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| Thread ID: 94178 | 2008-10-18 01:08:00 | how do i charge a 12 volt car battery? | mOOseCaNNoN (13319) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 713020 | 2008-10-18 01:08:00 | hi guys, I have a car battery in my lounge that i wanna charge up, I want to know is it safe to charge it by putting 12 volts directly into the battery. I have a power supply that i can vary the voltage from 2 to 12 volts DC or AC, can i just run wires from the power supply to the car battery on 12 volts DC and leave it for a while? cheers |
mOOseCaNNoN (13319) | ||
| 713021 | 2008-10-18 01:22:00 | There will not be enough amperage in a small power supply to charge your battery and it is more the power than the volts that the battery requires. To understand how much amperage, have a look at the lead that runs from your alternator to your car battery - it's quite thick. Suggestion: Start your car and leave it idling while you remove it's battery and replace it with the one that you require charging. Go for a drive of about an hour and you should find your battery nicely charged. Alternately, if you live in Auckland, you are very welcome to call around and borrow my battery charger.:) |
Roscoe (6288) | ||
| 713022 | 2008-10-18 01:26:00 | If you're talking about a plugpack (for, say, a external computer peripheral), it would probably work (if it doesn't go up in smoke :horrified ), but it would take days to charge as those things are only usually rated at .5amp or less, better to buy a cheap Car battery charger at Supercheap or Repco. Make sure to check your polarity. |
feersumendjinn (64) | ||
| 713023 | 2008-10-18 01:29:00 | thanks :) Will this (www.trademe.co.nz) do the trick? I use the battery every now and then for a project im working on. I'll probably either buy a battery charger but if you think that this solar thing will do the trick then I might get one. |
mOOseCaNNoN (13319) | ||
| 713024 | 2008-10-18 01:54:00 | It depends on how long you want to wait. Days? He stated that it was not rapid charge, but is a trickle charger and will not charge a battery up from dead. Why not put the battery in your car and go for a drive as I suggested? It will be fully charged by the time you return. If you have an automatic, you will have to swap the batteries while the car is running. If you have a manual you could jump start the car after installing the flat battery. Watch your polarity! You must get it correct!:thumbs: |
Roscoe (6288) | ||
| 713025 | 2008-10-18 02:17:00 | cheers, I've put it in the paddock car, just leaving it running now, is it better to take it for a drive or will it be fine just leaving it running? It's a bit of a hassle having to swap batteries so the solar charger might be a good idea once its charged ? |
mOOseCaNNoN (13319) | ||
| 713026 | 2008-10-18 02:29:00 | 1. 12volt car batteries need more than 12v input to effect a charge, typically they can reach nearly 14 volts at full charge and you cannot do this with a 12v [wall brick] power adaptor. 2. The Solar panel is not a particularly smart way, unless you live away from electricity. 3. Do not stuff up the controller computer in your car [recent models], or at least the radio and clock, by disconnecting the vehicle battery. 4. An El Cheapo battery charger is probably the answer. No need to lug stuff around to find some sunshine with one of these. |
PENTIUM (426) | ||
| 713027 | 2008-10-18 03:05:00 | awesome thanks for all of your input | mOOseCaNNoN (13319) | ||
| 713028 | 2008-10-18 03:51:00 | cheers, I've put it in the paddock car, just leaving it running now, is it better to take it for a drive or will it be fine just leaving it running? ? More fun going for a drive......... |
pctek (84) | ||
| 713029 | 2008-10-18 05:04:00 | Suggestion: Start your car and leave it idling while you remove it's battery and replace it with the one that you require charging . Go for a drive of about an hour and you should find your battery nicely charged . Alternately, if you live in Auckland, you are very welcome to call around and borrow my battery charger . :) and if you take a battery out of a vehicle with an alternator while it's running . . . when you find the charger to borrow, get yourself another alternator too . . . and maybe an ECM and an ISC motor and maybe some other electronic parts that you like to operate in your vehicle . Let me know how much smoke you got out of your dashboard too . . . I like to retell those stories at cocktail parties . . |
SurferJoe46 (51) | ||
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