Battery management sustems ?

I was having a chat to GWD (hi George) at a barbie recently and he
showed me a gadget he had, attached to the garage wall,which kept hte
battery of his BBBMW topped up and happy-looking.

My bike has a smaller battery, 12v, 6AH (sealed), so I'm wondering
what I should get to keep _my_ bike battery smiling and chuckling
while it sits in the garage doing SFA for weeks at a time.

All suggestions will be considered. Only one _may_ be acted upon.



=================

Onya bike

Gerry

 

This lot are not exactly cheap but seem to be functional - I have an XS800
which alternately looks after my Meriden Triumph battery (lead acid) and an
Odyssey in the BMW

http://www.ctek.com/EN-GB/home/default.aspx


Cheers

 

+1 for ctek.

Arguably the best mass market chargers around.


G-S

 

This explains what smart chargers do and why they can be left
connected indefinitely to maintain the battery.

http://www.master-instruments.com.a...ers/Battery Fighter Charging Explaination.pdf

Pay more money and you get more "stages" and features. eg the Ozcharge
units here are about as smart as they come
http://www.allpurposebatteries.com.au/index.php?cPath=4&osCsid=b18da98438584f491a6c48f263010f7e


Do a search on battery charger for suppliers or succumb to Dick Smith
pricing for BatteryFighters.

Maintenance chargers..worth every cent to extend battery life.

 

Pretty much anything modern. I have a "Cheap Auto Parts" Caliber 12V 10A
charger which goes into float mode when your battery is charged. I can
forget to unplug it without worry. You don't need any other charger. Cost
less than $100.

Theo

 

Your batteries normally last 2 years?

My 2006 Guzzi has the original battery, with no maintenance charging.

Theo

 

In aus.motorcycles on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 20:26:44 +0800

Ditto.

But then I just changed the rear tyre after 20,000km and the front
still has another few thou in it, so I suspect the Noggie's just a
frugal beast generally.

Something has to make up for that bloody dipstick...

Zebee

 

I replaced a battery after 8 years of service (July 00 to Dec
08) ...was still going ..OK...but getting tired on cool mornings and I
didn't want to risk damaging the starter mechanism.

A note on battery life ..certain makes/models of bikes can be
mechanically damaged (sprag clutch) if the battery causes the starter
to turn over too slowly.

 

A float charger style is the minimum functionality for a maintenance
charger. ie. charge to set voltage then maintenance/monitoring charge.

Units with additional functionality provides more automated
diagnostics and charging patterns suited to particular types of
battery and to rectify/prevent sulphation issues or charging at too
high a current or voltage during different stages.

 

OK, thanks for all the advice, guys.

After digesting all that and cruising the interweb, I think I'm going
to get the CTEK XS 800.

Anyone reckon I should go for something else? If so, a convincing
argument to back that up would be really good.

=================

Onya bike

Gerry

 

The XS800 is a superseded model battery charger and is being phased
out for the XS0.8.

Technically superior (and equivalent I believe to the newer CTEK in
terns of stages) is something like the 2amp charger on this page which
I'm happy with:-

http://www.ozcharge.com.au/store/12-volt-battery-chargers.html

It's got more headroom (than the XS or the newer XS 0.8) for charging
larger batteries and has a manual desulphation mode to allow selecting
a full desulphation cycle every few months/year..important for
extending battery life and charge delivery especially for heavy loads
(starting on cold mornings).

Also selectable for increasingly popular and cheaper GEL batteries
(the CTEK doesnt differentiate so doesn't provide a better/customised
charge for GEL types).

Note that many of these smart chargers generally won't charge a
heavily depleted battery...ie really, really smelly rotten and dead
(think NSW ALP) and probably stuffed anyway (think NSW ALP) which is
why the microprocessors diagnose and don't proceed. For something
really dead..whack it on a "dumb" charger and if any signs of life
after an hour...back onto the smart charger once the voltage comes up
a bit..if at all....

Happy shopping

 

You mean the battery I just took out of my old Leyland tractor with the
bulging sides and ends may not be recoverable?

Damn!
Theo

 

I had changed my mind and was thinking of getting the CTEK XS4003
($119). Still, the 2amp OzCharge at $95 sounds good too.

Unfortunately I'm not the best person to figure out which of those two
is the best bet, so I'll wait a few days to see what further wisdom is
offered. I need someone to tell me which way to jump here.

Will the NSW ALP ever be able to get back to being a workers' party?
Then again, who gives a shit about the plight of workers these days
anyway... But for now, let's just worry about my battery charger eh?


=================

Onya bike

Gerry

 

Sounds like not the only thing that's come out of the old Leyland
tractor with bulging sides and ends.

 

The ALP was concocted before developers, lobbyists, schemers, merchant
bankers and other scum were invented.

So the answer is no.

 

LOL I hear the cry of a man in analysis paralysis. Well, as you're
looking at some higher amperage and more advanced chargers, who am I
to deny inflicting more analysis pain:-

http://www.allpurposebatteries.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=4&products_id=123

 

Grrrr... So now it's three...

But WHICH ONE should I choose and WHY?

Where's a fecking genius when you need one!!! Grrrrrrrrrrr...

=================

Onya bike

Gerry

 

I doubt they'd have the courage but I reckon the Labor left ought to
split from the right, and start to rebuild a true workers' party,
perhaps under a new name like "Original Labor".

It would take a while to get back up, but with a new party
constitution which would disallow any right factions infiltrating the
party, they could get back to their roots and represent the exploited
class with integrity.

The middle class is shrinking and the lower income class is
mushrooming. It's time.

=================

Onya bike

Gerry

 

Ozcharge 6 amp..does all types of lead-acid including newer calcium
tech, has more stages, does car batteries as well as bikes and better
value than the CTEK.

Decision made.

but then again you could try ....

 

OK, I'll give that a go then. Thanks.

Hisssssssssssssssss...

=================

Onya bike

Gerry