Quote:
Originally Posted by strongmanmike
I understand the charging method, where I would place the +ve from the charger to the +ve on the first battery, and the -ve from the charger to the -ve on the second battery.
But does it matter? If the batteries are connected in parallel would the charge trickle over from one battery to the next anyway if the charger was connected to the terminals of only one of the batteries?
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The potential across both batteries should be as close to identical as you can make it, hence the "cross" wiring as you describe (+ve input to +ve of one battery and -ve to -ve of the other battery). That maximises battery life.
Not only should you charge in that configuration, but also draw power that way as well.
The wire resistance may be small but at 12V can have a measurable effect. What the "cross" wiring achieves is equalizing the wire length on the +ve and -ve sides and for each battery.
I can't really tell you much about inverters other than, as mentioned, connect the 12V input "cross" wired as for charging.