How long does it take to fully charge a vector smart battery charger? When I unplug it, it won't power on unless it is plugged in. it is a VEC 1092 a model

Vector is a "Smart" charger. And won't charge a completely "dead" battery when old "not-smart" chargers would. How old is the battery?
You could take the battery somewhere and have it checked as to whether it's "good" or not before you blame the charger.

F03 - Sulfate or Unchargeable Battery

Appears when the battery is highly sulfated and cannot accept normal charge current.

• Follow the steps in "Recondition Mode" to recondition the battery.

• Follow the steps in "Equalizing" to equalize the battery.

• If the situation persists after reconditioning and equalizing, we recommend taking your battery to a certified automotive service center for evaluation

Depend on what kind of batteries, and how often you are going to use the charger, and for what purpose are going to use it.

If your battery accidentally discharge far from your home a Jump Start is a must. But Car batteries are shallow Cycle and need to be fully charged. If you want to Set and Forget Charger, then a Smart Charger takes care on his one for the battery. Automatically adjust the voltage and turns off when the charge is completed. Has the Reconditioning option, can display the battery voltage, and can check the alternator. Destroying a $120 battery is more expensive than a Smart Charger.

I use a Vector Smart Battery Charger - 2/10/20 AMP 12V fully automatic.

Retail $49.95 I bought on sale CLEARANCE: $29.95

If you have cars not driven in daily bases, or go in vacation, a battery Tender is a good option too.

If charger can be taken apart and the battery removed, try Batteryspec.com for a replacement battery. Worked for my Vector.

The battery in question so bad it wouldn't even register on the charger unit to any degree. I know this makes no sense, and kinda negates the whole point of even having a battery charger to begin with, but I learned of the battery it's attached to is too bad it won't even allow you to do ANYTHING with it.

No JJR all the plugs need to remain plugged in. On the Pride chairs the light on the charger will only come on green when the batteries are fully charged. When you unplug the controller the charger thinks the batteries are fully charged and the light comes on. Now the problem is the batteries. If they are old or you have a bad battery then the charger never senses a full charge so no green light. Hope this helps

Here you go:

http://www.battery-rechargeable-charger.com/vector-car-battery/vector-car-battery-owner-manual-VEC090.pdf

It sounds like the battery has just enough "juice" to give the small light some power, but when the larger light is turned on it overloads the bad (or expired) battery. When you put a new battery in you can extend the life by not using the light when the battery starts to die. This is when it starts to permanently damage the battery. Turn it off and recharge as soon as it dims. Charge often, but don't leave on the charger too long unless it is a smart charger and turns off when the battery is fully charged. This will also reduce the life. You can find a replacement battery here: http://batteryinternational.com/spotlight-batteries-vector-battery.html

u can get the cord from  radioshack just order 1 online for you.

ground it off on the case...any grounding method should work. Unless you are talking about the main connection terminals... then just replace the missing thumb screw with a short screw and an eyelette type connecter.