Optimate Extension lead?

[Mark_h]

I've got a carport with the bike under it and my scooter lives out in the weather as we don't have space for both under the carport.

I'm looking to make a long extension lead from my optimate so I can leave the charger in the dry under the car port but charge the scooter around the front.

The Optimate plugs look like the Tamyia ones you can easily get hold of so is there any reason why I could not make up a 5-8 meter extension lead with a Tamyia connector each end and something like 16 awg cable between the two. This will allow me to charge the scooter which had an optimate charge connector on it (5m) and also if necessary get as far as the cars too (8m) as one of those sits on the drive for weeks at a time so would benefit from a trickle charger.

I suspect I may get a little bit of a drop on the length but is there any reason why this would not work?

Could that length of wire confuse the sensing technology in the charger?

Thoughts?

[maviczap]

I bought some connectors on EBAY and used it to connect my sat nav wiring to the optimate connector on the battery, so no reason why you can't do what you're thinking.

You can buy both male & female connectors to make up an extension lead

You can buy ready made extension leads, so shouldn't be a problem confusing the charger

[Bibio]

take the battery out of the one you don't use and keep it in the house. when you need to use it give it a quick charge he put back on bike/scoot.

[Mark_h]

Originally Posted by Bibio

take the battery out of the one you don't use and keep it in the house. when you need to use it give it a quick charge he put back on bike/scoot.

Far too much grief. The scooter is there to be used to "nip to the shops" Not much use if I need to spend 15 minutes fighting with fairings to get it all back together again. The SV is in range of the charger anyway.

Optimate sell a 2.5 meter lead question really is will having a lead 3-4 times longer cause the charger to get confused?

[Bibio]

cant you just put the optimate in a waterproof box and have it half way between the 2?

it might confuse the optimate using a longer lead but you would have to try to find out.

[Mark_h]

Originally Posted by Bibio

cant you just put the optimate in a waterproof box and have it half way between the 2?

it might confuse the optimate using a longer lead but you would have to try to find out.

Then I need waterproof mains and a waterproof box for the charger and will need to move everything each time I swap what I'm charging. I'll make up a long 12v with a Tamyia on each end and report back my findings.

[Teejayexc]

Piece of pi55 to extend it, it's only low wattage, one live one earth, so just cut and join however much you need in the middle. Job done.

[Mark_h]

Originally Posted by Teejayexc

Piece of pi55 to extend it, it's only low wattage, one live one earth, so just cut and join however much you need in the middle. Job done.

Got no problems withe the mechanics of making it longer, just wanted to know if the increased induction and resistance would mess up the charging logic.

[Fallout]

Worst case scenario I can imagine is it senses the voltage is slightly lower with a longer capable, and therefore fractionally overcharges the battery. Not the end of the world, especially when you're talking about a POS scooter which really deserves to catch fire and incinerate itself into annihilation for the good of your street cred.

[chris8886]

Originally Posted by Fallout

Worst case scenario I can imagine is it senses the voltage is slightly lower with a longer capable, and therefore fractionally overcharges the battery. Not the end of the world, especially when you're talking about a POS scooter which really deserves to catch fire and incinerate itself into annihilation for the good of your street cred.

MASSIVE