According to the manual the Harbor Freight charger is 15.5V. That
seems a little high for a float charge to me. 12-volt LA batteries are
generally float charged at 13.8V. Did you guys measure the voltage
with it connected to the battery or under "no load"?

The recommended float voltage differs a fair amount with temperature and
with battery type (liquid, starved, or, now very rare, gelled
electrolyte). I'd check the manufacturer's specifications for the
specific cell. Most are on the web these days. If I were floating a
battery outside or in any other environment with substantial temperature
variation, I'd want to use a temperature compensated charger, with the
charger close to the battery.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

Bob Lewis (AA4PB) wrote:
According to the manual the Harbor Freight charger is 15.5V. That
seems a little high for a float charge to me. 12-volt LA batteries are
generally float charged at 13.8V. Did you guys measure the voltage
with it connected to the battery or under "no load"?

Roy Lewallen wrote:

The recommended float voltage differs a fair amount with temperature and
with battery type (liquid, starved, or, now very rare, gelled
electrolyte). I'd check the manufacturer's specifications for the
specific cell. Most are on the web these days. If I were floating a
battery outside or in any other environment with substantial temperature
variation, I'd want to use a temperature compensated charger, with the
charger close to the battery.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL
================================================== =

Hmmm, temperature compensate at a certain distance from the battery.
Can you model this Roy?

Roy Lewallen wrote:

The recommended float voltage differs a fair amount with temperature and
with battery type (liquid, starved, or, now very rare, gelled
electrolyte). I'd check the manufacturer's specifications for the
specific cell. Most are on the web these days. If I were floating a
battery outside or in any other environment with substantial temperature
variation, I'd want to use a temperature compensated charger, with the
charger close to the battery.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL
================================================== =

Hmmm, temperature compensate at a certain distance from the battery.
Can you model this Roy?

On Thu, 6 Nov 2003 18:37:30 -0500, Bob Lewis (AA4PB) wrote:
According to the manual the Harbor Freight charger is 15.5V. That

I think that's the wallwart, not the voltage applied to the batt.

seems a little high for a float charge to me. 12-volt LA batteries are
generally float charged at 13.8V. Did you guys measure the voltage
with it connected to the battery or under "no load"?

Either way measures the same. The little box is a basic voltage
regulator circuit.

sdb

--
| Sylvan Butler | Not speaking for Hewlett-Packard | sbutler-boi.hp.com |
| Watch out for my e-mail address. Thank UCE. change ^ to @ |
It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral
busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his
cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our
own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval
of their consciences. -- C. S. Lewis

LMAO! How many people does it take to screw in a lightbulb, or in this
case to charge a battery?


Sylvan Butler d wrote in message boi.hpZ.com.invalid...
On Thu, 6 Nov 2003 18:37:30 -0500, Bob Lewis (AA4PB) wrote:
According to the manual the Harbor Freight charger is 15.5V. That

I think that's the wallwart, not the voltage applied to the batt.

seems a little high for a float charge to me. 12-volt LA batteries are
generally float charged at 13.8V. Did you guys measure the voltage
with it connected to the battery or under "no load"?

Either way measures the same. The little box is a basic voltage
regulator circuit.

sdb

LMAO! How many people does it take to screw in a lightbulb, or in this
case to charge a battery?


Sylvan Butler d wrote in message boi.hpZ.com.invalid...
On Thu, 6 Nov 2003 18:37:30 -0500, Bob Lewis (AA4PB) wrote:
According to the manual the Harbor Freight charger is 15.5V. That

I think that's the wallwart, not the voltage applied to the batt.

seems a little high for a float charge to me. 12-volt LA batteries are
generally float charged at 13.8V. Did you guys measure the voltage
with it connected to the battery or under "no load"?

Either way measures the same. The little box is a basic voltage
regulator circuit.

sdb

The recommended float voltage differs a fair amount with temperature and
with battery type (liquid, starved, or, now very rare, gelled
electrolyte). I'd check the manufacturer's specifications for the
specific cell. Most are on the web these days. If I were floating a
battery outside or in any other environment with substantial temperature
variation, I'd want to use a temperature compensated charger, with the
charger close to the battery.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

Bob Lewis (AA4PB) wrote:
According to the manual the Harbor Freight charger is 15.5V. That
seems a little high for a float charge to me. 12-volt LA batteries are
generally float charged at 13.8V. Did you guys measure the voltage
with it connected to the battery or under "no load"?

On Thu, 6 Nov 2003 18:37:30 -0500, Bob Lewis (AA4PB) wrote:
According to the manual the Harbor Freight charger is 15.5V. That

I think that's the wallwart, not the voltage applied to the batt.

seems a little high for a float charge to me. 12-volt LA batteries are
generally float charged at 13.8V. Did you guys measure the voltage
with it connected to the battery or under "no load"?

Either way measures the same. The little box is a basic voltage
regulator circuit.

sdb

--
| Sylvan Butler | Not speaking for Hewlett-Packard | sbutler-boi.hp.com |
| Watch out for my e-mail address. Thank UCE. change ^ to @ |
It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral
busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his
cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our
own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval
of their consciences. -- C. S. Lewis