Subject: Re: [TR] Battery trickle charger

From: Bud R <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2013 01:14:23 -0700

I replaced a 12 volt battery in my RV (for towing the Spitfire race  
car) with two six volt batteries (to get more amp hours/storage) wired  
in series to get 12 volts. Question is do I charge it with a 6 volt  
or  12 volt charger? Maybe 12 if I hook the charger to where the pos  
and neg cables attach.

Thanks
Bud Rolofson

71TR6 CC57365 (Good 6)
71 Spitfire MK IV Race Car #3
66TR4A CTC57529 (The Project)
71F-250 Camper Special (Triumph Support Vehicle)
Z-50A Hardly Davidson 1977 Honda Mini-Trail Bike (Triumph Pit Bike)

On Jan 28, 2013, at 10:58 PM, Randall wrote:

>> I have one from Harbor Freight, about 7 years old now, never
>> a problem.
>> Probably paid $10 for it.
>
> And they're frequently on sale for even less.  But don't hook them  
> up to a
> battery that is deeply discharged or has a shorted cell.  I burned  
> up 3 of
> them that way.  The only current limit seems to be the winding  
> resistance in
> the transformer.  When I tried replacing it with a stouter  
> transformer, the
> plastic box with the regulator melted before the regulator burned up.
>
> This one is more money, but should be more rugged and probably even  
> better
> for your battery:
> http://goo.gl/hNXpI
>
> -- Randall 
>
> ** [email-masked] **
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---

From: "Alex&Janet Thomson" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2013 06:02:27 -0500

When using two sixes in series, it's extremely important to have identically
sized batteries so they charge evenly from the regular vehicle charging
system. When using a plug in charger, you can use the 6V setting and do each
one individually or set it to 12V and charge them as a single unit ( which
is what your alternator is doing anyways). Since every battery is made of
groups of 2V cells, you are really charging 6 cells in series on a single
battery, 12V system. When charging the batteries individually, you should
monitor battery voltage or specific gravity (if you can open the cells) so
as to balance the degree of charge in each battery.

I have had better luck with using a pair of 12V batteries in parallel for
added amperage capability on tractors. In fact, I converted two of my
row-crop Deeres to this type of a setup from the original factory
two-sixes-in-series system. They seem to last longer and big 6V batteries
get pretty expensive. A group 4 6V is about $160 from a Deere dealer while
group 31 12V (950 CCA) is about 100 bucks from a truck shop. But, that's
getting away from your question.

Charging your batteries individually at 6V and using a voltmeter for the
first time will probably show you if the batteries are balanced. If they
are, after that you could use the 12V setting and charge them as a single
unit. I assume the vehicle is  negative ground. In that case, black,
negative charger cable to the chassis and red, positive cable to the starter
insulated circuit. 

The zero degree weather in Connecticut last week was a good test of starter
systems. But not as severe as places like upper New York state or places
like that!

Alex Thomson

-----Original Message-----
From: [email-masked]
[mailto:[email-masked]] On Behalf Of Bud R
Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2013 3:14 AM
To: Randall
Cc: [email-masked]
Subject: Re: [TR] Battery trickle charger

I replaced a 12 volt battery in my RV (for towing the Spitfire race
car) with two six volt batteries (to get more amp hours/storage) wired in
series to get 12 volts. Question is do I charge it with a 6 volt or  12 volt
charger? Maybe 12 if I hook the charger to where the pos and neg cables
attach.

Thanks
Bud Rolofson

71TR6 CC57365 (Good 6)
71 Spitfire MK IV Race Car #3
66TR4A CTC57529 (The Project)
71F-250 Camper Special (Triumph Support Vehicle) Z-50A Hardly Davidson 1977
Honda Mini-Trail Bike (Triumph Pit Bike)

On Jan 28, 2013, at 10:58 PM, Randall wrote:

>> I have one from Harbor Freight, about 7 years old now, never a 
>> problem.
> And they're frequently on sale for even less.  But don't hook them up 
> to a battery that is deeply discharged or has a shorted cell.  I 
> burned up 3 of them that way.  The only current limit seems to be the 
> winding resistance in the transformer.  When I tried replacing it with 
> a stouter transformer, the plastic box with the regulator melted 
> before the regulator burned up.
>
> better for your battery:
> Unsubscribe/Manage: 
> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/triumphs/[email-masked]

Archive: http://www.team.net/archive
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