news ROOM
OptiMate USB is
lithium and AGM
friendly - "no
worries"!
OptiMate is a reliable and innovative
battery charger with a unique
maintenance mode that allows it to
maintain a battery 24-7 - most of the
motorcycle industry knows that.
However, what people in the industry
are also now realising is that in recent
years brand owner TecMate added
another battery charger range -
OptiMate USB. This new task-specific
range is designed for charging the
batteries in phones, GPS, cameras,
Bluetooth communication in helmets
etc.
What TecMate did not want to see
happen was that OptiMate USB
chargers would kill the battery that the
OptiMate maintenance chargers
worked so hard to keep alive - that was
the motivation to include unique and
smart battery protection that prevents
the powersport vehicle’s battery from
being totally drained if the rider left the
USB charger hooked up.
Simply put, OptiMate USB chargers
shut down after the vehicle has been
parked or if it senses the battery is
down to 50% charge, and it
automatically turns on when the
vehicle’s engine fires up again. There's
smart and there's smart - that is really
smart!
Functionality like that is real-world
important out there on the road,
especially for the more adventurous
riders who camp out where there’s no
AC power available. If their OptiMate
USB is charging one of their USB
devices after the motorcycle has been
parked, it will shut down well before
the motorcycle’s battery is drained.
Then though, enter a new type of
battery that works at a higher voltage
- lithium. The industry standard, the
sealed lead-acid AGM (absorbed glass
mat) battery, is fully charged at 12.8V
or higher, but that’s only 10% charge
remaining for a lithium (LiFePO4).
Lithium also has less capacity to give
(amp hours) when the motorcycle is
parked - it will discharge faster. For
that reason, it’s best not to discharge
that lithium below 50% (13.1V),
higher is of course better!
The updated OptiMate USB range is
now lithium friendly and continues to
work with AGM batteries. To protect
that small lithium battery, OptiMate
USB now shuts down one hour after it
sensed the vehicle has been parked,
guaranteeing there is sufficient charge
remaining to start the engine and ride
again - then the OptiMate USB charger
automatically fires up to deliver a fast
charge to the GPS or phone, guiding
the rider to the next adventure.
www.optimate1.com
INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 21