Use for old style battery charger??

[johninct]

I picked up a smart battery charger/maintainer/desulficator and don't see much use for my old dumb style battery chargers?
I know an old style Battery charger can be used to boost, charge a really dead battery where the smart charger can't, electrolysis and charge a battery after adding acid. An old style charger can charge a battery faster but I was always taught that a low amp long charge is better than a quick higher amp charge.
I think my new smart charger will be used 99% of the time. What use am I not seeing? Thanks!!

 

[n8n]

As you say, kick starting really dead batteries, also electrolysis, and hey, you can never have too many spare tools, stuff breaks.

Sent from my XT897 using Tapatalk

 

[Fugio]

Making sparks on July 4th?

 

[danfromsyr]

use it with solid MIG wire to make a hot wire foam cutter and sculpt model air craft, surf boards and best yet rockets ;-)
https://www.google.com/search?q=hot...jjVOuMM4SxyQTDpILYBg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAw#imgdii=_

 

[1930artdeco]

Just remember when the new chargers motherboard dies in a year the 'dumb' charger will still work.

Mike

 

[jkwilson]

I was always taught that a low amp long charge is better than a quick higher amp charge.

This is one of those cases where the words are true, but the average person misunderstands them to the point of making the advice wrong.

It's true that low rate charging is better for a battery than high rate charging. The problem comes about when you define low and high. Anything below about 20A is low rate for typical batteries, so most chargers are low rate. Even 40A isn't bad if you can keep battery temperature down.

The worst part of the advice is that it implies that 2A is better than 10A which is better than 15A. Not true at all. 2A may not even be able to completely charge a battery if it is old enough. The long charge time you need to recharge a battery at 2A allows more sulfation to occur, unequal cell charging and insufficient electrolyte mixing leading to poor battery performance and a shorter battery life. 10 or 15A is the best choice for a typical automotive sized battery.

Most battery manufacturers recommend a MINIMUM charge current around 10% of the AH rating at 20 hours, and no maximum as long as battery temperature remains below 120F. My truck uses a 90AH battery, so the minimum recommended charging current would be about 9A in that case.

 

[george4]

This is one of those cases where the words are true, but the average person misunderstands them to the point of making the advice wrong.

It's true that low rate charging is better for a battery than high rate charging. The problem comes about when you define low and high. Anything below about 20A is low rate for typical batteries, so most chargers are low rate. Even 40A isn't bad if you can keep battery temperature down.

The worst part of the advice is that it implies that 2A is better than 10A which is better than 15A. Not true at all. 2A may not even be able to completely charge a battery if it is old enough. The long charge time you need to recharge a battery at 2A allows more sulfation to occur, unequal cell charging and insufficient electrolyte mixing leading to poor battery performance and a shorter battery life. 10 or 15A is the best choice for a typical automotive sized battery.

Most battery manufacturers recommend a MINIMUM charge current around 10% of the AH rating at 20 hours, and no maximum as long as battery temperature remains below 120F. My truck uses a 90AH battery, so the minimum recommended charging current would be about 9A in that case.

This good to know.

 

[Bobioz1]

Old battery chargers still work as well as they did before new battery chargers came out. They just don't play well with newer electronics on cars. So just use them with the battery disconnected or out of the car.

 

[bonneyman]

Depending on the amp supply, you could run a modified cordless drill off of it.

 

[Cypherian]

Build one of these

 

[MrGiggles]

It will work as a 12v power supply too, unlike the new one.

 

[crab]

Well you could dig fishing worms with one, really. Just drive 2 metal rods into the ground about 10 foot apart, connect the positive clamp to 1 and the negative to the other and turn it on. If there are any worms there they will come out, then you pick them up and go fishing.

 

[Packard V8]

Drive an electrolysis tank?

jack vines