Solar Powered Charger. Going OK.

[flintstone]

A while back I posted asking for info on a solar powered charger. A few recommended them and someone said theirs drained their battery.

Anyway. I bought one and it's fine. Car is left at the airport for six days at a time and fires up without a hint of ailing electrics so I say unto the naysayers..........get one or you'll be sorry.

(I've looked for the original post but it appears to have been culled hence this new one).

[marcos maniac]

flintstone said:

(I've looked for the original post but it appears to have been culled hence this new one).

Here: www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?f=13&h=0&t=130085

[flintstone]

So how come that didn't come up when I searched?

[whitey]

six days without a solar charger for any TVR post 93 should be easy. It's after 3 weeks you want to worry.........

[flintstone]

whitey said:

six days without a solar charger for any TVR post 93 should be easy. It's after 3 weeks you want to worry.........

Sorry. What you said just there does not compute.

I mean. How could anyone own a TVR and not drive it for over three weeks.

You're just being silly

[andy4200]

I'll let you know in a few days. Mine will have been sat for four weeks while I am away working.
Normally the most I get is a couple of turns of the engine before I have to go get another car to start me.
If it starts up under it's own steam then I'll say it's been a success.

[K.K.]

Having looked at this thead I think I need one of these solar powered chargers. A couple of questions:

1. Where does the Solar unit sit (is it inside the car on the dash board?)

2. Do the plugs fit onto the Tamora/T350 sockets (under the passenger side front wheel arch)

3. If the solar unit sits inside the car, how would the wire run from the battery sockets to the solar unit?

Thanks
KK

[rolex]

K.K. said:

Having looked at this thead I think I need one of these solar powered chargers. A couple of questions: 1. Where does the Solar unit sit (is it inside the car on the dash board?) I use one myself K.K. It sits on top of the dashboard 2. Do the plugs fit onto the Tamora/T350 sockets (under the passenger side front wheel arch) The solar charger plugs directly into the cigar lighter, this socket is live when the ignition is off 3. If the solar unit sits inside the car, how would the wire run from the battery sockets to the solar unit? Thanks KK

[K.K.]

Cheers Rolex! One more question, where do I get one from, which one do you reccomend?

KK

[Munter]

Not certain about which is reccomended but you can get them from www.maplin.co.uk

[andy4200]

Mine is fitted to the outside frame of my garage door and I just hook it up straight to the battery. As far as I know it can be hooked up to the cigarette lighter.
I'll be trying to fire her up tomorrow so I'll let you know if it works. (It's been a couple of days over 4 weeks since she last had a good seeing to).

Andy

[flintstone]

Solar powered charger sits on top of the dashboard and plugs into the ciggy lighter.

Got mine from ACT.

[andy4200]

Well... all my hopes were dashed when I blipped the alarm fob and.... nothing, not a blink or a whimper.

I'll try again next month and put it down to a bad connection or something rather than the fact it's a waste of 40 quid.

ANdy

[Notanutter]

K.K. said:

One more question, where do I get one from, which one do you reccomend? KK

I just bought a solar-powered trickle charger for my V8S but it doesn't work because the cigarette lighter socket needs to be "permanently on", works fine on other cars and may suit your requirements, you can have mine for a tenner postage paid if anyone's interested.

[andy4200]

You can rewire your cigarette lighter into one of the permanent 12V wires, say from the stereo or something else nearby.

[Notanutter]

An easy fix, I guess; thanks. Probably does mean taking out the central console though ?

[mcspreader]

I bought a chaeap solar charger and it was not much use. 7.5v output on a dim day won't charge any car.
The more expensive devices are, I assume, more reliable.
There is a shop in Plymouth that specialises in this sort of stuff along with wind generators (that will make the tree huggers smile - a wind powered TVR) so I would imagine there are a few similar outlets around the country. The biggest 12v systems they do cost several hundred pounds.

www.brewstersbatteries.co.uk/

I suppose one could fit two cheapies in series with some form of over voltage protection, perhaps borrowed from the back of an old alternator. I want it for the garage not the dash top so complexity or size is not a worry in my case.

>> Edited by mcspreader on Friday 5th November 20:49