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Feedback request on Battery Charger

Which Charger???

  • Schumacher SE-1-12S

    Votes: 5 33.3%

  • Battery Tender 021-0128

    Votes: 8 53.3%

  • Battery Tender 022-0150-DL-WH (Waterproof)

    Votes: 2 13.3%
  • Total voters
    15
  • Poll closed .
amgnsx

amgnsx

Experienced Member
Joined
13 July 2004
Messages
1,993
Location
Bay Area (SF)
Hello Everyone

I think I’m in need of a batter charger.
Went to the wiki and found some NSX’ers are using the Schumacher battery chargers, Battery Tender Plus, etc…

I’m not sure w/c one should I go with.

PROS? CONS?

To make it a little easier here are the ones I am considering:

• Schumacher SE-1-12S (LINK HERE)
Fully Automatic Onboard Battery Charger - 1.5 Amps
$23.13

• Battery Tender 021-0128 (LINK HERE)
Battery Tender Plus 12V Battery Charger
$41.90

• Battery Tender 022-0150-DL-WH (LINK HERE)
Waterproof 800 12V Battery Charger
$32.99

(links to AMAZON)


Any long time users that can give me some feedback on those chargers?

Are there any other brand that you would recommend?

Thank you.
 
Last edited:
amgnsx said:
Hello Everyone

I think I’m in need of a batter charger.
Went to the wiki and found some NSX’ers are using the Schumacher battery chargers, Battery Tender Plus, etc…

I’m not sure w/c one should I go with.

PROS? CONS?

To make it a little easier here are the ones I am considering:

• Schumacher SE-1-12S (LINK HERE)
Fully Automatic Onboard Battery Charger - 1.5 Amps
$23.13

• Battery Tender 021-0128 (LINK HERE)
Battery Tender Plus 12V Battery Charger
$41.90

• Battery Tender 022-0150-DL-WH (LINK HERE)
Waterproof 800 12V Battery Charger
$32.99

(links to AMAZON)


Any long time users that can give me some feedback on those chargers?

Are there any other brand that you would recommend?

Thank you.
Click to expand...

:smile: I would recommend Schumacher SE-5212A. Just in case if you are in hurry, then you can recharge NSX on the highway. Otherwise 2 AMP slow charge over night 2-12 hours would be nice.
 
I have two Battery Tenders, one I drove over (that still works). Both are the Battery Tender Plus model and I believe I paid around $40 for them new on eBay. I wish I had bought them sooner, they work great!
 
Russ said:
I have a Battery Tender Jr. and I'm happy with it.

http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tende..._1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1294312489&sr=1-1
Click to expand...

eyecandy said:
ditto. I had one on my bike, and I have on my NSX. Never had a problem.
Click to expand...

ok sorry i forgot to mention that i dont drive the car much there is no rush to charge my car. There have been times that i wanted to drive the car but the batter was DEAD, i have to jump start the car and etc... and there was one incident that i decided to not bother did not have enough time and just drove my other car
"I NEVER WANT THAT TO HAPPEN AGAIN" :biggrin:

so now in search of a charger to keep my car battery from draining.

Thank you for the suggestion

I think i would go with the Battery Tender Junior
 
I have both the Schumacher and Battery Tender (waterproof) chargers.

I prefer the Battery Tender waterproof model by a wide margin.

Schumacher
Pros: On-board, "permanent" install, has separate lights to indicate when power is charging/plugged in and when it's fully charged.
Cons: On-board, permanent. Makes a tiny but audible amount of noise when charging. Harder to see the status lights when installed on-board next to the battery. Especially in the NSX. Needs extension cord when installed in the NSX to make it easier to plug in. Then you need another extension cord to plug into that extension cord to reach the wall outlet. :D (I'd like to see someone else's install of this unit to see if I'm doing it all wrong!

Battery Tender (waterproof model)
Pros: Waterproof, portable, safety connect design, can pre-wire car(s) with ring-terminal wire so you can just plug it in when it's time to charge (preferred NSX setup with it's hard to reach battery location) OR just use the alligator clips for any car.
Cons: None as far as I'm concerned.

--Conrad
 
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CharlesCA said:
Does anyone have pictures on how they have any of these products installed in there car?
Click to expand...

+1, i remember reading directly to the battery terminal but the spare can be a pain in the butt to get to or i think directly to the fuse box, anyone have a pic or suggestion. i have a battery tender jr. but never install, i tried to start the car at least once a week if im not driving it and just let it warm up for 10-15 min.
 
I have attached a pair of alligator clips to the leads of the Schumacher charger and just leave the unit on top of the spare tire holder, the tire is in my closet. Then I thread a small extension cord under the car and attach another extension cord to the wall. That way the hood can be closed. I left it plugged in for a month and a totally dead battery that couldn't even power the alarm led came back to life. That battery is now 5 years old and can only sit for 2 weeks so I need a new battery.

Replaced the Schumacher with a CTEK 3300 as it has longer leads, a fuse, and a longer cord. Next I will attach the ring extension to the battery and reinstall the spare tire.
 
Tony Montoya said:
I have attached a pair of alligator clips to the leads of the Schumacher charger and just leave the unit on top of the spare tire holder, the tire is in my closet. Then I thread a small extension cord under the car and attach another extension cord to the wall. That way the hood can be closed. I left it plugged in for a month and a totally dead battery that couldn't even power the alarm led came back to life. That battery is now 5 years old and can only sit for 2 weeks so I need a new battery.

Replaced the Schumacher with a CTEK 3300 as it has longer leads, a fuse, and a longer cord. Next I will attach the ring extension to the battery and reinstall the spare tire.
Click to expand...
I've been using the CTEK3300 for 5 years, still have the original battery, long overdue to replace, but it keeps on cranking, get the CTEK, it's the best, even OEM for Ferrari's, keeps them cranking but can't prevent fires!!!:eek:
 
I too use the Battery Tender Jr. and it has worked well however I do find one design flaw with it if you often plug and unplug it from the wall socket.

The unit has a cap that is screwed at the four corners with a base plate. Unfortunately the cap extends all the way to the base. So whenever you have to pull the unit from the wall, you are exerting pressure on the top cap as you grab the unit which then pulls on the screws on the base (the part attaching to the wall). This caused two of my screws to break their female ends in the unit (top cap). Battery Tender was kind enough to send me a new cap under warranty/good will - and didn't dispute that this can be an issue. I have now taped that part to avoid the inevitable.

YMMV.
 
Hello Everyone

Thank you for all the feedback i knew i can always count on you guys.


So I placed my order and on its way.
Ordered the Battery Tender Jr and a 12 ft extension chord.
Did not order the water proof version due to the charging unit is mid span the wires. I have an AC wall outlet next to the car and wanted to have the charger unit mounted on the wall. Will also use the extension chord and will also tape it down with industrial duct tape so it’s not a hazard.

I wanted to use the quick release connectors that bolts down to the battery terminals.
I was wondering… for the ones that use this setup, where do you have your quick release connectors?
Where will be the best place to have the quick release ends located?

Places I have considered are around the front bumper vents.(But wanted it to be hidden)

Any suggestions…. Ideas…?

I wanted to be able just plug the car without having to pop the hood.

Also pictures might help

Thank you in advance.
 
Last edited:
When I install these I extend the wiring so the connector
(leads from the battery) is in the front grill, drivers side in front of the radiator. This way you can easily connect it without opening the hood.

I personally have the Schumaker setup, but the downside is that it actually has a AC plug with a short lead, that is UNDER the hood, so I need to open my hood to connect it, which I do not like. This is why I am in favor of the Battery Tender system.

My $.02

Regards,
LarryB
 
Curious, what is wrong with opening the hood or leaving the hood partially unlocked :rolleyes:

If you read the manuals, most trickle chargers state that you need to have some ventilation. Mine is zip-tied in front of the fire wall, tucked under the cowl and away from the prospects of road dirt/debris. I have no problem in popping the hood :wink:
 
Hrant said:
Curious, what is wrong with opening the hood or leaving the hood partially unlocked
Click to expand...
Then the car cover won't fit snugly. I'm not sure whether or not the security system is active, either.

For the Schumacher, I just have an extension cord draped along the floor of my garage. When I park the NSX, I reach down to the cord, and plug in the charger. (The spare needs to be out of the car too, which mine often is.)

The advantage of the Schumacher is its portability, which may make it the better choice if this is the only car you use it on and you need to use it in multiple locations. For a single location and/or multiple cars, it may be easier to have an external charger which you can plug in without having to uncover the car, the setup that Larry B describes.
 
I have two battery tenders, one for my Jetta and one for my NSX. The battery tenders that I have come with 3 different hookups. One plugs into the cigarette lighter, one has alligator clips that hook up to the battery posts and last one gets fastened directly to the battery post, with quick disconnects(I had forgotten to mention this when I first replied. The last hook up is the one I have set up on both cars. They both work excellent, and I never worry about a dead battery. The battery maintainers that I purchased (in Canada) have a 4A charger, which automatically switches to maintenance mode.
 
Last edited:
I recently purchased a Battery Tender and am planning on installing a gold plated RCA (female) jack in the top of the side air vent on the driver's side. I chose the RCA jack because they have large contact surfaces, and the center contact is deeply recessed and less likely to be shorted by rain. I will make a small black plastic plug for the car's connector to keep the rain out when driving the car. I will put a gold plated RCA plug on the Battery Tender outlet wire to plug into the car jack.

I chose the driver's side air vent because I wanted the connector to be easy to plug into and very visible when I get into the car so I don't forget that it's plugged in. It will be securely installed into the top of the air vent and will be virtually invisible. I also happen to have a 120V outlet for the charger directly overhead in that location fro my garage door opener.... no power wires to drive over.

The wire from the connector in the air vent will go to the fuse box near by in the engine compartment which has a lead that goes to the battery that I will connect to.

Question: Where's the best connection for the negative lead to the car from the charging connector? I was wondering if I could run the negative wire to the chassis ground or if it would be necessary or better to run the negative wire to the battery.
 
Last edited:
i have a schumacher. i modified a dali mount to fit the battery i had. Happy to know i can just plug it in.
 

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RPM217 said:
I've been using the CTEK3300 for 5 years, still have the original battery, long overdue to replace, but it keeps on cranking, get the CTEK, it's the best, even OEM for Ferrari's, keeps them cranking but can't prevent fires!!!:eek:
Click to expand...

I also have a CTEK for each of my cars, and am very happy with them over the 5 years since I got the first one. You can leave them attached for months at a time, no problem.

The 3300 is also incidentally the charger provided by Lexus for each new LFA.
 
The waterprrof Battery Tender has 800 ma (.80 amp) of a trickle charge.

I have seen other trickle chargers that have .75 amp of trickle charge.

Is this enough juice?
 

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