- Joined
- Jan 1, 2009
- Messages
- 443
For those thinking of stocking-stuffers, Amazon is selling Juniors (via Motorcycle Superstore) for under 20 bucks. Enboldened by the discussion here, as usual, I bought two.
dynodave said:Since we're talking about british bikes/commando...probably with zener diodes, then the battery should always be disconnected from the general harness (connected to Zener) or the battery tender will just continue to bleed through to ground once the zener boundry voltage is achieved.
:roll:
http://atlanticgreen.com/images/zener.gif
Trickle chargers are usually low amperage chargers with a maximum output of around 14 volts. No fancy electronics, just a small transformer and rectifier. Tenders are designed for long term maintenance and usually have some sort of regulation. Although at the low end of the price spectrum, I'd guess that there's no real difference.So what is th actual difference between a "trickle" charger and a tender.
lrutt said:http://www.accessnorton.com/posting.php?mode=quote&f=1&p=84724
By definition of this post we are talking tenders, so they should NOT overcharge anything. Otherwise the statement above is true, one must be careful in trying to breing a dead AGM up to charge, trickle is best.
That's a common misconception. A trickle charger typically puts out one amp - all the time - regardless of the battery's voltage or state of charge. If left plugged after the battery is at 14.5 volts, it'll just keep pumping 1 amp into the battery and could drive the voltage to 17 volts or a bit more. Not a good thing. A 3-stage maintainer (tender, smart charger, etc.) starts off charging at a constant current equal to its max output till the battery reaches somewhere around 13.75 volts. Then it switches to a constant voltage mode and tapering current so as not to make the battery gas or overheat. After the charge has tapered to 200 milliamp at around 14.5 volts (typical), the charger holds that current output. If the voltage doesn't continue to rise, the charger goes into float mode. What it does in float mode depends on the brand and model of the charger. Some are more effective than others. Wal Mart sells the Schumacher Speed Charge 6/12 volt for around $18. A good performer and a great price.britbike220 said:So what is th actual difference between a "trickle" charger and a tender. I thought they both shut off or went to float after a battery was charged. My batt tender weny bad last winter so I need to buy a couple more, but want to know what to buy.