03-19-2004, 02:43 PM
HEY PAUL,
THE BATTERY LIKE ANY BATTERY LIFE DEPENDS ON USEAGE, OR NON-USEAGE, THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO TO A BATTERY IS LET IT SET WITHOUT USE FOR ANY EXTENDED AMOUNT OF TIME. THE ON-BOARD CHARGERS ARE GENERALLY ALLRIGHT, THEY USUALLY ARE A SLOW CHARGER TO BEGIN WITH, LIKE YOU NEED TO HOOK THEM UP OVERNIGHT. THEY USUALLY HAVE A 10 TO 20 AMP OUTPUT IN SOME CASES IT MAY BE LESS. TRICKLE CHARGERS ARE WHAT THEY CALL THEM.
AS FAR AS BEING ABLE TO TELL IF YOU BATTERIES ARE ANY GOOD, YOU CAN DO ONE OF TWO THINGS, FIRST OF WHICH IS TAKE THE BATTERY TO AUTO ZONE OR CHECKER AND HAVE IT LOAD TESTED TO SEE IF ITS ANY GOOD. THE SECOND IS GOTO THE SAME PLACE AND BUY YOURSELF A BATTERY LOAD TESTER SO YOU CAN TEST THEM WHILE CONNECTED TO THE BOAT, IF THE BOAT IS EQUIPPED WITH A MOTOR WITH AN ALTERNATOR ON IT, YOU MAY WANT TO LOOK AT A FEW TESTERS AND GET ONE CAPABLE OF TESTING THAT ALSO, DONT WORRY IT MAY BE WORTH THE FEW EXTRA BUCKS, BUT YOU WILL NEVER HAVE TO BUY ANOTHER ONE, AND YOU CAN TEST THE CHARGING SYSTEM ANYTIME YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE AN ISSUE TO ADDRESS.
THE CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF A MARINE TYPE BATTERY IS THE SAME AS AN AUTOMOTIVE BATTERY, OFTEN CAR BATTERIES ARE USED ON BOATS, I PREFER TO USE A OFF-BOARD CHARGER, THAT WAY ITS NOT TOO HARD TO CHARGE UP A BATTERY WHILE I HAVE ONE INSTALLED IN MY SETUP. THAT WAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE A FRESH BATTERY READY FOR USE. ONE THING I HAVE BEEN EYEBALLING IN CABELAS, IS THE SOLAR BATTERY MAINTAINER, I SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA, WORKS ON CLOUDY DAYS, AND IT EMITTS A 7.5 AMP CHARGE TO KEEP YOUR BATTERY "TOPPED OFF" IF YOU WILL OR IF YOU HAVE A SMALL ELECTRIC TROLLING MOTOR THAT ONLY DRAWS 5 AMPS, YOU COULD THEORETICALLY RUN IT OFF OF THE SOLAR CELL.
THEY DO MAKE CHARGERS THAT ARE A LITTLE MORE BEEFY, TO PUT ON YOUR BOAT, BUT WITH A STANDARD BATTERY CHARGER, YOU CAN CHARGE UP YOUR BOAT, CAR, 4 WHEELER, DUNE BUGGY, ANY BATTERY YOU COME ACROSS, GET ONE THAT HAS A 6 OR 12 VOLT CHARGE OPTION AND IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT GET ONE WITH AN AMPERAGE OUTPUT ADJUSTMENT SWITCH YOU CAN GO FROM LIKE 20 TO 10 TO 2, SOMETIMES WHEN A BATTERY HAS SAT ALL WINTER AND IS DISCHARGED YOU HAVE TO PUT THAT 2 AM TRICKLE ON IT FOR LIKE 24 SOLID HOURS TO GET IT BACK TO USEABLE STATUS, OTHER WISE YOU HAVE TO BUY A NEW BATTERY.
JUST FYI..THIS INFO COMES FROM MY FAMILY THAT HAS RUN AN AUTOMOTIVE EQUIPMENT SALES AND SERVICE COMPANY SINCE 1913. MY DAD STILL RUNS IT AND IF YOU TELL HIM CHRIS SENT YOU IN HE WILL TREAT YOU RIGHT ON WHAT HE OFFERS FOR BATTERY CHARGERS. THAT GOES TO ANY OF YOU BFT PEOPLE, I WILL TALK TO HIM AND SEE IF HE IS WILLING TO PUT UP A DISCOUNT FOR YA, MORE ON THAT LATER. IF YOU WANT CONTACT INFO PM ME AND I WILL SEND IT TO YOU AS I DONT WANT TO VIOLATE ANY OF THE ADVERTISING RULES ON THE BOARD, TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT THE COMAPNY DOES, IT SELLS/SERVICES THE LIKES OF TIRE BALANCERS, BATTERY CHARGERS, HOISTS TO PICK UP A CARE AND CHANGE THE OIL, BRAKE EQUIPMENT LATHES, FLYWHEEL GRINDERS PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING YOU NEED TO USE IN A SERVICE SHOP FOR A CAR. A BATTERY CHARGER IS A BATTERY CHARGER, AND A BATTERY IS A BATTERY, JUST DIFFERENT CASES FOR THE APPLICATIONS. WE EVEN HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE "NEW" GLASS PAK DESIGN BATTERIES, NO ACID, TOTALLY SEALD AND ALL. ANYWAY THAT IS ENOUGH RANTING ON A SUBJECT I PROBALY KNOW WAAAAY TOOO MUCH ABOUT.
HOPE I HELPED,
LATERS,
[signature]
THE BATTERY LIKE ANY BATTERY LIFE DEPENDS ON USEAGE, OR NON-USEAGE, THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO TO A BATTERY IS LET IT SET WITHOUT USE FOR ANY EXTENDED AMOUNT OF TIME. THE ON-BOARD CHARGERS ARE GENERALLY ALLRIGHT, THEY USUALLY ARE A SLOW CHARGER TO BEGIN WITH, LIKE YOU NEED TO HOOK THEM UP OVERNIGHT. THEY USUALLY HAVE A 10 TO 20 AMP OUTPUT IN SOME CASES IT MAY BE LESS. TRICKLE CHARGERS ARE WHAT THEY CALL THEM.
AS FAR AS BEING ABLE TO TELL IF YOU BATTERIES ARE ANY GOOD, YOU CAN DO ONE OF TWO THINGS, FIRST OF WHICH IS TAKE THE BATTERY TO AUTO ZONE OR CHECKER AND HAVE IT LOAD TESTED TO SEE IF ITS ANY GOOD. THE SECOND IS GOTO THE SAME PLACE AND BUY YOURSELF A BATTERY LOAD TESTER SO YOU CAN TEST THEM WHILE CONNECTED TO THE BOAT, IF THE BOAT IS EQUIPPED WITH A MOTOR WITH AN ALTERNATOR ON IT, YOU MAY WANT TO LOOK AT A FEW TESTERS AND GET ONE CAPABLE OF TESTING THAT ALSO, DONT WORRY IT MAY BE WORTH THE FEW EXTRA BUCKS, BUT YOU WILL NEVER HAVE TO BUY ANOTHER ONE, AND YOU CAN TEST THE CHARGING SYSTEM ANYTIME YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE AN ISSUE TO ADDRESS.
THE CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF A MARINE TYPE BATTERY IS THE SAME AS AN AUTOMOTIVE BATTERY, OFTEN CAR BATTERIES ARE USED ON BOATS, I PREFER TO USE A OFF-BOARD CHARGER, THAT WAY ITS NOT TOO HARD TO CHARGE UP A BATTERY WHILE I HAVE ONE INSTALLED IN MY SETUP. THAT WAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE A FRESH BATTERY READY FOR USE. ONE THING I HAVE BEEN EYEBALLING IN CABELAS, IS THE SOLAR BATTERY MAINTAINER, I SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA, WORKS ON CLOUDY DAYS, AND IT EMITTS A 7.5 AMP CHARGE TO KEEP YOUR BATTERY "TOPPED OFF" IF YOU WILL OR IF YOU HAVE A SMALL ELECTRIC TROLLING MOTOR THAT ONLY DRAWS 5 AMPS, YOU COULD THEORETICALLY RUN IT OFF OF THE SOLAR CELL.
THEY DO MAKE CHARGERS THAT ARE A LITTLE MORE BEEFY, TO PUT ON YOUR BOAT, BUT WITH A STANDARD BATTERY CHARGER, YOU CAN CHARGE UP YOUR BOAT, CAR, 4 WHEELER, DUNE BUGGY, ANY BATTERY YOU COME ACROSS, GET ONE THAT HAS A 6 OR 12 VOLT CHARGE OPTION AND IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT GET ONE WITH AN AMPERAGE OUTPUT ADJUSTMENT SWITCH YOU CAN GO FROM LIKE 20 TO 10 TO 2, SOMETIMES WHEN A BATTERY HAS SAT ALL WINTER AND IS DISCHARGED YOU HAVE TO PUT THAT 2 AM TRICKLE ON IT FOR LIKE 24 SOLID HOURS TO GET IT BACK TO USEABLE STATUS, OTHER WISE YOU HAVE TO BUY A NEW BATTERY.
JUST FYI..THIS INFO COMES FROM MY FAMILY THAT HAS RUN AN AUTOMOTIVE EQUIPMENT SALES AND SERVICE COMPANY SINCE 1913. MY DAD STILL RUNS IT AND IF YOU TELL HIM CHRIS SENT YOU IN HE WILL TREAT YOU RIGHT ON WHAT HE OFFERS FOR BATTERY CHARGERS. THAT GOES TO ANY OF YOU BFT PEOPLE, I WILL TALK TO HIM AND SEE IF HE IS WILLING TO PUT UP A DISCOUNT FOR YA, MORE ON THAT LATER. IF YOU WANT CONTACT INFO PM ME AND I WILL SEND IT TO YOU AS I DONT WANT TO VIOLATE ANY OF THE ADVERTISING RULES ON THE BOARD, TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT THE COMAPNY DOES, IT SELLS/SERVICES THE LIKES OF TIRE BALANCERS, BATTERY CHARGERS, HOISTS TO PICK UP A CARE AND CHANGE THE OIL, BRAKE EQUIPMENT LATHES, FLYWHEEL GRINDERS PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING YOU NEED TO USE IN A SERVICE SHOP FOR A CAR. A BATTERY CHARGER IS A BATTERY CHARGER, AND A BATTERY IS A BATTERY, JUST DIFFERENT CASES FOR THE APPLICATIONS. WE EVEN HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE "NEW" GLASS PAK DESIGN BATTERIES, NO ACID, TOTALLY SEALD AND ALL. ANYWAY THAT IS ENOUGH RANTING ON A SUBJECT I PROBALY KNOW WAAAAY TOOO MUCH ABOUT.
HOPE I HELPED,
LATERS,
[signature]