I have an extremely old, very basic battery charger handed down to me from my grandparents. It's a Sears-branded unit, allows for a 6 or 12 volt charge. I just dropped $200+ on a new red-top Optima battery, and I have read snippets on this website or that website that specifically say "DO NOT use a standard battery charger on an Optima battery", that doing so will ruin it.

So that makes me wonder if A) that's true, and B) should I never use this battery charger again? It's got an "Atomic" symbol on it: I'm guessing this unit is from the late 1950's or early 1960's. Period-appropriate for my '63 Dart, but maybe not-so-much for our new batteries.

I don't have an answer for you, but my god that thing would be awesome to just have in the house as a fine piece of art.

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1968 Plymouth Barracuda [Daily Driver]
1972 Dodge Dart Swinger [Lent out as Daily Driver to a friend]
2010 Challenger R/T 6 Speed

Yeah, don't use that one. Look for one with an AGM (absorbed glass mat) setting for optimal results. You can of course still use this one for any FLA (flooded lead acid)batteries!

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Mattelderca
78 NYB (gone now), two S series, three old Snow Cruisers and a Doo.

Dont know nuffin about Optima batteries.

........but I probably have 8 or 9 batteries of the convenional type in use at all times around here.

I use an ancient Bulldog Charger that looks and smells like the one you ha. At most it will charge 3 amps. Charging overnight with a charger like this is the safest way to bring a battery up.

Keep the Sears one for your regular batteries. After all its "full wave"

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

I totally agree with sandy in BC.
My charger is one of my oldest and dearest tools, I bought it in the late '60s/early '70s, I keep it in it's original box, and I use it regularly. Mine can pump out 6 amps max, and then it slowly trickles down to 1.5~2 amps after a day or two.

All conventional batteries love slow charging with small charge currents, a speedy charge will usually shorten the battery's life, unless it is made with a sophisticated (expensive) pulse charger.

Check the wires for cracks, and replace them if necessary.

And besides, they don't make such high-quality, good-looking things anymore!

Olaf

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Aspenized

I'd use it until the battery hit 14.4 volts.

Then disconnect.

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes