Which battery tender?
08-06-2010, 09:11 AM
#16
Rennlist Member
I can't fault owners for not fully understanding battery care, since there is a lot more to life than batteries.
But how many know that when you are charging a battery using a battery charger without temperature compensation on a 100°F day, they are overcharging their battery by a significant amount. Overcharging a battery is as detrimental to its life as undercharging a battery. The same applies at 32°F except a battery is being undercharged at that temperature without temperature compensation.
Now, few battery chargers have the temperature compensation feature until you spend a bit of coin (the $220 Xantrex has it for example), so all you really need is a three-stage (bulk, absorbtion, float) automatic battery charger with at least a user selectable voltage for speciallty batteries and cold weather charging which is when most owners store their vehicle.
Most battery chargers also tend to charge all types of batteries (AGM, GEL, Flooded Lead Acid) to the same end voltage during absorbtion and then maintain them at the same float voltage.
So when a manufacturer states "Will charge all types of batteries", sure it will, it just won't do it for optimum battery life, not unless it has user selectable feature as mentioned above.
Another fancy buzz word: "microprocessor controlled". Nice and most automatic battery maintainers have had that for years...nothing new. It takes the work load off the battery owner by controlling all aspects of charging for the owner (if it is programmed correctly).
Funny, I've used a totally manual battery charger along with a voltmeter for over thirty years and the seasonal motorcycle FLA batteries charged by it have lasted 9 years. I also have 4 Optimate III and 1 CTEK battery charger/maintainer.
Battery charger advertizing is much like octane booster and magic oil infomercials.
$50 will get you all the charger you will need. More important than the charger is actually using it. My Optimate that maintains my motorcycle battery overseas during 10.5 months of non-use is good. I prefer the CTEK with the extra feature.
But how many know that when you are charging a battery using a battery charger without temperature compensation on a 100°F day, they are overcharging their battery by a significant amount. Overcharging a battery is as detrimental to its life as undercharging a battery. The same applies at 32°F except a battery is being undercharged at that temperature without temperature compensation.
Now, few battery chargers have the temperature compensation feature until you spend a bit of coin (the $220 Xantrex has it for example), so all you really need is a three-stage (bulk, absorbtion, float) automatic battery charger with at least a user selectable voltage for speciallty batteries and cold weather charging which is when most owners store their vehicle.
Most battery chargers also tend to charge all types of batteries (AGM, GEL, Flooded Lead Acid) to the same end voltage during absorbtion and then maintain them at the same float voltage.
So when a manufacturer states "Will charge all types of batteries", sure it will, it just won't do it for optimum battery life, not unless it has user selectable feature as mentioned above.
Another fancy buzz word: "microprocessor controlled". Nice and most automatic battery maintainers have had that for years...nothing new. It takes the work load off the battery owner by controlling all aspects of charging for the owner (if it is programmed correctly).
Funny, I've used a totally manual battery charger along with a voltmeter for over thirty years and the seasonal motorcycle FLA batteries charged by it have lasted 9 years. I also have 4 Optimate III and 1 CTEK battery charger/maintainer.
Battery charger advertizing is much like octane booster and magic oil infomercials.
$50 will get you all the charger you will need. More important than the charger is actually using it. My Optimate that maintains my motorcycle battery overseas during 10.5 months of non-use is good. I prefer the CTEK with the extra feature.
08-06-2010, 11:27 AM
#17
Pro
I agree wtih the above. Buy a few extra pig tails for other vehicles. I have 2 Optimate III chargers and move them around between snowmobiles and motorcycles and cars....
I have a older battery tender that broke the first time I made the mistake of reversing the leads. So now I line up all the motorcycle scooter, trailer brake batteries with the postiive terminal on the same side.
I have a older battery tender that broke the first time I made the mistake of reversing the leads. So now I line up all the motorcycle scooter, trailer brake batteries with the postiive terminal on the same side.
08-18-2010, 02:16 AM
#21
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
3300, 330i, 911, battery, bmw, charger, compensated, compensation, connecting, ctek, deltran, extra, heat, maintainer, mazda, miata, pig, temperature, tender
