I'm considering adding one of these in a permanent installation so I don't have to drag along a large heavy battery charger. The way I understand it is it will automatically charge your battery when it needs it. Has anyone used them and do they work well? Thanks.
Posted 2005-07-12 5:31 PM (#27976 - in reply to #27974) Subject: RE: Battery Minder/Charger/Maintainer/Conditioner???
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Posts: 2689
It adds a float charge, which is probably a good idea if you don't hook the truck up to the trailer more than once a month. EVERY month.
I'm not (yet) convinced about "pulsers" (if you don't ask I won't tell).
Posted 2005-07-12 6:15 PM (#27978 - in reply to #27974) Subject: RE: Battery Minder/Charger/Maintainer/Conditioner???
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Posts: 1416 Location: sc
if you are refering to a "battery tender" type charger, then yes i use one. i have one on the battery in my sportbike, works very well. the bike has a high compression/high performance engine and was difficult to start in the "winter" months when it had not been run for several weeks at a time. after i started using the "tender" several years ago, it fires right up.
Posted 2005-07-12 9:30 PM (#27986 - in reply to #27974) Subject: RE: Battery Minder/Charger/Maintainer/Conditioner???
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 366 Location: Albany, Oregon
I use a Battery Tender (mfg name) for all of my maintenence charging..Motorcycle to Breakaway battery gel cell or wet cell I should get a couple of them! The only way to go! Or a small solar panel on the trailer.
Posted 2005-07-12 9:34 PM (#27987 - in reply to #27982) Subject: RE: Battery Minder/Charger/Maintainer/Conditioner???
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Posts: 2689
Lessee, a "float charge" is a very low current charge that just keeps the battery "topped off". Not a good solution for batteries that get run down because you leave the lights on for a week when the trailer is in the driveway and you don't plan on hauling very far and charging it up with the truck for a month or two.
Pulser... It is a circuit design that "pulses" current into the battery.
The theory being (approximately) that you can desulphate a neglected battery without "frying it" or "boiling it dry" (tech terms for overcharging at high current). The idea is that the AVERAGE charging current is quite low so there isn't a great deal of heat or gas generated, but the PULSE currents are large and can desulphate (think of this as restore) the battery even though those pulses don't last very long (in time).
That is from memory, you can probably find a better description on a batt manfg's web site, or a pulse charger mfgr's site. Try Interstate battery, they have printed literature on it for sure.
Pulser MIGHT be what the glossy brochure means by "conditioner", I'd have to read it to know for sure.
Posted 2005-07-13 7:14 AM (#27989 - in reply to #27974) Subject: RE: Battery Minder/Charger/Maintainer/Conditioner???
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Posts: 2958 Location: North Carolina
It depends on your usage. Say.. The "large, heavy charger" can recharge your battery in 12 hours. A smaller lighter changer will take twice or thrice as long. If you only use the trailer on week-ends, the charger has a week to recharge the battery. A small (2 pounds) motorcycle battery charger will be enough.
Float / Maintainers keep the battery topped off in long periods of storage or non-use.
I would recommend some sort of automatic charger that reduces the charge current if you want to leave it charging for long periods
Posted 2005-07-13 1:00 PM (#28007 - in reply to #27974) Subject: RE: Battery Minder/Charger/Maintainer/Conditioner???
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Posts: 233 Location: Tennessee
Before this gets too technical for me . . My battery sometimes will not last the 3 or 4 days I need it to without recharging (new battery). So the need is to recharge while I'm camping. Am I getting the right "tool for the job"? Thanks for all the input!
Posted 2005-07-13 2:00 PM (#28013 - in reply to #28007) Subject: RE: Battery Minder/Charger/Maintainer/Conditioner???
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Posts: 2958 Location: North Carolina
Originally written by Sheryl on 2005-07-13 12:00 PM
Before this gets too technical for me . . My battery sometimes will not last the 3 or 4 days I need it to without recharging (new battery). So the need is to recharge while I'm camping. Am I getting the right "tool for the job"? Thanks for all the input!
THIS is Different question than all of us were addressing... You either need a larger battery (storage capacity) or use less power while camping or as XYZER has suggested.
Posted 2005-07-13 6:59 PM (#28024 - in reply to #28007) Subject: RE: Battery Minder/Charger/Maintainer/Conditioner???
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Posts: 2689
Originally written by Sheryl on 2005-07-13 1:00 PM
Before this gets too technical for me . . My battery sometimes will not last the 3 or 4 days I need it to without recharging (new battery). So the need is to recharge while I'm camping. Am I getting the right "tool for the job"? Thanks for all the input!
Ahh, NO.
If you are away on a camping trip and your batteries don't last long enough then you have a few options;
More STORAGE capacity, 2nd (or 2nd and 3rd) batteries, preferrably deep cycle and large capacity (a couple of hundred amp hours at 12 V).
Re-charge more often - either from campground or a generator. You MIGHT need to re-charge fairly quickly, in which case a trickle or float charger won't do it.
Run some things off LP instead of 110 or 12 volts.
Buy a generator. There WERE some 12 Volt only generators around a few years ago. They were not quiet, ran on a small 2-stroke engine about the size of a small chain saw IIRC. Otherwise 110 volt, couple of Kw.
Before we get too technical: It used to be believed that low charge rates led to a condition called "plate glazing". I was never quite sure what it was, but the general concencus at the time seemed to be that you needed to charge at or above the 10 hour rate (ampere hour capacity divided by 10).
This could be a good enough reason to avoid the amp or two chargers.
Battery Minder/Charger/Maintainer/Conditioner???
. . My battery sometimes will not last the 3 or 4 days I need it to without recharging (new battery). So the need is to recharge while I'm camping. Am I getting the right "tool for the job"? Thanks for all the input!.jpg)