battery charger substitute?

[Explorer352]

Recently bought my first xs and am in process of getting it running. I don't own a battery charger, but I have a computer power supply converted to a 12v power supply. Does anyone know if this is a suitable charger? It puts out 200 watt max, don't know how mny amps, i think neighborhood of 5-7amp.

Edit:
I would only use this while in direct 'supervision'- i wouldn't leave it over night or anything.

Similar to this:

 

[pamcopete]

Explorer...,

The battery has a voltage of 12.6 when fully charged. In order to charge the battery fully, your charger has to be able to provide 14.5 volts.

The other problem with using your power supply is that it is a regulated 12 volt power supply. If you were to attach it to the battery and the battery had a low voltage, like 8 or 9 volts, your power supply would immediately try to raise the voltage to 12 volts until it drew its full amp capacity which would boil the battery. The general rule for charging batteries is no more than 10% of the batteries rated Amp Hr capacity, so for a 14 AH rated battery, you should not exceed 1.4 Amps, or 2 Amps for practical purposes.

If your power supply is rated at 200 Watts, that is the total of all four of the voltages that it produces. Look more closely and see what the Wattage is for just the +12 or -12 supply.

 

[sreimer]

Are you really that cheap to by a decent charger???? I highly recommend the optimate about 50 bucks and I mean nobody can screw up charging a battery with one of these!

 

[Explorer352]

Am i that cheap? Hmm. I have limited funds- that i'd rather spend directly on my bike. So, if there is an alternative that doesnt involve buying extra stuff, than yeah, i guess i am. thx for the helpful info tho

 

[sreimer]

Then try buying a battery. Just sayin

 

[xjwmx]

A lot of regulated power supplies are pretty loose, meaning they deliver their rated voltage when their rated load's attached. Otherwise they read high. You'd have to use a big resistor to limit the current to 2A or so, and hook up a current meter to tell you when the battery was charged, and figure out what the meter should read when it was charged, to tell you when to quit...

I suggest driving to HF and buying one of their chargers. They're surprisingly cheap. Make sure it has a 2A setting, and preferably that it's an automatic charger.

 

[gggGary]

walrus mart sells a fine charger/maintainer for about $20.00 I have a couple and use them both frequently specially in winter when the tools and toys are napping.

 

[Explorer352]

I'll prob end up getting one. Just wanted to see if something i already have might work.

 

[sreimer]

Maybe you should sell the bike n find a nice schwinn. Think of what you'll save on gas

 

[Travis]

Come on now, don't be so hard on the guy. He was just trying to save a buck and thought it might work.

But yeah, in reality, forget the power supply and buy a charger. One screwed up battery and you've paid for a charger that should last you many many years and be much easier to use.

 

[mpiersd]

Are you really that cheap to by a decent charger???? I highly recommend the optimate about 50 bucks and I mean nobody can screw up charging a battery with one of these!

I'm that cheap!

 

[Explorer352]

Thanks for all the advice. Just found out my battery's toast to begin with.