Hi, does anybody have information about SMART CHARGERS as I have problems after leaving my camperhome idle for a couple of months due to a foot operation.
Thanks for any help
What do you actually want to know about them? Many of them won't recharge a totally flat battery, because they need to detect a current to start with - you either need a normal charger to start with, or connect to another battery with jump leads. Once partially charged, a smart charger may well do a good job of bringing your battery back to life.
What a smart charger does is detect the amount of charge the battery needs in stages so the charge rate is reduced as the battery charges over time. When the battery is fully charged it provides a float charge so you can leave it on 24/7 without doing any harm and because of it's clever technology it is supposed to provide a longer battery life. However, you need to keep the battery fully charged at all times rather than let it stand for any length of time as this standing period does more harm than good especially during the winter period. There are various brands on the market with different amp ratings but the most popular one is manufactured by C-Tek. More information can be found in the link below.
Another vote for the ctek charger. So easy to use and does what is says it will do.
Its not cheap and some folks on hear have praised one that Aldi sell but there are plenty on the market to choose from.
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iv got a battery charger from lidl it was 14.99 and looks identical to a ctek mxs 3.6 charger.
it works great on my bike and friends bike battery keeping them fully charged while not being used for periods of time long enough for his bike to not be able to start before, now it starts on the button.
lidl have them in from time to time and ill buy a spare one when they come back on sale again.
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So pardon my ignorance, if I am not using my camper for 5-6 weeks. Would it be ok to connect to the mains at home, disconnect the negative on my starter battery and connect the chatger ????
Hi, I have two CTEK FS7000 chargers. One is permanently wired to the on board leisure Their is no need to disconnect the neutral when connecting the charger. You can leave the charger connected whilst you are laid up as it will automatically monitor the battery.
An advantage of intelligent chargers is that they de-sulphate batteries by giving a high voltage charge during the cycle. Something trickle chargers cannot do.
Regards Bob.