Suggestion for trickle charger wanted
 

I'm looking to purchase a trickle charger for my 01 Boxster which will be spending more time in the garage now that I have a second car. Any suggestions on what brand and model to get and best place to purchase from?

Thanks

Are you looking for a trickle charger or a battery maintainer - there is a subtle difference ?

A battery charger is what you charge the battery with when it is flat (discharged) and usually means disconnecting the battery from the car and charging for several hours.

A battery maintainer lets you maintain a fully charged battery while the car hibernates for a prolonged period - it doesn't "charge" the battery, only maintains the voltage which is what I assume you mean....
Porsche have their own brand maintainer (expensive) and C-tec is a well regarded brand here in Australia

You do not want a trickle charger, you want a maintainer; as Steve said, they are totally different animals. Steve is also correct on selecting a Ctek over a cheaper unit; the Ctek's all have a specific function in all their charge profiles to deal with premature battery sulfation, which is a major factor in premature battery death.

You can buy a Porsche battery maintainer from Sunset Porsche for about $43.

Choose the right maintainer for your battery. A lead acid battery benefits from sulfation protection. An AGM or Gel Cel battery works best with a more gentle charge at slightly lower voltage.

I'm using a Napa 85-201 to maintain an Odyssey PC680 . About $28.

Should work on lead acid or gel cell batteries.

Max

AGM batteries require slightly higher charging voltage than conventional flooded batteries, but are relatively immune to current rates. The can also suffer sulfation. Gel cels require lower current rates to prevent gas bubbles from forming and disrupting the gel while being charged.

Always be sure any maintainer is correct for the type of battery you are using; better units (like the Ctek) have settings for different types of batteries....

For those who are still in the market for a simple cost effective battery maintainer, I just picked up a Deltran Tender Junior complete with the cigarette lighter adapter
for $36.00 including shipping . It's virtually identical to the one Porsche offers for much less money .



Deltran Battery Tender Junior Charger 12V @ 0.75A Smart Maintainer - Xtreme Parts World

I use to buy them by the case at Harbor Freight Tools to give away to my customers when I owned a battery co. Buy a battery and get a free "maintainer"!!!. The ones with the direct hook up to the terminal with a disconnect are a little more "sure" that the cig lighter style. I use to pay about $2 - 3 dollars each. They are also called "float chargers" Sold that company in 03 and I am sure the price is up a bit now.

I have had a schumaker maintainer for more than eight years works perfect and is generally less expensive than competitors.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?rlz=1C1TSNP_enUS464US464&q=schumacher+batt ery+maintainer&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=11028268405428795591&sa=X&ei=zfUE T-j_COTq0gHbiMSdAg&ved=0CIkBEPMCMAI

I heard that it won't work with the new spider though . :D

I got an eyeball on one, working out numbers. I should just replace the schumaker, you're right. I shouldn't let it touch a new car after being used on the 986, might catch m96 motoritis.

Yea... Too much juice for those ultra light batteries in the new Spyder.

So is this what you are using now? How is it? I have a 2001...can I charge/maintain my battery through the cigarette lighter?

I been disconnecting my battery every winter which I been told now is not a good idea....:/

I purchased it last week, and so far it's worked perfectly. I'm aware that there are more sophisticated maintainers than this one. However, it more than satisfies my needs.

A YELLOW maintainer is what I am looking for !!!

I use a Deltran Tender Plus. They have three or more models and they work great. When I'm going to be out of town for a month or more, I hook mine up and never worry.

I works great with ice cream too .

Ctek US 3300

A major advantage for the entire Ctek line is that all of them address sulfating in batteries, which is a major factor that shortens the life expectancy of any lead/acid battery, including AGM’s like the Optima. All Ctek’s run a de-sulfating mode in every charge cycle, something that no Battery Tender models, or most other low cost brands, do; plus they run periodic tests on the battery to make sure everything is alright. All Ctek’s also have specific settings for special batteries, like the Optima’s, which require a slightly higher charging voltage than conventional flooded cell batteries.

"You get's what you pay's for"………