Solar battery tender?

[RobiBX2230]

The best thing to do with snow is put the panels in a strictly vertical position so that they don't accumulate any snow. Direct light, and incident light from the snow are more than enought to generate charging current. I have two 15 watt panels keeping my fencer feisty all year round.

CAUTION: Unless it says otherwise, a solar panel should not be connected directly to a battery. I will discharge at night, and overcharge during the day. Make sure that you do or don't need a charge controller with whatever panel you buy.

Also, the $20 one from Northern Tool has protection against reverse current draining the battery and it does not require a charge controller so it also will not overcharge... I think at max it generates 1.8 watts, which is almost nothing, but enough to keep a decent battery topped off.

 

[weedpharma]

The first question I have is how long is it between uses? A battery of any reasonable condition should last for a couple of months between uses. This assumes that it is fully charged when last used and there are no loads such as immobilises.

I am not suggesting that it is a waste of time, just that it may not be necessary if only a couple of weeks between uses.

weedpharma

 

[Casco1]

Thanks for all the feedback

 

[o2batsea]

You're probably trying to solve a problem that you don't really have. A few weeks sitting is no big deal for a battery. If you find it going flat between uses, then you should suspect the battery is going bad. A relatively healthy battery should be able to sit idle for quite some time without discharging so much that it won't start. Once the engine is going the charging system should top it back up.

 

[slan]

For $15-$20 get a 1 - 2 watt solar panel mounted on the south wall or in a southern window and connect it to the battery for the winter.

All the new panels will not drain your battery at night and the limited wattage will not overcharge your battery.

I have Two on my dozer (2 huge batterys), one on my dump truck, and one on my TLB. Only get to my property a few times during the winter and everything is in great shape in the spring.
Best $50 I ever spent.

 

[AlbertaDan]

My tractor its for weeks at a time 150 miles from home in a garage with a great eastern exposure. I've seen ads on Harbor Freight and Northern Tool for solar panels that put out low wattage power. Has anyone used one of these to build a battery tender to keep a battery charged?

I would appreciate any opinions or ideas on this subject.

My parents use one of these on their RV. The trailer sits for minths at a time and always has a good battery. They bought theirs at a large dept/hardware store chain. Even in winter when its well below zero it works to maintain their battery.