Is there much difference between chargers? Will this £13 one do off ebay. Is there any danger leaving a cheaper one on for long periods?
Looking to get a trickle charger for the winter as the Indy wont be used for a while especially with my broken leg!
Is there much difference between chargers? Will this £13
one do off ebay. Is there any danger leaving a cheaper one on for long periods?
I have opened some of them el cheapo chargers and quite frankly I was appalled by what I saw.
Sorry but I can't really recommend any brand,make
quote:
Originally posted by Fatgadget
I have opened some of them el cheapo chargers and quite frankly I was appalled by what I saw.
get an optimate, i've taken my battery out of the car and got it plugged in in the kitchen in the warm to the charger which conditions and checks
the level of charge. optimate2 go for about £30-40 iirc on fleabay.
I even went out to the garage on monday and reconnected the battery just to run her up as she's not run for a while..
Ned.
http://www.barden-uk.com/automotive-chargers.html
used them loads of times. What they dont know about batteries aint worth knowing!
I use an old 400ma 12v mobile phone charger for the bike. Use it once a month
for a week or so, seems to do the trick.
I bought one of these from machine mart last winter,it worked a treat also sold in argos i believe.
trickle charger link
It also has an led light on the front to show when it is charging,great value
I've got a CTEK 3600, expensive but good, see here:
http://www.hamiltonclassic.co.uk/ProductInformation/BatteryCareCTEK.htm
Second vote for the Optimate - good design & quality kit 
Best price i can see on fleabay
optimate link
The optimate is good, I especially like the remote hookup connector- worth making sure that comes in the kit. So much easier than removing the bonnet
after every drive...
The main advantage of the optimate over say the oximiser is the desulfate function on the optimate though I'm not sure how often I'm
actually going to need it.
Although there are cheaper ones out there I'd worry about leaving them continuously switched on and attached to a battery..... Garage full of
petrol, oils, cans of spray paint, GRP, rusted iron fillings and ali filings side by side .....
Even though the bonnet comes off after every trip in the car, i have wired in an auxillery power plug on the dash so i can plug the trickle charger in this way.
Do you leave that machinemart charger connected for long periods?
Dave
I've left it on a timer,it comes on for 6 hrs in the morning and 6 hrs at night.
Although i dont know why i bother as after about 4 hrs its back up to speed,the clarke instruction book says it will cut out at 13.8V or something
like that then come back on at 11. somrthing. I do have a misstrust of clarke products so i thought the timer would be a wise move.
Don't waste money on expensive chargers! Buy a redtop battery and this will hold a charge for 2 years !
i use the optimate no problems leave it plugged in all the time
quote:
Originally posted by nitram38
Don't waste money on expensive chargers! Buy a redtop battery and this will hold a charge for 2 years !
I charge my bike, car and a caravan battery so it can be used on any of them. I have a 12v charger that was £9.99 inc. p&p from ebay but it doesn't cut out or do a desulphating cycle like the optimate.
What does a desulphating cycle do?
desulphates!!
http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/carfaq16.htm
Optimate III seems to only be for bateries upto 28ah , so bikes rather than cars???
[Edited on 22/12/06 by Surrey Dave]
Ive used an Oxford "Oximizer" for the last couple of years and cant fault it, does pretty much everything an Optimate does (possibly apart
from desuplhate), comes with a "remote" fly lead and plug so you can mount a plug on the side of the car etc and plug in without bonnet
being open, and costs £25 from M & P
[Edited on 24/12/06 by ChrisGamlin]