[T3] Trickle Charger

Adriel Rowley adriel_rowley at hotmail.com
Wed Aug 10 15:34:27 PDT 2011


Good to know!  I am storing it at a friends, outside in the back yard where children play.  So do not feel right or comfortable leaving something plugged in.  Also, I do not have a place to put the battery and the charger separate from the auto.  My Brother has an Optima for at least four years, and do to electrical problems, drives it maybe one a year.  He said he has never had a dead battery.  So I could pay for a solar charger for over a hundred and have to wait or pay a hundred for an Optima that will last over what my others have.  What do you all think?  


Thank you so much!
Adriel

> From: skellzangelz at hotmail.com
> To: type3 at vwtype3.org
> Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2011 18:12:51 -0400
> Subject: Re: [T3] Trickle Charger
> 
> 
> Sometimes there are fuses in chargers that just get blown, or perhaps the output wires got pulled and need re-soldered.  Although, if you're not adept at soldering or electrical monkey-ing, I'd recommend just replacing it.  
> On the charger: I work at a battery store and could give you some thoughts on different ones I've used and why I like them.  The Battery Tender brand is pretty rock solid and simple, they've got a small .75 amp unit that looks like an AC adapter with two clamp leads that is good for just leaving on 24/7 but not if you have to recharge from dead in any reasonable amount of time.  These are like $30-40, depending on where you get them.  They also have a 1.25 amp that runs $50-60 that will charge a hair faster but still pretty slow.  Both of these also come in 6V if you need.  One that I really like is a Schumacher brand unit that has 6 and 12 volt modes and will charge at 2,4, and 6 amps.  It runs like $40 (at least at my store) and covers all your bases, 2 amp for a slow charge, 6 for fast, it's automatic so you can hypothetically leave it on for extended periods of time and it'll do any lead-acid battery.  If you're working outdoors and can't put the unit in the car, there ar
>  e waterproof ones out there that might be worth the extra $.  Always get one that is 'automatic', they're fool proof- can be left on for a long time and will not overcharge a battery like a manual one.  Automatic just means that it cuts the charge rate very low (or off) once the battery is full and monitors the state of charge of the batt., kicking back in if the batt. self-discharges below what is acceptable to the charger.
> On solar chargers: I think they're a cool idea and if you get a decent one, they definitely should work well to maintain a battery, given ample amounts of sunlight.  They can be expensive for a good one, at least as far as I can tell. They are also more limited in output wattage by both technology and amount of sun, so they can be unreliable at keeping things full or actually recharging.  I've seen a 2watt one that's about the size of a legal sized pad for like $100, so...
> Yeah, a battery a year is pretty absurd.  When taken care of, a battery the size of the one that's supposed to go in the T3s should last at least 5 years (5 is about the average).  I'm guessing that you can't leave a charger on 24/7 or have limits to having one plugged in?  If so, I'd say either pull the batt out and take it in where you can keep it charged or just charge it fully periodically, like every two weeks, either by running a charger out to the car or pulling the batt and taking it in to charge.  It's safe to charge inside as long as a.) it's not fully enclosed (like in a closet or a sealed box) b. it's not near open flames, like right next to a furnace or water heater and c. it's somewhere that has generally good air flow (not necessarily a constant breeze but enough air that is being refreshed enough so that gasses cannot build up).  The process of charging a car battery produces hydrogen gas, which is extremely explosive if concentrated and exposed to flames, spa
>  rks, etc.  Also, sometimes sulfuric acid evaporates out and onto the battery case/anything it sits on (that's why I have holes in my floorpan under the batt), just as an extra point.
> Hope this helps,
> Jeremy
> > From: adriel_rowley at hotmail.com
> > To: type3 at vwtype3.org
> > Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2011 11:18:51 -0700
> > Subject: [T3] Trickle Charger
> > 
> > 
> > Apparently after I hooked up the charger and left it, my bio Mom said a child tripped over it, and now not getting anything out of it, despite 120 volts coming in.  Now figure to bite the bullet.  So, what you all have had the best luck with in regards to a trickle charger?  How about a solar charger?  My other one melted for some reason, and really like to keep one on the battery, as it drains down over time, and sick of having to purchase new battery every year.  There is not a way to leave a trickle charger plugged in, F.Y.I., just to charge a battery.
> > 
> > 
> > Thank you,
> > Adriel
> >  		 	   		  
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