Battery solar trickle chargers... how?

[RedRummy]

I recently bought a solar trickle charge for my FD, in the hope that I could charge the battery using the cigarette lighter socket... its alarm runs it flat in a week or so.

Unfortunately, the FD lighter socket is not powered after ignition is switched off, so how can I wire in one of these chargers...?  

The supplied alternative fitting (small jump leads) are far too weedy to be relied upon and I don\'t want to have to open the bonnet to fit anything every time I get home... can I splice the feed into something? (total electrics n00b here)

Here is the trickle charger I bought (£9.99 bargain!!)
Maplin\'s Solar Trickle Charger

[M@r]{]

I bought one of these, just been plugging it into the cig lighter without even thinking about it - looks like it might not even be doing anything then!!    The battery thing will be a pain in the @rse for me as my battery is in the boot and the light source is at the front of the garage - and i\'m not reversing it in - exhaust with stuff at that end of the garage - not a good idea!

[nikp]

You\'d have to find a permanant live to splice it into. The most obvious candidate for this is the supply to the radio - all car radio wiring should have a permanent live so as to store radio stations etc. The negative is easy, as that\'s the earth (Car body).

I think that would work. As it\'s only doing exactly what the solar charger is meant to do: supply a low voltage through to the battery through a permament live coming out of the cars electrics.

[RedRummy]

{\']I bought one of these, just been plugging it into the cig lighter without even thinking about it - looks like it might not even be doing anything then!!    The battery thing will be a pain in the @rse for me as my battery is in the boot and the light source is at the front of the garage - and i\'m not reversing it in - exhaust with stuff at that end of the garage - not a good idea!

Apparently you need to check that the cig lighter is still powered when the car is off.   Uusally cig lighter plugs have a light on them to check this.

[RedRummy]

You\'d have to find a permanant live to splice it into. The most obvious candidate for this is the supply to the radio - all car radio wiring should have a permanent live so as to store radio stations etc. The negative is easy, as that\'s the earth (Car body).

I think that would work. As it\'s only doing exactly what the solar charger is meant to do: supply a low voltage through to the battery through a permament live coming out of the cars electrics.

Hmmm... sounds simple enough then.

Is there anything special going on in the cig lighter that makes it charge the battery when you supply a current to it rather than drawing a current from it?? :xconfused :3Confused :confused:

[nikp]

I wouldn\'t have thought so. Unless I am mistaken, a (car) battery merely charges by having a voltage supplied to it. i.e. The alternator supplies approx 14.5 volts to it while the engine is running. Therefore, the solar charger is trying to do the same, albeit with a lower voltage.

To check it is at least supplying a voltage to the battery, you could unplug the battery, plug the trickle charger into the relevant cables as described, and then at the battery terminals, with a multimeter, check that there is a voltage there. If so, you\'re ready to rock and roll!

[RedRummy]

{\']I bought one of these, just been plugging it into the cig lighter without even thinking about it - looks like it might not even be doing anything then!!    The battery thing will be a pain in the @rse for me as my battery is in the boot and the light source is at the front of the garage - and i\'m not reversing it in - exhaust with stuff at that end of the garage - not a good idea!

Stick the solar panel on the garage door and extend the cables to the back of the car..  :Thumbs-up

[M@r]{]

Yeah was thinking that.  Could actually get a \'femal\' cigarette holder, wire it to the battery then feed it through to the inside of the car - then just connect the charger to it  :Thumbsup!

Stick the solar panel on the garage door and extend the cables to the back of the car..  :Thumbs-up

[CraigN]

Unrelated really but i had one of these didnt help at all so i took over the garage and got a battery charger that also has a maintenance thing on it from halfrauds.

i leave it plugged in on maintenance mode in the garage now and then to keep battery topped

[RobbieRX-7]

If your alarm is runnning the battery flat in a week or 2 then it\'s time for a new battery.

[grinder]

im not sure if you can start the car with these attached ( i have one aswell - and its the same as yours - you cant charge whilst its turned off )

i was thinking of just cutting the end of and wiring it to the battery - but as i said - not sure if you need to disconnect to start the car

does it say anything on the instructions ?

[RemarkLima]

They should have a diode so it can only push current and not draw it... Apparently

But what I\'m going to do is wire in a new cig lighter on the permanant live from the stereo and stick it in the glove box.

Don\'t know about you guys but another cigie lighter is always handy (I like to smoke 5 - 10 cigar at a time so being able to light 2 simultaniously speeds thinsg up )

[Tintin]

You can just hard wire direct to the battery ( or any other non ignition fed live ) , no need to disconnect before starting the car