On 11/26/2015 2:15 PM, Micky wrote:
When I have a one-amp charger on the battery, and the motor-scooter
tail light is on and another light in front, smaller than a headlight,
is on, and whatever the ignition system uses when the scooter is not
running, am I charging the battery or discharging it?


I also have the 2/10 amp charger.

Maybe it warmed up or something but it now puts out
11.5 v with no load in the 2 amp setting,
12.5 v with no load in the 10 amp setting, and
8v with no load in the 6 volt setting.
Chargers vary CONSIDERABLY.
Open circuit voltage may be irrelevant, depending on the design
and what you used to measure it. It may be broke...maybe not.
Only thing that matters is the current when hooked to the battery.

Watch the headlight. If it gets brighter when you connect the charger
to the battery terminals, it's likely charging. Too much? Too little?
you won't know until you measure the current.

Is there any point in using it at all? It seems like even at 12.5
volts, it will discharge the battery?

Background: Unlike when I asked a couple weeks ago, I don't need the
charger to supplement the battery in real time. My friend's lawn
mower failed and I now have use of a 10AH lawn mower battery, when the
bike normally has a 4, 6, or 7AH battery. This one is about 3 times
as big as the space available for intended one. And the 1-amp
charger will recharge the battery by tomorrow, but during the course
of the day I want to keep it charged, and since I don't have an
ignition key it's hard to turn it off,
This is a bad idea. Pick the lock to turn it off and use another
switch. Or just remove the lock and use another switch.
so whether I leave the two
lights and ignition on or not, I'm not sure the 1-amp charger can make
up for what I use. More important, even if it can, this is a
theoretical question for use elsewhere too.
It's unlikely that the unknown 1-amp charger can keep up with two
unknown lights.