Battery Chargers, Pulse Units

["Naugler, Steve" <SNaugler Rodel com>]

Fellow Elec-Trak owners:
        Traffic on this discussion group has been slow this week.  How 
about
something controversial?
        Now that my batteries are 8 years old and weak, I am investigating
ways to improve the life off my next set of batteries; in particular I am
investigating improved battery chargers and these "pulse units" I've seen 
on
the web that claim to prevent and to some small extent reverse sulfation.
        Chargers:  The GE original equipment ferro resonant charger is
durable and mine is still good.  But there are now more chargers available
that separate the charge cycle into three stages:  bulk, equalization, and
float.  The more sophisticated units monitor the rate of change of voltage
(dv/dt) and rate of change of current (di/dt) and with that information
intelligently change the charger's output.  Theoretically they fully charge
without overcharging, compensate for changing battery capacity, and keep 
the
battery charged.  These units do not need timers, and if you keep them
plugged in, your batteries will always be topped off.
        My charger questions:
        1. Are there affordable units good enough to merit upgrading an
otherwise good charger?  (There may be something new for the golf cart
market.)
        2.  Has anyone done this retrofit on their GE tractor?
        3.  What brands and/or suppliers should be considered?
        4.  I have seen advertised an industrial intelligent control unit
that can be fitted to a ferro resonant charger.  (See
http://www.hawkerpowersource.com/products/prod0010.htm) I don't know if it
is affordable for non industrial users.  Has anyone any experience with 
this
type of upgrade?
        Pulse units:  There are several "pulse units" I've seen on the web
that that claim to prevent and to some small extent reverse sulfation.  
(See
http://www.innovativeenergy.com/, http://www.pulsetech.net/, and/or
http://www.solartech.com/products.htm.  There are others.)  There are lots
of testimonials on these web sites, but who would list their dissatisfied
customers.  I believe there is some merit because I recently talked with
someone who made a home brew pulse unit and partially recovered some 
ancient
railroad back up power lead acid cells with it.  He thought they were
brought back from dead to 40% of nameplate capacity.
        My pulse unit questions:
        1.  Has anyone done this retrofit on their GE tractor?  On other
lead acid cell devices?
        2.  Do they actually work?  How well?
        3.  What brands and/or suppliers should be considered?
        4.  Will a pulse unit work with an intelligent charger?  Or will 
the
charger's brain get scrambled?
        Looking forward to a flurry of responses.

-Steve Naugler
-e mail address:  snaugler rodel com