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Old 08-10-2013, 09:03 PM   #1
Colonel
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Default Battery Tender Surge Protection

Nearby lightning strikes over the past few years have rendered a bunch of my Battery Tender Plus Units inoperable. I am getting poor replacing these things and think its time for a reliable and affordable surge protector. What do folks use or are there other options to protect these units?
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Old 08-10-2013, 09:31 PM   #2
jmeckel
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Default Re: Battery Tender Surge Protection

There are several options. First check with your electric company some sell and install surge protection that is part of the meter. Also check all of your grounds and returns to make sure they are tight and clean at EVERY connection point. You can buy some good surge protectors, triplite is one company that makes them. Do not waste your time on home quality, use commercial, for communications systems. Also a ups like is used or should be used on your computer will help a lot assuming you have good properly installed and working wiring in the walls.
There are all kinds of things we do at communications site to minimize the effects of lightning, however I doubt you want to spend that kind of money.

In case you want to do some major reading on this subject here is a link to the Motorola R56 manuel that covers grounding and lightning protection. It is not the current copy but will help you understand the complexity of lightning protection.
http://www.scribd.com/mobile/doc/41782971

None of this is cheap, if it is good, it will cost $$.
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Last edited by jmeckel; 08-10-2013 at 09:37 PM.
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Old 08-10-2013, 11:16 PM   #3
Mike V. Florida
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Default Re: Battery Tender Surge Protection

Cheap ones will work most most of the time once, some of the time a second time,and you basically have no protection after that.
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Old 08-11-2013, 01:03 AM   #4
Tom Wesenberg
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Default Re: Battery Tender Surge Protection

Instead of leaving the battery tender plugged in all the time you could use a regular small 6 amp battery charger and connect it for an hour a month. After having a battery explode overnight on a 1 amp charger, and having a 4 amp charger catch on fire, I don't like to leave any charger on unattended.
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Old 08-11-2013, 05:14 AM   #5
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Default Re: Battery Tender Surge Protection

Colonel,


Also look closely at the wall plugs (120v Duplexes) for damage from the lightening strike. Or better yet just replace them they are cheap.

Had lightening strike outside the garage that took out computers, TV and VCR. It hit Ham radio antenna at my Dad's house.


For several years after that the Garage door opener was flakey. Even replaced unit. Finally I found that the prongs inside the wall socket were burned and the brass had been partially vaporized causing flaky power.

When I took the wall connector apart the strike had arced from the neutral to the ground connector.

I had several lightening strikes here that took out DSL modem, several Network switches, even burned some of the CAT 6 cable in the basement and upstairs and couple of computers.

Installed a 12 foot long copper clad 1/2 inch steel rod in the ground with a large copper wire to ground the TV antenna mast.

Last edited by Benson; 08-11-2013 at 05:35 AM.
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Old 08-11-2013, 08:44 AM   #6
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Default Re: Battery Tender Surge Protection

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I'm electrically challenged but I was told to keep a power strip rated at 1000 joules between the receptacle and any electrical device I need to protect. That should eliminate any spikes caused by lightning....
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Old 08-11-2013, 09:00 AM   #7
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Default Re: Battery Tender Surge Protection

I don't think lightening had much to do with it, I bought 2 battery tenders. I did not use them every day, but overnight once a week, or two. My first failed after 6 months. The light stayed red, never went to green, and the unit was quite hot. The second one lasted 6 weeks or 2 months and died the same way.

Several members of the club I am in, have had the same experience. I don't think we have had one last a year.

I think it is a flaw in the unit.

Last edited by ctvpa; 08-11-2013 at 09:01 AM. Reason: spelling correction
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Old 08-11-2013, 09:45 AM   #8
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Default Re: Battery Tender Surge Protection

I've had both 6 and 12 volt units now for years. Don't leave them plugged in and use them once every 2-3 months. Have not had a failure to date.....
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Old 08-11-2013, 11:12 PM   #9
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Default Re: Battery Tender Surge Protection

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff/Illinois View Post
Deltran Battery Tenders? I have a 6V and a 12V I've used for several years and never had a problem, yet.

..[/B]
Same with me.

Just remember these are tenders not chargers. They work best on fully charged batteries in good condition keeping them fully charged. If your battery is in poor condition or run down you will place a strain on the tender.
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Old 08-11-2013, 11:40 PM   #10
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Default Re: Battery Tender Surge Protection

i had one die this year, went to start the car in the spring and all i got was a few slow revs and then clicking.... hooked tender up to make sure i saw what i was seeing right and it still says its fully charged...put on a real charger and got it going just fine.
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Old 08-12-2013, 09:28 AM   #11
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Default Re: Battery Tender Surge Protection

I just don't see much use for the battery tender in the first place.If you have a draw,then the tender is a band-aid,and the draw needs to be fixed.If you have a one wire alternator,you will have a draw,and really should have a cut off switch.I had a deltran tender go up in smoke a few years ago.Luckily it was on the top of an A engine,and it just kind of melted and smoked until the breaker blew.Any time a see a charger with the words,automatic,floating,or digital I run the other way.If it has lights that fade in and out,or change colors to tell you what it is doing I avoid them.A charger with plain switches,with a person to run and keep an eye on them,work just fine.If a car is just going to sit over the winter,I just unhook the battery and let it sit.If it is going to sit for more than a year I pull the battery and use it in something else.
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Old 08-12-2013, 06:26 PM   #12
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Default Re: Battery Tender Surge Protection

Quote:
Originally Posted by ctvpa View Post
My first failed after 6 months. The light stayed red, never went to green, and the unit was quite hot. The second one lasted 6 weeks or 2 months and died the same way.
I have used both the 6V and 12V Deltran units hooked up continually, 24/7 for many years with no problems whatsoever and average close to about 8-9 years' life on a good battery.

However, for the 6V unit only, the order in which one hooks up the wires is VERY important. If you carefully read the instructions it states to hook up the leads to the battery FIRST and then plug the unit unto the AC outlet SECOND. Many times I forget and reverse the order since it is quite convenient to simply leave the unit plugged in at the outlet and unhook the quick disconnect at the battery and then re-hookup after a drive. At those times the unit stays red and never changes to green . If I see the red staying on for a longer than usual time, I simply unplug from the AC outlet and then plug it in again--it always then resets to green if the battery is full .

The 12V unit seems to have more "intelligence" in the circuitry and isn't that finicky on the hookup order .
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Old 08-12-2013, 11:45 PM   #13
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Default Re: Battery Tender Surge Protection

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Originally Posted by mngreen View Post
I have used both the 6V and 12V Deltran units hooked up continually, 24/7 for many years with no problems whatsoever and average close to about 8-9 years' life on a good battery.

However, for the 6V unit only, the order in which one hooks up the wires is VERY important. If you carefully read the instructions it states to hook up the leads to the battery FIRST and then plug the unit unto the AC outlet SECOND. Many times I forget and reverse the order since it is quite convenient to simply leave the unit plugged in at the outlet and unhook the quick disconnect at the battery and then re-hookup after a drive. At those times the unit stays red and never changes to green . If I see the red staying on for a longer than usual time, I simply unplug from the AC outlet and then plug it in again--it always then resets to green if the battery is full .

The 12V unit seems to have more "intelligence" in the circuitry and isn't that finicky on the hookup order .
hmm interesting... i figured it would never matter but like most guys i dont read instructions until is broke haha
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Old 08-12-2013, 11:50 PM   #14
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Default Re: Battery Tender Surge Protection

I bought an inexpensive Battery Butler ($17.00) years ago and leave it plugged in 24/7. I have it on a '84 Ferrari I restored and finished in 2007. So far I've had no problem with the tender or battery. The car sits for weeks/months at a time without being started. (I'd rather work on my Model A!) But with all the postings relaying problems experienced by other posters I just might begin to unplug it once in a while. Oh yeah, I started with a brand new battery, but that was 6+ years ago. I'm planning to buy another Battery Butler, for the Model A. 6 volt for $20.00. Hopefully I'll have the same luck with that one as I do with the one I already have.
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Old 08-13-2013, 03:58 PM   #15
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Default Re: Battery Tender Surge Protection

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Originally Posted by Mike V. Florida View Post
Cheap ones will work most most of the time once, some of the time a second time,and you basically have no protection after that.
Little difference exists between a $10 one selling in Walmart and the expensive Tripplite or Monster products selling for many times more. In all cases, the hundreds of joules inside will absorb a transient that is hundreds of thousands of joules? Of course not.

Making them as small as possible without causing a fire increases profits. Then when it fails, naive consumers only assume, "It sacrificed itself." Nonsense. Better protection was already inside the appliances. A transient too tiny to harm appliances also damaged the protector. That gets many to recommend it.

Another completely different device, also called a protector, is designed to make surges irrelevant. And not fail. But since destructive surges occur typically once every seven years, then it sounds like external transients are not the problem. Frequent transients means many other also damaged appliances.
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