SOHC.co.uk Forums > CB350/400

Solar trickle chargers

<< < (2/3) > >>

Moorey:
Small panel ones don't have regulators because they produce very little charge and are designed for much larger car batteries. I wouldn't use one. To me even leaving smart charges on bikes all the time does batteries no favours and dries then out. I now if not been used regularly put the charger on for 24hrs take it off for a month and repeat.

oldchuffer:
Thanks for the responses, this, together with researching a bit more makes me think i'll stick to my C-tek unit for now.

McCabe-Thiele (Ted):
Our Merc is connected 24/7/365 except for a couple of hundred miles a year to a MB smart charger. Our first lead acid battery lasted over 10 years I think I topped it up twice. The current AGM sealed battery is now  6 years old. They are pretty big batteries 110 ah or therabouts.

TrickyMicky:
When I was a child, in our house, and some of our relatives, we used a radio which was powered by an "accumulator", as they were then known, basically just an ordinary head acid battery. This was used until the battery was drained flat, then a man would deliver a freshly charged one and take your discharged one away. The radio would drain the battery VERY slowly, and the discharged ones were re-charged at no more than a trickle. They lasted for years.  Moving on to a later period of my life, I worked for a motor parts wholesaler, and we sold Tungstone vehicle batteries. When talking with one of their engineers, he said that the worst thing you can do to a battery is to leave it flat, next on the list, but not so bad, was to keep it fully charged all the time. A Battery thrives on being discharged followed by a re-charge, the ebbed flow of the current helps keep the plates clean. He then mentioned the old "accumulators" and said they had the best life of any battery.  If I lay my bike up for any length of time, I sometimes just leave the parking lights (LED's) switched on for quite a few hours, and then connect to a very slow trickle charger.
   Recent case in question, I now own a GB250 Clubman which does not have a front parking light (USA Spec.). I did not realise that the steering lock has two positions, one with the rear light on, and the other without. As I park in the garage with the bike facing outwards you can guess!  Two days later, there was still enough power to illuminate the neutral light, (just!). 5 hours on the trickle charger and it started on the button with no ill effects. Batteries like to work. Have fun.
   PS. I had a C-Tek unit some years ago, It is in a landfill site somewhere.

Athame57:

--- Quote from: McCabe-Thiele (Ted) on August 13, 2022, 02:53:22 PM ---
... my slave battery.

--- End quote ---
What is a slave battery here? Sorry if it sounds like a doughbag question but I've never heard the term before and google is producing odd results!

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page