12V Solar battery chargers.

[Colinevan]

As you will all know 12v batts need a lot of charging lol.
I recently have seen these on ebay..

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/5-W-Solar-Batt...QQcmdZViewItem

Now then, does anyone use one of these?? i reckon i could leave my spare 12v race battery in the car and leave the charger on the parcel shelf and charge whilst my car is parked up at work. It doesnt discharge when the sun dissapears and can safely be left on all week if i dont use the car as its a trickle charger.

For a cheaper option, you can get these, but it does state on some ebay ads that they wont recharge a flat 12v, it will only maintain one. Hopefully the one above it is upto the job of charging low power batts.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/12V-Volt-Solar...QQcmdZViewItem

Anyones thoughts??

Col.

[DanW]

Solar and wind turbine chargers are normally used on boats, caravans and alike just to keep a maintenance charge in batts which are left unattended for long periods.

Not really designed for serious re-charging.

[metalhead10]

or if you want a "easy" way to keep your 12v topped up invest in a caravan charging relay and have it installed and keep your 12v in the boot ( in a battery box of course ) and it charges it up till its full then automatically cuts off so when youre driving about it charges ( if you have a towbar and two "light" sockets then chances are that you already have this system in place i think its the grey one that is normally the charging/auxirally soket but please check before hand....)

[Mr X]

what about them laptop charging ones? are those 12 volts as well? because they are supposed to keep the lap top going not just maintain the voltage.

[mark christopher]

Originally Posted by metalhead10

or if you want a "easy" way to keep your 12v topped up invest in a caravan charging relay and have it installed and keep your 12v in the boot ( in a battery box of course ) and it charges it up till its full then automatically cuts off so when youre driving about it charges ( if you have a towbar and two "light" sockets then chances are that you already have this system in place i think its the grey one that is normally the charging/auxirally soket but please check before hand....)

sorry but thats incorrect, it wont stop charging when ful, it simply connect the aux battery to the car battery and the alternator charges both, however its not an ideal way to charge a liesure battery. todays cars need all the bettery and laternater power for thier own electronics and i would allways advise a good liesure battery charger

[mark christopher]

Originally Posted by Colinevan

As you will all know 12v batts need a lot of charging lol.
I recently have seen these on ebay..

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/5-W-Solar-Batt...QQcmdZViewItem

Now then, does anyone use one of these?? i reckon i could leave my spare 12v race battery in the car and leave the charger on the parcel shelf and charge whilst my car is parked up at work. It doesnt discharge when the sun dissapears and can safely be left on all week if i dont use the car as its a trickle charger.

For a cheaper option, you can get these, but it does state on some ebay ads that they wont recharge a flat 12v, it will only maintain one. Hopefully the one above it is upto the job of charging low power batts.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/12V-Volt-Solar...QQcmdZViewItem

Anyones thoughts??

Col.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...98358&DOY=13m6

to keep it topped up, your far better with a proper charger though

[Colinevan]

Thanks for your imput so far guys.

I do have a "proper" charger that has maintenance mode so can be left on permanantly if required. I just saw the idea of a solar charger that could, in theory be left on all the time and would simulate being in a car more realistically and would help prolong the life of a car 12v battery. I would literally leave it on all week.

Thanks

Col.

Im tempted by the maplin one with 4.8w. Hmmm i wonder if i bought an adapter set if it would charge up my ko type r lol.

[Jonny_H]

I've got a Maplin one, which sits in a window keeping my leisure battery topped up between race meetings.

It manages 50-70 mA in bright sunlight, so not enough to fully recharge in a sensible time (I use a proper 3-stage charger overnight straight after each meeting) but it is enough to keep two mobile phones charged (in-car charger connected to the 12V).