Charging field batteries?
 

ASSUMING you use a seperate battery for field charging (not the one in your car), AND you have a charger that will use AC or an adapter to do so, do any of you use your field charger (AC power source) to recharge your field battery at home? Or is this a bad idea?

IF it's OK, I have a deep cycle marine battery for field charging and was wondering what settings would be best for doing so (charge rates and such, I pretty much figured out that I should use Pb charge and 12V peak)?

Would I use my field airplane charger, to charge a large deep cycle battery, the answer is absolutely no. I paid too much for it, and I don't believe it is made to charge that size of battery, it may burn out, I don't want to risk that.

I use a good quality automatic battery charger. I bought one at Home depot that I am very happy with, and it has become the first charger I reach for at home.

It has 2,6 & 10 amp settings, it can charge a motorcycle battery without damage (I have done so many times, before I found the bad switch on my bike) and it can charge a full size car, truck or marine battery also.

On a full size deep cycle marine battery I use the 10 amp setting

This is what I have been using for 3 years on my deep cycle battery.

Why not just go to your local auto parts store and a simple cheap charger? 5A chargers seem to cost $40-100. That's what I would do.

Then again, I don't see why a Pb-capable charger wouldn't be able to charge a car/boat battery. The chargers are current limited. If you set it to 5A, it's will never try to put out more than 5A, even if you're trying to charge a battery for an 18-wheeler. As long at the voltage is right, you should be fine.

Maybe I'm missing something here, but I don't see what the risk would be.