Dan,
Another way to go, esp if you want "off the shelf" hardware (and you have a
local K-Mart)... EXIDE Corp (not EXIDE Battery) sells a unit called "ONBOARD
BATTERY CHARGER".
It's supposed to charge your Car/Truck battery if you live in cold weather
(hummm, like New England). The model number on my unit is No.7001204. It is
rated at: 12 volt 1.5 Amp .. The blurb on the box says it "shuts down when
battery is fully charged" and that it is supposed to be used for marine,
tractor and motorcycle batteries.
It's about $20 .... hey it's from K-Mart ....
Anyways, I have been using this charger for about 2 years. It easily charges
my 4 AH Yuasa (for the keyer and other stuff) and for my 7 AH Yuasa for the
QRP+. The charger does a quick flashing sequence when the battery is low and
after about 24 hours of charging the charger will display a low flashing
sequence. At that point the battery is fully charged. I have NEVER used a
diode to protect against a power outage ... your mileage may vary.
/joel wa1qvm (concord, ma)
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