battery maintainer solar
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,508
Likes: 87
From: North Carolina, Raleigh
battery maintainer solar
what is best way to keep battery charged with no access to power. this is a car battery not a large or couple of large truck batteries.
my daughters car at college sits for weeks and the battery dies over time. I was looking for something solar that can be placed on dash or back window to keep some voltage going to battery to keep it topped off..
my daughters car at college sits for weeks and the battery dies over time. I was looking for something solar that can be placed on dash or back window to keep some voltage going to battery to keep it topped off..
Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 11,286
Likes: 263
From: North of Greenville
This one is not small, but if it sits in a rear window or front windshield, it might be just the ticket!
https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tende.../dp/B004Q83TGO
The one below is smaller and speaks directly to being used for a car battery with a "no discharge" smarts built in... and it's cheaper with a larger number of positive feedback.
https://www.amazon.com/ALLPOWERS-Por...YE7RH7QYNTAXKN
Below is a link to a review site which may be helpful.
http://www.carbatterychargerscentral...ttery-tenders/
That said, I've never used one myself, but I'll have to keep this in mind.
https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tende.../dp/B004Q83TGO
The one below is smaller and speaks directly to being used for a car battery with a "no discharge" smarts built in... and it's cheaper with a larger number of positive feedback.
https://www.amazon.com/ALLPOWERS-Por...YE7RH7QYNTAXKN
Below is a link to a review site which may be helpful.
http://www.carbatterychargerscentral...ttery-tenders/
That said, I've never used one myself, but I'll have to keep this in mind.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 4,243
Likes: 16
From: AZ
Without knowing the continuous draw of the electric system of the car, you won't know what size solar panel to get to keep the battery charged. Beyond that, you won't know how much sunlight the panel will receive and for how long each day. All of these things will dramatically impair the use of a solar panel to keep the battery charged.
With that said, I'd just get a kill switch and install under the hood. The kill switch would break the circuit to ground from the battery. This would prevent the battery being discharged and act as a car immobilizer, preventing the theft of the car (it could be overcome, but not immediately). This is the approach I use in my motor coach. This can be done for well under $100.
With that said, I'd just get a kill switch and install under the hood. The kill switch would break the circuit to ground from the battery. This would prevent the battery being discharged and act as a car immobilizer, preventing the theft of the car (it could be overcome, but not immediately). This is the approach I use in my motor coach. This can be done for well under $100.
More Turbo
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 717
Likes: 9
A 25 - 85 mA parasitic draw is normal once the GEM or VSM goes into sleep mode. Any charger 100 mA or better will maintain the Batteries. The higher the better. HOWEVER, the batteries need to be fully charged for BEST results when storing the vehicle more than a week or so. Your using a Maintainer, not a Charger.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 18,849
Likes: 179
From: Puget Sound
You are likely looking for a 24W solar panel, that's not exactly small - a folding unit would be in order. This provides a max of two amps under intense sun, and far less under most other conditions. That should be just enough to keep the battery from draining in the winter - and enough to actually charge the battery in the summer - depending on your climate.
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Jan 2, 2009 06:51 PM
