Smart battery chargers with reconditioning modes

[ultrarunner]

Pull two 6 volt batteries, and use the new 7stager to charge in series ?

Rgds, D.

With the Model A's in close proximity I could do just that with a jumper cable...

The battery is under the floorboard and it takes about a dozen screws, removing the carpet, battery hold down, etc. to remove...

By George... I think you are onto something... now I feel dumb...

 

[the old grind]

IIRC, it was BM's instructions to connect 6v batteries in series. My old Erie crane had 2 12v 100lb+ batteries & I'd top 'em up in Spring with a 24v wheelchair charger, timed cycles vs left connected to 'float/maintain' the charge.

btw, I say UR deserves a pat on the back if he's had all this success w/o reading instructions. Shine up your man badge, brother, you're one of us.

 

[Gregster613]

Hi guys, I've bought 3 of the Batteryminder 1510's along with several of the y connectors so I can keep a charge on several different batteries at one time. I'm quite happy with how they have worked since I've had them.

I do have a question that I cannot find the answer to in the manual. It says to not have power to the element when hooking it up - I understand that, but sometimes I want to actually run an engine for 10 - 15 minutes to circulate oils and fuels. It's not hard to unhook and re-hook but is a minor annoyance.

So I wonder -- will it hurt the charger any if I leave it hooked to the battery and charging whilst I'm running the actual engine? That would mean the added charge of the alternator at the same as the inputted charge from the charger. I would like to not have to pull wires and chargers every month just to run the engine for a brief period; but I sure "don't" want to screw up my charger. What say you guru's?? Okay or not okay?? An inquiring mind want to know! Thanks, Greg

 

[garc]

Okay or not okay??

I say OK I have 8 chargers (CTEK MUS 4.3) and have never had to unplug them at either end for starting and not from the wall for driving; in other words they are always plugged into the wall and only disconnected from the vehicle battery when the vehicle is away from the charger

 

[3930dave]

With the Model A's in close proximity I could do just that with a jumper cable...

The battery is under the floorboard and it takes about a dozen screws, removing the carpet, battery hold down, etc. to remove...

By George... I think you are onto something... now I feel dumb...

De Nada...... others probably made mention too. Don't feel bad..... I've had occasion to do tours of duty with DC systems many people don't get near, so my perspective on DC is a bit "different".

Back to Ohms Law........ What you are seeking is optimal (dedicated 6 volt modern-performing charger), but obviously putting 2 in series and applying any kind of reasonable 12 volt charger is better than leaving them totally idle long-term.

One caveat...... try and "match" the 6 volt units. By that I mean if you put a fresh/healthy 6v battery in series with a very sick one, then apply 12v, you may well have a problem with the Vdc that one of them "sees". Wouldn't hurt to spot-check Vdc across each one.

But yeah, they're basically just a 12 volt battery, with a big gap in the middle .

Rgds, D.

 

[John_Mc]

So I wonder -- will it hurt the charger any if I leave it hooked to the battery and charging whilst I'm running the actual engine?

Do you want a bunch of opinions, or do you want the real answer?

I suggest you contact VDC Electronics, the manufacturers of BatteryMinder chargers at Contact VDC Electronics and ask them. I've found them very responsive when I've had questions on their products in the past. Sometimes it has taken a couple of days, but they have always gotten back to me.

Having said that. I've started various engines from a Brigg & Stratton 16 HP Vanguard v-twin, a Kohler 26 HP, my tractor, and several vehicles all with the charger connected. I've had no problems with the chargers or the vehicles and their batteries.

 

[Gregster613]

garc - Thanks for your response. Sounds like you've had no "bad" effects from the running of an engine whilst charger is still inputting. That's what I was wondering about.
John_Mc - No, I was not trying to get "any" opinions; I was looking for - hoping to get some "actual" effects - negative or positive from users that had done what I was wanting to try. Since you have done it with no negative effect to your charger, I now feel fine to try it with mine. Thank you for the link to VDC Electronics; I admit I hadn't thought to try asking them, they surely would eventually have the correct answer for me (probably buried within a ton of legalize jargon), but I wanted to know if any other users had done what I proposed. Now I do; and within hours, not days. Thanks you Guru's. Greg

 

[ultrarunner]

Battery Charger Industry Update...

Government Energy Regulation requires products to meet efficiency standards which has meant the old way of building chargers with heavy transformers had to be reinvented and resulted in lightweight electronic versions with micro processors.

Battery Minder started by making 6 volt chargers and currently has no offerings as the market segment is limited...

There are plans to come out with a 6-12 volt charger using the new technology... but no release date.

So the short answer is the existing product old technology items were regulated out of existence for sale in the United States going forward...

Edit... in addition to be sold in California they must be California Energy Commission Compliant... which specifically includes battery chargers.

Appliance Efficiency Program - California Energy Commission

 

[the old grind]

I do have another to recommend besides my B-M 1500s (3 ). I didn't believer these were still available, as they're the older iron core powered type and strangely don't mention reconditioning structure/system, but they seem to have recovered batteries (5 YO in ZTR) that were thought hopeless. There may be a healthy pulse to one stage that isn't touted because after a few years use I wouldn't be surprised. Accumate 6v/12v is the first of many I bought and stays the busiest of five.

https://www.amazon.com/AccuMate-TM-08-ChargeMatic-Battery-charger-maintainer/dp/B0001V0A94
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=accumate...x=accumate,automotive,159&ref=nb_sb_ss_fb_1_8

Said to be fragile, far from water resistant but, with daily restarts, we've brought back some real dogs within a week's time. I was searching for 'the best' years ago and stumbled onto this (still 6v, too :thumbsup on tips from more than one Gold Wing club and a handful of other British riders. I like the fuse and cap on the eyeleted pigtail. Buy Shumacher for either in pairs on ebay or Amazon, very econo to buy, same quality/polarity as all but one brand of charger (reviews complain loudly about that one).

 

[3930dave]

I do have another to recommend besides my B-M 1500s (3 ). I didn't believer these were still available, as they're the older iron core powered type and strangely don't mention reconditioning structure/system, but they seem to have recovered batteries (5 YO in ZTR) that were thought hopeless. There may be a healthy pulse to one stage that isn't touted because after a few years use I wouldn't be surprised. Accumate 6v/12v is the first of many I bought and stays the busiest of five.

https://www.amazon.com/AccuMate-TM-08-ChargeMatic-Battery-charger-maintainer/dp/B0001V0A94
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=accumate...x=accumate,automotive,159&ref=nb_sb_ss_fb_1_8

Said to be fragile, far from water resistant but, with daily restarts, we've brought back some real dogs within a week's time. I was searching for 'the best' years ago and stumbled onto this (still 6v, too :thumbsup on tips from more than one Gold Wing club and a handful of other British riders. I like the fuse and cap on the eyeleted pigtail. Buy Shumacher for either in pairs on ebay or Amazon, very econo to buy, same quality/polarity as all but one brand of charger (reviews complain loudly about that one).

Lucas...... Prince of Darkness........ Lucas..... Turning Ordinary Men into Electricians........ If the Brits like 'em :thumbsup:

Thanks for posting, getting harder to find Olde School units......

As much as I/We like to blame Cali (for reason.....), the time/$ factor is at play too.......

Meaning...... Back When, Big Inductors were relatively cheap, and high-performance semiconductors were expensive..... Today, it is more so the other way around.....

Rgds, D.