulator and use their terminology then a more accurate terminology:


Balmar: Bulk, Bulk Voltage, Absorption Voltage, Float Voltage


What these really are: CC, CV, CV, CV


What it should read: Bulk/CC, Pre-Absorption/CV, Absorption/CV, Float/CV


Please remember that bulk is not a voltage limited stage of charging it is constant current.