moeh1
Gold Member
The HF little solar charger actually comes with the alligator clips too.
Solar trickle charging
- Thread starter rd_macgregor
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LindenBruce
Gold Member
I have this one on my F250 PSD and it's not enough. Both batteries are to weak to start the truck if it sits for more than three weeks. For one battery it may work just fine. But two on a diesel it's not enough. B.
1.5 Watt Solar Battery Charger
1.5 Watt Solar Battery Charger
I have two 2 watt solar panels and a 5 watt and neither is enough to keep the battery up on a car or truck with one battery. I am sure they help some but not enough. The 2 watts put out 100-130mA and the 5 watt puts out 350mA. I have the 5 watt on the BX now. It will bring the battery up from 12.59 to 12.62.
Jkott
Silver Member
What do you have for parasitic drain on them? Just internal battery loss, or do you leave anything plugged in?
It doesn't take much to add up. 1 watt is about 0.083 amp hours. In a day that 2 amps. Three weeks is 40 amps, or over half your normal 60-80 ah*hr auto battery.
I know my garmin gps in my truck, just plugged in but "off" and attempting charge the internal battery can drain nearly a half amp an hour. It can kill both my truck batteries in 5 days if it's below zero.
If you have an old tractor with no electronics plugged in, and no computer or circuits that stay powered on with the key off, a small charger should keep up.
It doesn't take much to add up. 1 watt is about 0.083 amp hours. In a day that 2 amps. Three weeks is 40 amps, or over half your normal 60-80 ah*hr auto battery.
I know my garmin gps in my truck, just plugged in but "off" and attempting charge the internal battery can drain nearly a half amp an hour. It can kill both my truck batteries in 5 days if it's below zero.
If you have an old tractor with no electronics plugged in, and no computer or circuits that stay powered on with the key off, a small charger should keep up.
mikehaugen
Elite Member
Back around y2k I worked for a trailer manufacturer. They had what I thought was an ingenious idea (at the time it wasn't as common) where they had aluminum battery boxes, with a cast aluminum top on them. They built a solar panel into the cover of the battery box to maintain the battery. The batteries where only there for the emergeny break-away for the trailer brakes and I imagined they worked great. The panel was only as big as the top of the battery (maybe 6"x10") and had no controller- it was wired straight to the battery. Some day I will do this for my trailer.
Soundguy
Old Timer
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i agree.. for a truck wit 2 bats.. like that PSD.. there must be some POWERFULL drain for it to die that soon WITH a solar charger even...
k0ua
Epic Contributor
That IS s good idea
LindenBruce
Gold Member
Thanks for the input guys. Nothing is plugged in or left turned on. The only draw on the batteries is what Ford has for electronics. The batteries are two years old and both were bought at the same time. They are AC Delco 875 CCA batteries. So, I guess I will have to step up to a 5w solar panel? Hopefully that will keep the batteries topped off. B.
k0ua
Epic Contributor
That 5 watt probably won't be a problem with 2 large batteries and the "parasitic" load of the trucks electronics. but what I would do is monitor the voltage for a few days and make sure it does not crawl up above 14 volts or so. You would not want to cook your batteries. I doubt the 5 watt panel will, but I would still look at it with a good digital voltmeter.
James K0UA
You could still have something draining your battery, a radio, glove box light or a module.