[AT] Battery Charger recommendations

[Dean VP]

Cecil,

Right now I'm trying to get 6 acres of lawn under control after coming back
from AZ 2 weeks later than normal and this area had 90 degree weather for a
week.  Broke every record in April since God was a kid.  The pasture grass
was over 2 ft tall.    I got it mowed with a garden tractor today, maybe
knocked down is a better description.  I just don't have any extra time
right now getting ready for Knee replacement surgery on May 11th. Have to
get the 6 acres under control so the lawn maintenance people I hire to do
the lawn won't charge me a fortune while I am recovering from knee surgery.
I should have mowed it with a sickle bar mower, raked it and baled it. But
in our normal wet weather that probably wouldn't have worked either. 

So repairing Battery chargers is just not in the cards right now.  They will
get put on a shelf to be looked at later to determine if they are worth
repairing. I have an electronics background so fixing them is not an issue
but time to do it is short right now.  We had my wife's car in AZ for 3 1/2
months this winter. No problems at all. Drove it 1600 miles back home and
the second morning after we returned it appeared to have a completely dead
battery.  That was unexpected.   Was going to hook up a battery charger and
both were DOA so hooked up battery cables to my truck.  Let it charge for 15
minutes or so and her car started right up.  Went to remove the Jump cable
and the car's positive cable came off of the post with the jumper cable
clamp.  The stinking clamp was loose on the post. Problem solved.  Wonder
how long that clamp had been loose. Might have been that way since last
April, 2015 believe it or not and just now acted up.  Vely weird. My wife
did have the oil and filter changed in AZ at a Honda dealer but I sincerely
doubt they removed the positive battery cable while doing that. Always
mysteries to wonder about. 

Dean VP
Snohomish, WA 98290

It's better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6. 


-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Cecil Bearden
Sent: Saturday, April 23, 2016 2:12 PM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Subject: Re: [AT] Battery Charger recommendations

Dean:
If your old one still has a good transformer, you can upgrade it to 
solid state rectifiers.   The old ones had 2large square diode plates 
that would go bad if they got rained on.  I replaced them with a bridge
rectifier or more than one if I needed the amperage.  I used to get them 
from Surplus Center in Lincoln Neb.    If not, them an electronics 
supply, not Radio Shack, a real electronics supply house would have 
them..    You probably should mount them on a aluminum plate with some 
conductive grease to give it a heat sink, or Surplus center had some heat
sinks also...  I never have had a transformer go bad unless it got 
hit by lightning while it was charging.   I usually could fix a large 
one for less than $25 including shipping...

Cecil in OKla




On 4/23/2016 2:37 PM, Dean VP wrote:
> Bruce,
>
> I would suspect that a good charger would have a heavy duty 
> transformer in it and be heavier. Kind of like a welder or so.  Weight 
> might be a good indicator of goodness.  This reminds of the days when 
> the better audio bass speakers could be determined somewhat by their 
> coil weight.  Haven't been out to touch and feel units yet. Once I get 
> a few targets in mind the store visits will begin.
>
> Dean VP
> Snohomish, WA 98290
>
> It's better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
> [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Bruce 
> Fallon
> Sent: Saturday, April 23, 2016 7:15 AM
> To: 'Antique tractor email discussion group' 
> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Subject: Re: [AT] Battery Charger recommendations
>
> I remember the roll around units that were heavy and heavy duty,  a 
> friend bought a new one with digital readout etc. and it is so light 
> you can pick it up with one hand.  Just a light charger in a big metal 
> box.  Check them out before you buy one.
>
> Bruce Fallon
> Langley, WA 98260
>
>
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