Best way to connect battery maintainer with Aeroelectric grnd pwr jack

OK... have a question for everyone...

First off - Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving!


My RV6 has a ground power jack installed per the Aeroelectric diagrams (Piper style).* It works great but I am interested in being able to connect a "BatteryMinder" charger/maintainer to my plane while in the hangar.* I tried it yesterday via the Piper style plug but the Batteryminder did not like it when I turned on the ground power switch.* It actually was indicating a* "negative polarity" condition...which I am certain was not the case.* Guessing the ground power contactor has something to do with this.* So.....

1) is it possible to charge my battery through the external power plug?

2) if not, what would be the best way to do this? Battery compartment is in cabin between pilot and co-pilot feet...no 12 v power receptacle....wishing I had one though.

Thanks in advance for ideas...



Thanks,
** Brian Shannon

BatteryMinder

Good Morning Brian,
I do not know how to use the batteryMinder through your ext. power plug; however, I do use a BatteryMinder on all my batteries and it is awesome. I did not believe the desulfating claim until I watched it work on several batteries. I started by measuring the voltage and specific gravity of a nearly useless battery. I watched the voltage and spectific gravity increase over a three to four week period until the battery was as good as new.

The batteryMinder came with removable clamps for attaching to your battery post. I went to a local electronics store and purchased several fittings that macthed the BatteryMinder. I have a fitting on each battery and that way I can just unravel the cord and hook straight to the BatteryMinder. I even put one fitting on my Multimeter to make checking the battery easier.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Brian,

The typical Aeroelectric setup for external power has the external power source providing 12V to the plug center post which is also connected to external power contactor. The external power switch provides a ground to the external power contactor to connect external power to the buss.

Battery tenders do not have the OOMF (technical term) to energize the contactor.

The best way to connect a tender is to install a keyed connector of your choice direct to the battery terminals that is readily accessible (fuse it if you are so inclined).

I have considered using a fully charged battery to supply external power, then using the trickle charger to charge both this battery and the ship's battery in parallel. However, I can't say how an "intelligent" charger might ( or might not) handle this increased and unbalanced load.

Don

I use a BatteryMinder with my PC680. It's a motorcycle unit and the PC680 is essentially a motorcycle battery. The unit came with a lead using clamps and a fused lead with ring terminals. Since they make this, I expect you can just contact them and ask for the latter. Mine is permanently attached and the lead connection is fixed near the oil door opening (I made a stand-off of aluminum to rivet to the back of the baffling to attach the lead to). Between flight, I just open the oil door and plug in the unit. My PC680 is still going strong since 2008.

Thanks for the replies everyone..it is as I suspected. Will try and use the connector they supplied directly to the battery.

- B

I connected my cigarette lighter socket to my "always live" bus so that it's always connected to the battery. I put a matching plug on my battery conditioner & plug it in there.

Dave

Cigarette Ligher

I run a trickle charger when needed through the Cigarette Lighter or accessory power outlet that is fused hot straight off the battery.