should i get a new charger? has charger tech advanced in the last 30 year?

Readers: don't forget you need a "special" charger for a "special" battery - AGM.

Have an old Black & Decker that works great. Three types of battery served, Wet, Gel, AGM. Select your charging rate 2/10/25, tell it your battery type and go. Charges and then switches to "float" while indicating "FULL". Also has a starter capability and alternator diagnostic as well as battery reconditioning feature.

Purchased a new Noco 2amp last year to maintain my Beemer while away for a couple of months. Would have drained/killed the installed AGM (H8) battery with all the parasitic/passive devices constantly on while not driving for an extended time. Don't know why but had an error code on my return. Fortunately, battery was unharmed, but NOT fully charged until after applying the Black & Decker referenced above. Don't know why or when the Noco went into error mode, or for how long.

Would concur. So many things are prevented from working due to some error code or sensor. Getting way too complicated. Almost had to replace my five-year-old dishwasher. Had stopped working. I determined after some research, due to the upper rack was not correctly locating in the rear receptacle that distributes water for the middle sprayer as part of the upper rack. Apparently, it can detect this, (low water pressure?) and stops running after filling. Identified rails had become loose. Retorqued retaining bolts on the exterior to 5 Nm, and rack now aligns and all good.

A service call would have been $150 wasted. Replacement $500 plus. Pays big time to investigate and self-diagnose!
 
Purchased a new Noco 2amp last year to maintain my Beemer while away for a couple of months. Would have drained/killed the installed AGM (H8) battery with all the parasitic/passive devices constantly on while not driving for an extended time. Don't know why but had an error code on my return.

Did you put the Noco in AGM mode?
 
Yes. In Noco 2 was in AGM mode. I think after it has been told once, it defaults to AGM mode, but NOT 100% certain. Also, if there was a temporary power outage due to a storm, etc. and does NOT default to AGM, this may have been the cause. Will look into it.
 
"... if the tech has advanced quite a bit in the years..."
I was abt to say "No, but the batteries have."
Which would not B true as both have advanced a good deal. Like GON, I hate some of the new chargers (computers doing their thing behind the sceenes so U dont know the details of what transpires), I've kept an ol charger/jumper (compact Schumacker? not wheeled) and use all the new tech.
As often happens on these forums a Q is asked w/the answ already imbedded in it. It can take many pages to unravel. If the OP stated the problem and asked 'correction' it can B quite shorter (example: "What's the best water pump?" turned out to B - 'car is over heating, how to run a test to diagnosis specific issue.'). Here it might B: "What charger brings the battery up to 12.6 v? Is there a charger doing so that also 'cleans' the plates (de-sulfates)? (answ - yes my stick welder)
 
I have this old charger that I got from my grandpa when he passed. I’ve had it 20 years and who knows how long he had it? I figured it’s pretty old since it says made in USA. I’ve used it to jump quite a few cars when I’ve gone out to a dead battery.
 

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Nice have both kinds on hand.

I have an old, old Sears charger (probably Schumacher), that's good for when I just want to pump 10A into a battery quickly, though it does have an Auto mode as well.

Also have a CTEK that's smart, and when time is not an issue, can attempt to condition a battery.

On one old patient, had to put it on the Sears first before the CTEK one would even consider talking to it.
 
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