Re: (ET) Batteries . . . . now it's the charger.

I did some more tests based on your suggestions

I'm getting 70 VAC out of the transformer connecting both leads from the diodes (after cutting the wires off the diodes)

Then got 35 VAC from each wire to S3 which is what should be getting according to the manual.

Also checked the diodes. OL between each diode and the heat sink.

I'll order some new diodes from Harold. Hopefully, that will fix it.

Chip

On Sep 17, 2012, at 6:00 AM, elec-trak-request cosmos phy tufts edu wrote:

On 9/16/2012 9:09 PM, Chip Gribben wrote:
Thanks everyone for the advice on batteries. I was cheap and bought the GC2s at Sam's club for 81.82 each.

They're installed but not charging. The charger apparently is only putting out 2.2 volts.

So the old 5 year old batteries I took to the recycler last week were probably still OK. It was the charger that was flaking out.

I took out the charger to check it out, I hooked it back up to the timer, plugged it in and it's still putting out 2.2 volts so something is wrong with it. It's humming so it sounds like it's working.

I have the Elec-Trak manual and was checking out the diagnostics and it could be the diodes.

Could be the diodes, but remember my charger's problem was that the
"ground" wire that connects to the bottom plate of the diodes (and the
reason the whole thing is mounted on wood) had the classic
aluminum/copper corrosion form that made it basically an open circuit.
Once I pulled it and cleaned it up/reassembled the charger worked
*perfectly*.

I would say check this first, then unsolder the diodes and check them
individually with the trusty diode checker (they drop about .4-.5 volts)