[TR] Trickle Charger Wire Gauge?

[Dave1massey at cs.com]

In a message dated 10/18/2009 6:34:09 PM Central Daylight Time, 
tr3driver at ca.rr.com writes: 
> 
> >You'd have to be pretty clever to make one of these start a 
> >fire.
> 
> Nope, all it took was replacing the transformer with a somewhat beefier 
> one
> (from an old Hayes modem), that would deliver maybe 4 or 5 amps into a
> short.  Didn't actually catch fire, but got hot enough to melt the plastic
> case and char the label, before the pass transistor gave up the ghost.


Ah, but you're changing the game.  You modified the unit.  That doesn't 
qualify as being clever, it is just plain cheating.  ;-)

But seriously, there are several types of "Battery Tenders."  I have two, 
one from HF and one from Mouser.  One unit is a simple wall wart that 
regulates (or seems to) at 14.25 volts.  The other has a wall wart with a secondary 
box with a light.  This unit regulates at 13.5 volts.  The little box gets 
warm suggesting that there is a regulator located in there.  This is the 
unit I got from Harbor Freight and assumed this is typical of what they carry.  
Maybe not.

I also have a 6 A three stage charger from Guest that I can use for heavy 
duty recharging if that should become necessary.  So I have no need for 
fabricating a Hayes model charger.

Dave

PS since I provided you dad a Gin Martini (stirred, not shaken) and you Mom 
a glass of wine at Triumphest, consider the debt paid.  (Never mind that it 
was on the house).