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[Radar]

..... from Thursday. Heads up for anyone.  Have had the charger for nearly 3 yrs and still going strong. Has anyone tried the battery/ alternator tester? Also some other car stuff

http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?id=740

[Sir Tigger KC]

I like the look of that interior windscreen wiper! 

[Diamond Black Geezer]

I'm sure on that battery tester the wording next to the 'low voltage' light reads 'Batterieistfukdgud' 

[steve6367]

Charger looks good at the price, off to Lidl it is!

[EMD]

That thermometer thing looks handy and fire extinguisher 

I like the look of that interior windscreen wiper! 

What do you want that for 

[Sir Tigger KC]

That thermometer thing looks handy and fire extinguisher 

I like the look of that interior windscreen wiper! 

What do you want that for 

Wipe my arse. 

[EMD]

That thermometer thing looks handy and fire extinguisher 

I like the look of that interior windscreen wiper! 

What do you want that for 

Wipe my arse. 

Could be handy in the shower for those awkward bits 

Mite have a look at that charger , have you watched the video to it .

[Kevin Wood]

The slight issue with the LIDL charger is that it's not great as a trickle / maintenance charger, IMHO. You have to turn it on using the button and select a mode before it does anything.

Leave it on your battery over winter and one power cut means your battery is not protected.

It will also not even start to charge a battery whose voltage has dropped below 8 volts or so, as it can't decide if it's a 6 or 12 volt battery.

Other than that it's fine. mrs. KW's MX5 went flat over Christmas. Put that charger on once I'd used a crude old charger to get the voltage up to 12V and it recharged the battery overnight with no issues.

[TheBoy]

LOL, got wrong day . I thought it was all the same tat as last week!

In Londonium tomorrow, so won't frequent a Lidl.

[TheBoy]

The slight issue with the LIDL charger is that it's not great as a trickle / maintenance charger, IMHO. You have to turn it on using the button and select a mode before it does anything.

Leave it on your battery over winter and one power cut means your battery is not protected.

It will also not even start to charge a battery whose voltage has dropped below 8 volts or so, as it can't decide if it's a 6 or 12 volt battery.

Other than that it's fine. mrs. KW's MX5 went flat over Christmas. Put that charger on once I'd used a crude old charger to get the voltage up to 12V and it recharged the battery overnight with no issues.

I'm trying to shock charge some UPS batteries. Jury still out if its UPS shagged, or both sets of batteries shagged. *sigh*

[Kevin Wood]

What are the symptoms?

Assuming gel batteries, if they aren't taking any current and aren't holding any charge, sometimes allowing the voltage to stray a bit higher during charging revives them. Then again, you want to know that they'll work when needed.

[zirk]

The slight issue with the LIDL charger is that it's not great as a trickle / maintenance charger, IMHO. You have to turn it on using the button and select a mode before it does anything.

Leave it on your battery over winter and one power cut means your battery is not protected.

It will also not even start to charge a battery whose voltage has dropped below 8 volts or so, as it can't decide if it's a 6 or 12 volt battery.

Other than that it's fine. mrs. KW's MX5 went flat over Christmas. Put that charger on once I'd used a crude old charger to get the voltage up to 12V and it recharged the battery overnight with no issues.

Was about to post the same thing, its about 9.5v on my one, anything below that its hopeless.

[Kevin Wood]

The slight issue with the LIDL charger is that it's not great as a trickle / maintenance charger, IMHO. You have to turn it on using the button and select a mode before it does anything.

Leave it on your battery over winter and one power cut means your battery is not protected.

It will also not even start to charge a battery whose voltage has dropped below 8 volts or so, as it can't decide if it's a 6 or 12 volt battery.

Other than that it's fine. mrs. KW's MX5 went flat over Christmas. Put that charger on once I'd used a crude old charger to get the voltage up to 12V and it recharged the battery overnight with no issues.

Was about to post the same thing, its about 9.5v on my one, anything below that its hopeless.

It's odd, as the manual implies that it will trickle charge until the battery reaches a plateau and decide what voltage it's levellling off at, but mine won't even power up, or tries to charge at 6V and immediately decides the battery's full.

Guess there's normally a reason why something's cheap!

My CTek is a better bet, although it's 12V only and only 800mA.

[zirk]

The slight issue with the LIDL charger is that it's not great as a trickle / maintenance charger, IMHO. You have to turn it on using the button and select a mode before it does anything.

Leave it on your battery over winter and one power cut means your battery is not protected.

It will also not even start to charge a battery whose voltage has dropped below 8 volts or so, as it can't decide if it's a 6 or 12 volt battery.

Other than that it's fine. mrs. KW's MX5 went flat over Christmas. Put that charger on once I'd used a crude old charger to get the voltage up to 12V and it recharged the battery overnight with no issues.

I'm trying to shock charge some UPS batteries. Jury still out if its UPS shagged, or both sets of batteries shagged. *sigh*

You could try using an old fashion type charger, or a 13.8 v supply works well, via a 12v bulb in series on the poss leg. But normally when there shagged there shagged.

Out of interest what UPS type batteries are they?

[TheBoy]

What are the symptoms?

Assuming gel batteries, if they aren't taking any current and aren't holding any charge, sometimes allowing the voltage to stray a bit higher during charging revives them. Then again, you want to know that they'll work when needed.

One set is constantly alarming, usually at about 3am, they are shagged. Other set immediately cause all the servers to shut off the minute she gets the iron out.

Tried 18v on the latter set, but not pulling current (PSU good for 5a)

[TheBoy]

Out of interest what UPS type batteries are they?

APC RBC6

[zirk]

The slight issue with the LIDL charger is that it's not great as a trickle / maintenance charger, IMHO. You have to turn it on using the button and select a mode before it does anything.

Leave it on your battery over winter and one power cut means your battery is not protected.

It will also not even start to charge a battery whose voltage has dropped below 8 volts or so, as it can't decide if it's a 6 or 12 volt battery.

Other than that it's fine. mrs. KW's MX5 went flat over Christmas. Put that charger on once I'd used a crude old charger to get the voltage up to 12V and it recharged the battery overnight with no issues.

Was about to post the same thing, its about 9.5v on my one, anything below that its hopeless.

It's odd, as the manual implies that it will trickle charge until the battery reaches a plateau and decide what voltage it's levellling off at, but mine won't even power up, or tries to charge at 6V and immediately decides the battery's full.

Guess there's normally a reason why something's cheap!

My CTek is a better bet, although it's 12V only and only 800mA.

Mine just says error below 9.5, can't do anything with it when it goes in that state, you need to kick it with a normal charger for a while, then it works.

[zirk]

Out of interest what UPS type batteries are they?

APC RBC6

ok, the ones Ive got kicking around are these,

 http://www.criticalpowersupplies.co.uk/apc-rbc55?keyword=apc%20rbc6&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Part%20Numbers&utm_term=apc%20rbc6&utm_content=RBC%2055

They are 24v packs made up of 2 x 12v batts.

Some APC have a external battery out in addition to its internal ones, and the float charger can normally deal with both, providing the correct external bats are fitted.

[EMD]

Not many battery chargers left . Picked one up as well as one of those back scrubbers window cleaner brush things 

[Radar]

Useful points you have noted Kevin. It can help people decide to buy or not.

[Andy B]

....

It will also not even start to charge a battery whose voltage has dropped below 8 volts or so, as it can't decide if it's a 6 or 12 volt battery.
 .....

I've had that problem too. As you suggest, it's always handy to keep an old fashion 'dumb' charger too.