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Old 02-01-2009, 02:58 PM   #1
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BatteryMinderPlus

OK guys, I bought this thing today on sale at CW for $42.99, now what is the proper procedure to use it. The Sunline battery is in the utility room sitting on a hunk of 2x6.

Oh, talking about batteries, ole' blue got jealous and I had to put 2 new batteries in it. But, the truck was built in Jan. '05 and they were the original batteries, and now my checkbook is $180.00 bux lighter

Kitty & KD
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Old 02-01-2009, 04:56 PM   #2
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Kitty, I have a Battery Minder plus that I use on my motorcycle AND my lawn tractor. It came in a kit with two different connectors... a clip-on set and a ring-type set. I have the ring-type set on my motorcycle where the battery is hidden under the seat. The other end protrudes just out the right side of the frame so that I can connect it to the business end of the charger easily. I use the clip-set on the tractor battery.

Since you have the Sunline's battery out of the coach and sitting indoors, I'd use the clip-end set of cables (if yours came with it), connect the charge side and plug the charger in. The charger has instructions printed on it showing what the indicator light should look like in each stage of operation.

I've been thinking about getting another set of ends for the charger (you can buy just the ends) and using it on my coach battery, but you're supposed to just LEAVE the charger connected and not move it around from battery to battery. I may break down and buy another Battery Minder just for the coach.
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Old 02-01-2009, 05:14 PM   #3
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Thanks Dave,

After the ball game I might hook it up. Love those Clydesdale commercials

Kitty
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Old 02-01-2009, 06:30 PM   #4
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Kitty

Adding to what Dave said.

First check the liquid level. Make sure it is over the cells and full to the right level. Use distilled water to top off with.

Ideally, charge the battery first with a normal charger if it has been used a lot and not recharged or sitting around for months. Then use the Battery Minder Plus. If the battery is heavily discharged, the minder will most likely not bring it up but it is rated to charge but only a little over 1 amp rate so it can take a long time. If your batterey is really discharged you can force the desulphation mode. But I'm assuming your battery is not that bad off. So it will first charge the battery to full and then start the desulphation mode. It just might take a day or 2 to recharge since it is not a high amp charger.

I use a combo of the connectors. When the battery is in the coach, I use the ring terminals and have the cord hang out the case. When we go camping, I just put the weather plug in to keep dirt out of the end. Then when I get home, I plug the Minder in. I put the AC plug in a plastic storage box with a hole in the side for a 120 volt lead line to go thru. The box is plenty big enough to not be a heat issue. This keeps the plug nice and dry and I slide it under the TT so no rain or snow ever gets on the box. AC cord then runs into the shed. With the Minder on it, it will stay full charge and then no worries about the battery freezing in the winter as we do winter camp.

If the battery is out in the open, well then like Dave said, I use the clip on’s. Red to +, black to -, Clip on battery 1st, then plug in wall.

The lights on the front of the unit will come on and start blinking when the desulphation mode starts. Just let is blink… It will then start dissolving the built up sulfate that is in the battery. And depending on how old the build up is, it will take many days to get ride of all of it. But that is it’s job and then just leave it on all the time when you are not using the coach. It will blink as long as it is connected and in that mode. When you unhook and rehook, well it starts all over, first full charging then going into blink mode.

This year I bought a few more and now have them on the Ford tractor, the John Deere rider and even the F350 sitting in the garage going no where until the snow melts and I stop traveling so much…. I have a float charger on the T2499 sitting in the shed.

The Battery Minder Plus can actually do 5 batteries at a time if you have them all out at once and can tie them together and the battrey types are the same. I have never done that but it is rated to do it. Link having 2 12 volt batteries on your TT tongue

The Minder is pretty simple and all you have to do is clip it on and plug it in.

It is a good investment for your coach.

John
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Old 02-01-2009, 08:33 PM   #5
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While I don't have one of these, from what everyone has described, it sounds like I use something very similar. They apparently are very popular because they were out of them around Christmas time and the website says they're still out of stock. Apparently they had a $9.99 sale on them and sold out their entire inventory.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...s+%26+Boosters



We have two on the dual batteries in our boat, two on the toy hauler, and one on my coach. The TH and boat ones are on their 3rd season, and only one of them had a problem. I think it was more a battery problem- the battery was on old one and we left it up north over the winter and the thing just cooked the battery and itself. That one got replaced under the Sears warranty (since it was less than 6 months old) and the rest have been fine ever since.

We use the ring terminals and I let the cover strap hold the cover down out of the way. Weather isn't an issue since it's all inside. When we either take the boat out or take a trailer out, all I do is just unplug the connector and go. On the trailers I just stuff the plug down in the side of the box. The only downside I've found is the rings are made really small, I'm not sure if a battery exists that they could go on. We've had to drill them out to fit over the threaded posts, but there's plenty of metal to do this. It's like they made it the right size, but picked too small of a drill.

Jon
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Old 02-01-2009, 09:27 PM   #6
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Hi Jon

I followed your link. From what I can tell with the specs, that is a good float charger but It did not mention anything about having a desulphation mode. And the price was $29.99 from what I could tell. If you saw them at $9.99 that must have been a blow out sale.

The Battery Minder Plus that Kitty and I have has the addition of desulphation mode plus the float charge mode. Here see the VDC website. http://www.batteryminders.com/batterycharger/home.php That link comes complete with a thunderstorm jingle…

This is what it looks like that Kitty and I have.


VDC is one of 3 manufactures who make the pulse type desulphation mode which is claimed to be the next generation method of dissolving sulfate crystals verse just burning them off. If your battery minder or battery charger has the desulphation process that is better conditioning of the battery. It has to boost to 14.2 volts to get up that high to start the process and then come back down.

Hope this helps.

John
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Old 02-07-2009, 02:24 PM   #7
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Battery Charger

A few months ago I bought what looks like a very nice and versatile charger either at Sam's Club or Costco.
It has 2, 10, and 25 Amp charging rates with stepped charging rates and float. It also has 75 Amps for starting, and the cyclic desulphation mode, as well as a cell equalizing mode.
As I am 5k miles away from home, I can not tell you the brand, but if intersted, may be a trip to the store or check on their Net sites would be worth the effort.
Seems I paid about 50 bucks for it.
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Old 02-07-2009, 02:40 PM   #8
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Battery Charger

Folks,
I did the search, and you can find it on the Sam's Club site.
It is easy to identify by my description.
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