HF 10-Amp Charger Coupon Sale $29.99

gkainz wrote:
this one?

Yep, that be it!

Yotta see what it does with a discharged battery at 12.2 volts! And, no unwinnable arguments with a 29 cent smart charger integrated circuit chip! I've seen this charger put out 8.7 amps into a discharged battery on the 2-amp setting.

But I fear our oriental friends are going to catch on sooner or later and change the transformer without notification.

I spent some time with my chargers and disassembled them. I soldered all of the interior wire terminations and junctions, then hosed everything down with anti-corrosion aerosol. Reassembled it then soldered the power leads to the battery clips.

I am going to purchase digital meters (voltmeter, ammeter+20-amp shunt) on ebay and plaster them on the charger's front face Then comes a 120vac mini-muffin fan. And an on-off switch that lights up. An a big red flashing red LED across the terminals of the circuit breaker. If the breaker faults, it's strobe time!

It's amazing how much time I will waste doting over junk that I grow fond of.

Function switch set to "charge". Setting switch set to "start". Output 14.5 amp continuous at a battery voltage of 12.7. Pretty good for a $30 charger.

Thanks, I'll give it a try tomorrow on my house batteries.

hugemoth: YES

"Start" means normal, just like a regular battery charger.

I'd bet I would make a worse mistake trying to change English to Wu, or Mandarin.

Thanks. Good info. Didn't really get which switch in which position though. One switch marked "Function" and one marked "Setting". Do you set the "Function" switch to "Start" while leaving the "Setting" switch on 12V-10amp?

I just bought a charger at HF for $27 with a coupon. a 2/10/55 IIrc.
bumpy

OK I'll pray I that I'll end up making this more confusing.

The charger has an "automatic" charging selection. It works on all but the 50 amp BOOST setting that obviously has to bypass a 25 amp circuit breaker. The boost setting should be used when the car won't start and time is money. For less than a minute anyway.

Secondly, I do not trust the automatic setting, period. With any battery any time, even when constantly monitored. It shuts off far too quickly (around 14 volts give or take a dozen).

To use the charger manually, to defeat the automatic @#$%^&!! setting, slide that switch over to "Start". Honorable Chinese decal maker not bi-lingual enough to understand that the word Start is a misnomer. The setting should say "Manual". For $29.99 you can't have everything.

The 50 amp boost only works on the manual (start) position. I could care less.

This charger just kicks the liverwurst out of an old Schumacher 10 amp, a Craftsman 10 amp, and "no decal" transformer style charger. The Harbor Freight transformer is WAY bigger and heavier. This thing just laughs as it is pumping out 18 amps into a discharged 12-volt battery.

It runs 10 to 20 degrees cooler under prolonged full load than other of my other transformer based chargers.

Some Chinese engineer got carried away when he designed this transformer. It reminds me of the $37.95 5,000 BTU window air conditioners we purchased 11 years ago. Goldstar. One set of 2 has been in operation for 11 years a half year at a time (5.5 years of operation at 100% loaded) and still perform like new.

Someone is going to eventually wise-up in China and figure out they don't need all that transformer. Then the charger will be like the rest of the 10-amp junk on the market. I intend to have a stock of $29.95 chargers by then.

**************************************************************

DESULFATION REGIMEN

Charge battery @ 14.7 volts or thereabouts until amperage decreases to less than 5% of rated amp hour capacity. Terminate charge

Apply CONSTANT CURRENT (as best you can, no less than 4% and no more than 7% of rated amp hours in amperes) Exp. 4-7 amps in a 100 amp hour battery.

Allow the battery to accept that CONSTANT AMPERAGE charge rate until one of four things happen:

1. All the cells revert to original specific gravity density (exp 1.275).

2. Voltage climbs to 16.0 volts (2.67 volts per cell)

3. Electrolyte temperature reaches 50C, 122.0F

4. Any cell boils violently, or emits smoke

Do not exceed the values above. Stop the charge if a value is reached, or of cell electrolyte goes nuts.

WEAR EYE PROTECTION! Hot sulfuric acid splashed in the eyes will cause instant total and permanent blindness!

hugemoth wrote:
Good idea but doesn't the circuit breaker click off when it's left on the start setting? I have that charger but haven't tried the starting setting to get the higher voltage for equalizing batteries.

No it doesn't at least not on mine. I've seen as much as 19 amps on it.