Starter battery trickle charge

[Stussy365]

Hi

Haven’t used the van for 3 weeks after a trip to Cornwall and found battery flat/ unable to start van this morning (central locking still working so not completely flat). Battery only 12 months old.

I don’t have leisure battery system for trickle charging purposes. Is there anything like a solar trickle charger that can be used via the 12v cigarette lighter to keep starter battery maintained? If so any recommendations please? Tried a quick search but struggled to locate anything.

Thanks

 

[Dellmassive]

Yes,

A 50w fold dash panel.


.https://www.t6forum.com/threads/guide-mobile-solar-panels-how-i-did-it.13225/post-195897

Post in thread '[Guide] Mobile Solar Panels ? . . . - How I Did It -'

27 Jul 2019

Here we go..

Solar charging the Starter batter via a 50w small foldable panel...

Folds away into the door pocket when not in use.

A small simple easy solution.

It's a 50w mono foldable panel with a 10a PWM controller, hacked onto a 12v socket.

Pics...

• Dellmassive

• 

.

 

[Dellmassive]

Thread '[Guide] Mobile Solar Panels ? . . . - How I Did It -'

11 Jun 2019

Mobile Solar Panels ? . . . - How I Did It -

There is loads of background to this . . . . . but for now here is a vid for you all. =]

Just remember W = V*A and as a general rule a good 100W panel will give you up to 6A charge with good sun.

25w = 1.5A
50W = 3A
100w = 6A
200w = 12A
300w = 18A

So if you're looking to trickle charge your starter battery then a smaller panel would be sufficient.
But if you are running kit/load from your battery then its a good idea get a setup that can supply all the load, plus a bit more to keep the battery charged.
So if your loads are...

• Dellmassive
• how to guide leisure battery solar
• Replies: 778
• Forum: Electrics, Lighting, ICE, Security

• 

 

[Stussy365]

thanks. Did you make this from component parts? Is there anything off the shelf available?

 

[Dellmassive]

Of the shelf....

Pardon our interruption...

.

 

[Dellmassive]

Then swap out the battery lead for a 12v plug.


.

https://amzn.to/47wEfkU

.

 

[Stussy365]

Thanks Dell, much appreciated

 

[lebb2017]

Question for anyone who might know - before seeing this thread, I already bought a solar trickle charger off Amazon: (7.5w)

https://amzn.eu/d/fmUbUXi

Have been trying to use it but actually I think the van battery is knackered and I have ordered a new one now as the van needs jump starting every time it’s used. (We did fully charge it up but it drained really quickly)

Side note - I ordered this battery as seemed to be like for like: S4 E08 Bosch Car Battery 12V 70Ah Type 096 EFB S4E08

If we were to use the trickle charger to keep the new battery topped up, will it actually work? Or have we bought the wrong thing… also considering it’s winter and less sun etc

 

[DXX]

Question for anyone who might know - before seeing this thread, I already bought a solar trickle charger off Amazon: (7.5w)

https://amzn.eu/d/fmUbUXi

Have been trying to use it but actually I think the van battery is knackered and I have ordered a new one now as the van needs jump starting every time it’s used. (We did fully charge it up but it drained really quickly)

Side note - I ordered this battery as seemed to be like for like: S4 E08 Bosch Car Battery 12V 70Ah Type 096 EFB S4E08

If we were to use the trickle charger to keep the new battery topped up, will it actually work? Or have we bought the wrong thing… also considering it’s winter and less sun etc

With a max’ rating of 7.5w in good sunlight that would provide just 0.6A (7.5w/12v) minus losses.
In winter sun you could halve that figure, given that the alarm system draws power and every time the doors are unlocked various modules wake and draw power I would say the 7.5w system is nowhere near adequate.

 

[Dellmassive]

Question for anyone who might know - before seeing this thread, I already bought a solar trickle charger off Amazon: (7.5w)

https://amzn.eu/d/fmUbUXi

Have been trying to use it but actually I think the van battery is knackered and I have ordered a new one now as the van needs jump starting every time it’s used. (We did fully charge it up but it drained really quickly)

Side note - I ordered this battery as seemed to be like for like: S4 E08 Bosch Car Battery 12V 70Ah Type 096 EFB S4E08

If we were to use the trickle charger to keep the new battery topped up, will it actually work? Or have we bought the wrong thing… also considering it’s winter and less sun etc

Waisting your time with that mini panel imo.

Send it back and get a proper charger.

If you want a dash panel, you need a 50w panel with a dedicated solar controller...... And then some sun....

They don't work when it's cloudy.

Post in thread '[Guide] Mobile Solar Panels ? . . . - How I Did It -'

27 Jul 2019

Here we go..

Solar charging the Starter batter via a 50w small foldable panel...

Folds away into the door pocket when not in use.

A small simple easy solution.

It's a 50w mono foldable panel with a 10a PWM controller, hacked onto a 12v socket.

Pics...

• Dellmassive

• 

 

[Dellmassive]

Example....

520w panel.

Cloudy day.

Getting 4w....

Ie, no charge.

.



.

 

[CAB]

Question for anyone who might know - before seeing this thread, I already bought a solar trickle charger off Amazon: (7.5w)

https://amzn.eu/d/fmUbUXi

Have been trying to use it but actually I think the van battery is knackered and I have ordered a new one now as the van needs jump starting every time it’s used. (We did fully charge it up but it drained really quickly)

Side note - I ordered this battery as seemed to be like for like: S4 E08 Bosch Car Battery 12V 70Ah Type 096 EFB S4E08

If we were to use the trickle charger to keep the new battery topped up, will it actually work? Or have we bought the wrong thing… also considering it’s winter and less sun etc

I had a 10W in the windscreen, plugged into the 12v dash socket, facing south.

Kept the starter topped up during the summer, but come October it gave absolutely nothing.

 

[Sackmycook]

I use my Jackery 100w and I only get 15w generated on a sunny day in November....
I mostly use EHU to keep everything topped up over winter

 

[DXX]

You can’t get the full benefit of solar panels from behind a windscreen, far better to fit a roof panel.

Solar Control

The last decade has seen significant improvements in the design and application of solar control glazings in vehicles. The major drivers are passenger comfort, minimising the degrading effects of the sun's radiation on interior trims and fabrics, and improving fuel consumption by lowering the...

www.pilkington.com

 

[FWhite]

Yes,

A 50w fold dash panel.


.https://www.t6forum.com/threads/guide-mobile-solar-panels-how-i-did-it.13225/post-195897

Post in thread '[Guide] Mobile Solar Panels ? . . . - How I Did It -'

27 Jul 2019

Here we go..

Solar charging the Starter batter via a 50w small foldable panel...

Folds away into the door pocket when not in use.

A small simple easy solution.

It's a 50w mono foldable panel with a 10a PWM controller, hacked onto a 12v socket.

Pics...

• Dellmassive

• 

.

Hi Dellmassive,
Sorry to revive this old post,
but I have a little concern about this kind of application i.e. Foldable panel + PWM charge controller.
The charge controller, with a 12V nominal panel in the full sun, will be throwing out like 18V square pulses (at no load). Connected to a pure battery, this is no problem, as long the controller adjusts the duty cycle to obtain a suitable 13-ish or 14-ish RMS voltage.
But in our application (controller plugged to the dashboard lighter plug) there will be other circuitry else that is alive , even with the igntion off. OK, the battery is a big (but slow-ish) low-pass filter, but are we sure that this is enough to preotect our van electronics"? I mean, this is not the intended application of the charge controller, even if you use a luxury MPPT one like a Victron.

 

[Dellmassive]

Hi Dellmassive,
Sorry to revive this old post,
but I have a little concern about this kind of application i.e. Foldable panel + PWM charge controller.
The charge controller, with a 12V nominal panel in the full sun, will be throwing out like 18V square pulses (at no load). Connected to a pure battery, this is no problem, as long the controller adjusts the duty cycle to obtain a suitable 13-ish or 14-ish RMS voltage.
But in our application (controller plugged to the dashboard lighter plug) there will be other circuitry else that is alive , even with the igntion off. OK, the battery is a big (but slow-ish) low-pass filter, but are we sure that this is enough to preotect our van electronics"? I mean, this is not the intended application of the charge controller, even if you use a luxury MPPT one like ahiya.

Hiya
.it works very well.

Obviously a mppt controller is preferred over the pwm.

What happens if that the starter battery is such a large storage bucket, that the tiny charge pulses are lost and you will never see high voltage some of the system.

The start/stop alternator regens push 15v ipulsed nto the AGM battery constantly.

And a 50w panel will only every give 3A change absolute max .

I run solar on both vans as well as summer camp Set ups fine.

And I've always swapped our the cheaper pwm controllers for a decent victron mppt controller.

Take a look over here for some more electricals.....

.

Thread 'Dellmassive’s "How I Done It" blogs.'

30 Aug 2018

-- Dellmassive`s -- "How I Done It" -- thread --

**************************************************
Dellmassive`s -- "how I Done It" -- Thread
**************************************************
Kit List And Stuff -- How I Done It & What I Use --
**************************************************
Trade members and forum supporters
**************************************************
For Sale - Summer-weekend-t6f Limited Edition External Stickers
For Sale - T6F Flags
**************************************************

@Dellmassive`s - Camper Van...

• Dellmassive
• dellmassive how to guide
• Replies: 36
• Forum: Electrics, Lighting, ICE, Security

• 
• 

.

 

[Martin 123]

Hi,
Can anyone give me a little advice please.
I have a t6.1. According to the tracker (parasitic load) the voltage drops from about 12.4v to 12v if the van isn't driven over about a week.
I dont want to mess anything up.
My question is will a dashtop solar panel via the cigaret lighter work ok with the t6.1 electronics?
Cheers
Martin

 

[Sackmycook]

There is a thread somewhere on this and I believe the concensus was the a 50w dash panel would be the minimal. I use a jackery 100w folding panel but still have to boost it with EHU every week or so.....

 

[CAB]

Hi,
Can anyone give me a little advice please.
I have a t6.1. According to the tracker (parasitic load) the voltage drops from about 12.4v to 12v if the van isn't driven over about a week.
I dont want to mess anything up.
My question is will a dashtop solar panel via the cigaret lighter work ok with the t6.1 electronics?
Cheers
Martin

Yes. It will work.

As SMC says, minimum 50w.

I had a 10w which managed from late March to September facing South. But not enough during the winter.

 

[Martin 123]

Thankyou!
I wasn't sure if all the thread was T6 as opposed to 6.1.
shopping time...