Battery tender

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: Battery tender
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John B Joyce on Saturday, February 02, 2013 - 11:33 pm:

a few years ago John Regan had plan for a battery tender using a 9 volt transformer with a lightbulb in series on one of the leads.I made three of them and they seem to work well. I want to make a couple more. They bulb is #7816 but I can not find bulbs or sockets in the auto parts stores and I can't remember where I bought them. any ideas? thanks. John


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John F. Regan on Sunday, February 03, 2013 - 02:02 am:

John

The bulb is an 1816. The socket you need is what is called a "miniature bayonet base socket". Radio Shack number is/was 272-355 for 6 of them but they were pretty cheap. They might have the bulb too but if you google for the bulb you will see it lots of places. Make sure your power module is a 9V DC module rated at least .1 amps or so and that it is UL approved since you will be leaving it plugged in most of the time.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Sunday, February 03, 2013 - 08:44 am:

Are the complete plans still available?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan B on Sunday, February 03, 2013 - 09:16 am:

Check out Marco specialties online. I buy pinball machine parts from there and they have tons of small bulbs and bases.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Kopsky, Lytle TX on Sunday, February 03, 2013 - 09:50 am:

Here's one Les Sumner built a couple of years ago. It uses a common clearance light that uses an 1816 bulb. This could save trying to source individual sockets and bulbs.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chester Leighton on Sunday, February 03, 2013 - 09:52 am:

I second Steve's question. I would be interested in getting some plans. Where can we get a copy of the plans?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Todd on Sunday, February 03, 2013 - 12:23 pm:

Study the picture and read what John Regan posted above, it's all there.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John F. Regan on Sunday, February 03, 2013 - 12:37 pm:

Here is the plan verbally. It is for 6V battery only and will NOT work on 12V and there is no simple way to make one for 12V. The simplicity of this design works only on 6V. The concept might lead to a 12V design but it is not the elegance of the simple idea presented. Please don't bombard my email with questions about 12V version.

What you need is 1816 bulb and socket, 9V DC power module rated at least .1 amps and probably not more than .5 amps - a typical calculator power module while work. You then also need connection clips to hook the thing to your battery safely. The 1816 bulb is being used as a current limiter and is wired in series with either lead of the power module with the other lead of the power module going straight to the one of the battery terminals while the free bulb lead goes to the other battery terminal. The negative lead of the power module needs to end up at the negative post of the battery. Plug in the module and connect the clips to the battery. If the bulb is very bright then you have hooked up to the battery backwards. Reverse the clips at the battery and you should see a slight glow of the bulb when the unit is working right. The setup will provide between .050 and .075 Amps of continuous trickle current and will prevent the self discharge of a battery that is essentially just in storage. The battery needs to be fully charged first since this device is not a battery charger per se but is just a flea power charger designed to be left in place on a battery in storage to prevent self discharge. If you don't understand the above, then don't build it or try to use the idea - buy something instead.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John F. Regan on Sunday, February 03, 2013 - 12:39 pm:

Here is the plan verbally. It is for 6V battery only and will NOT work on 12V and there is no simple way to make one for 12V. The simplicity of this design works only on 6V. The concept might lead to a 12V design but it is not the elegance of the simple idea presented. Please don't bombard my email with questions about 12V version.

What you need is 1816 bulb and socket, 9V DC power module rated at least .1 amps and probably not more than .5 amps - a typical calculator power module while work. Make sure the module has the "UL" approved marking on it. You then also need connection clips to hook the thing to your battery safely. The 1816 bulb is being used as a current limiter and is wired in series with either lead of the power module with the other lead of the power module going straight to the one of the battery terminals while the free bulb lead goes to the other battery terminal. The negative lead of the power module needs to end up at the negative post of the battery. Plug in the module and connect the clips to the battery. If the bulb is very bright then you have hooked up to the battery backwards. Reverse the clips at the battery and you should see a slight glow of the bulb when the unit is working right. The setup will provide between .050 and .075 Amps of continuous trickle current and will prevent the self discharge of a battery that is essentially just in storage. The battery needs to be fully charged first since this device is not a battery charger per se but is just a flea power charger designed to be left in place on a battery in storage to prevent self discharge. If you don't understand the above, then don't build it or try to use the idea - buy something instead.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Sunday, February 03, 2013 - 12:59 pm:

Ken, some of us need a picture, even if it's verbal.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Kopsky, Lytle TX on Sunday, February 03, 2013 - 02:21 pm:

A picture is worth a thousand words.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dale L Myers on Sunday, February 03, 2013 - 04:45 pm:

Thank you all for the information.


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