Battery Maintenance... on the cheap..

[Guest]

Ok,
I know, I know, battery maintainers are only $40-$50. However My budget at the time doesn't allow for even that expense.

So, long and short of it, I have to make due with what I own. And this is it. A small battery (2Amp) charger, great start, and I know I can't just plug the thing in and leave it on the battery 24/7 as that would boil the battery dry.

I also own a Radio Shack programmable switch, which I currently have set to turn the electric to the charger on for two, hour and a half sessions a day (6am to 7:30am and 5pm to 6:30pm)

So, now for my question. Is this setup too much to maintain my battery, or do you all think that this setup (two sessions a day for said length of time) is a fair balance without spending money on a true maintainer?

Or would someone suggest a different length of time for a daily recharge?

(I've been running it like this for the past few days, since my battery level had dropped down to a measly 10.5 volts and I needed to get it back up to full charge, but now it's back up, and I just need to maintain it.)

Amos

[p_s]

Bikes discharge more slowly in a cold garage. (But put out fewer amps cold.) I'd guess 3 hours a day is too much--that's 6 amp hours at 2 amps, which may be over half your battery's capacity. A Battery Tender is only about $35 (from my dealer at least) and I have heard the harbor freight works well too--$10 today. I have boiled a battery dry on a crappy charger before. (Then my headlight blew because the battery was the regulator.) Hope you don't, too. I would charge it once a month, watching the voltage every 10 minutes when it was nearly full, and that's it.

[gsgeezer]

Once a month should be fine.

(I also converted all my vehicles to sealed, gel batteries a few years back and have been happy with the result).

[Steve]

Another option that I have seen used...do you use your garage door opener to get the car (shudder) in and out? Tee off the outlet for the garage door light and plug your charger into that. Then it gets about 10-15 minutes of charge per day.

Like mentioned above, the Harbor Freight charger is $7.49 plus shipping, which might bring it closer to your budget.

Whichever way you go, make sure to start with a full charge on the battery before the storage phase.


.

[spyug]

Take the battery indoors over the winter. Check fluid level and charge it for about 8 hours and ionce the voltage is over 12.5v let it sit for a week or two until it drops to under 12 v. ( it might actually take 3 weeks or more for that to happen if it is a good battery).Check voltage and charge it again once a month or so there after til riding season.

Everything should be fine come riding season.

Cheers,
Spyug.

[chef1366]

Harbor Freight sells a solar trickle charger. Set it up and forget about it.

[bwringer]

Harbor Freight sells a solar trickle charger. Set it up and forget about it.

Solar? As in sunlight?



What's that?

[chef1366]

Solar? As in sunlight?



What's that?

So you definitely won't boil out your battery. :-D

[Redman]

I know from experince that even a 3/4 amp charger if left on for 3 or 4 weeks can cause probelms. SO your 2 amp definaitly can cause problems if left on.

And yes, I would think that 2 one hours per day would be too much also. Maybe even 2 15 minutes a day (as if on garge door light) might be too much also. Can your timer do 1 15 minute period per day, how about 1 hour per week?

What I did for years is this: Every 2 or 3 weeks I would turn on the head light for about half hour or so, then turn off the light, and then put on the trickel charger for about 6 - 8 hours. But every once in a while I would forget and leave it on for a couple weeks, and "boil" the battery fluid DOAH. So I relented and got a Battery Tender and oh, that is so much better.
.

[duaneage]

I have a solar battery charger, about 35 dollars. Mounted on the shed roof it keeps the battery warm all winter without beating it up.