Car charger question

AX-O · #1 10-13-2008, 06:14 PM

Can I use a car charger to charge or keep the charge on my aviation battery? Or do I have to buy one of the expensive ones from an aviation supplier? Seems like they do the same thing.

L.Adamson · #2 10-13-2008, 06:23 PM

I have an old Dayton charger, that charges my Odyssey battery just fine. Yet, my charger from Sears, that is great for everything else..........won't put out enough voltage.

L.Adamson --- RV6A

Geico266 · #3 10-13-2008, 06:45 PM

A Battery Minder would be a better choice. You might be over charging it with a car charger. You can get them on e-Bay for $30 and leave them on for months at a time without worry. They also "desulfate" the battery after they charge it and they last longer, a regular charger cannot do that.

http://www.vdcelectronics.com/batteryminder_12117.htm

cawmd82 · #4 10-13-2008, 06:52 PM

Works great! I use the small one found typically at the motorcycle shop.

Routinely, I plug it in if it is going to be a while before flying again or if I have been messing with the avionics.---AKA trying to figure out GRT menu systems and "Which button to push when" .

My -8 has the battery in the rear, I took the plug in extension lead and routed it back to the passenger compartment for easy use.

Now if you have left the master on it will take an overnight to charge but no worries of overheating, etc.

The Sears chargers are fine when more/faster juice is needed and have the distinction of a 3 year low hassle warranty and relatively low prices.

n468ac · #5 10-13-2008, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AX-O

Can I use a car charger to charge or keep the charge on my aviation battery? Or do I have to buy one of the expensive ones from an aviation supplier? Seems like they do the same thing.

Get a battery minder (we have this one http://www.batteryminders.com/batter...--p-16151.html ) or aviation charger ... we used one of those 1 amp / 2 amp motorcycle chargers and i have the battery sitting in my garage ... its about 1" bigger all around.

and down to 11 volts.

breister · #6 10-14-2008, 08:57 AM

Do not skimp on your charger. Get an electronic one recommended for the type of battery you are using and which is either specified for continuous keeper charge or is such low amperage that there is no danger whatsoever of fire.

Better yet, ask yourself why you need such a thing which introduces an avoidable risk. Optima batteries will easily go 12 months without recharging - if you are not flying for that long, more than your battery needs attention.

Jamie · #7 10-14-2008, 12:32 PM

If you accidentally leave your master switch on and drain your battery, the battery minder will do you no good. If I remember correctly, it only charges the battery if the battery's charge is 11 volts or so.

cawmd82 · #8 10-14-2008, 01:04 PM

SOMEONE left the master on for a couple of days and a beautiful, calm, temperate afternoon presented with NO impediments to aviation. As I lowered myself into the cockpit I found THE impediment.

About 18 hours of Battery Tender later we were off into the WBY.

YMMV

Geico266 · #9 10-14-2008, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamie

If you accidentally leave your master switch on and drain your battery, the battery minder will do you no good. If I remember correctly, it only charges the battery if the battery's charge is 11 volts or so.

You are right, but the question was will a car charger be okay to maintain a battery. If the battery is completly discharged a car charger is fine for a limited time and amps. Depending on the size of the battery no more than an hour or two @ 10 amps.

A Battery Minder is way better for maintaining a battery, and desulfating it.

I'm just trying to help guys avoid cooking or shorting the life of a $150 battery by overcharging it. Slow charging is always better than fast charging. I found this out the hard way.

hevansrv7a · #10 10-14-2008, 03:29 PM

A while back I was having some battery issues with a quite new Concorde, the standard model for pilot-side firewall mounting in a 7A. I had a conversation about charging it with an expert ("Skip") at Concorde and he highly praised the Sears Die-Hard charger. I now have one in the hangar and another in the garage. It has, he says, the right electronic controls for at least my kind of RC battery.