Forum Discussion
- $6bucks harbor frt.
midnightsadie wrote:
$6bucks harbor frt.
SHOW ME- He is talking about this generic version.
- The float charger at Harbor Freight is nowhere near the equivalent of the Battery Minder. It does not have the desulfation feature and the quality is much less. I tried the HF device on farm equipment batteries over the winter twice and both failed in a couple of months. I had been using a Battery Minder on my motor home to keep the engine battery charged while parked for several years and switched to one at the orchard. Still working fine after five years according to the new owner.
Specs for the Battery Minder.
BatteryMINDer® Model1500 includes full-time automatic high frequency pulse desulfation (not high voltage), which helps extend the life of a battery up to four times over its normal life. The unit can maintain up to four 12 Volt batteries at one time when connected in parallel by using SmarTechnology™ Y-Connectors (part# 210AY) or customer supplied 18-Gauge insulated wire otrfun wrote:
BatteryMINDer Plus $19.99
Great price on a great product.
Used one on my motor home to maintain the engine battery when parked and after 12 years it is still working.- How much is the TOTAL including shipping? I cannot access the Northern Hydrofunk website down here.
MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
How much is the TOTAL including shipping? I cannot access the Northern Hydrofunk website down here.
Mex, shipping to where you are, is a big unknown. Within 48 states expect S/H $8-10, total $30.
I like this:
"...automatic high frequency pulse desulfation (not high voltage), which helps extend the life of a battery up to four times over its normal life".
Gotta put my car battery on it, let it live 20 years :)... maybe...
And here are the specs:
Input
105-130 Vac 50/60 Hz 0.19A
Output
12 Vdc @ 1.00 Amps
Output
10.5 Vdc @ 1.3 Amps
Charge Voltage
14.0 Vdc
Float Voltage
13.4 Vdc
Desulphation Pulse
1.0A @ 3.26 MHz
Float Current
5 mA - 200 mA
Size/Weight
3-3/4” L x 2-1/2” W x 2-1/4” H / 2.3 lbs
Operating Temperature
0°F - 125°F- It would be to the U.S.A.
The stupid PWM control circuit operates at 3.26 MHz. Wotta con job. Instead of utilizing a menu driven (reverts to float voltage), the manufacturer puts a TIME LIMT on wide open meaning uncontrolled charging. How much can 1 ampere of charging install even if left on for four hours. Four ampere hours. BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE! The unit CAN NOT produce 1 ampere of current at VMax.
Still, it's a good thing for batteries in storage.
Consumers with no idea of how this stuff works eat the gizmo krap up and ask for seconds. - Mex - this is not a charger, you don't need me to tell you this. This is a "minder". For storage only. 4 AH in 4 hours is plenty when you're dealing with self-discharge only.
- I have only one and have switched it around for years to maintain our home's backup generator battery, our boat's battery, and most recently for several years to maintain are RV's engine battery 24/7 while the RV is parked in our back yard. I plug the BatteryMINDer's input into an RV 120V receptacle and it's output into a 12V always-hot receptacle on the cab's dash. The RV itself is plugged into a 120V receptacle on the side of the house 24/7.
I just ordered another one at that great price through the link that otrfun provided above .... thanks otrfun! I paid way more than that way back when for my first one.
Sometimes this "black Friday"/"cyber Monday" stuff is more than just hoopla ... I just today also ordered a new SOTA flat screen TV at a bargain basement cyber Monday price.
