Brake away switch battery on a cargo trailer
I just bought a used cargo trailer that has a small rechargeable battery on it. the battery is only putting out about 5 volts. I guess I need to charge it. My first question is can I charge it with a ...
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If it's a 12v battery, pretty much any 12v charger will do. (If it's a 6v, use a 6v charger). Just keep in mind you do not want to charge at higher than a C/4 to C/3 rate. It's likely not a deep cycle, with its 20hr rating clearly indicated, so you should try to figure out roughly what its 20hr rating is, if possible. Otherwise, go with say 4 amps, to be safe.
Some "smart" chargers will not initiate a charge on heavily depleted batteries... I think anything under 6v(?) is deemed 'deceased'. At 5v, you need to baby that thing back to life. Start out with a 2a trickle, and see how that goes. Should take a couple days of slow and easy to get it ready for "normal" charging. DO NOT hit it with high amperage or voltage from the get go. That comes later.
As for future maintenance... take your pick. A small solar panel may be in order, or just charge it up on occasion... but do keep it charged up, or it will sulfate terribly. In fact, you will likely need to de-sulfate it, if and when you are able to get it charged up. (Remember to monitor water levels in all cells).
Post what battery it is, and what you have available in the way of chargers, and several here can help you thru the process.
Some "smart" chargers will not initiate a charge on heavily depleted batteries... I think anything under 6v(?) is deemed 'deceased'. At 5v, you need to baby that thing back to life. Start out with a 2a trickle, and see how that goes. Should take a couple days of slow and easy to get it ready for "normal" charging. DO NOT hit it with high amperage or voltage from the get go. That comes later.
As for future maintenance... take your pick. A small solar panel may be in order, or just charge it up on occasion... but do keep it charged up, or it will sulfate terribly. In fact, you will likely need to de-sulfate it, if and when you are able to get it charged up. (Remember to monitor water levels in all cells).
Post what battery it is, and what you have available in the way of chargers, and several here can help you thru the process.
