12v battery charger recommendations
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Could you consider a dashboard mounted Solar panel charger to keep the battery ticking over ?
It can be wired directly to the battery or through the cigar lighter socket if that is permanently live.
Ebay 'cheapies' or Halfords 'dearies' - dependent on budget.
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I have several CTEK XS0.8 models which I have hard wired to the M/H cab battery and one for my motorbike and another for the Toad, all hard wired.
It acts as a trickle/maintenance charger, keeps the batteries fully charged without damaging the electronics...........
https://www.ctek.com/products/vehicle/xs-0-8
Inexpensive on Ebay or Amazon.....
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Thought it might be a fire risk leaving a mains charger powered on and connected for long periods. Also, need to connect directly to battery with crocodile clips which I found not easy in the confines of a modern engine compartment and not able to close the bonnet! So went for one of these:
AA 5060114614185 Solar-Powered Car Battery Charger, Black
from Amazon, currently £22.80 with free delivery.
This is shipped with two leads - one for the usual 12v cigarette lighter socket and one for plugging into the OBD port. On most modern cars the 12v sockets are turned off with the ignition and can therefore not be used for charging in this way. I have been using this solar panel plugged directly into the OBD port for several months at a time over the last year. This has been without problem and the car has started first time on our return.
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We have two CTek chargers for our cars which we leave directly connected to the car batteries when we are away. I phoned CTek to make absolutely sure that there was no problem with this because some cheap “trickle” chargers are not suitable for continual connection for more than a couple of weeks or so. A bit of an expensive solution unless you are going to use for smart recharging.
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A small smart 12v battery charger?
[Deleted User User] replied on 27/10/2018 20:13
[Deleted User User]Motorhomer
Smart charger £12:99 in Aldi now
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CTek give you choice of connecting to the battery terminals using croc clips or via a trailing plug connected directly to the battery via eyelets .... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CTEK-Connection-Lead-6-4mm-M6-FOR-MXS3-6-MXS5-0-MXS7-0-MXS10-BATTERY-CHARGER/110751592145?hash=item19c94f2ed1:g:CJoAAOSwaeRZN61e&redirect=mobilehttps://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CTEK-Connection-Lead-6-4mm-M6-FOR-MXS3-6-MXS5-0-MXS7-0-MXS10-BATTERY-CHARGER/110751592145?hash=item19c94f2ed1:g:CJoAAOSwaeRZN61e&redirect=mobile for ease of connection to difficult to access batteries.
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No problem with needing to know which OBD pins to use. The +ve and -ve pins are standard and the OBD lead supplied (with the kit mentioned) just plugs straight in. Have never measured the current, but the following video clip suggests about 7 mAmp in bright sunshine. This is so small that a regulator is not needed and is really only intended to make up for the small drain caused by the onboard electronics which remain on when the ignition is turned off
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hxiI4dBu24
I think I may have previously posted the wrong link to the Amazon website - unless they are trying to push an alternative product! Best to search Amazon for:
AA Solar-Powered Car Battery Charger
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The Aldi, and for that matter the Lidl smart charger has a design feature making it unsuitable for leaving as being discussed. It does not reset "on" should there be a power cut of any duration at all. It then is yet another parasitic drain, albeit a small one on the battery.
CTEK's ranges do reset and that is what I use on my long term stored batteries.
With CTEK you don't have to bodge about with croc clips, they sell a "comfort coupling" that you leave connected to the battery and simply plug the CTEK into that. They even do an extension lead.
If the vehicle in question has a towing electrics socket, then as I do [because my garage in my case is so restricted] you can buy the comfort coupling and a 13 pin towing plug and with a bit of DIY work then charge the battery that way via the always live 12 V and earth pins. This way it benefits from the car's line fuse.
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I bought a small C-TEK "smart" charger when I collected my first motorhome from Campbells near Preston. it has served me well keeping both car and (spare) MH batteries topped up and in good condition. It was an expensive purchase but that was in 2003 and 15 years later it is still going strong !!
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With CTEK you don't have to bodge about with croc clips, they sell a "comfort coupling" that you leave connected to the battery and simply plug the CTEK into that. They even do an extension lead.
You might even find the "comfort coupling" (for hardwiring the battery) comes free in the box.........
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I wondered what that bit was for!
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I think you would want to know what happens in the “maintain” phase of charging so you would need the instruction manual or advice from Ring. With the CTek information that comes with the charger it shows the charging phases and the pulsed maintenance phase so you know what you are getting.
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