Re: Battery tenders/chargers with starting-assist option

[James Montebello <jamesm@domain.elided>]

While my experience seems to be unusual, I can give a negative rating
for the popular "Battery Tender" branded devices.  I used one on a bike
a few years ago and killed two batteries before I realized the tender
wasn't operating correctly, and all because a connector was bad.  The
"I'm charging" light would come on when it was *draining* the battery.
A shorted (provided) connector was fooling the tender into thinking it
was charging the battery, and the battery was draining merrily through
the connector.  Others seem to have luck with these things, so I guess
I'm just unlucky.  Another box from a different vendor (can't remember
the name) worked well, and didn't overcharge or boil off the battery.

james montebello

On Thu, 11 Apr 2002, Scott Fisher wrote:

> All,
> 
> I'm starting the process of shopping for a battery
> tender/charger, the kind you plug into the wall and
> connect to a car's battery.  Ideally I want one that
> serves two purposes:
> 
> 1 - hook up to car and choose setting A, which keeps a
> trickle of current going into battery to keep battery
> alive during long winter months of disuse.
> 
> 2 - hook up to car and choose setting B, which causes
> a surge of current sufficient to help get the car to
> crank over when the battery is a little flat.
> 
> Any brand recommendations, or other words of wisdom on
> the process of selecting such a device?
> 
> Alfa content: you MUST be kidding, right?
> 
> --Scott Fisher
>   Tualatin, Oregon
> .
> Yahoo! Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax
> http://taxes.yahoo.com/
> 
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