Sealed lead acid batt chargeing

[nick02]

I have a quick question. I wish to charge a 12v sealed lead-acid weelchair batt with a car 2 amp trickle battery charger. will it work? Will it damage the battery?

[Nando]

You have not given enough information.

What type of tickle charger, is it regulated ?.

If it is regulated to 13.8 Volts or a bit less, it will ok

When asking for assistance one may remember that the one that may respond to your message does not know what you have in your hands, SO it is necessary to describe as much as possible what you have plus a good description of what one wants to attain.

BAD INFORMATION = = BAD ASSISTANCE then you blame the helper -- being the one asking for help the one that is GUILTY of giving wrong information.

Nando

[12AX7]

I'd suggest that someone giving 'technical' help, without first getting the facts would be guilty of something.

I'm not qualified to answer either,  but I'd take a wild guess that if the charger is in fact a "trickle" charger then it must have some regulation.

And if it's rated 2amps, I'd guess that's just about where it's regulation is set.

Don't know much about wheelchair batts,  but most likely a deep cycle.

I'm thinking that there wouldn't be a problem.

But I've been wrong before.  Lot of times!  

[oztules]

2 amps is a nice charge rate for this size battery, however, voltage on charger must not exceed about 14.5volts max. At this point it must be disconnected from the trickle charger.  Dont be fooled, Any amps  at over this voltage (over fully charged) will eat the spider web lead wire that they use for the intercell connections.

When this happens you end up with a battery, fully charged that you cant get the power out of because of course, the interconnecting lead has dissolved or has become so perilously thin that when you put a load on it, it fuses out.  So if you plan to leave it unattended then it must be regulated not to exceed float voltage (13.7v is fine).

If you leave it on charge for longer than that which fully charges it, without a float regulator, it will start eating the cell interconnects.

(we had a problem with .5amp charging circuits on tiny 5hp hondas..unregulated. Many 17ah 12v batteries were killed off and dismanteled only to find electrolysis had eaten the internal wiring...on a lousy half an amp, before we finally ignored honda's factory settings and  built voltage regulators on them (all 170 of them).

So heed nando's advice

12ax7.....ecc83....have'nt heard that in twenty five years. Are you still high mu or now wearing out to medium.  For reasons I can't begin to guess, I can still remember the pin-outs for that tube..  nice to hear it again, takes me back to a simpler time.

.......oztules

[12AX7]

See?

as I was saying,  I've been wrong lots of times.

Too many are mistaken, thinking vacuum tubes have gone down the path of the homing pigon and a free lunch.

In fact right now I'm listening through an all tube stereo.   You'd never guess what makes up the phono section..  line amplifer or the tone controls?

Hummm   come to think of it,  bet they could be made to run off of batterys.

The 807s..   are running about 490vdc  'yikes'  

[oztules]

let me guess....full 12ax7 for phono, 1/2 12ax7 for line amp and let me see...hmm.1/2 12ax7 for the tone amp.

Funny about that, I too have that setup. Something I built 30 yaers ago, and it still sounds excellent. I lifted the circuit from the RCA recieving tube manual's front applications circuits.  I built it on pcb. That  pre-amp has had a lot of favourable comments over the years.(use motional feedback for power amps)

I have sat back and knocked the tops off a few 807s in my time. Valves were too expensive on the juice for power amps, but if you had abunch of 807s on the output, you wouldn'd need a heater in the house I guess.  But I still like valves for high gain audio work. Seems not to generate the third harmonics like tranny's did.. or some such malarkey.

Anyhow, good to hear someone else has that front end on their stereo. Mine will still be running when i give out I guess.....

.........oztules

[nick02]

Thanks guys, anyway I got the batteries to charge with the original 24v charger that wasn't working (the green charge light wouldn't turn on and, it didn't charge).

The inside of the charger was dusty as heck!

I took it apart and found a relay's cover fell off! I found the cover in the case and cleaned it's contacts with contact cleaner! It now works great! And charges the hoveround nicely!

Anyway, Since we are now talking about tube radios I would like to add my 2c.

Last week when I was on spring break I was at an auction house in Chico, CA with my step dad.

I saw this beautiful zenith trans-oceanic R600 for sale.

I got lucky and won it for $40.00. It has the rare 1l6 tube, which are quite pricy.

Currently the set hums but picks up good. I am replacing the out of spec caps with new Mylar's.  and the electrolytic capacitors.

I've had prior experience working to tube radios. It's my favorite hobby.

But the TO has to be the best find yet! It has everything. No one has ever done anything to it before! All orig zenith tubes, manual, schematic, log book and even the original sales tag!.

[12AX7]

Hello Oztules

I'm running an old Audio Research SP-3

Three in the phono  Three in the line stage and Two in the tone controls.

Eight total.  If your still using RCA's I'd suggest you keep  your eyes open for some Mullards..  or Amperex.  

[12AX7]

Back in their day,  Zeinth made some mighty fine radios.

It's been many years since I've played with a Trans O.  

Still pissed at my little brother for  snapping the whip...   and that was over 40 years ago.   "L"

[alcul8r]

Nope, most trickle chargers are just transformer and rectifier, no regulation.  For a big battery it is fine to let it go extended periods.  For a smaller one you'd better watch it.

Rex

[elvin1949]

I agree

 Most cheap trickle chargers are junk.

wont hurt a large battery BUT will kill a small one

later

elvin