12v battery help

[BlackHawkDown]

I have a 12v 8amp battery but it will only charge three 1000mah packs. Is the charger using up all the extra power? It is a pinnacle dc charger. Is there any way to make the dc charger work right off a wall socket?

[ImaBiggles]

I have a 12v 8amp battery but it will only charge three 1000mah packs. Is the charger using up all the extra power? It is a pinnacle dc charger. Is there any way to make the dc charger work right off a wall socket?

sure is. but first if your battery is a starter type battery - you will kill it by cycling it to <11.8V or so.

Anyway, the easiest method for using our chargers on line current is using an old PC power supply. Even the cruddy ones have at least 8amp 12volt line capacity. Depending upon what power supply you have/get - depends on the complexity of the setup. The newer ones require a jumper or resistor since you are not powering it on with a pc. The older ones are easier as you just cut the wires, find the 12V and ground - and wire it to the charger.

Fancy setup:
http://web2.murraystate.edu/andy.batts/ps/POWERSUPPLY.HTM

more info:
http://www.wikihow.com/Convert-a-Computer-ATX-Power-Supply-to-a-Lab-Power-Supply

el cheapo ATX:
http://www.cascadesurplus.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/872
(this one may only have 6 amp 12V line, still plenty to for a charger)

Good luck!

[bravokilo]

BlackHawk:

It is a good idea to use a wall power supply really. Our experience,is that even our car battery seems to run down fast when we use it to filed charge our batts. But if you do have a spare car batteryand owns a pick up, run a single line to the back, put a diode of at lease 20 amps and charge the spare battery while going tot he field. The diode will ensure that the car starter does not use yopur spare to start the vehicle. also, your batt won't charge the other batt. Diosconnect when not running cuz your car batt will charge the spare batt whn stationary. By the way,m the wire is coming from the positive tern=minal of the orig car batt. Neg can be tapped to the vehicle
's body of course. DO NOT CARRY A LEAD ACID BATT INSIDE YOUR CAR OR EVEN THE TRUNK. THEY EMIT BAD FUMES!!!!OPEN AIR. This is my DISCLAIMER.

Cheap power supply is the computer power supply mentioned. Try Google and put in 12v power regulated supply. Amateurs make a lot of these type of PS. 13.8V is ok. that is the voltage when the engine is running (in your car) . Find a discarded transformer. A goiod sourse is an inverter (UPS) in the flea market of junk yrd. 110 in and 15-20 volts out. Cehck out it is not an autotransformer. The primary and secondary should not have any continuity(use ohms, tester). Put diodes and see regulated circuit. iIf you do not want to go to the troublke of reguialktion, find a 12 volt transformer and put diodes to get DC. If you get 14 comething, that's fine. AC toi Dc goes up by a facor of the sq. root of 2 or 1.44x.

Tell me if you need circuitry.


Rgards,,

BravoKilo

[BlackHawkDown]

Thank you for the help I will go to my local pc repair shop and see if they have any power supplies to part with. I just threw out a old win 95 like 2 weeks ago. I knew I should have kept it for parts. Thanks again.

[BlackHawkDown]

Thanks bravokilo I will try that one also.