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Jump starter box as charger/tender

Discussion in 'Hangout Lounge' started by Oldyoungster, Apr 20, 2012.

  1. Oldyoungster

    Oldyoungster Member

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    Okay so my proposal is that I have a jump starter with a built in charger. To charge it I just have to hook up an extention cord onto the two-prong plug on the back. Now I know people who hook up several of their batteries in parallel so the purposed charger/tender charges and tends to all say 3 or 4 batteries. So it seems to me that my jump starter is simply a powersports battery inside a small box with some alligator clips attached with 16ga wire and an attached charger/tender.

    Long story short

    Would hooking up my jump starter to it's charger and then the clamps to my battery work to charge my battery?
     
    Oldyoungster, Apr 20, 2012
    #1
  2. Johnius

    Johnius Member

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    I don't think I'd do it. You might want to check the output amperage of your jump starter before you go trying that. My guess is that it has a few circuits in it that make it close to 200 amps at 12 volts... That would fry your little XJ battery. And that's if your jump starter doesn't automatically shut off the alligator clips when you plug it in...
     
    Johnius, Apr 20, 2012
    #2
  3. Metal_Bob

    Metal_Bob Active Member

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    Fyi bike size charger/tender less than $25 at Walmart.
     
    Metal_Bob, Apr 20, 2012
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  4. Polock

    Polock Well-Known Member

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    charging batteries in parallel isn't a real good idea, if the battery your charging has a dead or low cell, the battery in your jump starter is going to dump all the current it can to try and bring the low battery up to it's voltage, maybe 10 or 20 amps....?...that's not good.
    that said, try it if you don't get any real big sparks keep a eye on it for about 15 minutes and see what you get.
    top up the water while your at it
     
    Polock, Apr 20, 2012
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  5. tskaz

    tskaz Active Member

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    +1

    I absolutely wouldn't do it. Depending on the jumper, it could have as much as 750 amps output. It will literally cook your battery until the gases from the acid cracks the casing.
     
    tskaz, Apr 20, 2012
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  6. Oldyoungster

    Oldyoungster Member

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    It's 40amps. I don't want to waste $25 on something that might only work a couple times when I just want to do this once. I doubt it turns off the clamps. The clamps on this unit are always live. It's very simple it's a schumacher xp400
     
    Oldyoungster, Apr 20, 2012
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  7. Polock

    Polock Well-Known Member

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    3 of the wires running your house won't handle 700 amps
     
    Polock, Apr 20, 2012
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  8. Oldyoungster

    Oldyoungster Member

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    What do you mean?
    The amperage of the batteries would blow my house's fuses?
     
    Oldyoungster, Apr 20, 2012
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  9. iwingameover

    iwingameover Active Member

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    We have those and similar ones at my office as a back up for our trucks which sometimes won't start at the end of the day because of the warning lights being on all day (construction).

    I don't think it charges an external battery while plugged in. Only its own battery.

    I've had the $25 battery tender for 3 years now and it's working fine. Bike is plugged into it when I'm not riding.
     
    iwingameover, Apr 20, 2012
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