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Old 15th January 2019, 10:27   #11
MSS
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Originally Posted by gadget1960 View Post
...............


What the amps have to be to successfully trickle charge a 12v car battery is a mystery to me so far so research continues.

The OP's charger is a 6W unit. Let's assume that daylight lasts for 6 hours each day with an equivalent minimum 50% duty cycle, this would mean an average output of about 800mW or 60-70mA. This is sufficient to offset the normal long-term drain on our cars and battery losses in order to keep the battery topped up provided it was fully charged in the first place.
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Old 15th January 2019, 19:01   #12
COLVERT
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Could you supply a link to the unit you bought or a make 'n' model.
Cheers.
It has--SIPLEC--on the label and the output is 1.5 watts.

I bought it in France and it's given good service for quite a few years now.

I have checked the battery before and after connecting it and the multi-meter shows a slight increase in voltage. Very small but a definite rise.

My battery is three years old and is currently showing 12.68 volts.

The car starts first time every time.---

If anybody is worried about the inbuilt diode causing problems they are cheap to buy and easy to fit in line. Two being better than one.---


That Halfords one seems a good bet as with that you will get some charge even on dull days.


The small output one that I use here in France works OK but of course we do get more sunshine here.--Lol.

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Old 16th January 2019, 08:12   #13
MSS
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If anybody is worried about the inbuilt diode causing problems they are cheap to buy and easy to fit in line. Two being better than one.---



Come on, the solution should be more elegant than that. It should detect the voltage differential between the charger and battery and disconnect when the former drops below say battery voltage + 1v. Why simplify when you can build elegance?



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..................

............ but of course we do get more sunshine here.--Lol.

Have you ever wondered about your lack of popularity?
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Old 16th January 2019, 10:48   #14
Dallas
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Come on, the solution should be more elegant than that. It should detect the voltage differential between the charger and battery and disconnect when the former drops below say battery voltage + 1v. Why simplify when you can build elegance?
A solar charge controller already exists, they used to be quite expensive, but prices have come down a lot.

Solar Charge Controller
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Old 16th January 2019, 14:22   #15
COLVERT
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A solar charge controller already exists, they used to be quite expensive, but prices have come down a lot.

Solar Charge Controller
Thanks for your post.---There are some interesting items on that site at reasonable prices too.---
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Old 16th January 2019, 19:04   #16
Dallas
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Thanks for your post.---There are some interesting items on that site at reasonable prices too.---
No problem Jon, did you buy one?
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Old 16th January 2019, 23:13   #17
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I have been reading all comments and will check battery voltage over the next few days. Can I ask if anyone thinks under the sunroof is a good/bad idea?
Neil
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Old 17th January 2019, 00:27   #18
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Is it plugged into the cigar lighter socket, or elsewhere, such as direct to the battery terminals ?
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Old 17th January 2019, 13:44   #19
COLVERT
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Is it plugged into the cigar lighter socket, or elsewhere, such as direct to the battery terminals ?
Personally my solar charger is plugged into the cigarette lighter which on my car is constantly live.---

Normally part of the kit that comes with the charger is a pair of crocodile clip to join on to the battery direct. If the charger is behind the windscreen there is the problem of connecting the two items up.
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Old 17th January 2019, 19:38   #20
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No problem Jon, did you buy one?
Was tempted but the one I've had for several years now seems to be up to the job at the moment. If it fails I'll give that site another visit.
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