Sunday, January 8, 2017
Solar Trickle Charger
It's that time of the year again. Time to put the Miata in hibernation for a couple of months, away from the snow, ice and salt. If you're like me, you might be a little concerned about battery maintenance and here's one solution that doesn't require an outlet for power.
7 comments:
If you want to share a Youtube video, just copy and paste the URL in your comment.
Need to add an image of no more than 600 pixels wide? Use Imgur to edit and generate the BBcode you need or you can copy and paste this code [img]image-url-here[/img]
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hmmm, isn't almost 19v going to fry your battery eventually? If I have missed something, please educate me.
ReplyDeleteI really don't know. Good question. I'd assume there was some sort of protective circuitry. "Trickle"...?
DeleteYeah, that is what I was hoping to hear about on the video. It must exist, or this thing would not be suitable at all. If your Miata sits in a garage over the winter, will it get enough sun to run the panel? My 2CV sits near a medium-sized west-facing window, but I would need to watch to see how many minutes/hours of direct sun it would get in winter. With low sun angles, I suspect it would not be much.
DeleteThis from an Amazoner:
ReplyDeleteQuestion:
Why would you use an 18V charger for a 12V battery. It seems to me this would be too much voltage.
Answer:
It's like needing 60 lbs of force to lift a 50 lb weight on a rope and pulley. The extra force is there to overcome friction in the system and get things to move. Electrical resistance is the friction that makes some extra voltage necessary to move electrical charge and charge the battery up. 18 volts makes sure the 12 volt system charges as fast as 5W can fill it.
More...
ReplyDeleteQuestion:
Will this unit regulate charging, so as to avoid over-charging a battery?
Answer:
No it doesn't, you will have to use a charge controller.
The seller notes...
Attention:
(1)It is suggested to unplug the charger at night, for it needs sunlight to charge devices.
(2)This item is just battery maintainer, not a primary charging device.
battery maintaining panels don't typically put out enough current to overcharge. The voltage output is also relative to how much input the panel receives (light + intensity). If you are in a climate where cars are put away for the winter input is generally low especially if said light is filtered through a window.
ReplyDeleteInteresting! I plan on installing mine on the roof of my homemade shed that I keep my car in.
Delete