Battery tender

[Jsafe17]

Originally Posted by Todd in Vancouver

I'm looking into one also but I want Solar powered. I travel for work and my car can sit for 7+ days at the airport so I'd like to add a solar maintainer type solar charger.
Recommendations????

Well assuming your battery is good its should be able to sit for a few wks. That being said, I have no experience with these that I'm going to link for you. But just last month I had a good buddy of mine who is very particular and not cheap tell me that these work great for his RV when he's camping for a month at a time and when it sits in storage to keep the batteries up. in his truck and in his RV. my impression of this outfit is all their stuff is pretty cheap however..I asked him about that and he swears by them still.

http://www.harborfreight.com/interes...6418-3495.html

[forzasteve]

Originally Posted by camguynj

Ask your electrical engineering phd friend what happens to a Deltran (and your car's battery) when temp goes below zero when storing car outside ...oh probably didn't think of that. May want to see what the lowest temp Detrans are rated at compared to a CTEK. Maybe you can call your friend for a jump start !

I live in Arizona.

But that said, you got my curiosity so I tried to find where CTEK or Deltan made any claims about charging a battery in lower temperatures I could not find any data from either company about that. I only found marketing hype from CTEK that they have a Polar version. No details except they provide higher voltage for charging ... hmmm. Have to think that through to understand why that is so important.

I would love to hear an explanation of why one float charger would do a better job than the other when the outside temperature dips below zero. Personally, would be skeptical of any claim to that effect. Deltran and CTEK have been around for years and I have never heard of anyone in cold climates complain that either one let them down.

Steve

[Indydriver]

Don't have the manual in front of me but my CTEK has a cold weather setting for below 40F or so. Don't recall seeing a minimum for that setting.

[Chevy_cowboy]

The CTEK Polar model I have is rated down to -22F I think.

[Enduring]

Originally Posted by camguynj

Ask your electrical engineering phd friend what happens to a Deltran (and your car's battery) when temp goes below zero when storing car outside ...oh probably didn't think of that. May want to see what the lowest temp Detrans are rated at compared to a CTEK. Maybe you can call your friend for a jump start !

I have a Deltran Jr and used it last winter when the temperature was -40. My battery would die in a day or two if it wasn't on the tender, but if I had it on the tender it started up like it was +20C out after sitting for 2 weeks.

[maddoggyusa]

wow you guys sure get into battery tenders. I have 4 of them... they all work the same. some are almost 20 years old now. it's not rocket science... just get a good brand so you don't burn down your garage.

[ninety6]

I like the Battery Tender Jrs. I have one of the fancy cteks they work as well. I did try the "they are all the same" mentality out -- and bought a a couple black and decker maintainers. well, they worked fine on my pickup truck, but not on my 2002 camaro. Have no idea why, but it would never kick on on the camaro - neither one of them. Battery is fine, and is less than a year old. I sent em both back and spent the extra few dollars for battery tender jr, and they work perfectly all the time on every battery....

i've used a harbor freight one too -- it didn't last very long, and the wires are really thin... Can't remember how well it worked, but it didn't work for long.

[camguynj]

Originally Posted by Enduring

I have a Deltran Jr and used it last winter when the temperature was -40. My battery would die in a day or two if it wasn't on the tender, but if I had it on the tender it started up like it was +20C out after sitting for 2 weeks.

I called Ctek because my unit is rated at -4 to ask what happens if temp goes below -4. Was told the unit may not charge beyond 12.6 volts due to current loss attributable to thickness of wires and that plastic clip covers could crack leading to integrity connection problem. Couldn't find any Detran temp specs, but I can say the Ctek wires seem thicker than the Deltran ( I had both a Deltran Jr and a 1.2amp before my Ctek. Both kept timing out before bringing my battery to a full charge. Got a Ctek 4.3 amp and I'm problem free ) So I have to assume the lower amp. Detrans will loose even more charging power than a Ctek in minus o temps. Glad your Deltran is doing the job for you.

[L36L72LS3]

Originally Posted by Down Shift

I have a couple of the cheapo $9 Harbor Freight jobs. They work fine.

......is up to date. My friends house burnt down and traced back to the Japan made Harbor Frieght battery charger. You get what you pay for.

[Lacpac]

Ctek testimonial. I use it on the Camaro all Winter, and occasionally charge the camper and lawn mower battery with it half way through the Winter months. Before the C-Tek I could only get 1 season out of my lawn mower battery, using a cheap trickle charger. I'm on my third season with the lawn tractor battery now. The Ctek charges but also has a conditioner mode. Worth every penny.

[MLL67RSSS]

Originally Posted by camguynj

I called Ctek because my unit is rated at -4 to ask what happens if temp goes below -4. Was told the unit may not charge beyond 12.6 volts due to current loss attributable to thickness of wires and that plastic clip covers could crack leading to integrity connection problem. Couldn't find any Detran temp specs, but I can say the Ctek wires seem thicker than the Deltran ( I had both a Deltran Jr and a 1.2amp before my Ctek. Both kept timing out before bringing my battery to a full charge. Got a Ctek 4.3 amp and I'm problem free ) So I have to assume the lower amp. Detrans will loose even more charging power than a Ctek in minus o temps. Glad your Deltran is doing the job for you.

Did you happen to mention that wire resistance increases with heat and decreases with cold? In fact if you cool a conductor to absolute zero it has no resistance and becomes a super-conductor. What they're saying doesn't add up to me.
Batteries work via chemical reaction, the cold slows the chemical reaction. I don't see the brand of trickle charger having much effect on that. Same battery, same temperature, although a higher current will charge it faster.

[Got Convertible]

Originally Posted by L36L72LS3

......is up to date. My friends house burnt down and traced back to the Japan made Harbor Frieght battery charger. You get what you pay for.

When was the fire & in what town? Thanks

[qcman]

Originally Posted by Enduring

I have a Deltran Jr and used it last winter when the temperature was -40. My battery would die in a day or two if it wasn't on the tender, but if I had it on the tender it started up like it was +20C out after sitting for 2 weeks.

Another Canuck here with the same results. I bought one for my GF's Benz SLK 280 and she just fired it up today easy as pie. I see no issues with the Junior for the Camaro in the cold....