> At SCRM, we've got a problem that I suspect
> other organizations have. Much of our MOW
> equipment uses a conventional
> automotive-style 12VDC electrical system.
> Unfortunately, we don't use the stuff often
> enough to keep the batteries up. As a
> result, the batteries go bad from just
> sitting.
> Our Chief Mechanic's solution has been to
> have a couple batteries and swap them around
> between equipment. This keeps the batteries
> in OK shape, but it's a pain (not to mention
> a delay) having to lug a battery over to the
> machine and hook it up before trying to
> crank the thing. And if you want to use more
> than one or two pieces of equipment at a
> time, it also means you have to
> "borrow" batteries from elsewhere
> -- usually volunteers' personal automobiles.
> My idea is to hook up solar trickle chargers
> to the machine's electrical systems. I found
> one online for around $30 including
> shipping. These things are designed to sit
> on you car's dash board and plug into the
> cigarette lighter socket. I'm planning to
> try it on our Switchmaster when it arrives.
> Naturally, I'll have to hard-wire it since
> few MOW machines have cigarette lighters!
> I've also found a more expensive model that
> connects directly to the battery that is
> designed for boats. Since that one's over
> $100 I'm going to try the cheap one first.
> Anyone else tried this? Any ideas/warnings?
There are also small plug-in "surface chargers" which may do the same thing. We tried those on our steam & diesel locomotives which each utilize a Nordskog GPS speedometer and a Motorola two-way radio (12VDC), powered by a deep-cycle marine battery. Unfortunately, a surface charger does not actually provide much of a charge to the batteries. We found it more effective to periodically connect an inexpensive off-the-shelf battery charger (Harbor Freight Tools, WalMart, etc.), set on low amperage, to keep up the charge on those deep-cycle batteries. You may want to consider the same thing for your MOW equipment. As with most diesel-powered machines, it would be advisable to run them periodically whether you use them or not, to keep other undesirable things from happening (such as stuck roots-blower shafts in 353s, 671s, 8V71s and other Detroits). A final bit of advice would be to utilize the battery-disconnect switch (if provided) or disconnect the battery when not in use (old MOW machines seem to often have electrical "leaks"). Good luck in your efforts and endeavors.
clacey@hebervalleyrr.org
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