Battery charger mains socket

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.

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).

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.

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 :

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?

Bulgin Buccaneer if they're still around?

Or some variant of mains rated XLR not suited for domestic use :-). If you file off the retaining lugs/clips you'd have a pull-out one which might be useful if you were to drive off without unplugging first...

Owain

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

MBQ

s.

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

Dave

|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.

Thanks for all the comments. An answer to the question might have been nice.;-)

Neutrik Powercon

Steve

The only thing I can think of is that which has already been suggested

- the 16A CEEFORM connector.

Steve

Something from the Bulgin Buccaneer range, perhaps?

They're rare, but IIRC 8A versions exist, considerably smaller

They are only IP44 (I think) RS have some IP67 2A/250v AC connectors:

But they can take being left lying on the ground in the rain for months on end. I suppose if you wash the car with a pressure washer that's not enough, but otherwise plenty IMNSHO.

Chris

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.

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.

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.

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

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