Battery trickle chargers

[StuB]

Optimate 4 or Ctek MXS3600, anybody any preference?

 

Edited by - StuB on 11 Dec 2011 09:13:36

[Sheds Moderator]

What do you want it to do?

[Phil]

Ctek mxs5.0 plus the adaptor that fits in the dash board giving an indication of the battery state of charge, just plug the charger into the socket on the dash which is connected to the battery permanently tol charge.

Brilliant bit of kit, great at reviving old batteries as well.

 

[StuB]

Sorry BOS should have been a little clearer (it was late)! I want to plug into the power socket in the car, leave it in the garage over the winter and keep the battery topped up.

[Golf Juliet Tango]

These products are more than trickle chargers, which is why they are described as battery conditioners. Both are good, I have one of each.

Recommended.

[RD]

I agree with GJT, I have an Optimate 4 and have found it great all through the 6 months SORN. I simply isolate using the battery 'kill switch' and leave it on over the winter.

The CTEK gets equally good reviews; so the choice is yours.

 

Rob

 

 

Edited by - RD on 11 Dec 2011 11:06:36

[skeetsy]

I have two Oxford Oximiser conditioners and I'd definitely recommend them.

 

Details here

 

I bought the first one to keep the campervan's battery in good nick and it's worked a treat

 

Then I bought the second one (after being impressed with the first) to look after the battery in the Caterham - what's more there was a picture of a Caterham on the box

 

I ended up making adapters to plug them into the lighter socket in each case, Maplins do all the bits

 

All the best

 

Richard

 

Edited to say they weren't Optimates afterall - but they are still very good 😬

 

Edited by - skeetsy on 11 Dec 2011 10:34:59

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

Very happy with my Optimate - plugged into the 12V power socket of the Seven whenever it is in the garage.

[kenny.]

I've got an Optimate, a ctek 3600 and an Accumate...all cost roughly the same around the 40 quid mark and all do pretty much what the box promises......no probs.

 

However, I bought the Accumate for the TVR Chimaera I had, as the smaller Optimate and Ctek apparantly never had the oomph to service the bigger battery on the Chim.........since the Chim has gone I've used it on whatever other vehicle is in the garage alongside the other 2.

 

The Accumate in my opinion has the ability to rapidly recondition a flat battery and get the green light on far quicker than the smaller Ctek and Optimate...sometimes these 2 won't extinguish the orange light whilst working on a run down battery but the Accumate never fails.

 

After what I've learned through experience, now it would be Accumate every time for me.

[Alan Reeves]

For my peace of mind:

 

I have a couple of optimates, for the bike and the 7. they work well albeit the latest for the 7 was expensive and im sure there is better value out there.

 

RD talks aboute isolating via a kill switch? I have leads attached to my batteries and in the case of the 7 I also use the lighter socket, which I have assumed works the same as the comments here in the past have indicated.

 

Should I be isolating something....I can swing a spanner but I dont understand this lectric stuff.

[RD]

Alan, there is many a thread on blatchat about whether (or not) to disconnect the battery from the car when using battery conditioners over the long period.

I do not have a strong view on this, but as my Seven has a battery isolation switch fitted it is a simple task to remove this when charging; it effectively does the same task as disconnecting the battery.

 

I think my perspective is that if the car isn’t being used on the road for six months, then it simply seems the right thing to do as a precaution. As my Seven is currently up on axle stands undergoing its winter service, leaving the Optimate on is something I do each year.

 

Rob

 

[Clive Faulkner]

I have used Optimates on my motorbikes for many years with great satisfaction.

 

While I was having my Caterham built I contacted the manufacturers to check whether my Optimate would have sufficient capacity to look after my Caterham battery and they suggested that I purchase an Accumate which has extra capacity. I took their advice, purchased the Accumate and it's been good for the last 8 month. Caterham built the lead into the car for me and the connection sits under the dash out of sight. I think a battery conditioner is an essential piece of kit for owners of limited use vehicles either on 2 wheels or four.

[Jonathan Kay]

I think what most people do is:

* Use the cigar lighter plug on the end of the charger

* Wire a cigar lighter socket directly to the battery with an appropriate in-line fuse

 

This lets you use the charger on other vehicles, gives you a socket for map lights, inspection lights, sat nav devices, 'phone chargers, etc, and bypasses any other wiring problems.

 

Jonathan

[Sheds Moderator]

If all you want to do is keep the battery alive on a battery conditioner then there are cheaper alternatives that will do the same job.

 

The fancier items will charge at up to 4A (a basic conditioner won't) but I'm not sure that this is needed. If it's truly flat then I'm happy to hook up jump leads from another car. As for sensors that turn the voltage and hence charge rate up and down depending on the degree of discharge, this is more than the alternator ever does, so why do any of us need the thing to do more than this?

 

So, IMO - basic keeping the battery alive - basic battery conditioner, or maybe a cheap charger on a switch. £10 or £20. Added rapid charging features, variable voltage (if you feel the need), get one of the fancier ones and spend the extra cash.

[Phil]

A battery needs to be kept at a certain voltage to keep it in good condition, if it is left to discharge the acid becomes heavy [think it is described as heavy] lowering its specific gravity and the cells sulphate, this covering of the plates which starts at the top and works its way down lowers the output of the battery.

Recharging it reverses the process by putting the sulphate back into solution but some sulphate falls to the bottom, to help the battery survive longer there is a collection grid at the base of the battery called an envelope.

Car batteries are not designed to be constantly discharged and recharged, preferring to be kept in a healthy state of charge.

A 4 amp charger will do most batteries but the older and heavier sulphate batteries will need more power, hence 6amp, 8amp etc. some chargers have a boost charge to kick start the charging proses.

Some chargers say they are conditioners but they simply turn themselves on and off while detecting a low or high voltage, a step up from a trickle charger.

Ctek chargers were designed for the armed forces as batteries on a ship which are large and hard to replace, a battery charger was designed specifically to clean the batteries up, break down sulphate safely returning it to solution while restoring specific gravity, keeping the batteries at optimum voltage.

A battery will respond better to a slow controlled charge rather than a high forced boost charge.

The charger you buy should relate to the size and style of battery you have to maintain or charge, this is why some have found that a small battery charger like the Ctek xs3600 will do a great job on a Caterham battery but will struggle on a diesel battery, if you have two or more batteries from different vehicles you need to spend a fortune or find one that will cover your needs.

I have the Ctek mxs5.0, I use this on my 7 and to maintain two marine leisure batteries which are 102ah each.

 

 

 

Handy tip, sand the terminals on the battery for a good electrical connection so the battery has a better chance of receiving a small charge rate and do not grease them as you may weaken or block the charge to the battery, if you wish to grease the terminals do it after the battery has been connected.

 

[stevethemook]

Another one here with a Optimate 4 . Had the 7 now for 5 years and still on the same battery so reckon its done 8 years.

 

Always keep an eye on the electrolyte level when its been on the conditioner and use deionised water as a top up ..as today.

 

Have a Bentley 1955 R type which I alternate weekly on the conditioner with the 7. Again never had a battery fail in the seven years Ive had it.

 

Steve

[tbird]

Went for the Ctek xs 7000, mainly because it can be used for all the cars, including big landy batteries, if needed

Min / Max Battery Size: 14Ah - 150Ah (charging) & 225Ah (conditioning)

seems to be well made and not given any problems although only had it for a couple of years.

 

Tim

 

Edited by - tbird on 12 Dec 2011 09:25:13

[Jonathan Kay]

I have a CSI Airflow for the 7 and an AccuMate for the Vespa.

 

Both work fine, but I've never used them on bigger batteries.

 

Jonathan

[Racing Snake]

Optimate

[John Vine]

Quoting Jonathan Kay: 

I think what most people do is:

* Use the cigar lighter plug on the end of the charger

* Wire a cigar lighter socket directly to the battery with an appropriate in-line fuse

 

This lets you use the charger on other vehicles, gives you a socket for map lights, inspection lights, sat nav devices, 'phone chargers, etc, and bypasses any other wiring problems.

 

Jonathan

Exactly so. I use an AccuMate and find it does the job on the 7 perfectly. I have no knowledge of other conditioners.

 

JV

[Clive Faulkner]

I've already posted on this subject to say that I use an Accumate. This is my first winter with the Caterham and I've been wondering whether it's necessary to check the battery level. I had maintenance free batteries on my motorbikes and the Banner is supposed to be maintenance free according to the owner's handbook. Although the battery appears to have individual cell covers they don't appear to be designed to remove very easily.

 

Any thoughts anyone?

 

Clive.

[Alan Reeves]

I wondered the same some months ago and questioned why would a company provide a non sealed battery apart from a small cost, which I am sure needs regular looking at unlike my bike one, but it will interesting to see if there are different views on that.

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

My original Banner had removable cell caps. Now have a sealed lead acid battery which is .... sealed ! Can be mounted upright or laid down

[BenF]

Historically, my 7 usually ends up not being used for 1-2 months over the winter.

 

I ended up with a dead battery last winter after I left the battery connected for two months without using the car.

 

I want to avoid this so I disconnect my battery if I think I won't be using the car for a week or more.

 

My plan was to remove the battery and charge it once a week with a normal charger. Is this enough or should I be getting a conditioner? As soon as there is a break in the weather, I will be using the 7 again

 

Any thoughts?

 

So the Optimate will plug straight into my 12v socket in the cockpit and bob's your uncle?

[Jonathan Kay]

I think the consensus is that it's better to keep a conditioning charger on all the time than to allow deeper discharges...

 

Jonathan