Battery Charger

[vongiese]

My Battery charger seems to be on the fritz - it's an older 10amp that seems to kick off via it's built in circut breaker on the last 3-4 batteries I've charged. one was completely dead and another was close so I thought that was the cause. But it just did it on my tractor battery and it was just about 11v when I went to charge it....
Any recommendations on a good replacement charger?
thanks

 

[Soundguy]

You don't happen to have an inline ammeter or clamp on job do you? See if the unit is having to charge at excessive current. Might be a weak CB...

I've bene using 3 chargers. a 1.5a 6v/12v napa, a 2/6a 6/12v napa, and a 2/10/50 12v napa. All work fine.. None are computerized.. the 2 larger ones have ammeter.. the smaller one has the cb.
Battery charger technology ranges from 'crude' to way hi-tech. I'm a fan of the crude ones.. usually just a transformer, and 2 or 4 diodes depending on how the transformer secondary is laid out, and gator clips.. Some of the big electronic ones get weird with low/dead batteries.. etc..

Chinese tool store usually has a ?/10/25 going for 25$... hard to beat that price.. even if it is the 'crude' version..

Soundguy

 

[ejtaylor822]

I got a sweet deal on a Sears Diehard charger right after Christmas. Just checked and it's now $94 - a little bit pricey too me. I got mine for a little over $50 back in December when it was on sale.

Here's the link

It's totally automatic with 2 amp trickle, 15 amp charge and 100 amp jump. It brought an old battery I had that was almost dead to a full charge in a little over 2 hours.

My Dad has a similar one that he has had for years to keep the batteries in thier camper charged. He loves it and has never had any problems with it at all.

Good luck in your search. Know there is a lot of stuff out there.

Take care,
Eddie

 

[George2615]

Most chargers like yours are not worth fixing. In this throw away society you can pick up 10/50 amp chargers at Walmart / TSC / Harbor Freight etc. at very reasonable prices. My last one I bought at Walmart. Its a garage type roll around model 2A/35A/200A and I paid about $80 - 90 for it. There are several models for less than that also.

George

 

[vongiese]

Inline ameter - yes, but your losing me on the clamp and CB - what are they? Thanks for the input - how come you prefer the old transformer type?? I thought everything computerized was better /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[vongiese]

thanks for all the feedback guys - I'm checking those sites out now. Looks like the variable amperage would be nice....

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( but your losing me on the clamp and CB - what are they )</font>

Camp on.. it's an ammeter type.. it 'clamps on', instead of going inline... works on a difference principal.. but same results.. shows current flow...

CB = Circuit breaker....

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( how come you prefer the old transformer type )</font>

I think you will find that most/ all chargers are using transformers, and very few are using switching or triac'd supplies.

I simply prefer the plain old non computerized ones. Less to go wrong.. less to fix.. etc..

Soundguy

 

[PILOON]

Before you toss it, open it up.

Often the diodes are between 2 clips (meant to be replaceable, I guess) and I have twice resurected chargers by simply moving/jiggling the diodes in the sockets.

Seems that corrosion gets in and makes a bad contact.

Really simple devices.
A transformer 2 diodes and 2 clips.
All the rest is 'bells and whistles'

Generally I modify mine by simply adding a 12 volt 'witness light' across the output and a simple on/off switch on the power line.

Sure an ampmeter is nice but not really necessary, besides they are so cheap that I would doubt any accuracy.
Also generally a battery will only take what it needs and then 'taper off' to no charge situation except on big 'booster' type chargers that , in effect pump out the higher volts for 'quick charge/boost'.

The smaller 10-20 amp jobs are more or less self regulating and merely put out about 13.5-14 volts (just like the alternator)

Hope this helps.

 

[vongiese]

You think I have a bad CB? seems that the ammeter pegs out at the 15 amp mark for a few minutes then the CB kicks it off.... You think my CB is bad?
I;ve been reading about the newer smart chargers - 3 stage charging, de-sulfication option, automic shut-off, etc. Sounds ggod, but you think the simple old style is better?
thanks alot for your help and input.
mike

 

[vongiese]

I will try that out - as i mentioned in my reply to Soundguy - seems like it maxs out the ammeter then kicks off via CB.
Mine has a 6v - OFF -12v switch. You add an additional sut-off and an "on" indicator light?
sounds like you're a fan of the old style too.
thanks alot
mike