Can anybody recommend a good solar powered battery charger so that i don't need to keep changing my battery between trips away. My battery is a 110ah battery and its a pain in the **** constantly changing it just to keep the alarm working.
Solar powered battery chargers
- Thread starter IanMc
- Start date
I have purchased a Sunsei SE-135 (Sunsei SE135) 2W Solar Panel trickle charger to keep the battery topped up whilst in storage and to maintain the power for tracker system installed.
The unit comes with a 12v plug for use in a 12v socket. So if I plug it into 12v socket leave the battery switch left 'on' for the van when in storage to maintain the charge and ensuring all 12v appliances and lights etc were switched off would that be ok, or do I need to switch the factory installed caravan charger on as well?
The unit comes with a 12v plug for use in a 12v socket. So if I plug it into 12v socket leave the battery switch left 'on' for the van when in storage to maintain the charge and ensuring all 12v appliances and lights etc were switched off would that be ok, or do I need to switch the factory installed caravan charger on as well?
Just a few technical notes on leisure batteries and solar panels.
The current crop of GEL leisure batteries have an internal self discharge current of around 50 milliAmps (the exact figure depends on cell chemistry and design) which is 0.6 watts.
Allowing for losses in charging a battery, you would need a minimum 1 watt panel to keep a 100% charged battery fully charged - and that assumes the sun shines 24 hours each day.
Realistically in the winter, assuming 6 hours of day light - then a 5 watt solar panel is the absolute minimum to keep a charged battery fully charged. And this ignores alarms or other drains on the battery.
If you want to recharge a battery from 50% back up to 100%, then as a rule of thumb you should buy a solar panel with almost the same output in watts as the battery storage capacity in AH.
In reality this means that a 44 watt solar panel (and charge controller) will recharge a part used 60 AH to 80 AH battery, or if you have a 100 AH or larger battery then a 80 watt solar panel (and higher rated charge controller) is better.
The above rule of thumb should completely recharge a 50% used battery during one sunny day.
The "trickle charge" solar panels advertised in the Sunday papers for
The current crop of GEL leisure batteries have an internal self discharge current of around 50 milliAmps (the exact figure depends on cell chemistry and design) which is 0.6 watts.
Allowing for losses in charging a battery, you would need a minimum 1 watt panel to keep a 100% charged battery fully charged - and that assumes the sun shines 24 hours each day.
Realistically in the winter, assuming 6 hours of day light - then a 5 watt solar panel is the absolute minimum to keep a charged battery fully charged. And this ignores alarms or other drains on the battery.
If you want to recharge a battery from 50% back up to 100%, then as a rule of thumb you should buy a solar panel with almost the same output in watts as the battery storage capacity in AH.
In reality this means that a 44 watt solar panel (and charge controller) will recharge a part used 60 AH to 80 AH battery, or if you have a 100 AH or larger battery then a 80 watt solar panel (and higher rated charge controller) is better.
The above rule of thumb should completely recharge a 50% used battery during one sunny day.
The "trickle charge" solar panels advertised in the Sunday papers for
We would need to know a little more about where the 12V socket is run from.
My own preference if the panel comes with suitable connectors would be to connect it direct to the battery - this would cut down losses and any problems from any circuitry that could lie between the battery and 12V socket (voltage regulator etc).
My own preference if the panel comes with suitable connectors would be to connect it direct to the battery - this would cut down losses and any problems from any circuitry that could lie between the battery and 12V socket (voltage regulator etc).
Garry,
A good number of the "cheaper" solar PV panels are terminated with a car 12V auxiliary (cigarette lighter) plug - the idea being that you can recharge the car / motorhome starter motor by simply plugging into the dashboard.
Some caravans have the micro DIN 4165 (mini cigarette lighter) socket that would accept the statndard plug with a reducing adapter.
But the best solution is to run a dedicated cable (correct power rating too) from the battery to the solar panel charge controller, then you don't need to worry about the panel not working because a master switch was in the wrong position.
Robert
A good number of the "cheaper" solar PV panels are terminated with a car 12V auxiliary (cigarette lighter) plug - the idea being that you can recharge the car / motorhome starter motor by simply plugging into the dashboard.
Some caravans have the micro DIN 4165 (mini cigarette lighter) socket that would accept the statndard plug with a reducing adapter.
But the best solution is to run a dedicated cable (correct power rating too) from the battery to the solar panel charge controller, then you don't need to worry about the panel not working because a master switch was in the wrong position.
Robert
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