[wind0wcleaner]

Matt, as you use a 12V sunlight charger to charge your battery, how are you getting on with it? Does it give the battery full charge or do you find you sometimes have give your battery a top up from the mains?

Ive just got one delivered from Maplins and curious to know how you get on with yours.

TIA

Bodge

[DaveG]

Is it possible to put a link up please?

Cheers Dave

[DaveG]

cheers Bodgit..

What charger would be the best ?

can i call you bodge for short??

[matt]

mine is going great, BUT keep in mind i dont use the van mount all the time, its only used for big jobs and for the sub pump for the movement of water from the 400 L tank into my cart, oh and dont forget i only work 3 day and a bit days

BUT

i used it for 2 days solid and the battery never died, but this is a big 100 amp battery from a BMW

for a extra 3 quid you could have got the slightly bigger 1

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=223251

though for 40 quid, you could get this, 8 W which must be more than you take out with a pump

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=228541

if you are serious about being green and not using electric, that the 8 W would be my choice

i have just purchased a 2nd solar charger as it happens, it arrived today, my idea was to have 2 car batteries side by side, both with solar panels charging them, if 1 runs out, i can just swap the croc clipc and away i go

[Dean Taberner]

Sorry for sounding thick but how do these work?

Do you leave the panel outside of the van at night?

Dean

[Dean Taberner]

Arent they very big then?

The sound superb.

[matt]

the first i listed is


Dimensions:   350(l) x 215(w) x 14(d)

not big at all, i have mine hung from a hook above the side window ( at the rear ) i have it hung with a zip tie

works well

[Alistair@AWC]

Matt,

I'm now thinking of mounting one of these to the roof of each van do you think 30 watts will be enough to keep a 130aH battery going being used for 40/45 hours a week.

http://www.sunshinesolar.co.uk/khxc/index.php?app=gbu0&ns=prodshow&ref=SS30W&sid=w1hblm2c2895n45isz6d9is2qv4aadmh

[matt]

Matt,

I'm now thinking of mounting one of these to the roof of each van do you think 30 watts will be enough to keep a 130aH battery going being used for 40/45 hours a week.

http://www.sunshinesolar.co.uk/khxc/index.php?app=gbu0&ns=prodshow&ref=SS30W&sid=w1hblm2c2895n45isz6d9is2qv4aadmh

should be more than enough, should be putting back more than you use

[Alistair@AWC]

Brilliant Matt thank you!

Do you think a 20w one would be more than enough or would it be touch and go?

[matt]

Brilliant Matt thank you!

Do you think a 20w one would be more than enough or would it be touch and go?

20 W is still a fair size, i would guess it would be ok, BUT my advice is, buy the biggest you can afford / justify spending

[Ian Lancaster]

Matt,

I'm now thinking of mounting one of these to the roof of each van do you think 30 watts will be enough to keep a 130aH battery going being used for 40/45 hours a week.

http://www.sunshinesolar.co.uk/khxc/index.php?app=gbu0&ns=prodshow&ref=SS30W&sid=w1hblm2c2895n45isz6d9is2qv4aadmh

Volts x amps = watts.  So 30 watts is equivalent to 2.5 amps at 12 volts.  At that rate, assuming your panel is working to full efficiency it will still take 52 hours of sunshine to charge a 130ah battery.

In reality it will be more because there are always losses in any system

[Alistair@AWC]

Ian,

Assuming that I put the battery in the van fully charged, what is the drain of a 100psi shurflo pump and a varistream controller likely to be?