[Shotimes] RE: (OT) Battery tender/maintainer

[Ron Porter]

The Fiero was meant to be on long-term storage, but the battery is ready
when I want to bring it back, plus it IS useful having a fully-charged 12v
car battery on the workbench to use for other things.

The 911 is normally stored for 6 months, although this year it has been on
the charger since late November. The "more than two years" is meant that
these batteries go through the use/no use cycle for many years, and last a
bunch longer with the maintainers.

I used to pull my motorcycle batteries, then hit them with a trickle charger
every month or so in the basement, but I never got the battery life that I
get by using the maintainers. My buddy with the two Z28s leaves his on all
the time, as in addition to the 6 months of winter storage, they get very
little mileage and use on them during the driving season. And particularly
in the built motor in the '68, it needs all of the cranking power that he
can get!

Ron Porter 

-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Nimz [mailto:niks@dlogue.net] 
Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2003 1:31 AM
To: Ron Porter; 'Shotimes'; 'V8List SHO'; 'SHO Tech'
Subject: Re: (OT) Battery tender/maintainer


Sorry I was Assuming you would drive it at least once in 2 years.  If you
are going to mothball it why worry about the battery??????  :)

Paul Nimz
'97 TR
'93 EG mtx


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron Porter" <ronporter@prodigy.net>
To: "'Paul Nimz'" <niks@dlogue.net>; "'Shotimes'" <shotimes@autox.team.net>;
"'V8List SHO'" <v8sho@v8sho.com>; "'SHO Tech'" <techsho@topica.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2003 1:37 PM
Subject: RE: (OT) Battery tender/maintainer


> Two years of storage life isn't enough. A $35 Schumacher on a $49.95
> AutoZone Duralast are going for 4 years now on the Fiero battery, and
> there's almost 3 years on the Duralast in the 911, also with a Schumacher
> for storage.
>
> Ron Porter
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul Nimz [mailto:niks@dlogue.net]
> Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2003 1:51 PM
> To: Shotimes; V8List SHO; SHO Tech
> Subject: Re: (OT) Battery tender/maintainer
>
>
> One of the advantages of the Odyssey battery I'm using is it has a two
year
> storage life as long as the temp is below 25C.  Not the reason I bough it
> but....
>
> Paul Nimz
> '97 TR
> '93 EG mtx
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Ron Porter" <ronporter@prodigy.net>
> To: "Shotimes" <shotimes@autox.team.net>; "V8List SHO" <v8sho@v8sho.com>
> Cc: "SHO Tech" <techsho@topica.com>
> Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2003 10:56 AM
> Subject: (OT) Battery tender/maintainer
>
>
> > FYI, for those with cars/boats/cycles/etc that need to have batteries
> > maintained
> >
> > I've already got two Schumachers myself and I am pretty happy with them,
> but
> > these units look pretty interesting! I'll have to consider one of these
> > if/when I need another one.
> >
> > Dennis does a comparison to the Schumacher down in his post, which I
find
> to
> > be of interest.
> >
> > Ron Porter
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Dennis Liu [mailto:BigHeadDennis@Earthlink.net]
> > Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2003 1:13 AM
> > To: 911/993/996
> > Subject: [911] RE: Seeking advice on battery tender/maintainer
> >
> >
> > The "Battery Tender" by Deltran, and sometimes marketed under other
names,
> > is intended exactly for this purpose -- to maintain the battery.  I've
> used
> > one on my motorcycles for several years, and the 348 and 355 as well
with
> no
> > problems.  More info can be found here:
> > http://www.batterytender.com/
> >
> > It comes with two methods of attachment to your battery -- regular
> alligator
> > clamps (like on jumper cables), or a connector where the ends terminate
in
> > metal o-rings (like a washer).  Each method connects to the charger
> through
> > a little plug-together connector.  The o-ring connectors, intended for
> > semi-permanent mounting, slip right through the bolts used to attach
your
> > terminals to your battery.  Then simply tie down the length of the wire,
> > until you have only the other connector poking out into the trunk.
Thus,
> > when you're in the garage, pop the lid, snap the two connectors
together,
> > and voila!
> >
> > Alternatively, one can get a charger that attaches, piggyback style, to
> the
> > battery (the most popular is manu. by Schumacher, and sometimes marketed
> as
> > a "factory" charger, e.g. Ferrair); the 120v plug is located inside the
> car;
> > you just have to connect an extension cord when needed.
> >
> > Why do I consider the Deltran method better?  Well, I'm presuming that
the
> > Schumacher is also a computer controlled charger like the Deltran.  The
> > primary advantage, in my mind, is that you don't have the charger
sitting
> in
> > the car -- only the wiring.  Thus, (a) it's lighter, (b) you can use one
> > charger for more than one vehicle if you alternate, (c) the wire coming
> out
> > of the trunk is thinner and you can in fact close the lid with the wire
> > dangling out, if you wanted to so you can put the cover over the car,
(d)
> I
> > guess if the car gets stolen, you didn't lose the charger as well, (e)
if
> > the circuit breaker (or whatever) inside the Schumacher fails, it melts
> > INSIDE the car, right next to your battery;  I'd prefer to have the
thing
> > melt down outside my car, not in it!!, and (f) another "clean" method of
> > attaching a battery tender is to go to Radio Shack and buy a cigarette
> > lighter adapter with a 9 foot cord attached.  Then wire this into the
> "hard
> > wire" connector kit, by removing the o-ring connectors and splicing in
the
> > cigarette adapter instead.  No having to pop the hood anymore, just
remove
> > cigarette lighter and plug in, provided that the cigarette lighter is
> > POWERED when the key is off.
> >
> > vty,
> >
> > --Dennis