Looking for a timer

[Matt Meiser]

After having my batteries for my drill rebuilt, I got charging instructions from Jason at Battery Rebuilders saying that you shouldn't leave the batteries charging. I got to thinking that the best solution would be to put my chargers on a timer--when I put a battery in the charger, I can set the timer, which would turn off when charging is complete. 2 of my 4 corless chargers are 1 hour chargers, so I'd like to leave them on 1-1/2 to 2 hours. I checked Lowes and a local hardware store yesterday and couldn't find what I was looking for. The plug-in timers I found were either based on a clock or dusk-to-dawn or dust-to-time timers. The hardwired timers were either 15 minute 60 minute (not long enough), or 12 hour timers (too long, making it hard to set for 1-2 hours). Has anyone seen timer that would let me easily set for 2 hours and shut off with no repeat? Preferably one that would just plug in?

Something like a long-running darkroom timer would be perfect.

[Jim Dunn]

http://www.icca.invensys.com/paragon/images/cat_24hour_ec4000.gif
EC4000
• 1 SPST, DPST or SPDT relay
• Up to 16 ON/OFF events can be programmed in 24-hour increments
• Accurate programming down to 1 minute
• Manual override from a keyboard alters set program until next event is reached
http://www.icca.invensys.com/paragon/images/industrylgo.jpg • 7-day battery-free carry-over protection reduces costs
• Available in NEMA 1 drawn steel and NEMA 3R non-metallic enclosure with clear-view cover for indoor and outdoor use
• Title 24 certified
• NEMA 1 unit dimensions are 4-1/4” W x 7-7/8” H x 3” D
• NEMA 3R unit dimensions are 6-9/16” W x 8-1/8” H x 3-7/8” D
[VIEW SPECIFICATION & MAN (http://www.icca.invensys.com/paragon/ec4000_series.htm)

Here's one. Paragon sell for about $60.00.

[Ron Jones near Indy]

I leave my JDS air cleaner on for about 3 hours after I leave the shop. I also plug the charger into the same outlet as the air cleaner. They are on a 12 hour timer I bought at Graybar Electric. It's pretty easy to come with 15 minutes of the 3 hours and that seems to be good for both.

[Rob Will]

Spring wound timers at Grainger.com

Rob

[Rick Lizek]

www.mcmaster.com (http://www.mcmaster.com) Look up spring wound timers. #7014K9
Intermatic timer for up to 6 hours under $22

[Matt Meiser]

Thanks, I forgot about Grainger and McMaster Carr

[Steven Herbin]

I saw this "technique" somewhere (probably here):

Just take a simple clock dial timer ( a real cheap-o one) and put the "off" pin 2 hours after the time on the timer. Make sure that you take the "on" pin out of the timer.

Plug your charger into the timer and plug the timer into an outlet. It will turn off after 2 hours (or so) and not turn back on.

I use this all the time. Actually, I have the outlet from the timer plugged into a strip so I can plug all my chargers into the timer at once and keep everything charged up.

--Steve.

[David G Baker]

Thank you Steve. I have several of the standard pin timers but it never occurred to use just the off pin to do short term timing. I too have been looking for a timing method like Matt is and was thinking of building a timer using the old 555 chip. Your method is soooooo much better.

[Jim O'Dell]

I asked this question a few months back. In my research, I did find some that were spring timers that would mount in an electrical box like a light switch. I just couldn't find one for the price I was wanting to spend to experiment with at the time, and have been tied up with other things since. Jim.

[Matt Meiser]

Grainger has a 2 hour wall mount timer--for the low price of $40 :-( Steves method sounds like it will work for me.

[Larry Nall]

You might look for a darkroom timer on E-Bay.
The digital ones can be programmed for about anything.
They're dirt cheap since all the chemical darkrooms are going the way of the dodo in favor of digital cameras and Photoshop.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Do a search for a company called SSAC. They made all kinds of neat devices. I use one of their sensors to control my DC. Havent turned it on in years, as it does so automatically and a cube timer lets it run for ten seconds afterwards to clear pipes. Grainger sells cube timers that are either delay on make (on) or delay on break (off)