T&T: battery chargers

[Peter Bennett]

Automotive chargers were (and perhaps many still are) unregulated, so
if left charging indefinitely (or even for a week or so) would
overcharge the batteries.  The unregulated chargers should only be
left charging for a day or so, then disconnected.

I think any regulated charger that will turn itself off when the
battery is charged would be OK, even if intended for the automotive
market.

There was an old mechanic's tale that some inexpensive chargers used
an autotransformer, which would mean that the output is electrically
connected to one side of the AC input. I don't believe that UL or CSA
rules have permitted such chargers to be sold for 50 years or
more (if ever), so electrolysis shouldn't be a concern.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007, 11:35:51 PM, kakillian wrote:

kan> Can any of you folks help with this one?  A boater next to
kan> me installed an automotive battery charger aboard his vessel.  I
kan> told him that was a no no but I couldn't explain exactly why, but
kan> suggested electrolysis.  What's the real explaination?  He then
kan> asked me if it could be used if the battery were isolated from
kan> the electrical system on the vessel, I had no answer.  Appreciate
kan> the help folk!  Thanks  Ken Killian, Alaska Family Fun, Seward
kan> Alaska ps It's not me I have a Lewco.

-- 
Peter Bennett, VE7CEI    Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Ennos 31 "Honeycomb"
GPS and NMEA info: http://vancouver-webpages.com/peter 
Vancouver Power Squadron: http://vancouver.powersquadron.ca