Author Topic: Solar battery tenders  (Read 2653 times)

Offline LZ

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Solar battery tenders
« on: December 30, 2018, 10:59:40 AM »
Well hello and howdy.
I know I know Google it, Amazon it. No I would like to hear from our like minded community if they have any experience. ;D

So My trailer sits a lot :'( With that the on board battery is pushing posies. Trailer set up that same battery was also the breakaway power. Older trailer, thinking about it wonder if there is a law stating that there needs to be a battery alone on breakaway?
The battery was small like a 18 series or bouts. Want to up this some as am adding some really cool 12 volt LED floodlights to use whilst generator is off.

as mentioned trailer sits and forget to think and put a maintainer on battery.
Looking at this V V
https://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-SP-200-Solar-Battery-Maintainer/dp/B004ZC3TFC/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1546194656&sr=8-5&keywords=solar+12+volt+battery+maintainer

Something that comes to mind is that , would I have to disconnect this when hooked to truck? Would be nice to permanently mount this.

Many thanks Luke

"I am not a number.... I am a free man."

Offline denverflatheader

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Re: Solar battery tenders
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2019, 08:06:15 AM »
Luke – Happy New Year.  For a battery maintainer, no experience to share.  I’d guess in today’s electronic movement, there would be a smart controller built-in so you would never need to disconnect.  It should have a pre-set range for a typical 12 volt battery to maintain, and once achieved, the unit should auto-disconnect to not overcharge that safe range.  Your truck connected with alternator running should enable an auto-disconnect.

One more thought, three different people could buy that battery maintainer and each have a different outcome.  One could live in Alaska, one in Colorado and one in Hawaii, each with varying degree of sun light.  One could have a new battery, one a battery that’s 5 years old and another with a battery at the end of its service life.  All three will have a different experience.  If we were testing a new torque wrench, all three would probably have the same outcome.

If you want to try it for the $19.99 cost, I would recommend this path.  Test your 12 volt battery initially with a volt meter to establish a baseline.  Then connect battery maintainer and keep a record of the amount of sun light received each day along with a volt meter reading at sun set.  The volt meter readings after a week will determine if the unit works in your situation.

If it does not maintain your 12 volt (plus some) battery charge after a week, return it.  The advertisement states this unit’s solar array outputs 2.4 watts.  Your next step would be to upgrade to their 5 watt solar array, which costs more at $38.85.  If the 5 watt does not work, then return and try their 10 watt solar array, which again cost more at $57.94.  If I were to buy one for my situation, I would start with the 10 watt solar array.  Alan