by GeorgeTelford » Sun Jan 22, 2006 8:02 pm
Hi Powder
Return from camping, hook up the deep cycle charger, when that drops to maintainance, swap it over to the Tender the tender should be ok to run for months at a time and will ensure your battery is kept at max for when you go away.
Exposed to elements, first thing is that the terminals will corode faster (regular aplications of petroleum jelly will help keep the terminals good) Jacks already mentioned UV's
Now temp effects batteries, too cold and the power available drops hence winter starting problems, but there again keeping them to warm shortens there life, batteries last longest at temperatures we are comfortable with.
Would reccomend at least a small box to keep the worst at bay.
Hi Chris
Depends on that good battery charger if its the Deltrans 6 amp model yes that will work no problems, but it really depends on make and specification. Many good battery chargers could cause you big problems, some are "automatic" they drop the ampage based on terminal voltage, sayyou have a light on when the battery is full, the terminal voltage will drop slightly and the charger will kick in on boost result could be overcharging/ cooked battery as mentioned by Powder, if that goes on for to long thermal runaway can occur and worst case battery plate buckles and short's and boom the old lead acid hand grenade, a battery explodes with the same force as a stick of dynomite, but the dynomite dont spread acid and lead shrapnel.........
Thats why I always want more details when someone says a "good" charger, most are meant only as bench chargers so they may be a great bench charger but not in situ or doubling as power supplies
Best I have seen for USA seems to be the 6 Amp Deltrans as reccomended by Jack, Will fully charge the battery, is safe to use as a power supply $69