Solar panel question

[fuzzer]

I don't see how so little will drain your battery.

TBH , sounds like a duff cell in the battery or similar..

 

[BTB 500]

Howard, if you park within reach of a mains supply I think you need something like this:

http://www.accumate.co.uk/

It's basically a clever battery charger - the mains unit lives in your house / garage / whatever, then there's a long flylead which goes to the car. Typically using a little waterproof socket installed somewhere unobtrusive, then the vehicle can be left locked (not the case if you run the cable through an open bootlid etc.!).

 

[BTB 500]

There is a bigger one in the range that provides 1200mA and can be connected to others to ramp up the output. Less than £100 but each unit is 1 metre long, 35cm wide and weighs in at 4.3 Kg so they start to get unwieldy as portable units.

Yup you can get 'off the shelf' panels up to 150 watts (which would give 10A charge current) or more, but as I said they are big and expensive so not the answer here. £40-£50 on a 240V mains based solution would be a much better idea, IMO

 

[Shude]

Howard, if you park within reach of a mains supply I think you need something like this:

http://www.accumate.co.uk/

It's basically a clever battery charger - the mains unit lives in your house / garage / whatever, then there's a long flylead which goes to the car. Typically using a little waterproof socket installed somewhere unobtrusive, then the vehicle can be left locked (not the case if you run the cable through an open bootlid etc.!).

WTF?

You might as well buy an electric car if you're going to plug the thing in after every journey!

I'm not joking!

 

[BTB 500]

For a 5 mile trip, I agree ...

 

[Ted]

In THAT case......http://i1.trekearth.com/photos/25803/electric_car.jpg

should do the trick, Howard

he he he he............

P.S., I'll take the 124 of your hands cheap!

 

[imadoofus]

You could always get one of these, Howard.

PJ

 

[Howard]

I don't see how so little will drain your battery.

TBH , sounds like a duff cell in the battery or similar..

Battery is fine , have had it checked Jason ....

It stands to reason surely, that if you need to drive for 20 mins to put back the charge that is taken after starting (not including stereo, blowers, heated windows etc ) and i am driving for 5 mins each day, twice a day

Need to drive for min 40 mins a day to put back minimum charge

Am actually driving for 10 mins a day

Deficit of 30 mins each day minimum ....

Imagine you had some nice new recargable batteries in your camera , you take 300 photos with them and then need to recharge them , the manual says 'charge for 5 hours' but you only charge them for 1 , next time you can only take 200 photos , and so on ....

P.J - i'm not talking about 'often' i mean i am doing it every day ........6/7 days a week ....

 

[Shude]

It stands to reason surely, that if you need to drive for 20 mins to put back the charge that is taken after starting...

Your evidence for this statement is where please?

 

[Howard]

LOL just something that sticks in my mind after reading it somewhere .....

Oooops.

Got the time wrong .... still , though , with everything running on full blast , fans, lights windows etc ... prob about 20mins ....

'Manufacturers say that it takes about seven minutes of running for the alternator to recharge the battery after engine startup," said Rick Harmon of PA Performance, a company that specializes in high-performance alternators and starters. "Most drag cars don't run for seven minutes, so a racer needs to recharge the battery with a charger or use a larger-thanstock alternator."

 

[Shude]

LOL just something that sticks in my mind after reading it somewhere .....

I suspect that it's horlicks.

A friend of mine had a flat battery, his car was started using jump leads and after running for literally a minute he turned it off by mistake. It started again unaided with no problems.

I'm not sure that 20 minutes story is actually true, I'm certain that someone who knows his electricals could work out the correct figures

 

[BTB 500]

Time to recharge after starting will vary hugely. First of all how much power you took out depends on how long you cranked the engine over, how cold it was (which affects oil viscosity), etc. Then how quickly you can put that back in depends on alternator (engine) rpm, and how much is left over after powering any ancillary equipment (lights, heater, etc.) that you have switched on.

Sitting at the traffic lights at night with the engine idling and lights on you are probably not charging the battery at all (in fact, it's likely to be draining).

 

[Howard]

Which is exactly my problem Bill.....

I got to work in the dark (10pm) and have the lights and heaters and rear window on ...

I drive home in the dark (6am) and have the lights, and blower on full (to clear the screen) and heated rear window ....

Not to mention the stereo etc ..

So the battery keeps running down .....

 

[BTB 500]

Basically, you need a higher rated alternator then - I'm sure that would be possible. I'm looking at vans right now, and high rate alternators (plus uprated or dual batteries, which wouldn't solve your problem) are often on the options list.

But the mains charging system I posted a link to earlier would probably be fine, if you have somewhere to plug it in. You'd probably only need to hook it up overnight a couple of times a week, tops.

 

[glojo]

But the mains charging system I posted a link to earlier would probably be fine, if you have somewhere to plug it in. You'd probably only need to hook it up overnight a couple of times a week, tops.

Hi Bill,
Reading Howards post I am quite the solar panel I have would top up his battery if the car is parked all day with the system connected? I have never seen the system not charge even on the most overcast days, but I have NO idea how much of a charge goes in when its overcast?

I can understand your comments and Shudes, a trickle charger might be cheaper, my panel cost £29.99p, but there are no mains cables, no inconvienance etc.

I am certainly NOT disagreeing with you, the trickle charger is certainly the more efficient option.

Regards,
John

 

[marcos]

Battery is fine , have had it checked Jason ....

It stands to reason surely, that if you need to drive for 20 mins to put back the charge that is taken after starting (not including stereo, blowers, heated windows etc ) and i am driving for 5 mins each day, twice a day

Need to drive for min 40 mins a day to put back minimum charge

Am actually driving for 10 mins a day

Deficit of 30 mins each day minimum ....

Imagine you had some nice new recargable batteries in your camera , you take 300 photos with them and then need to recharge them , the manual says 'charge for 5 hours' but you only charge them for 1 , next time you can only take 200 photos , and so on ....

P.J - i'm not talking about 'often' i mean i am doing it every day ........6/7 days a week ....

There is a very simple answer to this Howard.

Walk you lazy sod

And it's cheaper too

 

[BTB 500]

Hi Bill,
Reading Howards post I am quite the solar panel I have would top up his battery if the car is parked all day with the system connected? I have never seen the system not charge even on the most overcast days, but I have NO idea how much of a charge goes in when its overcast?

Hi John,
Yes it would charge ... but very, very slowly. There's a big difference between keeping a full battery topped up (what your panel does), and recharging a partially discharged battery (which is what Howard needs). The latter requires much more power, which - with solar panels - means a lot more surface area (and cost).

 

[Howard]

There is a very simple answer to this Howard.

Walk you lazy sod

And it's cheaper too

I'm not walking 2 miles at 10.00 pm (when i start work) or 5.00 am (when i finish work)

In the summer its a nice jaunt, out of my door, through the park entrance, look at the deer , enjoy the sight ......

In the winter its misery incarnate , out my door, in the rain , through the mud , freezing cold ...... no thanks ....

 

[glojo]

I'm not walking 2 miles at 10.00 pm (when i start work) or 5.00 am (when i finish work)

In the summer its a nice jaunt, out of my door, through the park entrance, look at the deer , enjoy the sight ......

In the winter its misery incarnate , out my door, in the rain , through the mud , freezing cold ...... no thanks ....

Track suit.... two mile run. Go for it!!!

Whats the World coming to?


John the five minute mile man

 

[Dave K]

Do you park anywhere near a mains socket overnight?