sanyata

The cord on my battery tender is flat and not very thick so I just make sure it's laying flat on the rubber and close the hood all the way. I don't see any permanent indentations whenever I look at the seal but I do always try to put it in a different location every time I hook up.

IXLR8

Excuse me...chill out?

So far all I've heard and read are claims, claims I am all to familiar with when it comes to battery chargers.

Back some of those claims up!!! You did say you did not have a background in this..well I do. All you have to go on is what the salesman told you.

People on this forum are free to spend their money as they wish but I hate to break it to you, this charger is nothing special, in fact, it has a quite a few shortcomings. As a member here, I have a duty and right to provide information., just as I am here to be provided with valid information.

IXLR8

Tell me, how does it do that? I'm curious. Have you personally verified that.

Also how does it perform a "load test"? At what current draw does it perform its load test?

vincer77

MarkD

Looks like it charges batteries.
and I can use another charger. Order placed.

TheOtherEric

Good discussions. This maintainer sounds like many other smart chargers out there, with the possible exception of this "load test" which sounds a bit hazy. The alarm feature is cool.

For $100, I'd also consider a microprocessor-controlled unit that actually has a good charger in it as well. Like this Sears 40-amp charger that automatically goes into trickle mode.
Do you know of any sub-$150 chargers that have thermocouples that attach to the battery? I'd be very interested.

IXLR8

Multi stage chargers go into trickle or float mode on their own. Check the link further down.

No I don't, but as long as it has a low temperarture option, your battery will at least be taken to a higher voltage while stored away during cold winter months. I guess they didn't bother with a high temperature mode because vehicles aren't normally stored at that time.

The CTEK and the very odd other charger has a low temperature mode which takes the voltage to 14.7V. That level is also used for some specialty batteries such as the Odyssey, I believe. Its hard to beat for $50.

We are looking at how well the charging systems regulate battery voltage on military vehicles. Some have feedback via a thermocouple; most don't. The batteries are in vehicles that are in an evironment well above 100°F. No wonder they aren't lasting....due to heat and overcharging.

This post should answer most of your questions. The link to the East Penn Technical Manual further up in this thread has a lot of good info.

DC from Cape Cod

Arguing with a potential customer in public is never good advertising.

MoeMistry

Alex, I fully appreciate you looking out for everyone here on Rennlist. I also respect where you're coming from being in the battery business. I've been on this board for a few years now and being a sponsor, I hold our company at a higher ethical caliber and wouldn't be trying to sell something that we didn't feel was better than what's on the market. After all, our success and future depends on our reputation, what value we bring to our clients, and our customer service.

I emailed your questions to the creator of Save a Battery and here's his response:

The load is a small 20 watts which is enough to absorb the surface current that a battery gets when it's charged... the voltage always reads higher than reality... the old fashioned way is to remove a terminal and use a carbon pile tester... but you can achieve the same thing with a small load and about 1 to 2 minutes time. Again, my goal is to get a true voltage reading without removing the battery.

The load can also be used to discharge the battery until the low voltage alarm comes on... 11.8 volts... then you can recharge the battery in BULK MODE which will speed up desulfation.... something the other chargers can't do and something else they don't tell you... it can take a year to desulfate a battery when the charger is in constant voltage or constant current mode. Most folks that have a terribly sulfated battery need a fix now or they will go out and buy a new battery.

The third thing the load does is allow us to drop the voltage .1 to .2 volts and then go back into bulk mode... this creates bubbles... it's called "Burping a Battery"... google that! Burping mixes up the sulfuric acid and the water.... something the battery needs along with being voltage maintained.

There is more I could explain... you might want to tell the gentlemen that I have been a computer designer for 30 years... check out Granite Digitals website. I have two patents and I have been designing electronic devices for all those years. That give me a tad more experience in power supply design than most of my competitors. i have learned it the hard way. I also designed a battery backup for computers over 30 years ago using Toroidal Technology to make it small. They sold for $350.... but were talking in the 70's when no one had a battery backup.

The reason that I made these is because NO ONE offered anything close. And because I own 25 old vehicles and got tired of replacing batteries.

Hope this sheds more light and feel free to PM me if you have further questions you'd like answered.

As for the rest of us, I don't need to know how a combustion engine works, I just need to know if I put my key in, the car starts, and I'm on my way. And what I drive needs to have the best features and appointments I can afford and am willing to pay. Most our clients trust us to do our homework, and we make sure our vendors know what they're talking about. As I said, after meeting with the creator of this product, which I have more respect for than just a slick salesman, I was confident he had a great product and the customer service to back it up. At the end, that's all that matters. Does the product do what it says, does it solve a problem for the customer efficiently, and is it a good value. I think it's safe to say YES, YES, and YES when it comes to Save A Battery.

MoeMistry

I'm not sure Alex ever came off as a customer, rather someone in the industry that didn't agree with the product we're selling. We wouldn't be in business for over 15 years if we argued with our clients. We treat everyone with respect regardless of their stand point.

MoeMistry

Appreciate your business Mark. Let us know how the product works out for you.

IXLR8

Well this place is a discussion forum, that is its primary function, at least it should be or I would hope that it is.

Well thats not a load test at all, which is what I thought. Calling it a load tester is very misleading. A load test is defined as I have in an earlier post.

The charger ad goes on about testing battery quality and on and on. I already described how a battery's state of health is determined and that charger can't do it.

We had devices given to us to use/try. One is a Battery Conductance Tester which along with volts, CCA, it also tells me if I have a good battery. Kind of a joke as that so-called "good battery" gave me no more than 25 Ah out of a 100 Ah battery at the 20A discharge rate. 80% or less of the listed capacity is deemed a useless battery in our world.

So these fancy smancy devices that give you hope of a good battery will leave one very disappointed one day...my Optimate III even has that feature...I knew that but I didn't buy it for that.

Of course the voltage always reads higher immediately after a charge. We don't take a reading till it stabilizes...usually the next day to be certain it has. And Open Circuit Voltage (OCV) is not a measure of a battery's true state of health...it is a "test me further" indication which are a load test (quick) and capacity test (time consuming)...period!

What you are selling is a battery charger/maintainer...nothing special...and it does no more than some others, in fact in some case less. Nice looking! Lets leave it at that.

And no, I am not mad or annoyed due to these discussions. I have no interest in any product, but I will buy the one that is the best bang for the buck.

Other topics of interest when it comes to batteries...acid stratification, cell equalizing.

Canyon56

I'm happy to read discussions like this. I think they're really informative. And if there's disagreement, then that's okay because it offers different perspectives.

I asked if this isn't simply a re-invention of the wheel. An honest question since we all have seen products that are 'better and improved' yet are simply marketed differently and/or wearing a new suit.

So, as a user of battery maintainers and a potential customer, I'll ask this question point blank to both Moe and Alex: Why should I buy this product if I already own a CTek Multi US 3300? Or a CTek Multi US 7002? And besides just based on price point.

It's an honest question and I sincerely would like an answer. There are times when I don't drive the car for months on end (winter or summer; but the climate here is mild all year.) Why is it a better product than the CTek?

Or, is it simply a good product and if/when my CTek stops functioning I should look at this as a replacement? Hence, my comment about re-inventing the wheel.......

Thanks!

MoeMistry

I think based on the features of the all-in-one; lcd display, voltmeter, testing capabilities, it makes this unit a step above the ctek models. This is probably not an item I'd go out and buy if the unit you already have is doing the job. According to the manufacturer, the reason why this charger even came to market was that the other chargers weren't keeping his cars charged for long periods of time. He tried them all.

I'm learning and enjoy the spirited responses between Alex and myself because we're all learning here. I think at the end of the day, we make a decision based in facts. Some of the things this unit does, seems isn't up to the standards Alex is use to. After all, he's developing technology for the military

But, we're also being realistic, and I know I wouldn't be spending several hundred dollars on a charger when you can get a new battery for the same price. What makes the AIO a good buy is it gives a reading of the voltage, it rapidly charges your battery, it cycles the battery like the alternator does, it has testing capabilities for the entire electrical system, and it allows you to test a bad battery while still in the car and gives you an opportunity to bring the bad battery to life.

So, if you want to be able to have the features mentioned above, and if it's a shortcoming of the current unit you have, then it makes sense to purchase one. Otherwise, wait until your current unit fails, then buy this one. Hope this helps make a more prudent decision.

IXLR8

I'll give you my reasons why I would not buy one, even if I needed a charger/maintainer.

Lets have a look at the product page:

Output characterisics: "13.6 to 14.8 V" and "Works with any size and type of battery".

So how does it know what type of battery it is connected to (AGM, GEL, etc). The fact is it does not and it can't unless that feature is user selectable. It better be because it makes a difference!!!

If it is going to charge my GEL battery at 14.8V...no thank you because that is far too high a voltage. Both GEL and AGM batteries are VRLA (Valve Regulated Lead Acid) type batteries. You do not want them to gas. A Flooded Lead Acid (FLA) battery can be taken to higher voltages and they can gas because the fluid can be topped up with distilled water. That is why you can equalize the cells on a FLA battery by taking the voltage up to 15.5V or slightly more. You can't do that to a VRLA type battery.

Just reading the list of features under "Why the SaveABattery is the Best Battery Charger on the Market" has me rolling my eyes. Sorry but they are as credible as the paragraphs two up...Output characteristics. Lets not even talk about the "Load Tester" feature.

And to say it is the best is one hell of a statement...that is quite the statement and not even remotely close! Cripes, it doesn't even have temperature compensation...fair enough at that price, but it isn't the "best".

Why would I pay twice as much for nothing more or for gimmicks that are no real value added. The LED display? Get a DMM for $30 that is far more useful around the car and home.