Battery charger

So I need an Optimate. No, wait, an Accumate. No, wait (etc etc).

As far as I can tell, the advantage of the Optimate is that it can rescue
"deader" batteries, but the Accumate can work with cars as well as bikes. Is
that an accurate assessment or have I missed something?

 

Both should work OK with cars if you've got tons of patience as they're
not very powerful.

IMHO the main difference is that the Accumate can also handle 6V
batteries, which the Optimate can't. AFAIR there was a battery charger
test in Practical Classics (or was it DiRE? I may have read it in WH
Smiths...) a while back and they suggested the Accumate was the better
charger.

TBH, if you're into 'rescuing batteries' territory you'd better off to
get a new one.

 

In

Like this one Steve?

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=115194&C=Maplin&U=SearchTop&T=solar charger&doy=19m4

--
Steve Parry
BMW R45 <arrived>
01 Kawasaki ZX12-R
07 K1200GT SE
95 BMW F650
87 Yamaha FS1
Sukida SK90PY
91 Kawasaki AR50
07 VW Passat SE Estate for comfort
www.gwynfryn.co.uk

 

I regularly use my Optimate on the wife's car. Doesn't seem to know wtf it's
connected to either.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

I have one of these
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=98358&&source=14&doy=19m4
which does the job. From time to time Maplin have them on offer at £9.99

 

Ooh, a battery charger test. Sounds like compulsive reading.

No, I'm not, I've been there in the past with cars and bikes, so I'm trying to
learn from the experience and keep them topped up.

 

Ah. Good point. I saw the Maplin ones alluded to lower down in the thread.
They look like just the job. They come in 1.5W, 2.4W, and 12W versions. I
assume the 1.5W one will do the job for a bike, will it do the job for a car
as well?

I realised that the reason I really wanted the [Accu|Opti]mate is because
of the cable that lets you plug it in without fart-arsing around lifting the
seat to get to the battery. Great feature, that. However, I think with some
wire, some terminals (or a cigar lighter socket), a drill, and a bit of brain,
I could possibly achieve a similar result on my bikes, without paying extra
for the proprietary cable in the expensive chargers.

 

Certainly recommended for people with sleeping disorders, that.

Fair enough. I've had an Accumate for years and it does work fine.

 

There are still some of the £10 ones in my local Aldi.

 

I use one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OXFORD-OXIMIS...photoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

Does cars as well as bikes, and because of the extra capacity, will
bring a bike battery up from near-flat to fully charged in three or
four hours.

 

In

http://www.ridetriangles.com/pdf/676/293891.pdf

--
Steve Parry
BMW R45 <arrived>
01 Kawasaki ZX12-R
07 K1200GT SE
95 BMW F650
87 Yamaha FS1
Sukida SK90PY
91 Kawasaki AR50
07 VW Passat SE Estate for comfort
www.gwynfryn.co.uk