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what kind of trickle chargers are you all using?

Charging System, Wiring, Lighting
allthumbs
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Posts: 131
Joined: Tue May 06, 2008 7:33 am
Location: Beacon, NY

what kind of trickle chargers are you all using?

Post by allthumbs » Thu Jul 10, 2008 5:43 pm

I'm researching what charger to buy. I've bought LED tail light and blinker light replacements that I think will help. I also want to keep the battery on charger when not in use. I've looked at a Schumacher SC-300A. its a 3 amp trickle charge that is pretty cheap.

does anyone have a better one?

thx

Dogsbd
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Location: Upstate South Carolina
Contact:

Post by Dogsbd » Thu Jul 10, 2008 7:15 pm


ggray
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Joined: Tue Jun 27, 2006 6:14 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.

Trickle Charger

Post by ggray » Fri Jul 11, 2008 7:21 am

'65 CL77 Owner

obscure44
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Location: Omaha, NE

Post by obscure44 » Tue Jul 29, 2008 9:48 pm

+1 on Dogsbd's recommendation.

milwaukeephil
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Post by milwaukeephil » Thu Jul 31, 2008 3:42 pm

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=42292

The $8 Battery Tender.

Keeps my CA77 juiced up at all times. Never had a problem with it...

Image

joeweir1
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Location: middletown,pa

Post by joeweir1 » Wed Aug 06, 2008 3:52 pm

I installed one of the early high output rotors I took off a late 63' or early 64' CA72 and it does help and I have not had to put my CA77 on the charger at all since then.

e3steve
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Location: Mallorca, Spain & Warsash, UK

Post by e3steve » Sat Nov 08, 2008 5:24 pm

FWIW, guys:
The execution
I've been using my CB at least weekly all season. It does start easily, I must admit -- certainly no more than a 2-sec push of the button (the kickstarter doesn't work at all) from cold -- and is restarted probably 3 or 4 times per 25-mile ride. I always have the lights on, it has a 35/35 halogen headlamp bulb and an LED stop/tail. I have winkers, which I use frequently, and they are fitted with 2 x 23W lamps per side. I've also fitted a compact Stebel twin airhorn, necessary for survival on Majorcan roads -- they really have little awareness of what's outside their little tin bubbles and just how vulnerable a 2-wheeled road user is! It gets used at least for one ½-sec burst every rideout.

The system
It has a smaller battery than recommended -- a 7Ah -- but has a standard alt/dyn via a Schottky-diode solid state rectifier.

The upshot
The battery has never needed external assistance, with the exception of one jump-start after some enthusiastic 'testing' of accessories before I started riding it.
If your battery needs external charging, then:
1. check the battery's ability to hold its charge by using a hydrometer to the test the specific gravity (SG) of the electrolyte in each cell.
2. check the terminal voltage after a week or so of the bike being stood, if possible having not been started or anything electrical having been used.
A trickle charge from a fully automatic charger producing no more than 2A @ 13.8V would be beneficial whilst working on the bike's systems -- testing, timing, etc. -- but bear in mind that a healthy but totally depleted 9Ah battery will be fully charged in 9 hours from a 1A charger (or denominators' permutations thereof). An automatic charger will attenuate its output as the battery's capacity is replenished, reducing to a miniscule maintenance charge once that thirst is satisfied.

WARNING
Never connect/disconnect a charger or a load whilst switched on. Beware of sparks, flames or cigarettes around a charging or discharging battery's breather vent; it breathes and gives off hydrogen gas which will explode and shower the area with sulphuric acid! I've seen it happen more than once. You may have got away with it before or you may have been caught out; in the latter case you'll know what i'm talkng about, but in the former case, don't push your luck!

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