Most people who have an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) use it only occasionally. Some during hunting season, some only in summer. Maybe it is at the vacation home and is used one week out of the year!
What do you do with the battery? if it is on the ATV it is slowly losing power. This is normal. When you get back to use the ATV will the battery be charged enough to start it? Do you have a charger so you can get it going? You could charge it up just before you use it. Did you remember to do that last time? What if you left it on the charger and forgot it? Most battery chargers will overcharge the battery this way! That will boil out the water and then it won't last long after that! You could use a trickle charger. This puts in much less power. It takes longer but won't over charge the battery.
Think about how you are going to use this charger. Is it at the vacation home? Is it out in the shed or garage? Do you need a long extension cord to plug it in and then to the ATV? Is there even power out there? Is the power on while you are away?
To solve these problems there is only one answer. A solar charger! The solar charger will have a panel of solar cells connected to a charger that works just like the one you plug-in. There are different sizes that give different amount of power. For a single ATV the 5 watt is plenty of power. If your garage or shed has a window you can put the cell panel there and it will keep your battery charged up. All of the panels I have seen have a blocking diode to prevent power flowing backward. If it didn't have this the battery would be powering the cells at night and loosing power!
There is another innovation available that not many people are aware of. This innovation will keep your battery in better condition much longer. While the battery is being used some of the acid has a reaction and forms crystals that adhere to the lead plates. As the battery ages more and more of these crystals will form they begin to block the flow of electricity. Your battery will become weak and not start your ATV! This is the main reason for having this battery is to start the engine. It also runs the lights but this takes so little power compared to starting. This new innovation uses a high frequency signal that will dissolve the crystals and keep the battery like new for much longer than anyone would have expected. One brand of this type of battery charger is the BatteryMINDer by VDC Electronics.
You can find these at http://www.solarbatterychargerdepot.com/ along with much more information. There are chargers in 5 watt and 15 watt for 12 volt applications such as your ATV. The BatteryMINDer is a premium quality brand. They carry a full warranty on all their products for your peace of mind.
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