Battery Chargers for Automobiles

Once upon a time, the battery charger cables would be connected to the terminals of your battery, you pushed a button, and you hung around for a bit. You would peek at the dial once in a while to assure yourself that you weren't overcharging the battery, and you shut it off at the specific time it was done.

Fortunately, the charging operations have become significantly faster than they once were. Nearly every car has a 12 volt battery, and so do marine batteries and power sporting equipment. You must use a battery charger that is suitable for your battery to extend its life and save money in the long run. If you neglect to use the kind of charger that is recommended by your battery manufacturer, the warranty you have on your lead acid battery, AGM, or gel cell may be null and void. Using an incompatible charger can damage your battery.

To determine which battery charger is the best one for the sort of battery you have, there are some things you must know. First of all, find out what kind of battery is in your automobile, and find out how much storage capacity it has. As your car battery is typically just utilized when starting your automobile, for lighting, and for your music system when your car isn't operating, and the battery recharges when the car is running, you may not feel that storage capacity is that important.

The regular automobile battery can hold approximately 50 amp hours, while a marine battery may store 100 amp hours. Both kinds of batteries provide 12 volts of electricity; however, if entirely dead, they will recharge for different amounts of time with a charger that carries 10 amps, say six to eleven hours, respectively. Be sure that the automobile battery charger you are purchasing has sufficient charging power to satisfy your requirements. If a charger has more power, the time that it will take to get your battery up to speed will be more brief.

With all of that out of the way let us tell you that it isn't as hard or complicated as some of that may have seemed. Most of the typical home chargers are simply plug and play just like your home computer. All you do is connect the battery; set it and forget it. Please follow along to find out more for your car battery needs on the following pages.

The Great Honda Race

Though from humble origins, Soichiro Honda never set out to merely dominate the Japanese market. He had bigger plans. "I knew that if I could succeed in the world market," Soichiro Honda once said, "then automatically it would follow that we [would lead] in the Japanese market." As early as 946, Soichiro Honda foresaw the need for affordable, fuel-efficient transportation. As a result, the first vehicle to roll off his assembly line was a 98 cc two-stroke motorcycle. Fittingly, this first two-wheeled vehicle was dubbed "The Dream."

Throwing caution to the wind, Honda quickly overextended himself. He purchased an entire factory's worth of new manufacturing equipment without a viable commodity to pay for the cost. When the utilitarian, but bland Juno Scooter flopped in worldwide markets, Honda was virtually weeks away from filing for bankruptcy. What saved the company was not an outside financier or foreign interventionist. It was a race.

The odds of placing, much less winning at the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Race, were not favorable. Honda being something of an incorrigible gambler, defied the odds by focusing on a notion that was still in its infancy: branding. Honda was less interested in actually winning than in introducing the Honda motorcycle to a new generation of riders. Impressed by the ruggedness of the motorcycles and the determination of the riders, including the renowned Japanese rider, Naomi Taniguchi, fans began to take notice.

In 1964, the mere notion that the automotive world would come to be dominated by a Japanese company was incomprehensible. Up to that point in history, the Japanese were know for manufacturing cheap tin toys and disposable trinkets. Indeed, most fans and industry insiders ridiculed their first forays into motorcycle manufacturing. It would not be an easy road for this fledgling company.

The gamble paid off -- but in a roundabout way. Rather than winning the race, Honda managed to win the hearts and minds of some of motorcycling's top riders. In light of increased international interest and orders, the looming bankruptcy faded into history as sales picked up. This reputation would come to be invaluable as Honda began to steer itself towards the manufacturing and perfection of the automobile.