Battery Fighter - thanks Drivesafe!

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7th July 2009, 09:10 AM
Captain_Rightfoot

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scallops

Hello Steve - The battery fighter (No, i don't have shares in the company!), from what I'm told, will not produce a build up of sulphur on the plates nor will it cause gassing issues, as the mode of operation changes as a function of time and battery voltage (and charging current) from Qualification - ensuring battery status prior to charging, to bulk charge, to absorption charge, then finally to float charge. My understanding is that "sulphurnation" occurs when the battery voltage is particularly low - which isn't the situation I'm in.

The Battery fighter junior, that I think you use, might not have all these features - it is a 3 stage unit.

And I kind of know this thing wont help me if my cranker is really flat - because it is in parallel with another 105Ah deep cycle battery! I guess the point of the thing is to maintain charge between drives.:)

Yes, I know they say that. I'm just saying it's not all beer and skittles for the slow charge school. :D

I have the same unit as you by the way - the 4 stage one (1.5amp). So far it hasn't killed the Lotus battery although it has boiled off the water (**very** slowly).
7th July 2009, 09:23 AM
drivesafe

Scallops, your charger is perfect for what you intend to use it for and slow charging is better for batteries, IF YOU HAVE THE TIME.

Again, in your case it will do the job perfectly.

Hi Captain, any form of charging or discharging will cause a chemical reaction to take place in the battery. While there is any form of chemical reaction occuring, sufation will not occur.

The problem with using very low current chargers is that they take a long time to get the battery fully charged but this is not a problem unless your out and about and need the battery charged over night.
7th July 2009, 11:16 AM
CraigE

Talk about timing. I only pm'd Drivesafe last night regarding similar for my dirt bike and my kids bikes. I am probablly going to go down the route of setting up Anderson plugs and caps so the charger can just plug straight into the vehicle, no removing seats, covers etc.
Currentlly I have a Matson charger that seems ok, but will most likely get another from DS as we now have 2 bikes, a quad, a buggy and the Defender that need maintaining.
DS is a gem.
Cheers
CraigE
7th July 2009, 11:25 AM
Scallops

Quote:

Originally Posted by CraigE

Talk about timing. I only pm'd Drivesafe last night regarding similar for my dirt bike and my kids bikes. I am probablly going to go down the route of setting up Anderson plugs and caps so the charger can just plug straight into the vehicle, no removing seats, covers etc.
Currentlly I have a Matson charger that seems ok, but will most likely get another from DS as we now have 2 bikes, a quad, a buggy and the Defender that need maintaining.
DS is a gem.
Cheers
CraigE

I don't need to remove the seat either. The charger comes with a lead that is permanently attached to the + ve electrode, the other to the earth point on the battery box floor. This lead then comes out of my battery box via the same hole as the cabling for my SC-40 - Drivesafe's chaps made an open port for the cabling from the battery box, primarily for my cubby box mounter inverter, but the point is there is a cabling path out of the box cavity.

So all that is required is to plug the permanently connected lead into the charger unit, which I place on the floor behind the passenger's seat, and power it up.

It's pretty easy to drill a hole in either the metal box cover or the box wall for an access hole. Probably easier than installing an Anderson plug. :)
7th July 2009, 11:41 AM
Captain_Rightfoot

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scallops

I don't need to remove the seat either. The charger comes with a lead that is permanently attached to the + ve electrode, the other to the earth point on the battery box floor. This lead then comes out of my battery box via the same hole as the cabling for my SC-40 - Drivesafe's chaps made an open port for the cabling from the battery box, primarily for my cubby box mounter inverter, but the point is there is a cabling path out of the box cavity.

So all that is required is to plug the permanently connected lead into the charger unit, which I place on the floor behind the passenger's seat, and power it up.

It's pretty easy to drill a hole in either the metal box cover or the box wall for an access hole. Probably easier than installing an Anderson plug. :)

I've done something different (I probably didn't explain it that well on Sunday). I just assumed that if I need to support the vehicles charging it will be in the garage. So, I just mounted the charger off the roof of the garage where it sits powered up. I then just connect the anderson plug to my 12V wiring in the back of the car and it's on charge. :)

I couldn't see any point mounting it in the vehicle because I couldn't foresee a situation where I would want to charge it when it's out of the garage.
7th July 2009, 10:34 PM
adm333

One question I am keen to have answered....

I recently bought a 6amp automatic charger which has pulse charging and then cuts into "Float" mode (as described earlier here).

Is it necesssary to disconnect the negative lead from the battery or is it safe enough to connect up the charger directly with everything still attached.

I have been erring on the side of caution, but wondering if that is necessary.

Thanls
Dave
7th July 2009, 10:59 PM
Utemad

I do the same with my camper's batteries and a CTEK XS7000.

I don't mount it permanently anywhere but instead made a lead using 50 amp Anderson connectors so I can connect it to either the front or rear of the Disco or Camper.

I wouldn't mind getting another one so I can leave one on the camper and use the other one for general use but that starts getting pricy in the CTEK range so would be interested to see how the cheaper brands go. Getting a bigger unit would be good so you can bulk charge it overnight at a powered site when touring around. My camper has 200 a/hs worth of gel batteries so the 7 amp unit takes a while.

I love how the CTEK works but mine was replaced under warranty when it died after 6 months.

Drivesafe is the one you are going to sell the one that looks like a CTEK?

The MB3603, MB3604 and MB3606.
12/24V Switchmode 7A Battery Charger - Jaycar Electronics
MB3606
http://www.jaycar.com.au/products_up...arge_13020.jpg
7th July 2009, 11:30 PM
drivesafe

Hi Dave, you will probably more at risk of damage sensitive electronics by continually disconnecting your battery.

Even if your battery is stuffed, it will still act like a very big spike and surge suppression filter, so there is no need to disconnect anything when you want to charge your battery.

Hi Utemad, yep there the battery chargers I’m looking at stocking.
8th July 2009, 01:36 PM
martinozcmax

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_Rightfoot

Good stuff :)

As discussed on Sunday I have a battery fighter (same as yours) and a projecta battery charger that I recently fitted to the defender.

Our defender doesn't generally get driven as much as it should do - and we were having flat batteries after 3 weeks due to our ERPS system and normal vehicle standby load. Clearly it's not good flattening batteries, and at $300 a pop you don't need that.

So I have fitted the little charger to the roof about the defender. I then just plug it into my permanent 12v power under the back seat and then put a old bottle on the dash so I don't forget it and drive off with it plugged in. So far, it's now plain sailing with no more no-go's and hopefully the batteries will live much longer.

I have the battery fighter on our lotus with of late has been lucky to drive once a year. Still, its battery is kept charged enough to start the cranky old high compression engine. The only annoying thing is that occasionally you need to top the water in the battery (it's not sealed) which requires removal. Still, the battery is still in good condition and it's three years old and still going.

I would recommend either for cars that are driven only occasionally, or under-driven. :)

Sounds like it would also be good for my boat which has a dual battery system and can go months without use ?
8th July 2009, 01:45 PM
Pedro_The_Swift

Tim and I had this thread via PM a while ago,,:D
Bought a battery Fighter, the 1.5 waterproof model,,
It has been attached (via anderson plug) to the camper for 3 months now,, and while they say it wont charge a flat battery,,
after the last trip mine (two 825cca batts) came home at 11.5,, it eventually dropped onto float, took a week, but who cares?:D

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