[AT] 8v/6v batteries

[Chris Britton]

8v batteries in 6v applications are bad combinations.  You usually end up 
with a discharged 8v battery.

On some generator systems, you can adjust a 3rd bush and get correct charge 
voltage.. on 2 brush systems, you can carefully dink them into charging 8v.. 
but that is like black magic....not too many practitioners out there still 
ualified or willing to hand dink with old style mechanical regulators.  Even 
if you do get it charging.. other parts of the electrical system suffer.. 
like.. headlamps, and point, due tot he impeadance mismatch ( high current) 
and ignition coil.  There are high tech ways to combat this.. but really 
just not worth it..

As for a home charger.. a 9v wall wart will be the basis for a decent low- 
current charger.. or you can get a xformer and some of fthe shelf parts.. 
diodes, caps, inductor.. a few low value resistors and a regulator ic, or 
dip packaged on and whip up a charger somewhere in the 100ma - 2a range for 
a few bucks and some solder..  Your 12v charger.. with the addition of a few 
series components will provide a 'make do' setup.. but not for the 
electrically uninformed...

Soundguy


>From: "D. Day" <ddss at telebeep.com>
>Subject: [AT] 8-volt batteries in 6-volt tractors
>TSC has quit stocking 6-volt batteries and replaced them with 8-volt. The
>sticker on the 8-volt battery states that the 'extra 2 volts helps antique
>I called Exide, the company that made the 8-volt battery, and finally spoke
>with an engineer. He suggested strongly that 8-volt batteries should never
>be used in any application that was not designed to maintain an 8-volt
>battery.  He said that typically the on-board 6-volt charging systems are
>not adequate and except for a few industrial machines, no one makes an
>8-volt charger.  According to him, charging an 8-volt battery with a 6-volt
>charger doesn't work and charging it with a 12-volt charger is dangerous.