Battery charging questions

[heehaw]

great link, i will be passing that one on a lot..
heehaw

 

[gerard]

<font color="blue">I don't know what I'd do without my clamp meter </font> bird - I have a multi meter but I don't think I can check current with that can I?? Are you talking about an ammeter that can actually measure current flow?? (The thing that has a set of jaws that you calmp around the wire and it reads current flow?) If I can check parasitic draw on a battery using a multi meter please explain how. I have a digital one and know how to use it for continuity and voltage but not current /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Trev]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( great link, i will be passing that one on a lot..)</font>

Me too! Thanks!

 

[normde2001]

Actually, a full charge is 12.75 volts. Minimum starting voltage is 12.6 v, 12.5v is 1/2 charge, 12.25 v is 1/4 charge. The confusion comes with the misnamed 12 volt battery. It is actually (6) 2.1v cells equally 12.6 volts.

 

[art]

I'd say to once a month start the tractor and let it warm up for about 30 minutes or so. Before you start it you might want to warm the battery by using a small charger for a half hour or so.

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The thing that has a set of jaws that you calmp around the wire and it reads current flow?) )</font>

Yep, Gerard, that's what I was talking about (I'm no electrician by a long shot, but I think they generally refer to that as an inductive pickup). I used to have a cheaper multimeter and to measure amperage flow, you had to take a wire loose and hook up the meter in that circuit, but it was only good for up to 10 amps and was practically never used for that purpose. There are even better instruments than the one I have now but it measures volts and amps to one decimal place (tenths) up to 1000 volts and 400 amps (AC/DC) and also has a temperature probe for up to 570 degrees F. I don't know what a new one would cost now, but I gave $180 for mine on 4/21/90 and in nearly 14 years, I've certainly gotten my money's worth from it. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Wal]

Here is something I have been thinking of doing this winter as far as keeping the battery in my B7500 fresh. I have an old 1 amp trickle charger that still works fine. Bought it for a motorcycle battery years ago. In order to avoid unattended overcharging of the tractor battery, does it seem like an OK idea to merely put the charger on a timer such that it only turns on for maybe an hour a day or so? The thing I'm not sure of is whats happening in the electrical circuit when the charger is not actually on. Is it bad to have it hooked up to the battery and not have it turned on /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif Will it somehow discharge the battery in that situation. Obviouly, I'm not much of an electrician, so this question may seem rather "dumb" to most of you guys /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Soundguy]

I know that you've already got a slew of answers. .but I'll throw in mine as well.

Considder a solar charger.. I use them on my tractors with great results. It is usually 2-3 weeks between when each tractor gets used ( I try to rotate use between all my tractors.. so that menas over a month passes between each ones 'turn'. Though the battery will charge up pretty quick.. less that 10 minutes.. I agree with the suggestion of letting it run for 15-20.. to let it come up to operating temperature to flass off any accumulated moisture in the oil. Also, might kick it in gear and pull it in / out of the barn... just to get the tranny and diffy gears a rotation in oil... Same with 4wd. My dealer told me to put my unit in 4wd, at least once a month, just to rotate the gear 'tops' that were out of the oil back into the oil, etc.. even if for only a back in / back out procedure.

Good luck

Soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

If that trickle charger has a 'solid state' output, then no.. it won't discharge your battery when not chargine. That is the great thing about diode junctions... 1 way current...( under normal operating circumstances ).

Soundguy

 

[Wal]

Soundguy,
My little 1 amp charger is probably about 20 years old. I'm sure it doesn't have diodes. Plug it in, it starts charging. Unplug it, it stops charging. As basic as it can get.