How to Build an Auto Battery Charger
Car batteries, like most other battery types, require charging from time to time. Turning on your car vehicle and letting it run for a while will normally keep the battery charged. However, if the vehicle has not been turned on for some time, the battery will lose its charge and will require recharging.
What you will need:
Two-prong electrical cord, electrical pliers, electric wire, four automobile battery connectors (clamp-style), screwdriver, electronic solder, permanent market, 1N4001 rectifier diodes, electrical transformer, two ring terminals
Directions:
- Separate the wires on the electrical cord, allowing for a six inch separation between the ends of the wires. Using wire stripper, strip a 1/2 inch of insulation from the cord at the ends.
- Attach one of the electric cord wires to a terminal on the primary side of the transformer with solder. Then, use the solder to connect the last cord wire end to the last primary terminal.
- Cut four pieces of electrical wire with your electrical pliers. Then, you will need to use them to strip a 1/2 inch of insulation from each of the ends of the wire. Connect the fire wire to a terminal on the secondary terminal side with solder. Then, solder an end of the second wire to the other secondary terminal.
- Look for a line on the diode casing. This is the cathode lead. Twist it together with the other end of the first wire and the anode section from the second diode. This electric connection needs to be soldered in place.
- Take the free end of the second wire and twist it together with the third diode's cathode lead and the fourth diode's anode lead. This new joint should then be soldered.
- Use this same procedure with one end of the third wave and the first and third diodes' anode lead, and solder this new connection. Then, do the same thing with the end of the fourth wire and the second and fourth diode's cathode leads. Solder these connections as well.
- Use your screwdriver to loosen the first clamp connector's top screw, and remove the screw. Place a ring terminal on the third wire's free end, soldering the terminal to the wire. The ring terminal should be positioned over the clamp connector's screw hole, and the screw should be placed into the clamp screw hole. Make sure it is tightened sufficiently so that the ring terminal his held onto the clamp connector. Use your marker to note "negative" on the clamp.
- Take the top screw out of the second clamp connector. Solder a ring terminal on the fourth wire's free end. Using the same procedure in step #7, drive the screw into the ring terminal's hole. After you have tightened the screw to make sure it holds the connector into place, mark the clamp with the word "positive".
- Insert the cord into the outlet. Clamp the "positive" clamp on the positive battery terminal, and do the same with the negative clamp and the negative battery terminal.