VDC Electronics 12117, BatteryMINDer Plus 12117 Owner's Manual

Model 12117

12 Volt - 1.3 Amp

BatteryMINDer Plus

Owner's Manual

VDC Electronics, IINC.
83 Cedar Lane, P.O. Box 5537
Englewood, NJ 07631-5537
Technical Support 800-379-5579 x206 (ET)
www.vdcelectronics.com

Table oof CContents

General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

BatteryMINDer Plus Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Battery Voltage vs. Charge Percentage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Testing Your Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Testing a Manifold-type Lead Acid Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Testing with a Hot/Cold Calibrated Hydrometer Tester . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Testing a Sealed, Maintenance-free, Gelled-type Lead Acid Battery . . .3

Installing the BatteryMINDer Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Connecting the BatteryMINDer Plus when Batteries are Installed in the

Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Connecting the BatteryMINDer Plus when Batteries are Outside of

Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Operating the BatteryMINDer Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Desulphating Your Battery Manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Connecting and Maintaining Multiple Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Parallel-connected with a 12 Volt 1 Amp BatteryMINDer Plus . . . . . . . .7

Series-connected with a 12 Volt 1 Amp BatteryMINDer Plus . . . . . . . . .8

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Underwriters Laboratory (UL) Required Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . .10

Charger Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

DC Connection Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

The BatteryMINDer Plus charges and maintains any size 12 volt car, boat, RV,
motorcycle battery without ever overcharging. Note that the unit also works on
Optima, Odyssey or any sealed agm-type batteries and does not require an
adjustment.

The BatteryMINDer Plus comes complete with a molded ring terminal assembly
and insulated battery clips. The ring terminal assembly has a replaceable fuse.
The 18-gauge lamp wire for connecting multiple batteries is not provided in the
package.

General

The BatteryMINDer Plus Charger/Maintainer/Conditioner Model 12112 is designed
to charge and maintain your battery without ever overcharging it. The unit utilizes
patented technology to produce a wide range of high frequency pulses (RFP)
designed to dissolve both old and newly formed sulphate. The pulses free the bat­tery from sulphate and extend the life of your battery.

The 12 Volt - 1.3 Amp BatteryMINDer Plus allows you to charge up to 4 batteries
(parallel connected for 12 volt, or series connected for 6 volt) at a time. The bat­teries must be the same type (starter, deep cycle, sealed gel, AGM, etc.). Also, the
battery voltage (6 volt, 12 volt), the resting voltage (minimum of 11 volts for a 12
volt battery and 5.5 volts for a 6 volt battery), Amp and the condition of the batter­ies must be the same if you charge more than one battery at the same time. See
page 7 for more information on parallel and series connections.

Use the BatteryMINDer Plus on your battery at all times (winter, summer, spring or
fall) when your battery is not used for 4 days or more. This will prevent new sul­phation from taking place and will lead to dramatically increased battery life and
performance. Do not remove the BatteryMINDer Plus from your battery unless
you place the battery back in service.

Failure to keep the BatteryMINDer Plus connected to your battery at all times that
the battery is not in service will affect its performance claims.

BatteryMINDer PPlus SSpecifications

The BatteryMINDer Plus is UL Listed and CSA Certified.

Input 105-130 Vac 50/60 Hz
Output 12 volts @ 1.3 Amps
Charge Voltage 14 Vdc
Float Voltage 13.4 Vdc
Desulphation Pulse 1.0A @ 3.26 MHz
Float Current 5 Ma - 200 Ma*
Size/Weight 3-3/4" L x 2-1/2" W x 2-1/4" H / 2.3 lbs

1

Battery VVoltage vvs. CCharge PPercentage

Testing YYour BBattery

It is extremely important that you determine the health of your battery before you
attempt to recharge and recondition it. If any of the cells are shorted (no reading
on a hydrometer tester), or the difference in charge level is greater than 0.50 SG
between any two cells (two ball difference if you use a ball-type hydrometer), your
battery cannot be properly recharged and reconditioned. Discard the battery in an
appropriate lawful manner.

The BatteryMINDer Plus has no electrical output unless it is connected to a
healthy battery. Testing the BatteryMINDer Plus with a volt or an Amp meter with­out the unit being connected across a good battery will result in a false reading. If
you experience any problems, or are not sure of how to properly use or connect
your BatteryMINDer Plus, please e-mail our technical support at
[e-mail]

or call our toll-free technical support line (800­379-5579 ET). Be certain to leave your phone number with the area code, time
zone and the best time to call.

Testing aa MManifold-ttype LLead AAcid BBattery

1. Carefully remove all 6 caps or both manifold-type covers from your battery (3

caps on a 6 volt battery).

2. Check the water/electrolyte level. If the level is low or has ever been below

top of plates, severe lead plate sulphation has taken place. Significant
recharge/reconditioning time is needed to restore those plates to a condition
where they can be expected to function normally.

3. Refill each cell with distilled water only to a level of ¼" minimum over the top

of the cell's plates.

4. Recharge the battery with the BatteryMINDer Plus to ensure that it is slowly

and completely charged before you determine its condition.

5. If the BatteryMINDer Plus does not start blinking within 72 hours, your battery

may be too far gone to be reconditioned. However, press the maintenance

2

Hydrometer Reading on
Each Cell

Voltage Percentage

1.270 12.7 volts 100 %

1.250 12.5 volts 75 %

1.190 12.3 volts 50 %

1.150 12.1 volts 25 %

1.120 11.8 volts 0 %

button to set the unit in the maintenance mode. The light will blink continu­ously until it is disconnected from the battery.

6. Allow the battery to remain in the maintenance mode for a minimum of 72

hours before you test it for dead cells. Use a hot/cold calibrated hydrometer
tester for the most accurate results. If you see an increase in the Specific
Gravity (SG) indicating that there is an improvement in the battery's condition,
continue desulphating for an additional 72 hours and retest the battery.
Continue this process until the SG reading of the battery does not increase
anymore.

Testing wwith aa HHot/Cold CCalibrated HHydrometer TTester

Read the tester instructions carefully for most accurate readings.

1. When using the tester the first time or after a long period of non-use, fill the

tester with the battery fluid and let it sit for 1/2 hour or longer. This will soak
the balls in order to give you more accurate readings. Failure to do so will
give you false readings indicating a battery that may not be in as good a
condition as you may have thought.

2. After inserting the tester in a cell, gently tap the tester several times against

the inside wall of each cell to dislodge air bubbles that will cause more balls
to float than should. Failure to do so will yield false readings that indicate a
battery that is not fully desulphated or does not qualify for desulphation.

3. If no balls float in any cell, the cell is considered shorted. This means that

your battery is beyond the point of being properly recharged or reconditioned.

4. Dispose of the battery.

5. If each cell floats two or more balls (or 1260 on gauge-type), your battery can

be reconditioned.

6. Always rinse the tester with fresh water after every use. Failure to do so will

cause false readings.

7. Store the tester in the holder to prevent breakage.

Testing aa SSealed, MMaintenance-ffree, GGelled-ttype LLead AAcid BBattery

These batteries have no filler caps or manifold-type covers. If you cannot gain
access to the interior of your battery, because it is sealed, you cannot test it with a
hydrometer.

1. Test the battery with a voltmeter. If the voltage is less than 11 volts, charge

the battery overnight with a regular charger or with the BatteryMINDer Plus.

2. Let the battery rest for minimum of 8 hours, which means that you do not use

or charge the battery for 8 hours.

3. Test the battery with a voltmeter. If the voltage is less than 12.2 volts (25%

charge), the battery might have too much sulphation in it to reach full charge.

4. Connect the BatteryMINDer Plus to the battery.

5. Lightly touch the Maintenance button to start the maintenance/desulphation

mode after 3 days.

6. Let the BatteryMINDer Plus desulphate the battery at least a week in the

maintenance mode.

7. Test the battery again with a voltmeter.

3