Batboard

I have alot of radio equipment that I control in my truck using a vehicle repeater. I would like to keep this equipment running 24/7. I am looking for ways to keep my battery charged but not over charged. Can I place a 13.8 volt power supply on the battery when the truck is not running or will this over charge the battery or damage the power supply? Any thoughts? I have thought about the system we use on our ambulance but they are very pricy.

You could get a trickle charger mounted onboard and plug it in 120 when it's left for long periods of time. You'd just have to get the charger to put in more than what your system will draw out.

That is a 1/2 (_*_) way of fixing the problem. You need to invest the money in a battery saver system, or you will be using a charger to maintain a parasitic load on a battery system, that WILL infact have you replacing that battery faster than normal. If you were to go and figure out how much money your current vehicle battery costs, and what it will cost to replace every year or so when you kill that battery, doing what you are doing, then you will quickly realize that you will spend MORE later, rather than paying the initial investment to do it right the first time, with the proper equipment.


I just looked up the 7 amp & 20 amp battery savers on kussmaul's newest catalog, and they are $165 & $315 respectively. These items hook inline to your battery, and you connect the parasitic loads TO THEM, so they will switch the feed over to the unit's shore line when the vehicle is shut off and plugged in, and they will NOT sit there and smoke your battery. If you are serious about this vehicle, i would go and spend the extra $200 bucks and put an autocharger on it, with a "battery saver" feature on it (funny how that name was used) that will automatically switch those bad loads over, and at the same time charge your vehicles battery off the same 115 vAC. My personal favorite is the Auto charge 20/20. This has two separate outputs, 20 amp to the battery to charge that monster on our international (Which i believe is 3 parallel behemoths) and another 20 amp powersupply to supplement the handlights, 12vdc portable chargers, check out lights and computer system WITHOUT the battery seeing an ounce of draw. It is a fine item to do what you want.


Do the math, if you need this vehicle to start all the time, and you need the loads supported...SPEND THE MONEY to do it right... this mickey mouse "trickle" charger on top of a parasitic load off a vehicle battery will work, till the battery essentially becomes a huge capacitor and will no longer start your vehicle when you need it, and then guess what....towing bill, new battery (possibly a new alternator) and all the other stuff will set you right up about the cost of doing it right the first time.

I am not shilling Kussmaul, but i have four separate applications using four separate items from their catalog for precisely this kind of situation, and i have YET to have one of our mission-critical vehicles NOT START, due to a dead battery.

You have your choices, be cheap and plan on replacing batteries much faster than normal, or do it right, swallow the sourtasting initial investment, and not have to worry.

YMMV.

Most battery chargers will over charge a normal auto battery.
You need to install a special unit that can "MAINTAIN" the
regular auto battery, while providing power to the load
you want to keep live.

Figure out what you live load needs to be to keep the
radio gear operational. Don't forget that there is more
power being used with receive audio. Add up what the
load looks like and start from there.

As has been suggested, take a look at "Kussmaul" and
see if you can find a unit that will fit your needs. Give
them a call and talk to them. They don't bite and can
provide some suggestions on the best choice to make.
They are not cheap, so don't fall over when they lay
the cost of the unit on you.

Do it one time and avoid having to replace the vehicle
battery a number of time. Remember that if you kill
a regular car battery, the life span and capacity of that
battery just went out the door. Those batteries don't
like to have their charge run all the way down.

Jim

Smart Battery Charger.

BLACK & DECKER
2A Automatic Float Mode charger

VEC0805BD

I got them at WallMart in the automotive section. < $22