Lidl are selling those automatic chargers that revert to a maintenance
charge and can be left on indefinitely, for only 13 quid. It's small and
has fixing holes in the case. I was considering fitting one permanently to
the old Rover, and having a mains inlet point somewhere on the outside of
the car. The question is what would be a suitable weatherproof connector
for this as the car lives outside? About IEC size would be ideal.

--
*Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
Lidl are selling those automatic chargers that revert to a maintenance
charge and can be left on indefinitely, for only 13 quid. It's small and
has fixing holes in the case. I was considering fitting one permanently to
the old Rover, and having a mains inlet point somewhere on the outside of
the car. The question is what would be a suitable weatherproof connector
for this as the car lives outside? About IEC size would be ideal.


I'm sure it could be done (in Canada loads of the cars had flexes with
what looked like mains connectors hanging through the front grilles for
connection to engine block heaters) but the question is why? Surely it
would be easier to have a fused 12V connector at the car, so you are
less worried about insulation/weatherproofing/safety concerns etc. This
is the system loads of motorcyclists use with smart battery chargers.

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

I was considering fitting one permanently to the old Rover,

Why? It's an (slightly) old Rover, but it's a modern battery. Should be
no more susceptible to cold-start problems than anything new, assuming
it's in reasonable condition and you have an ignition system with some
sort of inverter that's less susceptible to battery voltage than plain
coil+points. The Rover V8 is also a pretty easy engine for
cold-starting, so long as the fuel lift pump isn't the original SU
(IMHE experience on 4x4s).

The question is what would be a suitable weatherproof connector
for this as the car lives outside?

Bog standard big round blue one, otherwise it's weird and thus a bad
thing. Given the choice between finding somewhere to stash a big one
and using a little one of dubious reliability in bad weather, then I'd
choose the standard.

There's probably some variant of an XLR that you can use, for
sufficient money.

I'm sure it could be done (in Canada loads of the cars had flexes with
what looked like mains connectors hanging through the front grilles for
connection to engine block heaters) but the question is why? Surely it
would be easier to have a fused 12V connector at the car, so you are
less worried about insulation/weatherproofing/safety concerns etc. This
is the system loads of motorcyclists use with smart battery chargers.

Its done in this country with fire pumps, so that they are ready to go at a
moments notice. Mains is better for current load.

Dave

Dave Plowman (News) expressed precisely :
Lidl are selling those automatic chargers that revert to a maintenance
charge and can be left on indefinitely, for only 13 quid. It's small and
has fixing holes in the case. I was considering fitting one permanently to
the old Rover, and having a mains inlet point somewhere on the outside of
the car. The question is what would be a suitable weatherproof connector
for this as the car lives outside? About IEC size would be ideal.

The blue round plugs and sockets as normally fitted for caravan use
would be best. 13 amp plug, length of cable with a blue socket on the
end, then a matching blue plug on the charger.

I would also suggest the 13amp socket is one protected by an RCD. I
would also suggest that the charger is NOT installed under the bonnet
where spray from rain can get at it - perhaps in the cabin charging via
the lighter socket or similar?

--

Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

On Dec 1, 3:56 pm, gort wrote:
I'm sure it could be done (in Canada loads of the cars had flexes with
what looked like mains connectors hanging through the front grilles for
connection to engine block heaters) but the question is why? Surely it
would be easier to have a fused 12V connector at the car, so you are
less worried about insulation/weatherproofing/safety concerns etc. This
is the system loads of motorcyclists use with smart battery chargers.

Its done in this country with fire pumps, so that they are ready to go at a
moments notice. Mains is better for current load.

But they live *indoors* and it's for charging all the portable
appliances, not the battery for starting the engine.

MBQ

s.

Its done in this country with fire pumps, so that they are ready to go at
a moments notice. Mains is better for current load.

But they live *indoors* and it's for charging all the portable
appliances, not the battery for starting the engine.

MBQ

You did read the bit about Canada I assume.....

Dave

On Fri, 01 Dec 2006 14:19:59 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

|Lidl are selling those automatic chargers that revert to a maintenance
|charge and can be left on indefinitely, for only 13 quid. It's small and
|has fixing holes in the case. I was considering fitting one permanently to
|the old Rover, and having a mains inlet point somewhere on the outside of
|the car. The question is what would be a suitable weatherproof connector
|for this as the car lives outside? About IEC size would be ideal.


When running mains electricity outside you should have a RCB fitted, if the
house does not already use them. There are many versions available. Also
you should use those big blue connectors you can get from any caravan
place.
Inside a car is inside so no problems about weatherproofing the box.
--
Dave Fawthrop dave hyphenologist co uk Google Groups is IME the *worst*
method of accessing usenet. GG subscribers would be well advised get a
newsreader, say Agent, and a newsserver, say news.individual.net. These
will allow them: to see only *new* posts, a killfile, and other goodies.

Harry Bloomfield verbally sodomised in
:

Dave Plowman (News) expressed precisely :
Lidl are selling those automatic chargers that revert to a maintenance
charge and can be left on indefinitely, for only 13 quid. It's small
and has fixing holes in the case. I was considering fitting one
permanently to the old Rover, and having a mains inlet point somewhere
on the outside of the car. The question is what would be a suitable
weatherproof connector for this as the car lives outside? About IEC
size would be ideal.

The blue round plugs and sockets as normally fitted for caravan use
would be best. 13 amp plug, length of cable with a blue socket on the
end, then a matching blue plug on the charger.

I would also suggest the 13amp socket is one protected by an RCD. I
would also suggest that the charger is NOT installed under the bonnet
where spray from rain can get at it - perhaps in the cabin charging via
the lighter socket or similar?


Wake me up, before you post post.

--
Phil Kyle™

T
h i
i s
s l
f i l
S o n o
i u e n
g r s g

In article , Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
I was considering fitting one permanently to
the old Rover, and having a mains inlet point somewhere on the outside of
the car. The question is what would be a suitable weatherproof connector
for this as the car lives outside? About IEC size would be ideal.

For maintaining the charge on the various equipment in our lifeboats
at work, we feed them through one of the 120V outdoor trailing-socket type
connectors which have the additional benefit that they'll uncouple as you
lower the lifeboat without the coxswain having to remember (assuming that
the cox was still alive to make it to the lifeboat). You do need to break
or disable the cover on the plug end which mates with the trailing socket
to latch the two together. But you'll do that the first time you drive off
without remembering to disconnect the power unit.
You can get comparable trailing (and panel, come to think of it)
plugs and sockets for 240V. They're blue, not yellow. The two different
voltages won't mate without hammer, chisel and lobotomy.
Can't find pictures on B&Q or Maplin's websites. Can't be bothered
looking further. They're easy to find.

--
Aidan
Aberdeen, Scotland
Written at Sun, 03 Dec 2006 14:16 GMT, but posted later.

Aidan Karley wrote:

In article , Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
I was considering fitting one permanently to
the old Rover, and having a mains inlet point somewhere on the outside of
the car. The question is what would be a suitable weatherproof connector
for this as the car lives outside? About IEC size would be ideal.

For maintaining the charge on the various equipment in our lifeboats
at work, we feed them through one of the 120V outdoor trailing-socket type
connectors which have the additional benefit that they'll uncouple as you
lower the lifeboat without the coxswain having to remember (assuming that
the cox was still alive to make it to the lifeboat). You do need to break
or disable the cover on the plug end which mates with the trailing socket
to latch the two together. But you'll do that the first time you drive off
without remembering to disconnect the power unit.
You can get comparable trailing (and panel, come to think of it)
plugs and sockets for 240V. They're blue, not yellow. The two different
voltages won't mate without hammer, chisel and lobotomy.
Can't find pictures on B&Q or Maplin's websites. Can't be bothered
looking further. They're easy to find.

--
Aidan
Aberdeen, Scotland
Written at Sun, 03 Dec 2006 14:16 GMT, but posted later.

Don't buy anything from Maplins. My broadband started to go slow and my
ISP said I needed a new filter. Maplins said I needed new cable. I
bought new cable but the broadband speeded up again - must have been
BT. So I took the cable back. But because it had been machine packed
there is no way I would return it "in the same condition". The cable
WAS "in the same condition". But the idiots said the packing had to be
the same -- impossible!

If they want to get things back "correctly" they should use packing it
is possible to pack.

Every other company I've taken anything back to, in living memory has
accepted it back with full refund.

Except Maplins.

Don't even think of shopping with them.

In article . com,
Paul wrote:
Don't buy anything from Maplins. My broadband started to go slow and my
ISP said I needed a new filter. Maplins said I needed new cable. I
bought new cable but the broadband speeded up again - must have been
BT. So I took the cable back. But because it had been machine packed
there is no way I would return it "in the same condition". The cable
WAS "in the same condition". But the idiots said the packing had to be
the same -- impossible!

If they want to get things back "correctly" they should use packing it
is possible to pack.

And then risk tealeafs removing some of the contents while on display?
Like happens in B&Q etc all the time? Much as I dislike that rigid bubble
packaging it stops things like that at the expense of not being possible
to re-pack easily.

Every other company I've taken anything back to, in living memory has
accepted it back with full refund.

It's only a privilege unless the goods are faulty. And one that seems much
abused.

--
*I finally got my head together, now my body is falling apart.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Dec 1, 4:21 pm, gort wrote:
s.



Its done in this country with fire pumps, so that they are ready to go at
a moments notice. Mains is better for current load.

But they live *indoors* and it's for charging all the portable
appliances, not the battery for starting the engine.

MBQ

You did read the bit about Canada I assume.....

Yes, and then you said "in this country" with no indication where "this
country" might be. You could be in Outer Mongolia for all I care. You
do know this is *UK*.d-i-y I assume.....

MBQ

On Tue, 05 Dec 2006 23:16:19 GMT, wrote:

When I was involved (in UK) with fire appliances, (40 years ago) they were
plugged into the mains, so they'd be ready to go at full chat as soon as the
engine was started. The mains was for an immersion heater in the cooling
system so the engine was near enough up to temperature immediately it was
started. That could be useful on cold mornings for the car!

A similar system has been available for smaller vehicles for many
years. The Kenlowe Hotstart. I first fitted one about 20 years ago and
they had been around for quite a while then. It's a 3kW heater with a
pump that fits in the heater loop, it warms up the engine block in
about 15-20 minutes and thermostatically controls it to prevent
boiling. Plus if you leave it on a bit longer and arrange for a
thermal switch to turn on the existing heater fan it warms up the
interior and melts all the ice off. Instant engine starts with a
relatively warm and dry interior with fully deiced windows are a huge
plus on cold winter mornings.

Anyway back to Dave's original question. The Kenlowe Hotstart uses a 3
pin version of the conventional lawnmower extension connectors. See RS
531-431. I don't think it carries any official IP rating but with a
tight fitting mains lead it's stood up to many years use. For 9 months
of the year it just sits tucked inside the radiator grill. Despite
being moved between many vehicles I think I've replaced maybe 3
connectors in 20 years - all because I forgot to stow the connector
and it dragged on the road.




--

In article ,
Matt wrote:
Anyway back to Dave's original question. The Kenlowe Hotstart uses a 3
pin version of the conventional lawnmower extension connectors. See RS
531-431. I don't think it carries any official IP rating but with a
tight fitting mains lead it's stood up to many years use. For 9 months
of the year it just sits tucked inside the radiator grill. Despite
being moved between many vehicles I think I've replaced maybe 3
connectors in 20 years - all because I forgot to stow the connector
and it dragged on the road.

Thanks for that. Thinking on it that type of connector is likely to be at
least semi moisture proof since it's likely to be dragged through wet
grass, etc.

--
*Hang in there, retirement is only thirty years away! *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.