putting new AGM battery in service

[Evo160K]

Truck,

Where in that Deka literature does it suggest charging before installation is not necessary?

Thanks

[chadlyp]

Can you not over charge a battery? If you put a battery on a charger for 7 days would it not over charged? Or is over charging from charging at to high of an amp? As is using a booster of 200 amps instead of 2 amps?

Anyone ever herd of putting an aspirin in each hole of a flooded battery will dissolve or desolvate maybe it is, the crusties that weld the plates together.

If you use a quality 2.0 amp or 1.5 amp Automatic you will be fine, you will find that with regular use of chargers on your vehicle, your vehicle will not be playing catchup on recharging your battery and over charging it and that is where you get acid loss and the mess in your battery compartment.  Your vehicle will not stop charging where a automatic charger does and that automatic charger will stop before your battery starts gassing.

so i don't know if your farm tractors are using a voltage regulator in their charging system, and if those tractors have qualty AGM batteries available to them... but here in the 21st century, our HDs have both

[truck]

Truck,

Where in that Deka literature does it suggest charging before installation is not necessary?

Thanks

You got me there. Must have been in one of the propaganda classes they gave us every month.
I remember reading/hearing that they have a one year shelf life (from the shipping date) during which time they are good to go.
No harm in a charge before use, but probably not necessary?

[-deuced-]

http://www.dekabatteries.com/assets/base/0139.pdf

Good link. Thanks for posting.
As for charging a new battery before installation, use a volt meter. If it's less than full charge then charge it up. Even when flat I only put a battery on the charger for a couple of hours, then rest it for an hour or two, then charge then rest etc until up to full charge. Lead-acid batteries have no memory effect. I wouldn't leave one on a charger overnight (or all day) as I'd be worried it would get too hot. Put your hand on the battery case while it's charging. They can get pretty warm.

[Ed Y]

http://www.dekabatteries.com/assets/base/0139.pdf

Good link. Thanks for posting.
As for charging a new battery before installation, use a volt meter. If it's less than full charge then charge it up. Even when flat I only put a battery on the charger for a couple of hours, then rest it for an hour or two, then charge then rest etc until up to full charge. Lead-acid batteries have no memory effect. I wouldn't leave one on a charger overnight (or all day) as I'd be worried it would get too hot. Put your hand on the battery case while it's charging. They can get pretty warm.

Big difference between using a charger and maintainer. Unless you clarify that, your statement is confusing. Maintainers are manufactured to be left connected to the battery indefinitely. Been that way for years.

[Paniolo]

After following this thread it seems I should have charged the new AGM Deka battery before install. While the "75% shelf charge" was enough to start it up and ride it around the block, it was not enough to sustain it with an alarm and radio drain for a week. Hopefully bringing it back to life with a few days on the tender is all it needed and no harm was done.

[-deuced-]

Sorry, didn't mean to be confusing. I was talking about a charger and not a maintainer. I was also talking about charging a completely disconnected battery. My battery charger is charge only. A common type suitable for most home users. It is basically a step down transformer and rectifier. It has a gauge on the face that shows charging current. The charging current decreases with time, but never down to zero. It is always charging when connected and the battery will get hot if left on. I cycle it to avoid this heat. It takes longer to charge but I feel it is kinder on the battery. It won't hurt the battery as a lead-acid battery has no memory effect, unlike a nickel-cadmium battery as used in battery powered tools but that's a different story.
Maintainers are trickle chargers or float chargers that are supposedly meant to be permanently connected to an installed battery. They are always charging when connected, albeit at low current. They may reduce charging voltage in an attempt to lessen heat in the battery but there is always some current flowing into the battery and I just don't like that idea, even if that trickle current is designed to match the slight constant draw on an installed battery.
A fully automatic charger will turn itself on and off as required but these are usually high dollar items.
If I was storing the bike for an extended period like winter I'd disconnect the battery and charge it before reinstallation. I don't use a maintainer or a tender and I got 8 years out of the original battery. I did have to charge it up a couple of times. If I'd ridden the bike more frequently I doubt that would've been necessary. I replaced it with another HD battery about 18 months ago. So far so good.
I installed a new aftermarket battery in a friends bike last week that he supplied. It was supposed to be fully charged and ready to go. It measured at 12.7 volts (about 90%) out of the box and I wanted to stick it on the charger for an hour or so. I was bombarded with ridicule and impatience so I installed it as is. Bike fired right up. He rode it around the block, literally, and has not ridden it since. I'm expecting complaints. There's more to this story, it's his third battery that I know of in 3 years, but I just wanted to show that you might not need 100% charge to start a stock bike but I think it would've been better.

[wingie]

About the aspirin in the old batteries. I can't remember what it was but we added something,about a teaspoon full,in each cell. I just can't remember what it was that brought old nearly dead batteries to life. I'm not sure but I think it was rock salt. Any one have such memories.  wingie

[FSG]

......  I'm not sure but I think it was rock salt. Any one have such memories.

None about salt or aspirin but we did hit them with a big welder and often drove in 6" Nails so as to be able to get 6V for older equipment.  During my time in the services I saw a battery top that was embedded in the ceiling of a battery handling room, it was deliberately left there as a warning to all, battery's gas which can explode if a naked flame is introduced to the equation.  Someone in the past had used a naked flame for a light source when checking that battery's electrolyte level. 

[harleyjt]

......  I'm not sure but I think it was rock salt. Any one have such memories.

None about salt or aspirin but we did hit them with a big welder and often drove in 6" Nails so as to be able to get 6V for older equipment.  During my time in the services I saw a battery top that was embedded in the ceiling of a battery handling room, it was deliberately left there as a warning to all, battery's gas which can explode if a naked flame is introduced to the equation.  Someone in the past had used a naked flame for a light source when checking that battery's electrolyte level. 

Really nasty when one of those things goes boom!  Acid everywhere.  Had one do that on a friend one day.  I was about 20 ft away in another stall when it happened.   Got in his eyes - really nasty stuff.  I don't want to be around another one.
jt

[truck]

One of the lines was labeling 8G8D (very large bus batteries, about 165#) when one blew it's top. Won't ever forget that. Norm was dielectric testing the cover for leaks and he found one. Luckily no harm to anyone and since it was a gel battery no acid flew around.

[ORork]

http://www.braillebattery.com/index.php/batteries/b2015/

I ordered this directly from Braille a couple days ago. They tell me it's a drop-in for my 2004 FXD. Check out the SPECS on this baby.

I got 3 years from the original HD battery. It failed riding home from work on I-80 in July 2007, when the temperature was well over 100°F, the bike spit bad and died and could not start or get any dash lights at all, an $80.00 tow of less than 4 miles. Replaced it with another HD that has July 2007 to date on it. The second one has been on a tender all of it's life and it may suffice, but it did fail to start lately with very cold temps outside, below 45°F. It will start the bike fine at around 50°F but I'm not going to chance it this season. I believe the HD battery is rated at 270 and this Braille is 574CA and 426CCA. I'm running compression releases, travel limiters, All Balls starter clutch on the OE starter and Yooper cables.

When the Braille arrives I'll put it on the tender until the green light is solid and then install. I'm thinking of using studs, multi-serrated electrical washers and blue loctite on the it. This will be my first experience with a Braille. Ever since I got burned buying a Sony HD flat screen TV on the name alone and having it fail tragically at 20 months, now I research every purchase. The info on the Braille product has been very positive and I hope for the best.

Braille offers a Lithium/Ion one for $1,500.00........