Originally Posted By: tmorris1
Originally Posted By: Snagglefoot
Originally Posted By: tmorris1
Originally Posted By: Snagglefoot
Chargers are a bit better now than 40 years ago. Maybe ask for one for your birthday!.
Not really for lead acid. Supplying current to a battery is pretty much the same now as 40 years ago.
Smart chargers are worth the money. That 70’s charger belongs with the platform shoes. Not to be unkind.
I agree they are worth it, but they are not anything magical. They do the same thing as the old ones except they are smarter on when to shut off. They don't really charge any better. My point was an old charger will probably just charge just as well as a new one, but you will have to babysit it more.
Not sure about that. They're not simply smarter about shutting off, but they don't have any kind of linear charging which helps with longevity, completeness of charge, and desulfation. Also smart systems with regards to reversed clamps. I remember using a voltmeter on my terminals and I saw that it was constantly changing voltage, which is consistent with modern microprocessor-controlled charging.
I had an "analog" maintainer with auto shutoff. It had a completely analog mechanism but was probably safe to keep on at all times. I guess that kind of bridged the gap until the modern ones using microcontrollers and firmware.