Customisable battery charges for mobile emergency services

Amtex Electronics has developed a customisable battery charger that maintains voltage levels in emergency service and rapid response vehicles.

The units are suitable for any type of vehicle including ambulances, SES trucks, SWAT team vans, metropolitan fire tankers, workplace emergency units, country fire and rescue vehicles, rural emergency services, federal security vehicles, as well as general airport, mine and refinery emergency vehicles.

The charger can be customised. For example, for the NSW Rural Fire Service tankers, the company customised a 240 VAC input automatic charger with two separate outputs to allow simultaneous charging of the 12 and 24 V batteries on a vehicle.

Besides starting engines, these batteries are also needed to power the communications equipment and many other electronic systems on a modern fire tanker, including its pumps.

In this specific case, the output is fitted to a special plug that is wired to match the socket on the tanker. One of its key features is a three-step charging characteristic that allows for a quick charge of the batteries in a shorter period of time.

The charger is normally mounted in a suitable location on a wall or column at the fire station with an extension lead to allow the vehicle to drive in, park and connect to the battery charger.

This allows the 12 and 24 V batteries to be left in float discharge mode until fully charged and ready for action once again.