Solar Trickle Charger

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

This winter, the two tractors with plows are going to be outside due to space. Not a problem as it won't snow here  .  I found this on sale for half price this week ($20.00) at Northern Tool. They use the same plug as the Battery Tender wire that the tractors already have, Each panel generates 1.5 watts @ 12V so each panel should be sufficient to keep the batteries at their peak. I also plan on exercising the tractors every few weeks as well.

Edited November 22, 2014 by shallowwatersailor

[Wishin4a416 2,190]

I have never had one but quite a few guys at Camp have them for their boats. They say they work OK. Some car dealers around here use them too. I think that is where some at camp were pilfered from. Let us know how it works.

[baerpath 517]

Not sure if it's the same brand but, some of the pullers use these at the pulls to try and keep the batteries up after they take the charging system out.  They swear it helps.

[JustinW.73 224]

I have one and it works great. Other places have them too for the same price.

 

You just can't have it on the battery while its running.

Edited November 22, 2014 by JustinW.73

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

I plan on rigging up a mount on the carport for them.

[Sparky-(Admin) 19,733]

The only thing I don't see is how the charge is regulated. I have a charger/ maintainer on my Corvette and one on my Honda Rancher and they both have built in regulators to prevent overcharging. Do these solar panels have that? If not I wonder if you could "cook" the battery by overcharging.

Mike............

[JustinW.73 224]

The only thing I don't see is how the charge is regulated. I have a charger/ maintainer on my Corvette and one on my Honda Rancher and they both have built in regulators to prevent overcharging. Do these solar panels have that? If not I wonder if you could "cook" the battery by overcharging.

Mike............

I think it just has really weak cells so the max output is 1.5 amp

[bmsgaffer 2,043]

I think it just has really weak cells so the max output is 1.5 amp

 

They are 1.5 WATTS. At 12V that is 125mA (milliamps).

 

I think it would be very hard to hurt a battery at that current anyway but these are just maintainers. A normal charger charges a battery at 16 volts or more, thats how you can overcharge it. A maintainer may output 13.8 volts at most so as the battery gets full the voltage of the battery matches the voltage of the solar panel and no current flows.

 

This is only in theory as the batteries are always discharging even just a slight amount so some small amount of current is flowing.

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

I figure it only charges when the sun is out and wouldn't be charging in the dark, so that should regulate it. I plan on monitoring it. Otherwise i would be running an extension cord out with a battery tender. As it is if I intend to use one of the two tractors that are outside, I plan on using the electric heater on the trans for a couple of hours first. I'm doing this because I have the single-stage snowthrower with a rear blade on the 523Dxi and don't have room for a second tractor inside. Therefore the walk behind snowblower and one of the bee hinds with a plow are in the remaining space.The other tractor batteries are on a battery tender in the garage for winter.