Trickle Charger Input Plug?

15 posts in this topic

Posted

I need to put in an external plug to keep my battery topped up. It's a Rans S7LS but this is the smartest group on the net so I'm asking here. Fabric cover of course and the battery is in fuselage behind baggage compartment. I'm just not sure how to secure an input plug to the fuselage tubing. The easy out is of course to poke a hole in the fabric and dangle a wire out but that sucks really. There must be a more creative way. Any ideas?

 

2-Way Connector Loop

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Posted

Can you install an inspection ring on the bottom of the plane and just leave the wire dangle there? Or run it up right behind the seat and zip tie it there so its easy to plug in.

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Posted

The battery tenders come with a couple different pigtails that attach to the terminals. . Can you just extend the wires through the fuse to come out beside your baggage area by the back seat? Mine comes out right behind my seat. 

97BCEC22-FBC2-4A09-BD63-DD6138E40435.jpeg

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Posted

I think you guys got it. I don't know why I thought I'd have to run it outside or have a flush plug through the skin.  I can easily run a pair of wires through the baggage area and tie wrap to a tube inside. That'll do it. Thanks TJ and Joey.  

 

Dan

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Posted

I have mine in the engine compartment. Negative wire grounded to the engine. Positive wire connected to the positive side of the starter solenoid. Can get some pictures if you want. Charges the battery fine.

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Posted

I don't know how good a battery tender works on a bigger battery, but on my Harley, it got the battery to last 10 years.

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Posted

On my plane I have a fused always hot line that goes from the battery to a cigarette lighter type plug on the instrument panel that I can use to charge USB devices or blow up an air mattress. I also use this socket to connect my battery tender. it is a pretty clean setup that does not require fabric mods or special connections. If you have any "hot" wire coming up from the battery to the instrument panel, with proper electrical protection (fusing) you can connect the tender there without having to modify the plane back at the battery location.

Just a thought.

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Posted

Hey Chris:

I have the lead installed and I was about the hook it up when I realized that it definitely needs to be fused. So that's a good addition to the conversation. One would hate to burn his airplane down because the charge line insulation failed across a fuselage tube. I'll use an in-line fuse holder right at the battery location. 

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Posted

Hey Chris,

So basically you just backfeed your charger using a male cigarette lighter plug pigtail from your charger, right? Also, any reason one of those lithium booster/starter packs should not be connected thru the 12v socket for emergency starts? Thanks 

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Posted

Hey Chris,

So basically you just backfeed your charger using a male cigarette lighter plug pigtail from your charger, right? Also, any reason one of those lithium booster/starter packs should not be connected thru the 12v socket for emergency starts? Thanks 

The size of the fuse in the line. If one needs to use the booster pack, I would connect it at the starter relay. 

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Posted

Well that was exactly what I was wondering (meant to say ‘backfeed battery’ in last post). The battery and relay are under the seat pan in my Eurotrek, no where near as convenient access as my Avid and KF were. I do have an always hot lighter socket on the panel, need to confirm wire and fuse size for that. Would like to use the socket for tender etc connect like Chris plus emergency boost start. Figure any GPS or hand held radio powered thru there will have a fused plug anyway. 

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Posted (edited)

Doug my setup has a 14 gage wire fused to 20 amps right at the battery. Yes I backfeed charge the battery with a male cigarette lighter plug. As long as the current doesn’t exceed 15-20 amps charging or discharging all is fine. Trying to supplement starting current would blow the fuse, but shouldn’t damage anything. However it won’t take long charging at 15 amps to bring a good dead battery back to starting the plane.

Edited by Chris Bolkan

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Posted

I kept forgetting to take a picture of where my charger sticks out . A little late but if it helps anybody here is my set up.

20180909_134532.jpg

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Posted

I have given some thought into this same subject because winter is coming on. I thought about using a uni-bit to drill a hole in the rear corner of the small rear side window. At Ace Hardware they sell rubber plugs. A person could drill a hole through the center of the rubber plug , cut one end off of the two prong wire you posted a picture of above, stick the wire through the hole in the rubber plug and install the plug back into the hole in the window. I would then put ring terminal connectors on the cut off ends and wire the hot and ground directly to the corresponding battery posts. 

A guy could also install one of the window vents and do something similar.

 

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Posted

Mine just tucks away behind the seat a little bit and doesn't seem to move. Easy enough for me I have my door down but not latched. 

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