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agentmulder

Member Since: 16 Apr 2016
Location: Outer Space
Posts: 1324

Solar maintenance charger and battery worries

Gidday all,

I have a 2.4W solar battery maintenance charger here, I planned on leaving it permanently connected to the battery while I was away, however the instructions say "do not leave permanently connected or damage to your battery may result".

The family will be moving it about every few weeks to keep the rest of it healthy, so will I have to give them instructions like:

- Plug charger in.
- Wait a day or more.
- Drive until warm.
- Park up and disconnect.

That's really boring and unlikely to happen due to scheduling and I'd much rather ask:

- Disconnect charger
- Drive until warm (the fun part, for them, I hope)
- Park up and reconnect

But if I'm going to cook the battery I cant do this...

>> Is 2.4W too much current for a car parked up in a NZ winter? (it's a 90Ah LR original battery)
>> If there is a lower wattage/current that is safe, I figure I may as well just mask the solar panel with tint?

(How does the alternator charge regulate itself anyway?) Solved the bowel problem, working on the consonants...

17th May 2018 2:28am

MadTom

Member Since: 10 Sep 2013
Location: Olomouc
Posts: 568

Problem is not the current, but the voltage. Normally when the car is running, the battery is charged with approx. 14V - current is slowly falling down with time. When the battery is charged, the residual current should be below 0,1A - for good healthy battery. Battery can be "charged" this way for unlimited time - it is the same system, as charging with running engine.
For solar - everything is depended on the solar regulator. With 2,4W solar cell and 14V outputs, maximal current is 0,17A - barely enough for standby charging to top up charged battery, not enough to charge partly discharged battery. For conservation of car it is enough, just orient the solar cell according the sun light. "Drobek" = The Small One - Discovery 2, "Blufínek" = The Blue Thing - Defender 130, and for me at least Ford Mondeo

17th May 2018 8:12am

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