battery charger/power supply?

[n8n]

damn... I've gone from having way too many battery chargers to only one rickety old one that works, due to losing my CTEK charger (who knows where it went?) giving a few away to friends, and my backup just shitting the bed.

Mostly used for running the electrolytic tank and using "power supply mode" to keep my BMW alive while flashing the ECM. But also must be able to properly charge AGMs as I have an Optima in my Jeep.

Buy another CTEK or is there something better out there now?

thanks!

 

[8man]

In my post regarding "Electrolysis" it was recommended to get the HF battery charger by a couple of people. I don't have one, just reporting.

 

[n8n]

Figures... went there over lunch, waited in line for about 20 min to check out, gave up, left, went back to work

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[dogdog]

Mostly used for running the electrolytic.....

I have that HF one for electrolysis, but not sure if I want to use it for charging battery unattended, it is after all a manual charger. I am lazy to calculate and monitor the time the charger is on the battery.... get a coupon for $29.99 or buy it off cheap on as is isle sometimes... customer return because that in line auto rest fuse broke, the reason for most negative reviews..

This look alike fuse: for $3 to $4 you can get from any auto part store.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DNGNF32/?tag=atomicindus08-20

http://www.harborfreight.com/10250-amp-12v-manual-charger-with-engine-start-60653.html#


But why not just convert the old one (that is transformer base) you already have and use it for electrolysis. It really don't care if the voltage / amperage is regulated or not for electrolysis anyways just have to be DC volts and needs to be decent amps, like 10AMP... and buy a good automatic charger for your battery charging needs???

 

[n8n]

Mostly used for running the electrolytic.....

I have that HF one for electrolysis, but not sure if I want to use it for charging battery unattended, it is after all a manual charger. I am lazy to calculate and monitor the time the charger is on the battery.... get a coupon for $29.99 or buy it off cheap on as is isle sometimes... customer return because that in line auto rest fuse broke, the reason for most negative reviews..

This look alike fuse: for $3 to $4 you can get from any auto part store.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DNGNF32/?tag=atomicindus08-20

http://www.harborfreight.com/10250-amp-12v-manual-charger-with-engine-start-60653.html#


But why not just convert the old one (that is transformer base) you already have and use it for electrolysis. It really don't care if the voltage / amperage is regulated or not for electrolysis anyways just have to be DC volts and needs to be decent amps, like 10AMP... and buy a good automatic charger for your battery charging needs???

That's pretty much what I was going to do except I need to buy a new **** battery charger as well because the one that I was using for electrolysis was all pretty much shaky before it stopped working (cables, clamps, etc. all suspect)

Was curious who made "good" chargers these days, if CTEK was still the go to, and also who might make a good cheap battery charger for electrolysis purposes - and it looks like I'll be near a different HF today so I'll check them out.

 

[dogdog]

That's pretty much what I was going to do except I need to buy a new **** battery charger as well because the one that I was using for electrolysis was all pretty much shaky before it stopped working (cables, clamps, etc. all suspect)

Was curious who made "good" chargers these days, if CTEK was still the go to, and also who might make a good cheap battery charger for electrolysis purposes - and it looks like I'll be near a different HF today so I'll check them out.

.

Maybe you just reuse that transformer inside your crappy charger to make your own simple unregulated DC power supply for electrolysis... It really don't needed any high end Voltage limiting / Current limiting lab precision power supply for de-rust or paint removal, good to have if you have $$$. But as far as price wise even if you bought surplus parts, still can't beat that $29.99 coupon price at HF + $5 fuse replacement ... worked good for paint / rust removal on my radiators. I used it to charge battery maybe once or twice when I can't find the automatic smart chargers.. I have always default to my 10 yr old Vector smart charger (now black*dacker smart charger think they acquired Vector) for charging and topping off batteries. If you still insist on getting a automatic smart charger only, I think some one in youtube have use a large battery to buffer with the automatic charger hooked up.

pic 1 shows one is being derust / paint removal after the 2nd water change.... 1st one looked really nasty bagged a jug full of sediments. that was with the HF unit.

Pic 2 shows 3 radiators treated with TSP after they were de-rusted and 50+ yrs of chrome colored heat resistant paint removed,..... these were older style Peerless radiators or something....

one done was with the HF unit, one was with the 250AMP Craftsman manual charger the gold color ones, and the other was with the medical grade 24V 12.5 AMP inverter power supply from ebay cost $20. Electric bill doubled than normal usage. But heck beats buying gallons and gallons of paint stripper and scraping it off manually...


Their coupon still good till this month.


http://www.harborfreight.com/oct-tab1.html?hftref=cj

 

[n8n]

HF 2/6A charger was $23 with coupon today so the tank is back in business. Now to replace my CTEK... is that still the top of the line for Optima/Odyssey/other AGM type batteries or something else?

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[n8n]

well dammit, the HF charger has a big sticker on the top that says "clamps unpowered until connected to battery" so I'll have to pop it open and void some warranties to get it to power the tank... probably rendering it useless for charging batteries but c'est la vie

 

[themiller]

I have two CTEK chargers, a 7002 and their littlest one (.8 IIRC). I really like both of them. The 7002 has modes for the newer AGM batteries and such.

 

[gsingh]

I have a midtronics psc550. It is a maintainer, so it needs to see a charge before it works. Cost $400.

I use it everyday, so something this expensive might not be for you.

 

[dogdog]

well dammit, the HF charger has a big sticker on the top that says "clamps unpowered until connected to battery" so I'll have to pop it open and void some warranties to get it to power the tank... probably rendering it useless for charging batteries but c'est la vie

return it and get that 2/10/50 amp one for $6 dollar more with that coupon code just posted, you wanted one that is with a heavy transformer inside not inverter based ones.....

 

[Fretters]

well dammit, the HF charger has a big sticker on the top that says "clamps unpowered until connected to battery" so I'll have to pop it open and void some warranties to get it to power the tank... probably rendering it useless for charging batteries but c'est la vie

Don't **** about with it. It's one of those so-called, (I dislike those things), smart chargers. Not worth the time and hassle. Get a good transformer based supply on there.

For electrolysis, rather than going down the charger route, you'd honestly be far better off just getting a good 12V transformer and whacking a full wave bridge rectifier on the output. It's going to be a lot more reliable than anything else you're liable to use. You could even smooth the output further with a cap if you choose. Most battery chargers, (old style), are usually only half wave rectification, so they're not outputting true DC. A fully rectified and smoothed output would be preferable, and would cost practically nothing to make if you can drop on a second hand transformer.

 

[404]

Don't **** about with it. It's one of those so-called, (I dislike those things), smart chargers. Not worth the time and hassle. Get a good transformer based supply on there.

For electrolysis, rather than going down the charger route, you'd honestly be far better off just getting a good 12V transformer and whacking a full wave bridge rectifier on the output. It's going to be a lot more reliable than anything else you're liable to use. You could even smooth the output further with a cap if you choose. Most battery chargers, (old style), are usually only half wave rectification, so they're not outputting true DC. A fully rectified and smoothed output would be preferable, and would cost practically nothing to make if you can drop on a second hand transformer.

A good source of transformers are dead UPS boxes.

 

[dogdog]

NVM that 2/6 AMP might work for you. it's a transformer base. But will have the same inherit problem with that auto reset fuse. It is a full wave bridge rectifier with center tap as ground if it is anything like the 2/10/50 model. Not sure, maybe if you pop it open post some pics...

the 2/10/50 is full wave rectifier with center tap configurations and it's transformer is heavier than the 2/6 amp model.

I just prefer to have an heavier transformer than a smaller one that is all.....