[TR] Battery trickle charger

[John Macartney]

Angelo Graham wrote:
This winter I have left the battery in the car with the
trickle charger connected. Maybe I should remove it and take it inside?

I
hesitate to broadcast the great misfortunes of others but I think there may be
some listers who know of Duncan and Sheila Wood from Red River Triumph in
Texas? Stories change in the telling but its my understanding that just before
Christmas, Duncan left the battery in his 1935 Gloria on a trickle charge in
his garage and in his absence the charger shorted out and delivered full mains
power to the battery. The tragic result was their house was effectively burned
to the ground, while their truly gorgeous Gloria, Stag and a recently acquired
Dolomite became scrap metal.
Historically, I've used a mains trickle charger
keeping my trailer home leisure battery (a deep cycle 120amp) in tip top order
over the winter and done it in my workroom that's attached to the house. Two
years ago, it failed and I bought a portable solar panel we now keep in the
trailer home when we locate it in places where there is no mains hook-up. It
more than keeps up with discharges from lighting, radio/CD and water pumps and
while it cost rather more than a mains charger, it really keeps the battery
recharged during the day and we can fully 'indulge ourselves' in electrical
services while away from mains sources. So battery and solar panel come home
in the close season and over to our 'home on wheels' when the weather is
better.
 
Jonmac