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Battery Tender® Jr.

1. How is the Battery Tender® Jr. battery charger different from a trickle charger?

The Battery Tender® Junior (BTJR) battery charger has microprocessor controlled power electronic circuitry which enables it to preform and safely control a number of sophisticated charging functions, well beyond the capability of inexpensive trickle chargers. Some legacy marketing literature refers to the BTJR as a “Trickle Charger with a Brain”. That description was based in context on two parts, first the relatively low output current, and second, the reduced level of charge control sophistication on earlier BTJR models relative to the BT Plus. Since mid-2006 the only major functional difference between the BTJR and the BT Plus is the maximum amplitude of the charger current, 0.75 and 1.25 amperes, respectively. Even though the marketing description may still be applicable, again, in a limited context, we can say now that the BTJR has a larger brain that enables it to create maximum charge effectiveness with minimal output current amplitude.

After connecting the BTJR to a battery and then applying AC power, it first conducts a number of checks during Initialization Mode to ensure that the battery functioning normally. Then it will deliver its full charge at a constant rate of 0.75 amperes. This is called the Bulk Charge Mode. The battery voltage will rise and when it reaches a predetermined level the BTJR will hold the battery charge voltage constant at that level, allowing the charge current amplitude to drop. This is the Absorption Charge Mode. The Absorption Charge Mode is complete when the battery charge current drops below a very low value, usually below 1/8 ampere. Some BTJR models have timers to limit the duration of the Absorption Charge Mode.

After the current drops or the allotted time expires (typically several hours), the BTJR automatically switches to a Float / Maintenance Charge Mode. The purpose of the Float / Maintenance Charge Mode is to maintain the battery voltage just slightly (typically between 1/10 and ½ volt) above where it would be if it were fully charged and sitting at rest. This keeps the battery topped off at voltages well below the gassing voltage of a lead acid battery.

Based on price alone, trickle chargers often appear to be a better economic choice for the typical consumer, but trickle chargers do not have the advantage of sophisticated electronic control. Therefore, as they allow the value of charge current to trickle down to what appears to be safe levels, the output voltage of the charger may very well rise to an unacceptably high level, sometimes even going higher than 16 VDC depending on the charger type and the battery that is connected to it. This magnitude of voltage is far above the gassing voltage of a lead acid battery. If the battery remains connected to this high level of voltage for an extended period of time, extreme damage may be done to the battery. Without Battery Tender® type electronic safety controls, what appears to be an initial cost savings for the charger may actually cost several times the charger price in replacement batteries.

2. Is the Battery Tender® Jr. battery charger more expensive than a trickle charger?

There is a good chance that the Battery Tender® Jr (BTJR). will cost no more or maybe even less than some trickle chargers presently on the market. Even if the Battery Tender® Jr. does cost more, it will not be much more. With the performance improvements designed into the BTJR since 2006, the total cost of ownership should be much less. The BTJR is now essentially a lower power version of the Battery Tender® Plus. Considering that you will avoid the likely dramatic reduction in battery life resulting from using a trickle charger, the BTJR will more than make up the difference in price by extending the useful life of only one engine start battery. The Battery Tender® Jr. comes with a 5 year limited warranty.

BatteryTender® Plus

1. How are the BatteryTender® Plus and Junior battery chargers different from other automatic battery chargers?

Many automatic battery chargers simply turn off when the battery voltage rises to a preset level or when the charge current falls below a certain level. With the battery sitting idle, its internal losses will consume much of its stored charge. Depending upon the age and condition of the battery, it may only take a couple of months before the battery loses more than 90% of its charge. The amount of charge lost tracks pretty well with the reduction in battery terminal voltage.

Some automatic chargers will restart when they sense that the battery voltage is too low. As a battery goes through these types of cycles of repeated charging and idle self-discharge to low capacity levels, the useful battery life may be dramatically reduced.

Both the BatteryTender® Plus & Junior battery chargers do not turn off after they charge the battery. They automatically switch to a safe float voltage level that keeps the battery charged and yet does not do any harm to the battery. In fact, in most cases, this type of charge maintenance will extend the battery’s useful life by at least 50%.

Some customers have reported battery life increases of more than double what they had before using the Battery Tender® Plus or Battery Tender® Junior battery chargers.

2. Is the Battery Tender® Plus battery charger more expensive than a trickle charger?

In simple terms, comparing only the “off-the-shelf”, retail price dollars, probably yes. However, in terms of the total cost of ownership, including the likely dramatic reduction in battery life resulting from using a trickle charger, then the answer is ABSOLUTELY NO. The Battery Tender® Plus will more than make up the difference in price by extending the useful life of only one engine start battery. Multiply this savings over the 10 year Deltran warranty period and you will save enough in battery cost to more than pay for the Battery Tender® Plus battery charger.

3. How long can I leave the Battery Tender® Plus battery charger connected to a battery?

In theory, you can leave the Battery Tender® Plus battery charger connected to a battery forever. That’s a really long time. Sales people like to say, “Just plug it in and forget about it!” However, practically speaking, it is a good idea to check on the battery at least once every couple of weeks. Strange things can happen. Sometimes a battery can have a weak cell that won’t show up until the worst possible time. Of course, that time is usually when the battery is connected to a charger, and you are out of town on vacation.

If something goes wrong, then you have to deal with the question of the chicken and the egg. Which came first? Did the battery fail because it was connected to the charger or did the charger fail because it was connected to the battery? Good luck sorting that one out.

With a battery and a charger connected together, it’s a much better idea to be proactive and anticipate problems, however unlikely they may be. In more than 99.9% of cases, nothing will go wrong. That still leaves about 0.1% where something might. Learn to respect electricity. A little common sense can go a long way.

Also consider this. No matter how good a product is, anything can break. In fact, everything will break, eventually. There are only 2 questions to be answered. 1) When will it fail? & more importantly 2) How will it fail? If a product is designed and built well, a manufacturer will set a long warranty period, usually several years, to support that notion. Deltran, and other responsible manufacturers, invest a tremendous amount of time, effort, and money to ensure that their products will fail in a relatively safe manner. For electronic products, at the very least that means no electrical shock or fire hazard.

The Battery Tender® Plus battery charger has a 10 year limited warranty, which is unprecedented among battery charger manufacturers. And it is listed with Underwriter’s Laboratories to comply with both US and Canadian electrical product safety standards for battery chargers used with engine start batteries.

4. Can the Battery Tender® Plus battery charger be used to charge more than 1 battery simultaneously if the batteries are connected in series?

Yes, but series connections have more restrictions than parallel connections. A series connection means that positive post of one battery is electrically connected to the negative post of the next battery, and the positive post of that battery is connected to the negative of the next battery and when all the connections are made, the positive post of the last battery and the negative post of the first battery becomes the connection point for the entire battery pack. The voltage of a series connected battery pack is sum of the voltage of each battery in that pack. So if two 6 volt batteries are connected in series, then the voltage of the battery pack is 12 volts.

There are more restrictions on charging battery packs connected in series than there are for parallel connected battery packs. The nominal battery voltages (i.e. 12V, 8V, 6V, 4V, 2V) must be the same on each battery, and the batteries must be the same lead acid type (flooded, AGM, or Gel Cell). Also the batteries must be close to the same size in terms of amp hour capacity, and they must be close to the same level of discharge. It is also a good idea that the batteries be approximately the same age and that they be in relatively the same general condition.

If all 4 of these conditions are met, and if the total voltage of the pack is 12 volts (or 8 volts, or 6 volts depending upon the BT Plus model), then yes, the Battery Tender® Plus battery charger can be used to charge more than 1 battery simultaneously when those batteries are connected in series. This will not work if the total battery voltage is greater than the voltage of the Battery Tender® Plus (12V, 8V, or 6V).

5. Can the Battery Tender® Plus battery charger be used to charge more than 1 battery simultaneously if the batteries are connected in parallel?

Yes, but with restrictions. A parallel connection means that positive posts of each battery are electrically connected together and the negative posts of each battery are electrically connected together. The voltage of a parallel connected battery pack is exactly the same as the voltage of each battery in that pack. 

If the nominal battery voltages (i.e. 12V, 8V, 6V) are the same on each battery, and if the batteries are the same lead acid type (flooded, AGM, or Gel Cell), then yes, the Battery Tender® Plus battery charger can be used to charge more than 1 battery simultaneously when those batteries are connected in parallel. Just remember that 2 batteries in parallel behave like one large battery. The charge storage capacity of each battery simply adds together. Two 12 volt batteries, each with 25 amp hour capacities, will look like one 12 volt battery with a 50 amp hour capacity. You may be able to charge more than 1 battery simultaneously, but it will take longer to do it.

6. Can I leave the Battery Tender Plus® battery charger connected to a battery while I’m using the battery to power another appliance like a radio?

Actually, this is basically the same situation that exists by default on many of today’s complex, computer controlled vehicles that have a wide range of on-board electronic devices, many of which consume electric power even when the vehicle is not running. So the short answer is ‘Yes, you can leave the Battery Tender® Plus (BT Plus) battery charger connected to a battery even when it is being used to provide power to another appliance. However, this is definitely not a simple yes or no type of question. There are definitely some things to consider that may limit this type of usage.

Think about how consumer electronic products are used and consequently, how they are designed. To keep the price low and competitive, it is important to limit the battery charger applications to a realistic, manageable portion from the vast number of ways in which a battery charger may be used.

The simplest applications involve charging and maintaining vehicle engine start batteries. The advantage in this application is that there is almost always another, larger source of electric power to charge the battery while the vehicle is running. So the off-line engine start battery charger need not normally supply the full amount of charge stored by the battery. One common exception would be when the vehicle battery is drained because lights were left on.

The point is that the engine start battery charger is not normally expected to deliver its maximum charge current for extremely long, extended periods of time.

7. Is there any danger that the Battery Tender® Plus battery charger can cause any damage to other automotive electronic systems while it is connected to the battery in my automobile?

No. As long as the automotive electronics system is functioning properly, there should be no problem. Typical automotive electronic systems run on the alternator output of approximately 14 to 15 volts. The maximum charge voltage output of the Battery Tender® Plus battery charger is in the same range and less than 15 volts. For the majority of the time, the Battery Tender® Plus will be operating in float / maintenance mode so the maximum voltage output will be less than 14 volts.

8. How is the Battery Tender® Plus battery charger different from the Battery Tender battery charger?

OVERVIEW and COMPARISON: The Battery Tender and Battery Tender Plus battery chargers are both designed to provide a quick, economical means to recharge motorcycle and engine start batteries used in other power sports equipment. Typically, power sports engine start batteries are in the 12 Ah to 20 Ah capacity ranges. Both chargers are constant voltage type with precisely regulated output current limits. Both chargers have a regulated, nearly constant 1.25-ampere output charge current during the bulk charge phase. Physically, there is virtually no difference between these 2 chargers. Both the Battery Tender and the Battery Tender Plus operate in 3 charge modes, bulk charge, absorption charge, and float charge.

Both the Battery Tender® and the Battery Tender® Plus are 4-step chargers meaning that they operate in 4 charge distinct modes: initialization, bulk charge, absorption charge, and float / maintenance charge. The legacy marketing literature and the operating instructions do not identify the original Battery Tender® as having an initialization mode. Therefore there is a lot of old literature that refers to Battery Tender® chargers as 3-step chargers. However the basic initialization functionality was present but there was no LED status indication; the Battery Tender® simply would not allow output voltage to activate unless a battery was properly connected to the charger. The Battery Tender® Plus does have an LED indication to indicate a faulty battery connection, which, with a little extra software and battery checks, completes the mechanization of ‘initialization’, the 4th charging step, even though time sequentially it is actually the 1st step.

RECHARGING AGM BATTERIES: The Battery Tender® has an absorption charge mode, but the the Battery Tender® Plus has a different absorption mode maximum charge voltage and a timer to hold the absorption voltage longer. These specific changes were made to accommodate the charging requirements of Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) style lead acid batteries.

9. Can the Battery Tender® Plus successfully perform the initial charge on a new, flooded, motorcycle battery?

Background: The motorcycle dealers receive batteries from the manufacturer in a dry state. The plates are dried out, and there is no acid in the cell compartments. (Do not confuse this with a dry-cell battery.) The dealer must fill the individual battery cells with acid and then put them on a shop charger to pre-charge prior to selling them to a customer. As the batteries arrive from the manufacturer, the plates are approximately 80% "formed". The initial pre-charge, post-formation charge, or more correctly, formation-finishing charge, must be conducted at a specific power level and for a specific time period. Each manufacturer has its own recommendations, for example one manufacturer recommends that the charger deliver a constant current equal to 10% to 15% of the battery amp-hour capacity and that the charge current be applied to the battery for a period of 5 to 10 hours.

Answer 1) Certainly if the dealer has properly pre-charged the battery after filling it with acid, then the answer is ABSOLUTELY YES.

Answer 2) If the dealer has not properly pre-charged the
newly filled battery prior to the sale, then the answer is YES, WITH SOME QUALIFICATIONS:

Qualification A) The Battery Tender® Plus should be left on the new battery for a minimum of 24 hours on float, in addition to whatever amount of time it takes for the charger to get to the float stage. It is not clear how to correlate the 80% formed plates with a given state of charge once the cells are filled with acid. To be safe, assume that the batteries require a full 100% charge after the cells are filled.

For example, a 16 Ah battery will take about 13 hours to get to the absorption voltage (constant 14.4 Volts). It may take another 6 to 8 hours to reach the float voltage (constant 13.2 Volts). This may sound awkward; because what happens is that the battery charge current drops while the absorption voltage is held constant. When the battery current drops to 0.1 amp, or if 6 to hours have elapsed at the absorption voltage, the charger automatically switches its output from 14.4 V to 13.2 V. So it may take the better part of 20 hours to reach the float stage. Add another 24 hours to that and you are at 44 hours. Throw in another 4 hours for good measure and you get a nice round, even 48 hours, or 2 days.

Qualification B) Although there are probably several charging methods that will be equally effective, regardless of who manufactures the battery, in the interests of technical consistency, they will not officially sanction any initial charging method other than those published in their technical applications literature.

10. How can the Battery Tender® Plus battery charger that is rated at 1.25 amperes recharge a battery as fast as another charger that is rated at 3 amperes?

Short Answer:

Deltran’s claim that the 1.25 amp Battery Tender Plus battery charger will charge a battery in the same amount of time as a typical 3 amp charger is based on the fact that the Battery Tender Plus charge current is very nearly constant during the bulk charge period, while a typical 3 amp charger, configured like so many chargers on the market, is not.

Detailed Answer:

You would think that a 3 amp charger would recharge a battery roughly 3 times faster (actually only 2.4 times faster) than a 1.25 amp charger. There are 2 main reasons why this is not true.

First, the way a battery reacts to charge current is complex. The simplest approximate calculations for recharge time only work for about the first 75 or 80% of the charge and only if the charge current is nearly constant. Returning the last 20 to 25% of the charge to the battery is also a complex and time consuming process. It may very well take as long to return the last 20% of the battery charge as it took to return the first 80%.

Second, and just as important, is the way that battery charger manufacturers rate the output current of their charger products. Let’s say that the 3 amp rating is based on a peak current value during the initial charge phase and the 1.25 amp rating is nearly constant for entire time that it takes to return 80% of the battery charge. Let’s also say that the 3 amp current only exists long enough to return 10% of the battery charge and then it tapers down to 1 amp for the next 70%.

The dimensions or units describing electrical charge are the Coulomb or, more conveniently in the context of battery charging, the Amp-Hour. The abbreviation for amp hour is Ah.

A battery charger delivers charge (amp-hours) to the battery by using an electrical current (Amps) at its output over a period of time (Hours). The numerical product of the electrical current and time period is the amount of charge delivered. This is true in a general sense for any charger.

Now let’s do some math. For a 100 Ah battery, 10% = 10 Ah, 70% = 70 Ah, and 80% = 80 Ah.

10 Ah / 3 A = 3.3 Hours, 70 Ah / 1 A = 70 Hours, So this particular 3 amp charger takes 73.3 hours to return 80% of the charge to a 100 Ah battery that was fully discharged.

80 Ah / 1.25 A = 64 Hours, so a nearly constant 1.25 amp charger (that would be the Battery Tender® Plus) takes only 64 hours to return 80% of the charge to a 100 Ah battery that was fully discharged.

Marketing and sales people like big performance numbers because they believe that those numbers enhance the perception of value. The truth is that the best value for a battery charger should be based on the total cost of ownership for both the charger and the batteries that it is charging and maintaining. If a charger has a smaller output current rating, but recharges the battery in less time, and if it maintains the batteries in a full state of charge by employing a float / maintenance function those are both good things help to make the batteries last longer. Of course, the Battery Tender® Plus does both of those things very well.

11. What happens if the AC power is removed from the Battery Tender® Plus battery charger while it is connected to a fully charged battery?

If the battery is fully charged, then the Battery Tender Plus battery charger’s green light will be on. Once the AC power is removed from the Battery Tender Plus battery charger, the green light will go out and the charger not have any effect on the battery. The Battery Tender Plus battery charger is protected from reverse current, so it will not discharge the battery. Of course, like we said earlier when discussing nominal voltage mismatches between a battery and a charger, the battery will not be recharged either.

When AC power is restored to the Battery Tender Plus battery charger, it will restart its charge cycle. The sequence of events should go something like this. The red light will come on for a few minutes. Then the green light will start flashing while the red light stays on. The next thing that happens is what may confuse some people who use the Battery Tender Plus battery charger. Remember, the battery was fully charged, so you may ask, “Why doesn’t the green light just come right back on?”

The reason that the green light doesn’t come on immediately is that when the charger first comes on, the battery is sitting there, fully charged, at a voltage of about 12.9 volts. The charger immediately tries to bring the battery voltage up to about 14.5 volts. This takes a finite amount of time, although it should only be a few minutes if the battery is fully charged. Then, when the battery reaches 14.5 volts, the charger will hold it there until one of two things happen. Either the battery charge current will drop to less than 0.1 amp (from an initial value of 1.25 amps) or, if the current does not drop below 0.1 amp, then the charger will hold the battery voltage at 14.5 volts for 6 to 8 hours.

There are a couple of reasons why the battery current may not drop below 0.1 amp. First, on a larger battery, like an automotive SLI battery, the internal losses of the battery may consume more than 0.1 amp. Second, if the vehicle or the system that the battery is connected to has appliances that consume electricity, then that consumption of electricity, coupled with the battery internal losses may very likely exceed the 0.1 amp limit. This second cause is very common and its result is that the Battery Tender Plus battery charger’s timer circuits will be fully engaged. So it will take 6 to 8 hours for the green light to come on. Fortunately, the Battery Tender Plus has the ability to continue to supply its full current even after it has switched over to the lower, float, maintenance charge voltage of 13.2 volts. When the charger turns the green light back on, it also drops its output voltage to this float, maintenance charge level of 13.2 volts.

Note: It only takes a momentary AC power outage to cause the Battery Tender Plus battery charger to reset.

Wireless

Wireless Battery Monitor

Wireless Boost Charger

022-0221 Wireless Boost Charger Owner's Manual

022-0221 Wireless Boost Charger Mounting Instructions

022-0221 Wireless Boost Charger Base Hole Template

Batteries

AGM Batteries

AGM SDS Sheets

SDS sheets for Battery Tender® AGM batteries.
Available in English and French.


NEW SMART Lithium Batteries

PRevious Lithium Batteries

Chargers

Portable Power Pack

Battery Tender® Jr. Series

021-0123 Battery Tender Junior 12V 0.75A Owner's Manual

Visit Product Page

Note:  TO PURCHASERS OF DBT BATTERY CHARGERS MODELS 022-0192 (Junior Version 1), 021-0123 (Junior Version 2), and 022-0185G (Plus Version 2): Between February 2013 and February 2017, the product informational materials supplied with these models contain a misprint that incorrectly lists that the chargers can charge 200Ah batteries. The actual maximum and minimum battery sizes these products can charge and comply with energy efficiency requirements are as follows:

JUNIOR VERSION 1 (#022-0192): 55 Ah maximum battery size, 4Ah minimum battery size

JUNIOR VERSION 2 (#021-0123): 55 Ah maximum battery size, 4Ah minimum battery size

PLUS VERSION 2 (#022-0185G): 79 Ah maximum battery size, 6Ah minimum battery size

If you have any questions, please contact DBT customer service at: 386-736-7900, or email service@batterytender.com.

022-0192 Battery Tender Junior 12V 0.75A Owner's Manual

Note:  TO PURCHASERS OF DBT BATTERY CHARGERS MODELS 022-0192 (Junior Version 1), 021-0123 (Junior Version 2), and 022-0185G (Plus Version 2): Between February 2013 and February 2017, the product informational materials supplied with these models contain a misprint that incorrectly lists that the chargers can charge 200Ah batteries. The actual maximum and minimum battery sizes these products can charge and comply with energy efficiency requirements are as follows:

JUNIOR VERSION 1 (#022-0192): 55 Ah maximum battery size, 4Ah minimum battery size

JUNIOR VERSION 2 (#021-0123): 55 Ah maximum battery size, 4Ah minimum battery size

PLUS VERSION 2 (#022-0185G): 79 Ah maximum battery size, 6Ah minimum battery size

If you have any questions, please contact DBT customer service at: 386-736-7900, or email service@batterytender.com.

022-0209-DL-WH Battery Tender 4A Power Tender Selectable Owner's Manual

Battery Tender® 800 Series

022-0150-DL-WH Battery Tender 800 12V 800mA USA & WH Owner's Manual

Battery Tender® Plus Series

022-0185G-DL-WH Battery Tender Plus High Efficiency Owner's Manual

Visit Product Page

Note:  TO PURCHASERS OF DBT BATTERY CHARGERS MODELS 022-0192 (Junior Version 1), 021-0123 (Junior Version 2), and 022-0185G (Plus Version 2): Between February 2013 and February 2017, the product informational materials supplied with these models contain a misprint that incorrectly lists that the chargers can charge 200Ah batteries. The actual maximum and minimum battery sizes these products can charge and comply with energy efficiency requirements are as follows:

JUNIOR VERSION 1 (#022-0192): 55 Ah maximum battery size, 4Ah minimum battery size

JUNIOR VERSION 2 (#021-0123): 55 Ah maximum battery size, 4Ah minimum battery size

PLUS VERSION 2 (#022-0185G): 79 Ah maximum battery size, 6Ah minimum battery size

If you have any questions, please contact DBT customer service at: 386-736-7900, or email service@batterytender.com.

022-0211-DL-WH Battery Tender Plus Selectable 6V/12V, 1.25A Owner's Manual

Battery Tender® Power Plus

022-0221 LCD-75A Booster Battery Charger w/Wi-Fi Owner's Manual

Battery Tender® Power Tender Series

022-0186G-DL-WH Battery Tender 5A Power Tender High Efficiency Owner's Manual

022-0157-1 Water Resistant Power Tender Plus 12V, 5A Owner's Manual

022-0158-1 Water Resistant Power Tender Plus 24V, 5A Owner's Manual

Multi-Bank Charger Series

022-0165-DL-WH 2-Bank Charger - 12V, 1.25A Each Bank - WH Owner's Manual

022-0148-DL-WH 4-Bank Charger 12V, 1.25A Each Bank - WH Owner's Manual

Solar Tender® Product Series

021-1163 5-Watt Solar Tender Charger With Built-In Controller Owner's Manual

021-1163 10-Watt Solar Tender Charger With Built-In Controller Owner's Manual

021-1165 15-Watt Solar Tender Charger With Built-In Controller Owner's Manual

021-1162 Battery Tender Solar Controller Owner's Manual4

USB Products

021-0161 Battery Tender Dual Port USB Charger Owner's Manual

On Board Battery Charger Series

022-0180 High Frequency On Board Battery Charger 12V Owner's Manual

022-0181 High Frequency On Board Battery Charger 24V Owner's Manual

022-0169 High Frequency On Board Battery Charger 36V, 15A Owner's Manual

022-0170 High Frequency On Board Battery Charger 48V, 10A Owner's Manual

Monitors

Wireless Monitors

1. INSTRUCTIONS: Connect Wireless Battery Monitor to Deltran Connected App

Download iOS Wireless Battery Monitor Connection Instructions
iOS Monitor Instructions.pdf

Download Android Wireless Battery Monitor Connection Instructions
Android Monitor Instructions.pdf

2. Can I access the Wireless Battery Monitor in the Deltran Connected App if I am not on my local Wi-Fi?

As long as the Wireless Battery Monitor is connected to a Wi-Fi network, you will be able to access the Wireless Battery Monitor no matter the network you are connected to.

3. Can I use any type of battery with the Wireless Battery Monitor?

AGM, Lithium, Standard (lead acid).

4. Do I need the Deltran Connected App if I own the Wireless Battery Monitor?

The Battery Tender® app is required to view battery data with the Wireless Battery Monitor.

5. Does the Wireless Battery Monitor use the 2.4GHz or 5GHz bands?

802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz

6. How do I reset the Wireless Battery Monitor?

Follow these steps:

  • Unplug Wireless Battery Monitor.
  • Plug the Wireless Battery Monitor back in.
  • You will now have a couple of minutes to change settings through the application

7. How do I setup my Wireless Battery Monitor?

Follow the included manual and the steps on your mobile device’ screen through the Battery Tender® app to setup your Wireless Battery Monitor.

8. How many phones can I connect to one Wireless Battery Monitor?

Once you have added a Wireless Battery Monitor to your account, you can login to the Deltran Connect app one or more mobile devices and read the status of the Wireless Battery Monitor .

9. I don’t have Wi-Fi at my home; can I still use the Wireless Battery Monitor?

No, You will need to have the monitor connected to Wi-Fi

10. I have multiple vehicles, can I disconnect the Wireless Battery Monitor from one battery and connect it to another and read the battery status and save that data?

It needs a period of time to learn the vehicles battery. When you move it to a new battery it will lose the previous settings/data of the last vehicle.

11. I have slow Internet, can I still use this?

As long as your Power Plus 75A/Wireless Battery Monitor is within range of your Wi-Fi connection, slow Internet speed is fine.

12. I have X router, is my Wireless Battery Monitor compatible?

As long as your router sends an 802.11 b/g/n/ 2.4GHz signal, the Wireless Battery Monitor will be compatible.

13. If I have multiple batteries in a single vehicle/boat, do I need a Wireless Battery Monitor for each battery?

To view information of each individual battery, there needs to be Wireless Battery Monitor installed to each battery.

14. If I reset my router, do I have to reconnect my Wireless Battery Monitor?

As long as your settings didn’t change (SSID, password, etc.) your charger should reconnect.

15. If my Wireless Battery Monitor loses connection (local Wi-Fi is down or unplugged) will I lose all of my data up to that point?

No.

16. Is it okay to leave the Wireless Battery Monitor indefinitely on my battery (could/would it drain my battery)?

The Wireless Battery Monitor requires little power to operate. There is a possibility that the Wireless Battery Monitor could drain your battery if the vehicle that it’s connected to is not in use for a period of time. The amount of time it can be installed without the vehicle in use will vary due to different battery sizes, age of the battery, condition, etc.

17. What is the default password for my Wireless Battery Monitor?

The default password is “12345678”.

18. What is the minimum download speed I need for functionality?

As long as your Power Plus 75A/Wireless Battery Monitor is connected to a Wi-Fi network with a steady connection, speed doesn’t matter.

19. What is the warranty for the Wireless Battery Monitor?

3 Years.

20. Where is the reset button on the Wireless Battery Monitor?

There is no reset button. To reset your Wireless Battery Monitor follow these steps:

  • Unplug Wireless Battery Monitor.
  • Plug the Wireless Battery Monitor back in.
  • You will now have a couple of minutes to change settings through the application.

21. Where is the serial number for warranty registration?

The serial number will be on the product label.

22. Why can’t I connect my Power Plus™ 75A my local Wi-Fi?

Check if your device is not already connected by seeing if there is a red triangle next its name on the “Connect” page. If there is no red triangle it is already connected a Wi-Fi network.

  • If there is a red triangle, close the Battery Tender® app and try setting up the Power Plus 75A/Wireless Battery Monitor again.

23. Will the Wireless Battery Monitor connect to a Wi-Fi extender?

The Power Plus 75A will connect to a Wi-Fi extender just as it would connect to a router.

24. If I reset my router, do I have to reconnect my Power Plus™ 75A/Wireless Battery Monitor?

As long as your Power Plus 75A/Wireless Battery Monitor is connected to a Wi-Fi network with a steady connection, speed doesn’t matter.

25. I forgot my password to my router, how do I reset my router’s password?

Please check with your router’s manufacturer support page or manual.

28. Will the Wireless Battery Monitor work on any battery voltage (6v, 12v, 24v, etc.)?

The Wireless Battery Monitor will only work with a 12v system. Anything above 15V will damage the Monitor.

29. Where can I go for support for my internet service provider?

30. I have a single SSID for both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands on my router. Will I be able to use the Wireless Battery Monitor?

Currently, if you have a single SSID (wireless network name) the Wireless Battery Monitor will not be able to connect to it. If possible, have a dedicated SSID for the 2.4 GHz band and 5 GHz band.

31. What alerts are pushed to my mobile devices?

The Wireless Battery Monitor tracks the state of charge of your battery.  If the battery appears to be discharging, an alert is pushed to your mobile device.

32. My Android Phone Switches Network Connection While Setting Up the Wireless Monitor

On certain Android smart phones, the phone will drop the connection to the Wireless Monitor and re-connect to your WiFi router or to your mobile data network.  This is caused by a setting on some phones that is called "Smart network switch".  If the phone determines it has not data connection, it will revert to the most recently used data connection.  If this happens while setting up a Wireless Monitor, the setup will fail.  To work around this, temporarily disable the "Smart network switch" or do not allow it to switch network connections if prompted.

Chargers

PowerPlus® 75A

1. INSTRUCTIONS: Connect Power Plus™ 75A to Deltran Connected App

Download iOS Power Plus 75A iOS Connection Instructions
iOS Charger Instructions.pdf

Download Android Power Plus 75A iOS Connection Instructions
Android Charger Instructions.pdf

2. Can I access the Power Plus™ 75A in the Deltran Connected App if I am not on my local Wi-Fi?

As long as the Power Plus 75A was connected to a Wi-Fi network, you will be able to access the Power Plus 75A.

3. Can I Boost multiple batteries?

As long as they are configured for 12 volts.

4. Can I change the IP address once I connect the Power Plus™ 75A to my local Wi-Fi?

The IP address can be changed if you want. Please consult your router’s manual for more instructions.

5. Can I change the language on the Power Plus™ 75A?

No, English is the only supported language as of now.

6. Do I need the Deltran Connected® app if I own the Power Plus™ 75A?

The Deltran Connected® app is to enhance your usability with the Power Plus™ 75A. The Deltran Connected® app is not needed for the Power Plus™ 75A.

7. Can I Engine Start multiple batteries?

As long as they are configured for 12 volts.

8. Can I use any type of battery with the Power Plus™ 75A?

12v AGM, Lithium, Standard (lead acid).

9. Do I have to/can I select my battery type manually?

At the initial setup of the Power Plus 75A you will be asked what kind of battery will be used. If the Power Plus 75A is used on another battery of a different type, you need to select the right battery type on the charger itself or within the Battery Tender® app.

10. Do I need the Deltran Connected App if I own the Power Plus™ 75A?

The Battery Tender® app is to enhance your usability with the Power Plus 75A. The Battery Tender® app is not needed for the Power Plus 75A.

11. Does the Power Plus Battery Charger use 2.4GHz or 5GHz bands?

802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz

12. How do I connect my Power Plus™ 75A to my battery?

Please refer to the included manual.

13. How do I reset the Power Plus™ 75A?

Look for the hole under the “Wi-Fi” LED light on the top of the charger and push it with an object like a paperclip.

14. How do I setup my Power Plus™ 75A?

Follow the initial setup on the screen of the Power Plus™ 75A and if you are using it with the Deltran Connected® app, follow the steps on your mobile device’s screen.

15. I’m not sure what kind of battery I have, is there any way to know?

Consult the manufacturer of your battery.

16. I don’t have Wi-Fi at my home; can I still use the Power Plus™ 75A?

Yes, but You will need to have the Battery charger connected to Wi-Fi in order to monitor the voltage on the Deltran Connected® application.

17. I forgot the password to my Power Plus™ 75A.

If the password is forgotten you can reset the charger to factory settings by using a paperclip or paperclip like object on the reset button.

18. I have slow Internet, can I still use this?

As long as your Power Plus 75A/Wireless Battery Monitor is within range if your Wi-Fi connection, slow Internet speed is fine.

19. I have “X” router, is my Power Plus™ 75A compatible?

As long as your router sends an 802.11 b/g/n/ 2.4GHz signal, the Power Plus 75A will be compatible.

20. If I reset my router, do I have to reconnect my Power Plus™ 75A?

As long as your settings didn’t change (SSID, password, etc.) your charger should reconnect.

21. If my Power Plus™ 75A loses connection (local Wi-Fi is down or the charger is reset using the reset button) will I lose all of my data up to that point?

No.

22. The Power Supply feature didn’t supply enough amperage/voltage to my car.

You can try again with the Power Supply feature but there is now a possibility that your presets (clock, seat, and radio) have been lost.

  • 1.25A may not be enough current for all vehicles depending equipment installed.

23. What is Boost?

Temporary increase of output current to quickly increase the state of charge.

24. What is Engine Start?

Temporary increase of output current to help start the engine.

25. What is Power Supply?

Keeps electrical charge to the connected vehicle while the battery is disconnected.

  • Mainly for keeping settings saved (clock, seat memory, and radio)
  • 1.25A

26. What is the default password for my Power Plus™ 75A?

The default password is “12345678”.

27. What is the highest charge rate with the Power Plus Battery Charger?

1.25A is the highest charge current. The device also has a 20A Boost mode.

28. What is the minimum download speed I need for functionality?

As long as your Power Plus 75A/Wireless Battery Monitor is connected to a Wi-Fi network with a steady connection, download speed doesn’t matter.

29. What is the warranty for the Power Plus™ 75A?

The Power Plus 75A has a 5 Year Warranty.

30. Where is the reset button on the Power Plus™ 75A?

The reset button is under the Wi-Fi LED Light on the top of the Power Plus 75A.

31. Where is the serial number for warranty registration?

The serial number will be on the product label.

33. Will the Power Plus™ 75A connect to a Wi-Fi extender?

The Power Plus 75A will connect to a Wi-Fi extender just as it would connect to a router.

34. I have a single SSID for both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands on my router. Will I be able to use the Wireless Power Plus 75A Boost Charger?

Currently, if you have asingle SSID (wireless network name) the Wireless Power Plus 75A Boost Charger will not be able to connect to it. If possible, have a dedicated SSID for the 2.4 GHz band and 5 GHz band.

35. My Android Phone Switches Network Connection While Setting Up the Power Plus™ 75A

On certain Android smart phones, the phone will drop the connection to the Power Plus™ 75A and re-connect to your WiFi router or to your mobile data network.  This is caused by a setting on some phones that is called "Smart network switch".  If the phone determines it has not data connection, it will revert to the most recently used data connection.  If this happens while setting up a Power Plus™ 75A, the setup will fail.  To work around this, temporarily disable the "Smart network switch" or do not allow it to switch network connections if prompted.

PowerPlus® 10Amp

1. How do I reset the WiFi on the Battery Tender® 12V, 10/6/2A Charger?

Above the WiFi symbol there is a small hole, use a paperclip like object and press in till you hear a click and hold for 10 seconds.

2. Why can’t I change the amps and battery Chemistry?

If the charger is connected to a battery, disconnect the terminals and this will allow you to change both amps and chemistry.

3. If I reset my router, do I have to reconnect my Battery Tender ® 12V, 10/6/2A Charger?

As long as the SSID or password has not changed, No you will not have to reconnect the charger.

4. What is Power Supply?

Keeps electrical charge to the connected vehicle while the battery is disconnected.


Mainly for keeping settings saved (clock, seat memory, and radio)


Sources up to 10A at 12.8 VDC

5. What is the loud noise coming from the 10 Amp?

These are the fan spinning up to cool the unit off during use.

6. I have a single SSID for both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands on my router. Will I be able to use the Battery Tender ® 12V, 10/6/2A?

We have made improvements for the set up. The Battery Tender® 12V, 10/6/2A will search for networks it can connect to and show you them in the Deltran Connected ® application, as long as it shows up in the list the 10 Amp will be able to connect to it.

7. My Android Phone Switches Network Connection While Setting Up the 10 Amp

On certain Android smartphones, the phone will drop the connection to the Battery Tender® 12V, 10/6/2A and re-connect to your WiFi router or to your mobile data network. This is caused by a setting on some phones that is called "Smart network switch". If the phone determines it has no data connection, it will revert to the most recently used data connection. If this happens while setting up a Battery Tender® 12V, 10/6/2A, the setup will fail. To work around this, temporarily disable the "Smart network switch" or do not allow it to switch network connections if prompted.

8. How many phones can I connect to one Battery Tender® 12V, 10/6/2A?

Once you have added a Battery Tender® 12V, 10/6/2A to your account, you can login to the Deltran Connected® app one or more mobile devices and read the status of the Battery Tender® 12V, 10/6/2A charger.

9. I have X router, is my Battery Tender® 12V, 10/6/2A compatible?

As long as your router sends an 802.11 b/g/n/ 2.4GHz signal, the Battery Tender® 12V, 10/6/2A will be compatible.

10. I’m not sure what kind of battery I have, is there any way to know?

Consult the manufacturer of your battery.

11. I don’t have Wi-Fi at my home; can I still use the Battery Tender® 12V, 10/6/2A?

Yes, but you will not be able to monitor the voltage with the Deltran Connected app.

12. Can I charge batteries in parallel?

No, we do not recommend this as one battery may be fully charged before the other is.

Deltran Connected®

Deltran Connected® App

1. How do I setup my Wireless Battery Monitor?

As long as they are configured for 12 volts.

Download iOS Wireless Battery Monitor Connection Instructions
BatteryTender-WirelessMonitor_iOS-Instructions_v03.pdf

Download Android Wireless Battery Monitor Connection Instructions
BatteryTender-WirelessMonitor_Android-Instructions_v03.pdf

2. Can I change the language on the Deltran Connected App?

The Supported language is French and English.

3. Can I reset my Power Plus™ 75A/Wireless Battery Monitor through the Deltran Connected App?

As of right now, you cannot reset your Power Plus 75A/Wireless Battery Monitor through the Battery Tender® app.

4. Does the Deltran Connected App sync my data, so if I were to get a new phone would I still have my old data?

Yes, all you need to do is log into your account.

5. How accurate is the Deltran Connected App?

± 5%.

6. How many different Accounts can I connect to one Power Plus™ 75A/Wireless Battery Monitor?

One Account.

7. I am not getting any notifications.

Make sure you selected if you wanted notifications when opening the Battery Tender® app for the first time. To check if you have notifications enabled:

iPhone:

  • Go to Settings
  • Select Notifications
  • Find Battery Tender® App on the list of apps
  • Turn on Notifications if they were off

Android:

  • Go to Settings.
  • Select Apps
  • Find Battery Tender® App on the list of apps
  • Turn on Notifications if they were off

8. I am not sure what kind of battery I have, is there any way to know?

Consult the manufacturer of your battery.

9. I connected my Power Plus™ 75A to my local Wi-Fi and now my Wi-Fi no longer works, how can I fix this?

Consult router manufacture or manual.

10. I don’t have Wi-Fi at my home*; can I still use the Deltran Connected App?

The Deltran Connected® app can be downloaded from either a cellular connection or on Wi-Fi.

Data charges may apply.

Wi-Fi is recommended for the Power Plus™ 75A and is required for the Wireless.

11. I have slow Internet, can I still use the Deltran Connected App?

As long as your Power Plus 75A/Wireless Battery Monitor is within range if your Wi-Fi connection, slow Internet speed is fine.

12. I wanted to check the status of my battery when I was at/on (vacation, work, school, etc.) and it no longer shows up in the Deltran Connected App.

You might have only been connected point-to-point. When you reconnect your Power Plus 75A/Wireless Battery Monitor make sure there isn’t a red triangle next to the device name on the “Connect” page.

13. If my Power Plus™ 75A/Wireless Battery Monitor loses connection (local Wi-Fi is down or the charger is reset using the reset button) will I lose all of my data up to that point?

No.

14. Is the Deltran Connected App needed to control the Power Plus™ 75A/Wireless Battery Monitor?

The app is not needed for the Power Plus™ 75A but it is required for the Wireless Battery Monitor.

15. Is there any data that is being sent through my phone, from the Deltran Connected App (over Wi-Fi, cellular, Bluetooth)?

The Battery Tender® app periodically sends data from the app to the cloud and may receive data from the Power Plus 75A and Wireless Battery Monitor.

16. The Deltran Connected App doesn’t detect the Power Plus™ 75A/ Wireless Battery Monitor

A few things that can be tried to fix this issue:

  • Make sure the Power Plus™ 75A/Wireless Battery Monitor is installed properly.
  • Restart the Deltran Connected® app.
  • Reinstall the Deltran Connected® app.
  • If none these instructions work than you may have a defective product.

17. What is Boost?

Temporary increase of output current to quickly increase the state of charge.

18. What is Engine Start?

Temporary increase of output current to help start the engine.

19. What is Power Supply?

Keeps electrical charge to the connected vehicle while the battery is disconnected. The main purpose of this mode is to save onboard computer settings (clock, seat memory, and radio).

20. What is the minimum download speed I need for functionality?

As long as your Power Plus 75A/Wireless Battery Monitor is connected to a Wi-Fi network with a steady connection, speed doesn’t matter.

21. Why does the Deltran Connected App show two lines for percent charged when my battery is connected?

This would only apply to the Power Plus 75A. It will display a state of charge when the battery is charging.

Basics of Electricity

See Here

Batteries

1. How can I tell if my battery is charged or not?

Simple Answer, Well, maybe not so simple:

The simplest method requires that you use a voltmeter to measure the voltage between the positive (+, red) and negative (-, black) posts (lugs, or terminals). For this method to work at all, the battery should sit idle for at least a couple of hours. When the battery is not being charged and not delivering charge to a load, this is the rule of thumb. For a 12 volt, lead-acid battery, the voltage measured between these two points should be between 11 and 13 volts. The closer the voltage is to 13 volts, the closer the battery is to being fully charged. The closer the voltage is to 11 volts, the closer the battery is to being “dead”. The exact value or the voltage that you measure will be different depending upon the style of battery, and the age of the battery.

More Detailed Answer:

Lead acid batteries are made up of cells. Each cell is approximately 2 volts, so a 12-volt battery has 6 individual cells. It turns out that a fully charged 2-volt cell has a voltage of approximately 2.15 volts. Oddly enough, a fully discharged 2-volt cell has a voltage of 1.9 volts. That’s only a difference of 0.25 volts on each cell from fully charged to fully discharged. So a 12-volt battery will measure at about 12.9 volts when it’s fully charged and about 11.4 volts when it is fully discharged. That’s a total of 1.5 volts that represents the full range of charge on a 12-volt battery. To make a good guess at how much charge your battery has left, you can assign a percentage of charge remaining that is directly proportional to the battery voltage. Let’s see how we can do that.

If the battery voltage is 12.15 volts, how much charge is left? Beginning with 11.4 volts representing no charge or 0% charge available, subtract 11.4 volts from the voltage that you read. So 12.15 – 11.4 = 0.75 volts. Since there are only 1.5 volts above 11.4 volts that represents the full range of charge, we can divide the difference that we just calculated by 1.5 volts to get the percentage of charge remaining. 0.75 volts / 1.5 volts = 0.5 or when expressed as a percentage, multiply by 100 and get 50%.

Here’s the procedure written as a formula that is applicable to 12 Volt Batteries:

OPEN CIRCUIT BATTERY STATE OF CHARGE (SOC) CALCULATION

% Charge = SOC

% Charge = ((Measured Battery Voltage – 11.4 volts) / 1.5 volts) x 100

Equation 1

That seems easy enough. So what’s the catch? In order for this formula to work, the battery must be in a rest state. In other words, the battery should not be supplying power to any type of load. The experts say that the battery should remain at rest for at least 24 hours to get an accurate measurement, but in a pinch a couple of hours are good enough to make a reasonable guess.

The only way to be absolutely sure that your battery is fully charged is to do a load test. It is best to have the battery dealer do this for you. We only mention it here because it is possible for a battery to indicate a good voltage, but then immediately when you try to use it, it acts like it’s dead. This doesn’t happen very often, but it is a possibility.

2. How can I tell if my battery needs to be replaced?

Referring back to the discussion of how you can calculate the charge level of your battery, we know that about 1.5 volts represent the full range of charge on a 12-volt battery. Now it is possible to over-discharge a battery, well beyond its intended design. It is possible to take the battery voltage on a 12-volt battery down to 3 or 4 volts, or even to almost ZERO under load. That would constitute a severe over-discharge. Many lead acid batteries will not respond kindly to such abuse. Some batteries may recover to 8 or 9 volts without recharging. However that is still a very low voltage and it does not represent any real charge storage, rather only a ‘surface charge’ that cannot do any useful work. Assuming that there are no other usage issues with the battery it may be possible to restore to full charge if it is recharged within a few hours of experiencing the severe over-discharge.

The battery may also not recover, in which case it is safe to say that the battery is defective. If after using a Deltran Battery Tender® battery charger, a battery in this condition does not recover to at least 12.6 volts, then the battery should probably be replaced.

3. What is Temperature Compensation and how important is it?

While a battery is being charged, it is important that the charger absorption and float, maintenance voltages closely match the recommendations of the battery manufacturer. The absorption voltage match is important for quick charging. The float, maintenance voltage match is important for long term, storage charging.

Batteries are sensitive to temperature. Recall the number of TV ads showing how tough a battery is when it can start a vehicle in sub-zero temperatures. Cold temperatures tend to reduce a battery’s ability to deliver current to a load. High temperatures not only increase a battery’s ability to deliver current to a load, but also increase a battery’s internal losses. Temperature compensation is a way to change a charger’s output voltage to maintain optimum compatibility with the battery’s charging requirements. The way it works is that the charger senses the ambient temperature. Then it increases the charge voltage when it is cold and decreases the charge voltage when it is hot. Typical values for temperature compensation for a lead acid battery are minus 0.0025 to minus 0.004 volts per degree Centigrade per 2-volt cell. For a 12-volt battery, that would be minus 0.015 volts to minus 0.024 volts per °C. The reference temperature requiring zero charge voltage compensation is 25 °C or 77 °F.

How important is temperature compensation? Like with most everything else about batteries, it depends on the application. For industrial, critical load, standby power applications, where the batteries may be connected to a live charger for a number of years, then temperature compensation can have a significant influence on battery life. In many consumer applications like SLI, deep cycle marine, etc., temperature compensation will increase long-term battery performance, but it is probably not essential in all applications. Where it is most beneficial is in helping to minimize the negative impact of a battery’s self-discharge characteristics in high temperature environments. Deltran Battery Tender Plus Battery Chargers Overcome the Negative Impact of High Temperature on Battery Performance.

The self-discharge rate of a battery is directly dependent upon the ambient temperature of the battery environment. At higher temperatures, the chemical reaction rates that determine self-discharge will also increase.

When a battery sits idle, its self-discharge characteristics will reduce its ability to deliver power on its next use. If the battery either sits long enough, or if the ambient temperature rises high enough, then the battery may become fully discharged. In fact, it is possible for the battery to be over-discharged to the point where it cannot be recovered.

The Deltran Battery Tender Plus battery chargers overcome the negative impact of higher ambient temperature and battery self-discharge in two ways. First, the Deltran Battery Tender Plus battery charger applies a safe, float, maintenance voltage level to the battery to overcome its internal losses and counteract the self-discharge phenomena. Second, the Battery Tender Plus battery charger automatically compensates the amplitude of its charge voltages for changes in ambient temperature. It reduces the amplitude of the float, maintenance voltage as the ambient temperature increases and it increases the amplitude of the charge voltages in colder temperatures. In mathematical terms, this type of compensation scheme is called a "Negative Temperature Coefficient".

The temperature compensation ratio employed by the Deltran Battery Tender Plus battery chargers is approximately minus 3.67 millivolts per battery cell per degree Centigrade of temperature rise above 25 °C. Stated another way, the output voltage of the Deltran Battery Tender Plus battery charger will drop 0.022 volts, or 22 millivolts, for every degree Centigrade temperature rise, when it is connected to a 12-volt battery.

In the event that the temperature would rise enough so that the Deltran Battery Tender Plus battery charger voltage output drops below the what would be considered a normal operating voltage for a 12 volt battery, then the Deltran Battery Tender Plus battery charger automatically disconnects itself from the battery via an internal solid state mechanism, affording an extra measure of safety in a very high temperature environment.

4. What is the expected life of a H-D battery?

Proper care is the key to battery longevity. Laboratory tests have shown that consistent use of any Deltran Battery Tender can add as much as three to four times normal battery life (five to seven years is not unusual). What the lab tests can not prove is how vigilant one is about battery maintenance (if watering is required) and how much shake, rattle, heat, and cold the battery has been subjected.

If it were me, and I had five years of good service out of my battery, I would be hunting for a new one. What would I replace it with? Our theory is "if you have to fill it, forget it." In other words, stay with sealed maintenance free, most of the new maintenance free AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) batteries like the new Harley original equipment batteries are excellent. They never require watering and they come from the Harley dealer fully charged.

(Download this document in Adobe PDF format.)

5. How long will it take to charge a battery?

We can make a pretty good guess by just dividing two numbers:
Equation 2: Approximate Recharge Time Calculations

(Battery Capacity) / (Charger Current) = Hours
(Amp-Hours) / (Amps) = Hours

Let’s say I have a 50 Amp-Hour battery and a 10 Amp charger. These are fairly typical sizes for an automotive engine start type battery and an automotive battery charger. The dash that normally appears between Amp and Hours has been replaced by the multiplication sign (*) to emphasize the behavior of these 2 items in a mathematical equation.

If the battery is fully discharged then the first approximation for the charge time is (50 Amps*Hours) divided by (10 Amps) = 5 Hours. Truthfully, this is a rough estimate and it usually tells us how long it will take to recharge the battery to about 80% of its capacity.

To complete the recharge of a battery to 100% with a 3 or 4-step charger, it turns out that it will probably take an equal amount of time, or another 5 hours to recharge the last 20% of the battery capacity. A 4-step charger may get to 100% charge a little faster than a 3-step charger, but there is absolutely no guarantee. It actually could take longer. There is no definitive answer to this question.

6. Intro to Lead Acid Batteries

7. Battery Charging Basics

8. What is the difference between Lithium Ion batteries and Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries?

Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable batteries that use lithium as one of their active components. Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries are a type of lithium-ion batteries known for their long life and inherent safety.

9. How do I choose the correct Battery Tender® Lithium battery for my application?

Battery Tender® Lithium batteries are available for most Powersport and other small engine start applications. You can find the correct battery for your application from your local Battery Tender® Lithium Battery dealer or online at http://www.batterytender.com/batteries.

10. How does the “Lead Acid Equivalent” capacity rating compare to Flooded, AGM, and Gel cell battery ratings?

The capacity of lead acid batteries decreases markedly when discharged at high currents such as when starting a vehicle. This effect is much less for a lithium battery. In fact, when discharged at a current equal to its capacity, a 2 A-hour lithium iron phosphate battery will have as much capacity as a 9 A-hour lead acid battery.

11. How do I charge and maintain my Battery Tender® Lithium battery?

See next.

12. Can I use a standard Lead Acid charger/maintainer for my Battery Tender® lithium battery?

As long as the battery charger does not have a desulfation mode and the peak voltage does not exceed 14.8V during the charge cycle it can be used to charge a Battery Tender® Lithium Battery. Of course the best way to charge and maintain a Battery Tender® Lithium Battery is to use a Battery Tender® Lithium Battery Charger.

13. What is the best way to store my battery long term?

A Battery Tender® Lithium Battery has virtually no self-discharge and has a shelf life of 2 years. The best way to store the battery is disconnected from the vehicle in a clean and dry location with the protective covers installed on the positive terminals.

14. How do I prevent water damage or corrosion to my battery?

A Battery Tender® Lithium Battery has a waterproof construction however the battery should be kept clean to minimize corrosion. A corrosion inhibitor can also be used on the terminal and connections.

15. What is the warranty on my Battery Tender® Lithium battery?

Warranty Periods

  1. 0-12 months: Replace free of charge with original receipt.
  2. 13-24 months: 50% off MSRP with original receipt.
  3. 25-36 months: 35% off MSRP with original receipt.

16. How do I recycle a Lithium battery?

There are no specific federal laws requiring the recycling of Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries however local governments may have different requirements. The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation provides free recycling locations throughout the US and Canada. You can locate their nearest drop off location at www.call2recycle.org/locator/.

17. How do I ship my Battery Tender® Lithium battery?

Ship the batteries in their original packaging if possible.

18. What happens if I hook up my battery charger to the wrong terminals?

If you happen to hook up your battery charger cables in reverse (positive cable to negative terminal and negative cable to positive terminal) then you will potentially damage the battery.

19. What happens if I hook up my battery to the wrong terminals on my vehicle?

If you incorrectly connect your battery to the wrong cables (positive cable to negative terminal and negative cable to positive terminal) then there is a chance for spark and damage to the battery.

(Download this document in Adobe PDF format.)

Charging

1. How is the Battery Tender® Plus battery charger different from a trickle charger?

The BatteryTender® Plus (BT Plus) battery charger has microprocessor controlled power electronic circuitry which enables it to perform and safely control a number of sophisticated charging functions, well beyond the capability of inexpensive trickle chargers.

After connecting the BT Plus to a battery and then applying AC power, it first conducts a number of checks during Initialization Mode to ensure that the battery functioning normally. Then it will deliver its full charge at a constant rate of 1.25 amperes. This is called the Bulk Charge Mode. The battery voltage will rise and when it reaches a predetermined level the BT Plus will hold the battery charge voltage constant at that level, allowing the charge current amplitude to drop. This is the Absorption Charge Mode. The Absorption Charge Mode is complete when the battery charge current drops below a very low value, usually below ¼ ampere. Some BT Plus models have timers to limit the duration of the Absorption Charge Mode.

After the current drops or the allotted time expires (typically several hours), the BT Plus automatically switches to a Float / Maintenance Charge Mode. The purpose of the Float / Maintenance Charge Mode is to maintain the battery voltage just slightly (typically between 1/10 and ½ volt) above where it would be if it were fully charged and sitting at rest. This keeps the battery topped off at voltages well below the gassing voltage of a lead acid battery.

Based on price alone, trickle chargers often appear to be a better economic choice for the typical consumer, but trickle chargers do not have the advantage of sophisticated electronic control. Therefore, as they allow the value of charge current to trickle down to what appears to be safe levels, the output voltage of the charger may very well rise to an unacceptably high level, sometimes even going higher than 16 VDC depending on the charger type and the battery that is connected to it. This magnitude of voltage is far above the gassing voltage of a lead acid battery. If the battery remains connected to this high level of voltage for an extended period of time, extreme damage may be done to the battery. Without Battery Tender® type electronic safety controls, what appears to be an initial cost savings for the charger may actually cost several times the charger price in replacement batteries.

2. Connecting Batteries and Chargers

3. Float/Maintenance Charging: Is It Really Necessary?

Warranty Info

Most Deltran product support issues can be resolved remotely without sending the unit in for evaluation or service. Before initiating a warranty claim please contact Deltran technical support at support@deltran-global.com or (877) 456-7901 for troubleshooting and diagnostics.

Deltran warrants its products for a period of up to 10 years, depending upon the model, from the date of original purchase against defective material or workmanship only. If Deltran qualified service technicians determine that the likely cause of the product malfunction is due to either defective material or workmanship, then the product will be repaired or replaced at the discretion of Deltran.

It is the obligation of the original purchaser to forward the product, with the proof of purchase, to either Deltran or one of its authorized factory representatives.

1-90 days after purchase: Contact Deltran Returns at returns@deltran-global.com or 877-456-7901 for RGA and prepaid return shipping label.

91 days until the expiration of warranty: Shipping costs to Deltran are the responsibility of the purchaser. If the unit is faulty, we will repair or replace it and return it at no charge.

The manufacturer makes no warranty other than this limited warranty and expressly excludes any implied warranty including any warranty for consequential damages.

This is the only express limited warranty and the manufacturer neither assumes nor authorizes anyone to assume or make any other obligation towards the product other than this express limited warranty.

The manufacturer makes no warranty of merchantability or fitness for the purpose of this product and expressly excludes such from this limited warranty.

Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages or length of an implied warranty so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you.

This limited warranty is VOID under the following conditions:

  1. The product is misused, subjected to careless handling, or operated under conditions of extreme temperature, shock, or vibration beyond Deltran's recommendations for safe and effective use.
  2. The product is disassembled or repaired by anyone who is not a Deltran factory authorized service representative.
  3. The electrical connections to either the AC input or the DC output of the charger are modified without the express written consent of the Deltran engineering department.
  4. The product was purchased from an unauthorized source. Warranty is not transferable from original purchaser.