One of my MILs friends needs a trickle charger for her car as she only drives it a few times a month. The problem is, she has advanced stage COPD and I was hoping to find a trickle charger setup that would be easy for her to plug in and unplug without having to bend down and to get something through the grill or to have to pop the hood. Anyone have some pointers on how I could make this easy for her to keep her car charged? It would be awesome to find like a MacBook MagSafe type connector but I could not find anything like that. Thanks
Easy to plug-in trickle charger
- Thread starter chicken12
- Start date
HenryAZ
MEMBER EMERITUS
I bring my cables through the bottom of the grill, but could just as easily brought them through the top of the grill. Would that help her? I use these 4 ft cables, twice as long as the stock cables that come with most chargers/maintainers.
Ole Slewfoot
Well-known member
A cheap solar panel that plugs into the cig socket might do the trick?
gunguy
Well-known member
Maybe just run it up to the base of the windshield? Include a "Remove before flight" streamer to remind her to disconnect before driving off or route it in a manner that she can't get past the driver's door. Try to get her involved so she's at least thinking about it and is part of the solution.
Jim
Jim
LB-1911
ALLIANCE MEMBER
One option
One thing to note about this accessory, is that you will need your 12V socket to be live, even when the vehicle is turned off. So this accessory will not work if your vehicle has ignition shut off.
Firebrick43
Well-known member
Mag Code power systems make what you want. Its installed in some high end british cars already.
Don't get the pro that locks!
You drill a hole, drop the connector thru and use the bulkhead nut to retain.
ebay mag code port
Ctek chargers is already making an adapter to fit the magcode port
Finding a place to mount the port is going to be the tricky part.
Order the ports is probably going to have to be done on ebay with them coming from the UK.
ctek and noco also both have panel mount ports.
Ctek panel mount port
The panel mount solution is not going to be as drive away safe if she forget like the mag port can be if done right.
Don't get the pro that locks!
You drill a hole, drop the connector thru and use the bulkhead nut to retain.
ebay mag code port
Ctek chargers is already making an adapter to fit the magcode port
Finding a place to mount the port is going to be the tricky part.
Order the ports is probably going to have to be done on ebay with them coming from the UK.
ctek and noco also both have panel mount ports.
Ctek panel mount port
The panel mount solution is not going to be as drive away safe if she forget like the mag port can be if done right.
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jrsavoie
Well-known member
Nice cable. In my cart now
Jinks
Well-known member
I made mine from Gerbing heated clothing cables. You can find them here: gerbing.com/cables
Skyman
Well-known member
nadogail
Well-known member
I have a Solar Panel keeping the battery of my van charged. It sits on the dash and is plugged into what we used to call the cigarette lighter socket.
The van, is not cheap to drive, and might not be started more than twice a month.
rjacobs
Well-known member
Lots of cig lighters are not active when the vehicle is not on. If the cig lighter doesnt work without the key on(or acc) then it also wont charge the battery.
If a car cant go 2-3 months without draining a battery, IMO, something is up with the car or battery. Ive had numerous times where I havent used something for 4-6 months, not on a battery tender, and said vehicle or equipment fired right up. So if your friends car cant make it 2-3 weeks in between driving, something else might be going on that a trickle charger is simply going to mask.
If a car cant go 2-3 months without draining a battery, IMO, something is up with the car or battery. Ive had numerous times where I havent used something for 4-6 months, not on a battery tender, and said vehicle or equipment fired right up. So if your friends car cant make it 2-3 weeks in between driving, something else might be going on that a trickle charger is simply going to mask.
4xdog
Well-known member
Rosenberger MagCode connectors are almost exactly like the MacBook Magsafe connectors you're looking for, @chicken12.
MagCode®
Rosenberger MagCode® systems provide short-circuit-proof, self-finding magnetic connections of 12 V and 24 V applications. They are used, for example, for trickle charging of batteries in vehicles with longer standing times, such as in cars, vans, motor homes as well as motorcycles and boats -...
www.rosenberger.com
They're not easy to find in the US, and the eBay sellers in @Firebrick43's initial highlight of this type are at prices about 2X those inside Europe -- but at least they'd be available. Note that there are two parts to a MagCode connector -- one needs both ends, of course, not just the one shown on eBay -- and addition to modifying the vehicle with its end one needs to modify the charger to add that end, too.
The non-locking kind noted by Firebrick43 are exactly the right kind. The magnets grab into place like your MacBook and they'll pull off just as easily if one forgets to detach it.
Ferrari use that connector type on their private-labelled CTEK chargers. Here are some pix a few weeks ago at my local dealer.
I use CTEK indicator connectors on my vehicles. I have their connector under the hood, but it would be easy enough to route one of these through the grille, or mounted on a panel as noted by @Firebrick43.
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Skyman
Well-known member
Definitely need key-off power to the lighter socket, if you're going to go that route. Adding another socket is always an option. Did that on my Blazer. Fusing is essential. I double-down on the fusing by using a lighter plug that contains its own fuse.
fourjeepin
Well-known member
I keep a charger on my CJ during the winter and converted it to cigarette lighter plug. The 120 volt side stays plugged in and all I have to do is pull the 12v socket out before climbing in.
HenryAZ
MEMBER EMERITUS
Since my connection is in front (through the grill), I hang a yellow flag on the driver's side view mirror as a reminder.
Yeah, in the good old days you could park a vehicle for months and not worry about the battery. Not any more. A lot of newer cars have parasitic draw that you can't eliminate. I've got one that has 30-50 mA draw when 'off'. Couple this with 'smart' alternators that don't always keep a battery topped up, and smaller batteries (to save weight), and suddenly there is a strong possibility that a battery can be drained within a few weeks.