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Subject Topic: Solar panel Post Reply Post New Topic
22/7/2008 at 8:42am
 Location: West Sussex Hampshire
 Outfit: Rage Harsteaad
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Could you advise me on the type of solar panel to charge a 12v leisue battery?

I have looked on ebay and not sure which one would suit us

Thanks for all your great advice over the last few weeks



22/7/2008 at 9:23am
 Location: Somerset
 Outfit: Khyam XL Excelsior 2007
View Sam Coleridge's Profile View Profile   Reply to Sam Coleridge Reply   Quote Sam Coleridge Quote  
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It depends how much you're planning to take from the battery on a daily basis - the battery may let you get away with generating a bit less than you use depending on the length of your stay.

They're horrendously expensive. I'm currently starting to try to work out if I can make one pay for itself at home in between camping trips ...



22/7/2008 at 10:09am
 Location: 
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Hi sunnydays.
I use a 13watt briefcase type and two 85 amp hour 12volt leisure batteries.
my 13 watt panel will putt 0.8 of a amp hour back into my battery every hour in good sun, but on an average British summers day wilt the panel set due south with the tilt set into the sun I normally expect a maximum of 5 amp hours a day back into my battery.
You will have to work out what you require your battery to run,to estimate how long it will last.
To do this type Ohm's Law Calculators into Google, then work out how many amps you need from your battery every day to give you an estimate how long your battery will last.
Go onto Search above and type in Solar power, on Camping under canvas, then check out my post on solar power and 12volt Batteries.
You can never run a 12volt cool-box from a solar and battery system they require far more power than you can renew,so will flatted your battery within hours.
My system with one battery will run a small DVD player 3 hours a night, a radio as necessary, 3x8watt strip lights
charge my razor and phones through an 150watt inverter
All this is run and keeps my battery charged above 12 volt for 3 weeks.
You can usually get the 13watt brief case solar panel that come with the charge converter and all cables for around £55 plus P+P smaller panels are really not worth the effort of setting up,and larger panels are really for permanent fixing on caravans and motorhomes.
All the best
Rex.


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"Be the person your dog thinks you are" (BM)


22/7/2008 at 10:58am
 Location: Dutch Mountains
 Outfit: Sharp talons beak and a hernia!
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Point is... it's not the size of the panel for charging; it's how much daylight (Do you have sun in the UK? ) it catches to charge the battery. If it's daily charged and nightly discharged (lights) then the alternate between the two is actually good for the longevity of the battery.

But if you simultaneously charge while occasionally discharging, you need to move house to the Mojave desert if you buy an affordable panel .

There are some portable solarchargers for sale these days to cater for small appliances which may well be a LED light, a laptop or a cellphone.



This would be the size for a leisure battery charger at considerable cost.


Google for "solar chargers" and whole world will open up for you, just like the clouds are disappearing over the UK at the mo...


22/7/2008 at 11:47am
 Location: Somerset
 Outfit: Khyam XL Excelsior 2007
View Sam Coleridge's Profile View Profile   Reply to Sam Coleridge Reply   Quote Sam Coleridge Quote  
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It's the 4 amps or so of a 12 volt coolbox that's the killer .....

Overall I suppose you have to factor in the premium price for an electric pitch against the cost of leisure battery, panel and gas fridge ...


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22/7/2008 at 12:11pm
 Location: 
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Hi Sam.
The reason I use the 12volt system in the summer months is the choice of quiet uncrowded site without the restriction the EHU brings with it, If you are the type of camper who likes to go to the far corner of the field the chance of an EHU is usually not available and should the site not have electric then all the better, all we ask is a Tap a W/C as val refuses point black to do anything more then wee in the porta potty and a chemical disposal. we can now have everything a pitch with an EHU can give without the controllable heat, but been a canvas tent owner we can use gas heat without the worry of additional condensation.
and with my new split charge relay box that plugs into the cars auxiliary 12volt outlet we always have one battery charging in the car as well as the one been assisted with the solar charger this means we can run our 15" TV with teletext so we are always know what the weather is doing and Val can watch a film why I stargaze with a glass
We have a portable shower to wash Val's hair and on a long stay can be used to shower fully but a good strip wash sees me through.
Regards
Rex.

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"Be the person your dog thinks you are" (BM)


22/7/2008 at 3:03pm
 Location: Middlesex
 Outfit: Iveco Motorhome + lotsa tents
View Delta9's Profile View Profile   Reply to Delta9 Reply   Quote Delta9 Quote  
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Hi there, I'd like to say i have no problems what so ever with my 110Ah leisure battery thats charged by either two 13watt briefcase solar panels or a single 40 watt panel, depending on what one i take. The leisure battery runs my Waeco coolfreeze CF25 fridge/freezer that can go down to -18C if required to. I also run all my lighting wich is LED clusters and i have about 7 of them but i normally only use 4 the others are if we have the porch part lit too when doing a bbq etc. I also run a 11" Tv, dvd, radio combo and a separate dab radio. The Waeco takes the most power but it's very economical at only 35 watts 15% run time at 20'C that's about 2.9Ah but at only 15% of the running time. The solar panel/s cope very easy with my  requirements. I have never needed or even wanted to use an EHU. I can go where i like.

300the fridge/freezer Cf25 Waeco

 

92 LED lighting clusters all on separate switches.

90 11" widescreen digital & analogue TV
- Portable DVD player with slot-in disc loader
- Integrated memory card reader and USB port

 

116 the roberts radio rd20, converted to run from a 6v plug via my battery box.

 my home made power supply box via a 110Ah leisure battery. everything plugs into this.

104 halfords 110Ah leisure battery

101 x 101two  13 watt Solar Briefcases

114 1x 40 watt solar panel

No EHU required



Post last edited on 22/07/2008 15:09:39

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DELTA..
aka Paul








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