Vector FarmPro User's Manual And Warranty Information

Fully Automatic Electronic

Smart Battery Charger

6 Amp / 4 Amp / 2 Amp Charge Rates

USER’S MANUAL and

WARRANTY INFORMATION

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION, SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

To reduce the risk of injury, user must read and understand
this instructional manual. This manual contains important
information regarding the operation and warranty of this
product. Please retain for future reference.

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

WARNINGS

1. RISK OF EXPLOSIVE GAS MIXTURES – WORKING IN VICINITY OF A LEAD-ACID BATTERY IS
DANGEROUS. BATTERIES GENERATE EXPLOSIVE GASES DURING NORMAL BATTERY OPER

­ATION. FOR THIS REASON, IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT EACH TIME BEFORE USING
YOUR CHARGER, YOU READ THIS MANUAL AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY.

2. To reduce risk of battery explosion, follow these instructions and those published by the
battery manufacturer and manufacturer of any equipment you intend to use in the vicinity of
the battery. Review cautionary markings on these products and on engine.

3. This equipment employs parts (switches, relays, etc.) that produce arcs or sparks. There

­fore, if used in a garage or enclosed area, the unit MUST be placed not less than 18 inches
above the floor.

Battery Safety

1. Use of an attachment not recommended or sold by the battery charger manufacturer may
result in a risk of fire, electric shock or injury to persons.

2. To reduce risk of damage to electric plug and cord, pull by plug rather than cord when discon

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necting charger.

3. An extension cord should not be used unless absolutely necessary. Use of an improper exten

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sion cord could result in a risk of fire and electric shock and will void the warranty.

If an extension cord must be used, make sure that:
a. pins on plug of extension cord are the same number, size and shape as those of plug on

charger;

b. extension cord is properly wired and in good electrical condition; and
c. wire size is AWG#16 (16 gauge) for 100 feet and AWG#14 for distances over 100 feet.

4. Do not operate charger with damaged cord or plug – take to a qualified technician for replace

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ment of the plug or cord immediately.

5. Do not operate charger if it has received a sharp blow, been dropped, or other wise damaged
in any way; take it to a qualified service technician.

6. Do not disassemble charger; take it to a qualified service technician when service or repair is
required. Incorrect re-assembly may result in a risk of electric shock or fire, and will void the
warranty.

7. To reduce risk of electric shock, unplug charger from outlet before attempting any maintenance
or cleaning. Turning off controls without unplugging will not reduce this risk.

8. Do not expose charger to rain, snow or use when wet.

Personal Safety

1. Another person should be within range of your voice or close enough to come to your aid when
you work near a lead-acid battery.

2. Fresh water and soap should be nearby in case battery acid contacts skin, clothing or eyes.

3. Wear complete eye protection and clothing protection. Avoid touching eyes while working with
a battery. Acid, acid par ticles or corrosion may get into eyes. Immediately flood eye with cold
water (eye wash station) for at least 15 minutes and seek medical attention immediately.

4. If battery acid contacts skin or clothing, wash immediately with soap and water. If redness,
pain or irritation occurs, seek immediate medical attention.

5. NEVER smoke or allow a spark or flame in vicinity of battery or engine.

6. Be extra cautious to reduce the risk of dropping a metal tool onto battery. This might cause
sparks or short-circuit the battery or other electrical port, which can cause an explosion.

7. Remove personal metal items such as rings, bracelets, necklaces and watches when working
with a lead-acid battery. A lead-acid battery can produce a short-circuit current high enough to
cause a severe burn.

8. Use charger for charging a LEAD-ACID battery only. It is not intended to supply power to a
low-voltage electrical system other than in a starter-motor application. Do not use the battery
charger for charging dry-cell batteries that are commonly used with home appliances. These
batteries may burst and cause injury to persons and damage property.

9. NEVER ATTEMPT TO CHARGE A FROZEN BATTERY.

Power Cord Safety

This appliance has a polarized plug (one blade is wider than the other) as a safety feature. This
plug will fit into a polarized outlet only one way. If the plug does not fit fully into the outlet, reverse
the plug. If it still does not fit, contact a qualified electrician. Do not attempt to defeat this safety
feature.

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Preparing to Charge

1. Determine voltage of battery to be charged by referring to the vehicle manual.

2. If it is necessary to remove battery from vehicle to charge, or to clean terminals, always re

­move grounded terminal from battery first. Make sure all accessories in the vehicle are off, so
as not to cause an arc.

3. Clean battery terminals. Do not allow corrosion to come in contact with eyes.

4. Add distilled water in each cell until battery acid reaches level specified by battery manufac

­turer. This helps purge excessive gas from cells. Do not overfill. For a battery without cell caps
(maintenance free), carefully follow manufacturer’s charging instructions.

5. Study all battery manufacturer’s specific precautions, such as removing or not removing cell
caps while charging, and recommended rates of charge.

6. Area around battery should be well ventilated while battery is being charged. Gas can be force

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fully blown away by using a piece of cardboard or other nonmetallic material as a fan.

7. Make sure the initial charging rate does not exceed battery manufacturer’s requirement.

Charger Location

1. Locate charger as far away from battery as cables permit.

2. NEVER place charger directly above battery being charged; gases from battery will corrode and
damage charger.

3. NEVER allow battery acid to drip on charger when reading gravity or filling battery.

4. NEVER operate charger in a closed-in area or restrict ventilation in any way.

5. Marine batteries must be removed and charged on shore.

6. Do not set a battery on top of charger.

DC Connection Precautions

1. Connect and disconnect DC output clamps only after removing AC cord from electric outlet.

2. Never allow clamps to touch each other.

3. Attach clamps to battery chassis as indicated in “Battery Installed in Vehicle” steps 5 and 6,
and in “Battery Outside of Vehicle” steps 2, 4 and 5.

Follow these steps when the battery is installed in a vehicle. A spark near the
battery may cause an explosion. To reduce risk of a spark near the battery:

1. Position AC and DC cords to reduce risk of damage by hood, door or moving engine part.

2. Stay clear of fan blades, belts, pulleys and other parts that can cause injury to persons.

3. Check polarity of battery posts. POSITIVE (POS, P, +) battery post usually has larger diameter
than NEGATIVE (NEG, N, –) post.

4. Determine which post of battery is grounded (connected) to the chassis. If NEGATIVE post is
grounded to chassis (as in most vehicles), see 5. If POSITIVE post is grounded to the chassis,
see 6.

5. For negative-grounded vehicle, connect POSITIVE (RED) clamp from battery charger to POSITIVE
(POS, P, +) ungrounded post of battery. Connect NEGATIVE (BLACK) clamp to vehicle chassis
or engine block away from battery. Do not connect clip to carburetor, fuel lines, or sheet-metal
body parts. Connect to heavy gauge metal part of the frame or engine block.

6. For positive-grounded vehicle, connect NEGATIVE (BLACK) clamp from battery charger to NEGA

­TIVE (NEG, N, –) ungrounded post of battery. Connect POSITIVE (RED) clamp to vehicle chassis
or engine block away from battery. Do not connect clip to carburetor, fuel lines or sheet-metal
body parts. Connect to a heavy gauge metal part of the frame or engine block.

7. When disconnecting charger, disconnect AC cord, remove clamp from vehicle chassis and then
remove clamp from battery terminal.

8. Do not charge the battery while the engine is operating.

9. See operating instructions for length of charge information.

Follow these steps when the battery has been removed from a vehicle.
A spark near the battery may cause an explosion. To reduce risk of a
spark near the battery:

1. Check polarity of battery posts. POSITIVE post (marked POS, P, +) usually has a larger diameter
than the NEGATIVE battery post (marked NEG, N, –).

2. Attach a 24-inch (minimum length) 6 AWG insulated battery cable to the NEGATIVE battery post
(marked NEG, N, –).

3. Connect the POSITIVE (RED) battery clamp to the POSITIVE battery post (marked POS, P, + or
red).

4. Stand as far back from the battery as possible, and do not face battery when making final con

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nection.

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5. Carefully connect the NEGATIVE (BLACK) charger clamp to the free end of the battery cable
connected to the NEGATIVE terminal.

6. Set the charge rate to appropriate setting according to battery size.

7. When disconnecting charger, always do so in reverse sequence of connecting procedure and
break first connection while as far away from battery as practical.

Note: A marine (boat) battery must be removed and charged on shore.

To charge it on board requires equipment specially designed for
marine use. This unit is NOT designed for such use.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device
must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired
operation.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B
digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to pro

­vide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This
equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful inter ference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee that inter ference will not occur in a
particular installation. If equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or televi

­sion reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ................................................................................................ 5

Features ..................................................................................................... 6

Controls and Indicators ........................................................................... 6

Operating Instructions ................................................................................. 7

Charge Rate Selection ............................................................................ 7

Charging the Battery............................................................................... 7

Automatic Float Charging ........................................................................ 7

Approximate Charging Times ........................................................................ 8

Care and Maintenance ................................................................................. 8

Troubleshooting .......................................................................................... 9

Specifications ............................................................................................. 9

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for selecting the Power Wizard FarmPro™ 20 – 6 Amp / 4 Amp /
2 Amp Smart Battery Charger. With proper care and use, it will give you years of

dependable service. This battery charger has a high charge rate of up to 6 amps,
and low charge rate of 2 amps. It is designed for charging only 12-volt lead-acid
batteries – conventional automotive, maintenance-free, marine deep cycle and
gel – used in cars, farm equipment, boats, RVs and SUVs, lawn mowers/gar­den tractors, motorcycles, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, ATVs and various
applications.

Power Wizard FarmPro™ Smart Battery Chargers feature 3-stage, high­efficiency charging technology, built-in microprocessor control that ensures fast,
safe and complete charging of serviceable batteries.

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Stage One – Rapid Start Charge at 6 amps delivers maximum charging amper­age to “wake up” any serviceable 12 volt battery and allows for quick engine start­ing in just 8 minutes (based on a midsize vehicle battery at 50% charge level).
When battery reaches a maximum safe predetermined voltage, the charger will
automatically signal a “beep” and move into Stage 2 of the charging process.

Stage Two – Absorption Charge maintains the maximum possible charge at a
constant, safe, predetermined voltage. During the phase, voltage absorption

BEEP

STAGE ONE

BEEP

STAGE TWO

STAGE THREE

OFF BEEP

CHARGING
COMPLETE

Charge Curve

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FEATURES

• This unit has three charge rate settings, accessed by the Charge Rate
Selector 2A/4A/6A button:
a)

2 amps: smaller batteries, as in lawn mowers, snowmobiles, motorcycles, etc.
b) 4 amps: mid-sized batteries, as in small cars
c) 6 amps: automobile batteries and light trucks

• Automatic float charge monitoring

• Microprocessor-controlled for proper operation and for fault detection

• Charge rate LEDs

• High-frequency, switch-mode operation for pure DC output

• Rapid charging three-stage output

• Heavy-duty cables and clamps are corrosion-resistant

• Connect to side or top-mount battery terminals

• Rugged case, plus sturdy carry handle

• Self-storage of cables and clamps

• Ideal during winter season when vehicle’s starting performance is reduced
by cold or extreme weather conditions

• Single beep tone indicates a button is pressed or a mode change occurs

Controls and Indicators

Stage One – Rapid Start Charge at 6 amps delivers maximum charging amper­age to “wake up” any serviceable 12 volt battery and allows for quick engine start­ing in just 8 minutes (based on a midsize vehicle battery at 50% charge level).
When battery reaches a maximum safe predetermined voltage, the charger will
automatically signal a “beep” and move into Stage 2 of the charging process.

Stage Two –

Absorption Charge maintains the maximum possible charge at a con­stant, safe, predetermined voltage. During the phase, voltage absorption regulation
charge, the charging voltage remains constant, while the actual charging current is
reduced to allow for the maximum proper internal chemical energy transfer. At the
end of Stage 2, the charger will automatically move into Stage 3 charge mode.

Stage Three – Top-Off Charge voltage is automatically maintained and reduced
to a predetermined level while current is adjusted for a safe, effective battery
charge. At the conclusion of Stage 3, the unit will BEEP signaling the completion
of the charging cycle.

The Automatic Float Charge feature is ideal for maintaining a battery. It automati­cally “tops off” a battery as needed, to keep it fully charged all the time.

The Charge Rate Selector 2A/4A/6A button allows the user to select the char­ger rate based on battery size. This selection and actual battery charge rate

CHARGE RATE
SELECTOR
BUTTON