If you get a charger, make sure it is one of low current capacity (e.g. 2-4
amps). That is all you will need, and more, to maintain the charge. Too
much current will overcharge the battery and boil off the electrolyte. I
also recommend that you rotate one charger for each battery at about a week
per battery. You won't need to charge them all the time.
I have four marine batteries in my basement for the winter and I recharge
them only twice during the off season. There just is no need to when they
aren't connected to anything. In this mode, marine and regular car
batteries are the same. As Dan states, there is a big difference when it
comes to draining them though.
I'll likely leave my Spit's battery in place for the winter and stick the 2
Amp charger on it a couple of times during the winter.
Vic Whitmore
76 Triumph Spitfire
Thornhill, Ontario
----------
> From: DANMAS@aol.com
> To: ewcorco@erenj.com; triumphs@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: Battery Chargers ('Maintainers')
> Date: Tuesday, November 04, 1997 2:37 PM
>
> In a message dated 97-11-04 14:02:49 EST, ewcorco@erenj.com writes:
>
> > I'm considering keeping a couple of batteries from my three season
vehicles
> > on a battery charger (or maintainer) through the winter. Several
> > questions: (1) is is worth the trouble in terms of preserving the
overall
> > health of the battery? (2) any units out there that you would, or
would
> not
> > recommend? (3) is it possible to keep more than one battery at a time
> > hooked up to it? (4) do you run them continuously, or periodically?
>
> Ned:
>
> Next time you are at the battery store, check out the marine batteries.
You
> will note that they are designed for "deep discharge," ie, they are
designed
> for applications where the battery is allowed to completely run down
between
> charges. The automobile battery is NOT designed for this. Every time you
let
> the battery go flat, its life is significantly reduced. For this reason,
it
> is a good idea to maintain a charge on the battery when it is not going
to be
> used for a while..
>
> If you get one of the automatic units, there should be no problem with
> keeping it on all the time - that would be no different than driving the
car
> all the time, as the alternator is constantly providing a low charge..
>
> I would not connect more than one battery at a time, because the charger
gets
> feedback from the battery as to its charge state to determine the
charging
> current. Two batteries would confuse the charger - I would imagine you
would
> get overcharging..
>
> If the batteries are totally disconnected, they will keep a charge for a
> fairly long time, so it would be no problem to rotate the batteries on
the
> charger..
>
> Dan Masters,
> Alcoa, TN
>
> '71 TR6---------3000mile/year driver, fully restored
> '71 TR6---------undergoing full restoration and Ford 5.0 V8 insertion -
see:
> http://www.sky.net/~boballen/mg/Masters/
> '74 MGBGT---3000mile/year driver, original condition
> '68 MGBGT---organ donor for the '74
>
>
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