I need to get a trickle charger / battery conditioner for my car because it was flat when I went to start it on Monday.
I guess the limited use at this time of year isn't helping keep the battery alive so it need a bit of help.

Where is the best one / cheapest one available ?
What do I need ?

I will wire in a plug under the dash so I don't have to open the bonnet and mess about with crocodile clips.

I use a cheapo Aldi one, works fine, I have a 12V socket with a flip cover (lighter) on the dash plug it in there as its wired to be permanently on, also useful for charging cameras phones etc.....

Cheap Aldi here as well, works well, the little black motorcycle one.
I also have the Aldi conditioner that was £17 for larger batteries, more like the optimate charger but it does not seem as good so lives in its box now.

I use a solar panel, to top mine up, and even with a grey sky it produces a charge

1.8 Watt 12 Volt Solar Panel Trickle Car Battery Charger FREE DELIVERY

NTDWM but this is on offer on Amazon

With all my years now with both cars and bikes I have always returned to the Optimate, I have tried lost of cheaper ones over the years buts the original is still the best

I was forever having flat battery issues after leaving the car for months on end but I solved it by using one of the solar trickle chargers plus I added a battery cut off switch to the battery earth lead and now when I lay up the car I just kill the power to the battery earth so the trickle charger is charging but there's no drain on the battery at all. I have to reset the clock and radio every time I want to use it but it's not a big problem as that's not all that often.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Scuzzle
I was forever having flat battery issues after leaving the car for months on end but I solved it by using one of the solar trickle chargers plus I added a battery cut off switch to the battery earth lead and now when I lay up the car I just kill the power to the battery earth so the trickle charger is charging but there's no drain on the battery at all. I have to reset the clock and radio every time I want to use it but it's not a big problem as that's not all that often.

---

I use a oxford oximiser 900

seems to do a great job!
Comes with a wall mounting thing too so it just sits by the engine bay and I plug it in when I pop it in the garage and the power cable is run neatly along the wall out the way

Cant remember where I got it from but it was on offer somewhere for around £20!!

quote:

---

Originally posted by Barkalarr

quote:

---

Originally posted by Scuzzle
I was forever having flat battery issues after leaving the car for months on end but I solved it by using one of the solar trickle chargers plus I added a battery cut off switch to the battery earth lead and now when I lay up the car I just kill the power to the battery earth so the trickle charger is charging but there's no drain on the battery at all. I have to reset the clock and radio every time I want to use it but it's not a big problem as that's not all that often.

---

Just thought about the solar idea, but I keep the car in the garage (beneath a matching cover) and the garage doesn't have any windows. It only has a slight daylight coming in around the doors. It's really dark in there.
If there was someway of keeping the solar part of the charger outside, and running a long lead, that would work.

What model / where can I get one ?

---

Lidl were doing ctek copy a while back for £13.99 - worth checking to see if they still have any..

[Edited on 19/12/14 by prawnabie]