Theo wrote:
I think I might need a new car battery charger. However I'm failing to find
anything suitable and wonder if the team can recommend any models.

Requirement #1 is to be able to charge flat batteries.
My boot lid sometimes doesn't latch properly and leaves a dim little light
on - which if you don't drive for a week or two empties the battery. My
current 1980s dumb-charger can't handle delivering current into a low
voltage battery for more than a few seconds before the thermal trip goes[1].
I've seen smart chargers say 'we handle flat batteries 7.5V' which is no
use when the voltage drops below that.[2]

I would expect that mode to be a constant current mode, although they could
pulse or do other fancy things. But it should be able to deliver it
continuously without tripping out.

Requirement #2 is a display of voltage and current so I can see what's going
on. Little LEDs saying 'half' or 'full' do not cut it.

Nice-to-have #3 is a means of terminating charge when it's full, but I could
live without that.


Are there any 'smart' chargers that aren't also 'too clever for their own
good' chargers?

Thanks
Theo


[1] Instead I've been using a old 32V 2A bench PSU in constant current mode,
but 2A isn't very much and the case gets very hot (suspect a linear PSU).
It also isn't great to leave in the engine bay as it isn't weatherproofed in
any way.

[2] You might say the battery has had it by this point, but it's an AGM
battery in a hybrid so it lives an easy life. It only needs to provide 20A
for a few seconds to open contactors, it isn't used to start the car. I
might look at a LiFePO4 SLA-replacement next time.


If you repeatedly €˜totally discharge your car battery, you will ruin it-
they arent designed to be totally discharged, and certainly not left in
that state.

You need to either find out why the boot isnt latching and fix it or at
least check it is closed correctly.

As for chargers, you may find one with meters etc but I expect it will be
expensive, unless it is an old (second hand) simple dumb charger. Modern
ones tend to have lcd or led displays and have smart charge capabilities.
Aldi and Lidl have them on offer every few months- each do versions of the
CTek (or Ctech?) charger which are pretty good. I have an Aldi one and I
bought my son in law a Lidl one. They are essentially the same, just
branded differently. Have a look on YouTube.

Neither have proper meters. They attempt to emulate a meter on the LCD.

They do charge very low batteries, the early ones didnt. There is a video
on YouTube covering this.



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