Battery chargers

Hey guys, my cranking battery has died and the reason why is because my car can sit for a month or two between proper drives, the battery charge level goes up and down and has not really been looked after properly.

Before I get a new battery I want to get a proper battery charger to leave plugged in all the time so it will last a few years more. That's the confusing part.

The ctek website recommends at least a 7A charger for a battery of 120Ah, but I'm sure I've read people using much smaller chargers without a problem. I was looking at their 3.6A one which they say will do up to 75Ah, is that just marketing bull crap to make you buy the dearer one?

I run a few different configurations of Battery/Charger combinations as standby power for remote telemetry sites.

It's not marketing bull crap as such because they have to try and sort out a 'one recommendation suits all situations' figure I spose.
I use the Ctek 0.8 amp for up to 50 A/H and the 3.6 for the larger capacities up to 140 A/H which is the largest standby capacity I need of 72 hours.

I would go the 3.6 myself for a vehicle.
Yes, the 0.8 will do and that is what I have put on 70 series 6 cyl cruisers but I use the 3.6 on the V8's.
Reason?
If the Battery is charged and it is purely a maintainance charge then 0.8 will work but 3.6 is easily enough capacity for top up when first put away then ongoing maint.
The 7 amp jobbie is a spec that revolves around Ctek thinking why is the Cust using such a big battery?
There is a largish draw and probably a quickish recharge needed?
IE you don't ideally want the draw to be much higher than the charging rate for standby/maintainance situation

In your case (and mine) there is no boost charging and no large draw, just parasitic and leakage of maybe 1/4 an amp tops depending on equipment connected.

Okay cool, here's another thought. I have a basic redarc dual battery system.
If I got a 3.6A charger and connected it to cranking battery, would it put in enough charge to activate the dual battery solenoid and keep both batteries at 100%?
Or should I now be looking at a higher capacity charger?

(sorry for the delay, stupid freakin Bigpond dropped out)

Nah, the 3.6 will be fine.
It will pull in the Redarc and do both batteries even tho you are prob up around 200+ AH.
Indeed that is exactly what I have at the moment on my Red Ute... (I have removed the Intervolt programmable gear for another project)

My only comment is that assumes the batteries are in a good state of charge and condition.
If you have been giving them a hiding that day say winching and then a short drive home at night then 3.6 may be a tad low

Getting the batteries out of the engine bay will also help their longeviry but is hard to cos of room constraints.

I'm sort on the same wave length as the evil twin except I went the C-Tek M-300 that comes with a .08 charger in the box. The M=300 is a 25 Amp charger but is very smart. I use it to tart up tired batteries and to maintain a couple of batteries at the same time in the boat. Both batteries are the same and are linked by an Auto Battery Coupler.

The M-300 is one of the few batteries around with a 5 yr warranty and the place I got mine from rewired the ends with anderson plugs so I can change the end connections. I can also pug anderson to anderson via the plug at the tow bar on the Patrol to charge that battery and if I leave it sit the .08 can plg into the same spot.

Winnie, check them out and you can get your batteries to last for years. Some of mine are over 10 yrs old and are working fine.

Cheers

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nissannewby

Getting the batteries out of the engine bay will also help their longeviry but is hard to cos of room constraints.

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Yeah, unfortunate not an option.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by the evil twin

(sorry for the delay, stupid freakin Bigpond dropped out)

Nah, the 3.6 will be fine.
It will pull in the Redarc and do both batteries even tho you are prob up around 200+ AH.
Indeed that is exactly what I have at the moment on my Red Ute... (I have removed the Intervolt programmable gear for another project)

My only comment is that assumes the batteries are in a good state of charge and condition.
If you have been giving them a hiding that day say winching and then a short drive home at night then 3.6 may be a tad low

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chimo

I'm sort on the same wave length as the evil twin except I went the C-Tek M-300 that comes with a .08 charger in the box. The M=300 is a 25 Amp charger but is very smart. I use it to tart up tired batteries and to maintain a couple of batteries at the same time in the boat. Both batteries are the same and are linked by an Auto Battery Coupler.

The M-300 is one of the few batteries around with a 5 yr warranty and the place I got mine from rewired the ends with anderson plugs so I can change the end connections. I can also pug anderson to anderson via the plug at the tow bar on the Patrol to charge that battery and if I leave it sit the .08 can plg into the same spot.

Winnie, check them out and you can get your batteries to last for years. Some of mine are over 10 yrs old and are working fine.

Cheers

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Thanks for the advice gents

Used to have one of these before it shit itself, worked well and charge rate was pretty good........ http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/onl...ecommendations. Stupid me didn't check to see how it was doing, so battery eventually didnt' have enough juice to start the Q.

Called the RAC to get me going, so bought one of these 4A jobbies http://rac.com.au/motoring/batteries/battery-chargers and does the job

what about a small sola pannel to top up the batteries

They are so simple, and have a diode in them so there is no leakage overnight, and only 30 bucks. I have wired up a plug at the front of the vehicle so I can connect the panel without opening the bonnet.