Charging the battery "in situ" ok?

fiatfan

fiatfan

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Electrics isn´t my best topic, so I need help to try and understand this. I have an 850 with electronic regulator/rectifier and a Pazon EI. If I want to charge the battery while it´s in the bike, connected to the positive ground system, do I connect the clamps from the charger the same way I do when the battery is out of the bike? Red wire to positive + on the battery and black on the - ? Can I damage any of the electronics? I have big problems trying to understand this bit of the positive ground system.
 
That's the basics. If you're worried about things, pull the fuse. My knowledge only goes as far as my '73 for stock wiring......
 
I read a post on UK NOC from Al Osborne that said if you do not disconnect the battery [remove the fuse] the battery will not fully charge as the reg/rec will be trying to regulate the incoming charge.
 
possm said:
I read a post on UK NOC from Al Osborne that said if you do not disconnect the battery [remove the fuse] the battery will not fully charge as the reg/rec will be trying to regulate the incoming charge.
Click to expand...
I believe that statement was regarding using the Commando 'accessory plug' to charge the battery. If you connect directly to the battery, I don't see how the reg/rec (or the original zener diode) would have any effect on charging.
 
If you need over 14.2 V to charge your 12 V battery, you have battery problems.
 
With a zener diode in the circuit, if I left the fuse in place, my smart charger would never bring the battery to full charge and shut off.
With a zener diode in the circuit, if I pulled the fuse, the smart charger would bring the battery to a full charge and shut off.
When an electronic regulator/rectifier, the smart charger would bring the battery to full charge without pulling the fuse.
 
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I consider it good practice to remove the fuse when parked in the shop and to charge without the fuse installed. Many bikes have 50+ year old wiring that is suspicious at best and removing the power source can prevent fires.

I had a BWM car. It was parked quite a while. When the mice/rats ate through the wiring, a short occurred follow by a spectacular fire. Fortunately, it was outside.
 
All post-6V system regulators and all rectifiers on British bikes are electronic. A properly functioning zener diode will typically allow a higher battery voltage than a modern regulator, but they can get soggy before failing completely.
 
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nortonmargie said:
I have a Pazon and have installed wires on the battery with a one way plug that hangs down a little below the seat. To charge battery, plug the charger (with matching one way plug) into the bike's one way plug. Don't have to remove the seat or the side cover and battery charges all the way.
Click to expand...
Exactly the way. No drama required 👍
 
So, I have one of those 2amp battery tenders attached to the battery by ring terminals on it's own shielded pigtail with a quick disconnect plug. If the battery tender is activating the zenor diode then it should be hot, but the zenor is ice cold and the battery tender software seems to work correctly. When I get back from a ride and plug it in, the lights on the tender go yellow to show it's charging, then 30 minutes later it goes to the pulsing green light that shows the battery is full and it just pulses at the battery to keep it topped up.

If the zenor is dumping the charge from the battery tender for long periods at a time, you would think the zenor would at least be warm, Wouldn't you? I could see if the zenor dumps charge at 14.4volts and the battery tender charges up to 14 volts before it enters maintenance mode that they would work together without ever activating the zenor because the tender regulates the charge at a lower voltage point so the zenor never has to deal with voltage over 1.44 volts so maybe they are compatible for an actual design reason. :rolleyes:
 
o0norton0o said:
So, I have one of those 2amp battery tenders attached to the battery by ring terminals on it's own shielded pigtail with a quick disconnect plug. If the battery tender is activating the zenor diode then it should be hot, but the zenor is ice cold and the battery tender software seems to work correctly. When I get back from a ride and plug it in, the lights on the tender go yellow to show it's charging, then 30 minutes later it goes to the pulsing green light that shows the battery is full and it just pulses at the battery to keep it topped up.

If the zenor is dumping the charge from the battery tender for long periods at a time, you would think the zenor would at least be warm, Wouldn't you? I could see if the zenor dumps charge at 14.4volts and the battery tender charges up to 14 volts before it enters maintenance mode that they would work together without ever activating the zenor because the tender regulates the charge at a lower voltage point so the zenor never has to deal with voltage over 1.44 volts so maybe they are compatible for an actual design reason. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Pulsing green is not topped up. That indicates greater than 80% charged, as per Battery Tender literature.
Charging the battery "in situ" ok?
 
Depends on which battery maintainer you have. Pulsing green on one of mine is battery at full charge, polarity correct and monitoring. On another I have 2 greens, no flash, an amber flashes when trickle charging. On another, 5 ambers and a green!

All have poor user instructions!
 
Mart UK said:
Depends on which battery maintainer you have. Pulsing green on one of mine is battery at full charge, polarity correct and monitoring. On another I have 2 greens, no flash, an amber flashes when trickle charging. On another, 5 ambers and a green!

All have poor user instructions!
Click to expand...
The poster I responded to wrote "battery tender".
It is a brand name here, the most widely known & sold. The directions are printed on every device. Extremely clear.

www.batterytender.com

Battery Tender® Lights and What They All Mean

You just purchased your first Battery Tender battery charger! In this article, you'll learn more about what the light indicators mean on your new charging unit.
www.batterytender.com www.batterytender.com
 

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