Battery charging during storage

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widman

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Got to be electronics people here.

I finally figured out I should be doing something to keep my batteries charged when I'm away for a month or two. I need something 220V. Solar isn't too good as the garage is between two 50 ft willow trees.

Someone said I could just take a 220v ac to 12v dc electronics adapter, cut the plug off and put clips on it and it would maintain the battery. I've got several of these adapters sitting around the house.

Is it that simple?
Does it matter which terminal?

If this works, can I just put a lighter plug on it and plug it in?
 
Anyone who knows anything about house wiring could install a (120 AC outlet plug that has a built in 15 amp breaker and ground fault) conected to one side of the 240 AC you now have. You would not require a whole new line to the fuse box.

Get a low cost 120 AC 24 hour timer at any hardware store and set it to come on for a short time each day.

Run your trickle charger off of that. You DO have to observe polarity with the 12 Volt conections.
 
No, don't do this, you'll WAY overcharge your battery! Get yourself a battery maintainer that's designed to maintain a full charge with very low amperage current.
 
Ctek makes one of{if not THE} best battery maintainers/chargers on the market, and available in all voltages- for more details go to www.ctek.com

I have been using one for the last year and love it!
 
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Don't do the harbor Freight thing. Get a good trickle charger. Battery tender or battery minder are what you want. It will keep things charged and set just right. Any other will be iffy.
 
Originally Posted By: JimPghPA

Get a low cost 120 AC 24 hour timer at any hardware store and set it to come on for a short time each day.

Run your trickle charger off of that.


A timer and a standard charger would work too.
 
Get a low cost 120 AC 24 hour timer at any hardware store and set it to come on for a short time each day.

Run your trickle charger off of that. You DO have to observe polarity with the 12 Volt conections.

Originally Posted By: Blokey
No, don't do this, you'll WAY overcharge your battery! Get yourself a battery maintainer that's designed to maintain a full charge with very low amperage current.


If you use a trickle charger the rate is low, like a battery maintainer. If you were to use a battery charger on a daily basis, then yes there is a danger of over-charging.

I would set the 24 hour timer for a very short time, about as close as you can get the on and off pins and still have it work.
 
Not sure if Bolivia's 220V is 2-phase like it is in the States.

Check the open voltage of that adapter (with nothing attached), it will be more than 12 if it's regulated. If it's 13.2 to 13.5 it can float charge a battery indefinitely. If it's more than that it will charge the battery but might overcharge if plugged in forever.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Not sure if Bolivia's 220V is 2-phase like it is in the States.

Check the open voltage of that adapter (with nothing attached), it will be more than 12 if it's regulated. If it's 13.2 to 13.5 it can float charge a battery indefinitely. If it's more than that it will charge the battery but might overcharge if plugged in forever.


that is more what I was looking to here. All chargers sold here are rapid chargers or boost. couldn't find a trickle charger.
No 120 volts around here (except in a dozen or so transformers I have some that have a switch for the output that allow anywhere from 1.5 to 12. I'll check them out.
 
Ctek, Ctek, Ctek..........did I mention Ctek? The best option for accomplishing what you want,simple,safe,effective, and endorsed by major auto makers www.ctek.com
 
they got them in various voltages based on what country you live in! poke around their website to find your country.
 
Originally Posted By: widman
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Not sure if Bolivia's 220V is 2-phase like it is in the States.

Check the open voltage of that adapter (with nothing attached), it will be more than 12 if it's regulated. If it's 13.2 to 13.5 it can float charge a battery indefinitely. If it's more than that it will charge the battery but might overcharge if plugged in forever.


that is more what I was looking to here. All chargers sold here are rapid chargers or boost. couldn't find a trickle charger.
No 120 volts around here (except in a dozen or so transformers I have some that have a switch for the output that allow anywhere from 1.5 to 12. I'll check them out.


The AC DC adapter will work just fine if it meets the conditions stated.
The same smallish transformer rectifier assembly (sans filter) is all that most trickle chargers have anyhow.
I will add that I would prefer an adapter with a low ampere rating as well. Less than 500 Ma (.5 A) preferred.
I would not go over 1000 Ma.
The adapter will only deliver this current when it is loaded down voltage wise as in dead battery.
And it will trickle down nicely when the battery reaches a float state (13.5 V)

And yes I have done this albeit on 120V mains.
 
Well we will see. I cut the end off of an AC/DC adapter that has a 220v input and a variable output from 1.5 to 12V. I put clips on it and connected it. Since I'm off to Santa Cruz tomorrow, I'll see how it worked when I come back in a month or two.
 
I use an AC/DC adapter from an old cordless phone that outputs 12v and about 500ma.

I use it to charge my tractor battery that gets removed in December and won't go back in until sometime in April. I hook it up every ~2 months for a couple of days. I also desulfate the plates when I remove it, with one of those Vector charges.
 
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