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Old 18th February 2019, 20:15   #11
Dorset Bob
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I use an Optimate charger plugged into my motorcycle, sometimes for months on end.
This is a FAQ from their website:

Q.Can my OptiMate be left connected to my vehicle for long periods of time unattended?

A.Yes. This is exactly what Optimate is designed to do. OptiMate’s gentle charging algorithm will never overcharge or under charge your battery.

I can't see you having a problem.
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Old 18th February 2019, 21:22   #12
Ros3
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Ok, so I just hook one up and leave it's that simple ?. What about ventilation or anything ??..
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Old 18th February 2019, 21:31   #13
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My Wedgewood has been laid up over the winter and I had to keep charging it every couple of weeks.
A few months back I purchased a solar charger marketed by AA which plugs into the OBD port under the dash.
At first it didn’t keep it fully charged for long so I coupled up my Cetek charger and gave it a full condition charge then re coupled the solar charger.
That was several weeks ago and when I returned from a holiday last week I checked the car and it started first turn on the key so the solar charger seems to be doing the job.
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Old 18th February 2019, 21:33   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ros3 View Post
Ok, so I just hook one up and leave it's that simple ?. What about ventilation or anything ??..
Answer to both your posts.

There will be virtually no gassing as the battery will be fully charged. They only give off gas as they are charging. No special ventilation required.


As for your other post. It is better to connect the negative earth clip away from the battery. This is because it could spark as you un-clip it. The gas given off from a battery on charge is explosive.--

Also unplug the charger before you disconnect anything.
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Old 18th February 2019, 21:37   #15
Ros3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by COLVERT View Post
Answer to both your posts.

There will be virtually no gassing as the battery will be fully charged. They only give off gas as they are charging. No special ventilation required.


As for your other post. It is better to connect the negative earth clip away from the battery. This is because it could spark as you un-clip it. The gas given off from a battery on charge is explosive.--

Also unplug the charger before you disconnect anything.
Well that's just confused me more, there's no gas but I should connect the negative clip "away" from the battery as gasses are explosive ??. How do I connect it "away" from the battery ??
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Old 18th February 2019, 21:41   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Jamieson View Post
My Wedgewood has been laid up over the winter and I had to keep charging it every couple of weeks.
A few months back I purchased a solar charger marketed by AA which plugs into the OBD port under the dash.
At first it didn’t keep it fully charged for long so I coupled up my Cetek charger and gave it a full condition charge then re coupled the solar charger.
That was several weeks ago and when I returned from a holiday last week I checked the car and it started first turn on the key so the solar charger seems to be doing the job.
I've been using a solar charger for years now. It produces just enough power to compensate for losses in the car's electronic system and natural losses due to the battery itself.

Don't forget a check now and then though. If your battery is sound it should be showing around 12.6 volts or so all the time.

PS. That's if you get sunshine where you are. Lol.
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Old 18th February 2019, 21:46   #17
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Well that's just confused me more, there's no gas but I should connect the negative clip "away" from the battery as gasses are explosive ??. How do I connect it "away" from the battery ??
Clip the earth connection to the engine or gearbox. Any metal earthed part. The distance from the battery needs to be no more than 18 inches.

At that distance the gas will have dissipated.

In the use you want to put your charger to, you are more likely to win the lottery than cause an explosion.---
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Old 18th February 2019, 21:48   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by COLVERT View Post
Clip the earth connection to the engine or gearbox. Any metal earthed part. The distance from the battery needs to be no more than 18 inches.

At that distance the gas will have dissipated.

In the use you want to put your charger to, you are more likely to win the lottery than cause an explosion.---
Right, see that might be a problem as the battery is not in the engine bay it is in the boot... So I'm not sure what I should do??..
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Old 18th February 2019, 22:24   #19
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I’ve used several battery chargers over the years. my opinion:

Don’t buy a cheap one from aldi or lidl. I did, and they were poor. Buy a ctek mxs5.0. About seventy quid but excellent. Also buy the ctek accessory called “comfort connect eyelet”. Only about £8, but this stays permanently connected to your battery and allows for a quicker and safer clip and connect of the charger. There are different eyelt sizes; you need the one that matches the bolts on your battery. I think I went with the 10mm comfort connect.

The other benefit that I found with using the comfort connector is that you can pretty much close the bonnet. When just using the normal clamps I often had to leave the bonnet open. The clamps also sprung off a couple of times.

Last but not least, ctek chargers hold their value, so if you dont use it in the future, whack it on gumtree or ebay and you’ll get most of your money back.

in summary:
ctek mxs5.0 charger
ctek comfort connector.
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Old 18th February 2019, 22:27   #20
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Don’t buy a cheap one from aldi or lidl.
Oh great, I went out and purchased the Aldi one today.
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