Several other items to add in here.... (it's never easy, is it?)
1. The
Cooked batteries thread gives me pause on the subject of leaving a charger connected full-time. (I've pasted in a copy of the photo from that thread showing the scorch-mark on the floor of the battery compartment.)
(click to enlarge)
Anyone contemplating leaving the charger on full-time may want to look into the reasons for cooked batteries. It's typically blamed on a charger malfunction, a battery short, failing to maintain water level or mismatching battery ages and characteristics in paralleled batteries.
2. I know that one of my chargers loses its settings during a power outage... including the setting that tells the charger its connected to an AGM battery. And that silly charger runs its fan full time, whether charging or not. I don't think those issues apply to a DLS-30 but may to owners thinking of leaving another charger on full time.
3. The operating range of a DLS-30 is 0C to 40C. What does it do below 0C? Do owners in cold areas need to take precautions? Also, I don't believe the DLS-30 has temperature compensation so voltages applied may not be optimum. (But is it nevertheless better than not charging?)
4. I have a Lifeline battery in the Hawk so thought I'd take a look in the
Lifeline Technical Manual to see what it has to say on the subject of storage. Page 14 says a boost charge should be applied every 90 days or when the open-circuit voltage falls below 12.5 volts (and goes on to specify more details). Also, page 28 has this to say about Trickle Charging (in defining it): "Method of charging in which the battery is continuously or intermittently connected to a constant current charging source to maintain the battery in a fully charged condition.
Not recommended for use with Lifeline AGM batteries."