WA Spotted & Chit Chat Thread

[arronm]

Optimate6 which is a 5amp charger....very good value!!!

1.6amp is buggerall....too small IMO.

Its to maintain the charge, not to be used as a regular battery charger. When the battery is on float is probably drawing 200mA.

You could use this to maintain the battery as well 25amps should do the trick. But why. This is my main battery charger.

[Krazy Kyle]

my car has been doing 2 - 4 week stints for 3 years. never had an issue

[GeGe6]

I noticed with my car sitting for 3 weeks every 3weeks that it was taking longer to crank over with a battery of 18months old.

Brought the Projecta 1600ma trickle charger and have had improved start up ever since.

[XtRmn8]

FIFO problems.

[GeGe6]

Yeh, just like when I get home, the misses won't cook four meals for me to choose from like work!

[RB Snake]

I don't see why you'd need a high amperage charger when all you doing is maintaining it, if the battery was being ran flat then yeah different story. Once the battery is charged the internal resistance should build up and that means very little current flow from the charger (happy to be corrected).

If you're lazy like me stick a Yellow Top Optima in there and be done with it.

[Ralph Wiggum]

1.6amp is barely enough to maintain the battery. You'll be lucky to be maintaining the top 10pc of the charge. Take a battery that has been maintained with a 1.6amp charger and get it tested with a decent high rate discharge tester and it will fall over. Don't forget bf1 onwards have variable displacement alternators that will not fully charge the battery. Unless your maintaining with at least a 5amp charger capable of cycling the charge rate between the float and trickle charge or regularily maintenance charging with a decent (20amp)plus charger your battery is not at full health. It will be perfectly fine until the day it's not.

This is even more true for gel cell batteries or batteries supporting upgraded audio/fuel/or other high load accessories.

Also I would encourage anyone capable of driving a multimeter to test the current draw with the car off. You will be surprised.

[.Stripes.]

I got a 5 amp C-Tek for my motorbike, it'd do my car also..but I use the car more frequently

[RB Snake]

1.6amp is barely enough to maintain the battery. You'll be lucky to be maintaining the top 10pc of the charge. Take a battery that has been maintained with a 1.6amp charger and get it tested with a decent high rate discharge tester and it will fall over. Don't forget bf1 onwards have variable displacement alternators that will not fully charge the battery. Unless your maintaining with at least a 5amp charger capable of cycling the charge rate between the float and trickle charge or regularily maintenance charging with a decent (20amp)plus charger your battery is not at full health. It will be perfectly fine until the day it's not.

Good to know. At what point is the alternator told the battery is (not really) fully charged?

[Ralph Wiggum]

Alternator targets a system voltage of aprox 13.5, Low engine speed/load and this is reduced. This equate to less left over capacity for the battery to absorb as the system demand from the car still exists. If you add a fuel pump (or two) drain 18- 20amp each, a couple of Amps drawing 10 - 15 amps each ( you get my point) the alternator is only supplying the cars basic need with minimal surplus for the battery.

I have specifically asked HPT to add the alternator output tables to the software so I can alter this as I dont believe the stock calibration will supply my D51r with a secondary fuel pump and two amps.