12vdc car battery charger

Here is Amazon least expensive charger with meter

If he wants something that's low amp, that's the kind of thing I would get, ie a charger/maintainer that you can leave on to keep unused batteries fully charged, eg over winter. The other choice is a higher amp one that is more useful for quickly charging a dead battery, getting a car going, etc. I have an old sears one that does 2A/10A/50A, the latter is short term to start. IDK if there are higher amp ones like that which can also be left on indefinitely and have the functionality to safely maintain, thought there is no reason they could not.

Chargers are good for dead batteries but battery tenders keep them from going dead. The new AGM betteries and all the electronics are more touchy than ever.

Ger something like this

One thing I sometimes hate about Usenet is that people answer questions that were not asked, even questions that posters said they didn't want an answer for.

But.... My battery went dead at a hamfest a couple years ago and a guy with one of those little things jumped it. No bigger than 2 or 3 packs of cigarettes. I still don't know how they work and can't believe they do. It was a big convenience. My battery is almost new now but I still plan to buy one

It looks pretty nice and only $27. I wish I needed one but I still have the ones my cousin gave me in 1965 and the one I found broken on the sidewalk in Brooklyn in 1975.

I don't have that brand but it does have a feature older chargers don't:

I use a BatteryMINDer, same idea. I pull the batteries out of the bikes and the pickup in the winter and it keeps them charger and happy.

My newest one is a MotoMaster Eliminator charger from Canadian Tire -

Here in Canada Grainger carried the Westward line of chargers with analog meters - the cheapest is $118 Canadian dollars and is 2/10/55 amp.

Napa Part #: NBC 85510 is a 10/6/2 amp with an LED "meter" for $80 in the USA. Seems any charger less than $75 or so is JUNK

Another option - from Home Despot in the USA - a STARK GT25 12/24 volt 10/25 amp analog charger - internet #313076759 Model # 21530-H

$76

Also from Home Despot

Internet #310342966 Model # HW6000015

Harbor Fright has a Centec 2/6 amp unit on clearance for $30. SKU 56744, 56799 Classic steel case with plastic front, analog meter,and chintzy slide switch straight out of the 'seventies

I just spent some time on youtube where a user called Magic Smoke disassembles and repairs a couple of CTEK chargers. He is not kind, and in fact he is brutal when he describes the poor circuit design of the CTEK chargers.

If you want a charger that can be left on indefinitely then you need one that is capable of trickle charging. The one you have is *capable* of trickle charging on the lowest setting and a normal charge is the mid setting. The high setting should never be used to charge a battery if you want a good life from it.

Reports say Bob F is full of s*it. Fortunately I have him in a kill file so I only see his name when Clare replies. Ever use one to rejuvenate an older battery or are you just reading 'reports'?

i don't see anything that indicates the old charger he has is suitable to be left on a battery indefinitely. He doesn't even say it's trickle charge capable. Trickle charge ones that just continually applied a small charging current have been replaced starting decades ago with smart chargers that monitor the battery and only apply a small charge to refresh it when needed, eg the Battery Tender products.

Those are the times I don't hate it.

That's why I did it here.

On Tue, 26 Jan 2021 21:28:07 -0500, micky posted for all of us to digest...

Proper battery chemistry for the application. I have AAA and not going anywhere fast. If you are stuck in a long line of slow moving vehicles I am leading the parade. BUT I do pull over if I see my followers are being courteous and need to work to fund my $$. More than two is a sign and bumper riders and light flashers are disqualified. ;-)

On Tue, 26 Jan 2021 20:36:10 -0500, Ed Pawlowski posted for all of us to digest...

I have only read some of the posts but something to keep in mind is the Schumacher makes most chargers and re-brands them.

On Wed, 27 Jan 2021 01:22:03 -0500, Clare Snyder posted for all of us to digest...

Do the cables melt and burn your hand or does the unit blow first?

I I see I reposted a the link in here to Schumacher. I think they are made in China now but not positive.

On Wed, 27 Jan 2021 01:55:27 -0600, Jim Joyce posted for all of us to digest...

Letting the smoke out in controlled conditions is always an enjoyable experience.