OT: Lead Acid Float Charger

I drive my pick-em-up truck every few months.

So the battery is dead when I go to use it... like today :-(

I'm looking for recommendations for the _best_ (*) float charger I can buy to just plug the truck into when it's parked.

(*) Cost no object. ...Jim Thompson

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| James E.Thompson                                 |    mens     | 
| Analog Innovations                               |     et      | 
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Reply to
Jim Thompson
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Then solar charger.

Alternatively, measure the voltage and tap into the starter relay. Just start the engine once in a while.

Reply to
edward.ming.lee

The Battery tenders are popular. Not expensive either.

Lowes has a 1.5 amp Shumacher

They both have good reviews.

Smart chargers are another story.

Cheers

Reply to
Martin Riddle

Now all I need is some kind of magnetic power plug that gracefully disconnects when I drive off >:-} ...Jim Thompson

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| James E.Thompson                                 |    mens     | 
| Analog Innovations                               |     et      | 
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Reply to
Jim Thompson

In my case, no power (no AC charger) and in shaded area (no solar).

Reply to
edward.ming.lee

I've used several of the cheap float chargers from Harbor Freight for over

30 years on various vehicles; trucks, lawn mowers, tractors, etc. Never had a failure on any of them. Never lost a battery (except due to age) either.
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I see that they have another "Deluxe" model
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Don't see what the Deluxe model does that the other model does, except cost more.

Dave M

Jim Thomps> I drive my pick-em-up truck every few months.

Reply to
Dave M

I have a small charger keeping my Z28 topped up as that gets driven every couple of weeks.

I have a 1/4" Audio Jack on the charger and a 1/4" Socket socket wired up just poking out at the side of the headlights.

If i forget to unplug it, it just pops out.

Mitch

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Terminal_Crazy 

Mitch - 1995 Z28 LT1 M6          terminal_crazy@sand-hill.freeserve.co.uk 
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Reply to
Terminal Crazy

How about those cheap trailer connectors, 2 or 4 pins, a fuse to the battery. Put one on the Tender and plug it in. They come apart faily easily.

Cheers

Reply to
Martin Riddle

Pick a day of the month, and on that day start it up and idle it for five or ten minutes.

Problem solved.

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Reply to
Tim Wescott

r

had

They are a float charger. Just a regulated power supply good for about an amp. The voltage is about 12.5 volts. I have one of the garden tractor. C an check the exact voltage if you want it. But Harbor Freight almost alway s have them on sale for about 6 bucks.

Dan

Reply to
dcaster

What if i can get to the vehicle for weeks or months?

Reply to
edward.ming.lee

...

... The Battery Tender comes with an alternate connector (you can see it in the linked advert) that you hard wire to the battery and leave the connector h anging outside the car (near the headlamp for example) to connect to the tr ansformer. I've never tried it but it would probably self-disconnect if yo u drove away.

I did have a failure on mine after a couple of years but it was easy to fix - the smoothing electrolytic had gone low in value, I just replaced it and it worked again.

The design isn't bad - it uses a small AVR microprocessor to measure the vo ltage and control a PNP pass transistor from the bridge rectifier. No curre nt limit but I presume it uses the transformer impedance to do that.

It seems to have a reasonable control algorithm - it will initially charge the battery to about 14.4v terminal voltage then float it at ~13.8v. I don 't know if it is temperature compensated but it is protected against batter y reversal, short circuit etc and the LED indicates the operation state.

kevin

Reply to
kevin93

I know, I know, I should drive it to the grocery once a week.

One other thing I learned... 15 year-old original equipment tires are _not_ a good thing... they "shed" :-( ...Jim Thompson

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| James E.Thompson                                 |    mens     | 
| Analog Innovations                               |     et      | 
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Reply to
Jim Thompson

There's always hand crank generators, lol.

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Rick
Reply to
rickman

Take the battery out and bring it back with you to keep on a charge. The guys who use a trolling motor are always dragging batteries around.

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Rick
Reply to
rickman

The military uses connectors that release when the cable is snagged so they won't be hung up by their gear.

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Rick
Reply to
rickman

I'd rather pay for gas, and a micro-controller to start the vehicle for me.

Reply to
edward.ming.lee

"Jim Thompson" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

I have read that tires should be ran so often so they get hot and they will last longer as far as the dry rot types of problems.

For about 10 years I had an old beater of a truck that I seldom drove. About every 2 weeks I would drive it to work which was about 15 miles each way. Seemed to solve a lot of problems.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

Did my taxes and my total mileage on the SUV was 1260 for all of 2015. Well over half of that for business. Plus over 4000mi split about 50/50 between mountain bike and road bike. Some of that also for biz and the IRS allows no standard mileage there. Hurumph!

I'll second that. All my friends who are into show cars and restored oldtimers use those.

Now, now, you are an old hand at the art of analog and can't design a contactless magnetic link? Just about every rechargeable electric toothbrush has that.

The redneck way would probably be a phono jack and a rope :-)

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Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/
Reply to
Joerg

Yep, It has the trailer style connector I mentioned included.

I have a 2 pin connector here, it takes about 5 lb of force to pull apart.

Cheers

Reply to
Martin Riddle

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