They were built with decent transformers etc. Their only shortcoming was the rectifiers were selenium. The part inside that looks like a stack of plates. Over time those rectifiers usually become less efficient or were less efficient from new. The silicone diode had not been invented yet when those early chargers were made. Those early selinium rectifiers do not actually usually fail. They are just not as efficient as the silicone diodes.


Today you can order a pair of silicone diodes with a heavy enough current rating delivered from China for about a dollar delivered on ebay. You just solder them to the terminals in the correct orientation and the chargers are better than they were new..


I have a habit of buying like new current battery chargers at yard sales for usually a dollar a piece. These Chinese built chargers are still using the selenium rectifiers. They seem to fail early by going open. The chargers still look brand new in most cases and people seem to put them in yard sales when they fail.


If a selenium rectifier ever shorts the smell is atrocious. Like rotten eggs basically. I have yet to find one where it was not the rectifier that failed open in the modern Chinese chargers with a retail value of less than 80.00. In my opinion they are designed to fail not that long after the warranty period for average users. A calculated way to get you to buy another?


Seems I quickly repair them to give away. The first few I just did to leave one at the cottage etc. Just in case I ever left something on in a car and the battery was too low the next morning. Or someone staying over does it with their car. Or the lawn tractor battery is flat.


You know on those nice evenings where everyone has a drink or two. Personally I do not have a drinking problem at the cottage. I need a reason to have a drink there. Like when the sun comes up or goes down.

At the same time I am positive. I have never had a drink during a total solar eclipse. I would have remembered the blackout.


The wife and her lady friends have become winos when they get together there at times it seems. I noticed when a daughter was here today to go Christmas shopping with her mother. The wife ordered another case of wine from her. I well remember the evening only once when I had to physically semi support the wife as she made supper. To me and others present it was hillarious.


Actually the wife and myself do not frequently imbibe. Yet on occasion it happens. This is why I have so many battery chargers. Regardless of my state I am going to find one of them if the need occurs. At least I have to find some form of rationality or pretext for some of the strange things I do. Although I cannot remember the last time I had a good glow on with booze. I am still well prepared if it happens.