Battery Conditioner & Flex suitable for outside use

[Monsterlime]

Wasn't entirely sure where to put this, so if I'm wrong, please move it.

My car lives outside under a car cover, and with the weather like it is, it isn't likely to move much. I have been considering getting a battery conditioner for a while now, but I don't know which one would be best.

Ideally, it would have a connection for charging through the cigarette lighter.

Also, what kind of extension lead/flex should I be looking at? As this is outside, I assume I would need a low temperature type? The actual sockets/connections wouldn't be outside, just the flex itself.

Cheers!

[jet_noise]

Dear Ml,

is the whole thing - house/cable/car on your land and not able to be interfered with by kids/adults/beasts?
If not then the only thing I'd be worried about would be UV degradation of the cable, I assume we're talking about mains?

If there's any concern then can you extend the LV side rather than the mains side?
Much safer,

regards,
Jet

[Prof Prolapse]

Can you not just take the battery out?

[Magic919]

You don't need a low temperature cable if it is just going to lie there. If you want to be ale to roll it up in cold weather, that's another matter.

Correct advice would include using an RCD and make sure the cable is shielded against sunlight. In reality, an ordinary extension lead will last for some years exposed to the light.

[littleredrooster]

I think I understand from you post that you're going to extend the 12v side of the charger (which is the right thing to do...) so any similarly-sized cable to the original will do.

[NiceCupOfTea]

I am using a ctek conditioner, have simply run the cable through some conduit to stop wildlife chewing on it and left it in frost mode. Charger itself is in the garage, car parked next to it.

[Pontoneer]

I have a couple of Aldi maintenance chargers , which look like clones of the Ctek ones . Two cars on my drive fed by a run of blue arctic cable from my shed ( which is itself RCD protected ) into a two way socket under the bonnet of the first car , then a second length looping to the other car . Both sockets located in sheltered positions .

[r11co]

Long low voltage runs will result in higher resistance losses (which will be significant considering the small amounts of current involved in battery charging).

If you are really worried get some armoured cable. Otherwise just use some common sense and shield it as advised by others. Had a mains cable suspended well above head height between the house and garage for several decades with no problems to report. Circuit breaker at house end is also a sensible move.

[LuS1fer]

Can you not use a solar one? A friend uses one on his car and it seems to work well enough.

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

I use a solar charger too - it's a 6 watt jobbie and charges at around 500Ma under bright summer sun. When it's overcast it produces 50-100Ma which is more than enough to stop it going flat and stop it sulfating up (which is what kills lead acid batteries)
I leave it on the back parcel shelf facing south, although if you were to go this route you'd obviously have to put it the other side of your car cover

[Monsterlime]

Thanks all.

To clarify, the car lives on the drive just outside the garage (which is of course filled with rubbish and not a car - this can't change, unfortunately), but there is power in the garage. So I was intending on running something like this - http://www.diy.com/nav/fix/electrical/cable-reels-...
From the garage power socket, outside and under the car cover into the drivers side window, and plug the conditioner into it, and then plug that into the car.

I had considered armoured cable, but I'm concerned about it scratching the car since it will be between the car cover and paint work. I was intending on putting something soft and fluffy (lol) around that section of flex to try and prevent that. Armoured cable isn't that pliable either.

This is more for ease and relatively speedy removal/application so the car is still useable when the weather is vaguely decent. Removing the battery is a lot more faff.

I have also considered a solar charger, but I'm not really sure where to put that either. Obviously the logical place would be on top of the car on the cover, but the wind does get up sufficiently that occasionally the cover comes off partially and moves about a lot, so I suspect it wouldn't actually stay on the roof for long and either damage the car or itself.

Although from the looks of it, I should actually extend the cable that plugs into the cigarette lighter rather than the mains? I must admit, I hadn't considered that, but that may be easier. Thinner cable, and I could certainly protect it with conduit etc. Hmmm.

[jet_noise]

Dear r11co,

r11co said:

Long low voltage runs will result in higher resistance losses (which will be significant considering the small amounts of current involved in battery charging).

<snip>

Did you mean:
Long low voltage runs will result in higher resistance losses (which will be INsignificant considering the small amounts of current involved in battery charging).
or
Long low voltage runs will result in higher resistance losses (which will be significant considering the LARGE amounts of current involved in battery charging).

I'd say the latter if the battery is flat on first connection so don't skimp on LV wire thickness - at least 1sq.mm. CSA,

And while I'm being a pedantic electronics eng. Dr D means mA not Ma

regards,
Jet

[LuS1fer]

You can glue velcro on the solar charger and cover.

[clockworks]

If you are considering charging through the cigarette lighter, make sure that the lighter works with the ignition switched off. If it doesn't, it won't charge.

I'd go for Ctek charger with a permanent battery connector - comes in the box with the mxs-5. Extend the low voltage cable.

[NiceCupOfTea]

Check your cig lighter is permanently live; most aren't. My Ctek charger came with a mini loom that you connect to the battery terminals with a waterproof socket that hangs down - really easy to connect the charger. Then, on mine, the low voltage wires just run through some trunking from the wheelarch underneath the garage door, and the charger is inside the garage. Works for me!

[J4CKO]

I got a basic Ctek one fromt he local car spare shop, only 0.8 amp, didnt think to check and its probably for motorbikes but it seems to have done the trick, it went through the various stages and is now in "Float", I tried it the other day and it started instantly, starter spinning quicker than ever. I run a short run of my extension cable into the boot and connect the charger in there, nobody really walks that way so not a hazard and if something eats the cable then its bad luck, think I will get one of those cable run things that they have in offices.

Think mine was going flat due to lack of use, start it and short journey and it takes more out than it puts in, couple that with a big, high compression engine, age, the cold and a healthy desire for amps even when off then the battery has no chance.

[Monsterlime]

NiceCupOfTea said:

Check your cig lighter is permanently live; most aren't. My Ctek charger came with a mini loom that you connect to the battery terminals with a waterproof socket that hangs down - really easy to connect the charger. Then, on mine, the low voltage wires just run through some trunking from the wheelarch underneath the garage door, and the charger is inside the garage. Works for me!

Well, the previous owner had a battery conditioner running through the cigarette lighter, so I'm pretty sure it is.

However, now thinking about it, this is probably a better idea than running the flex up between the car and cover.

Or use the same idea, with the solar charger (for some reason, attaching it via velco hasn't even crossed my mind).