[Shop-talk] Trickle Chargers

[Karl Vacek]

I was talked out of the HF float chargers by other guys in the HF store both 
times I looked at them.  They both claimed that the HF units can eat your 
battery because the float circuit doesn't work.  A buddy had several and 
they all died before eating any of his batteries.

I eventually bought a Battery Minder off eBay, liked it so much I bought 
another one, and eventually bought their (way too expensive but approved by 
the major aircraft battery manufacturers) aircraft-adjusted model for the 
hangar.  They work beautifully, but like a Vector charger, they will NOT 
charge a completely dead battery.  The circuit requires some minimum voltage 
level on the battery before it starts charging.

Battery Minders also desulphate, which seems to have helped several of the 
batteries I've used them on, including a small battery, once dead and then 
it sat in the shop for many years uncharged.  Now it's fine.

Battery Minder also makes a solar unit.

Karl



> The cars sit close to a barn, so it would be a simple matter to lengthen 
> the
> wires on a couple of trickle chargers so that the charger could sit in the
> barn and the wires extend out to the cars.  However, he is not terribly 
> handy
> and I figure he would just jump them himself if we was inclined to put 
> cable
> clamps on a car battery.  One option I have considered is to permanently 
> wire
> a plug to the batteries and put the mate to that plug on the charger.
> However, the other possibility is to buy a couple of solar trickle 
> chargers.
> HF has one on sale right now for just $9.99
> (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44768). 
> I
> am fairly certain the car gets enough sunlight in the winter, provided the
> arrays were properly positioned.  I assume I'd have to rewire the 
> cigarette
> lighter to be independent of the ignition switch, but that shouldn't be a 
> big
> deal.  Do these things work?  Any other ideas?
>
> Thanks.