Solar Power Battery Conditioner

[NickVenice]

Hi guys

Just wondering if anyone is using a solar powered battery conditioner on their dashboard to trickle charge the battery. I don't have mains power available so have been looking at alternatives (i.e. power pack in boot or solar power charger on dashboard).

Does anyone use the official Aston Solar Power Conditioner or other? Aston's version here: http://www.astonmartin.com/en/shop/car-accessories...

I'm also trying to figure out whether any other solar power charger would do exactly the same for like £20 instead of Aston's £190.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated

Nick

[leerandle]

I bought my solar powered charger from Maplins and its perfect for just putting on the dash or back shelf for trickle charging. They're all the same, but you stick a AM badge on and you can triple the price of normal items. The good thing is you get cigarette lighter if you want to charge on the dash or you can attach to the battery under the rear shelf. See link below.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/solar-powered-12v-48w-ba...

Hope this helps.

Lee

[NealCS]

+1

I happen to use the same one as Lee above, seems fine

[NickVenice]

Many thanks for confirming - looks like any normal one will do just fine then

Nick

[SELON]

So it can charge the battery via the cigarette lighter ?
Can it do it via the 12v socket also?

Please no criticisms if these are stupid questions!

[nomisc]

I purchased this one for my father's BMW as he doesn't drive much these days and it's very good. I'd read reviews that anything less than 4 watts is pointless.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/N05HN-Solar-Briefcase-Batt...

I see there are now 7 watt ones but they are probably quite big.

[sooty61]

SELON said:

So it can charge the battery via the cigarette lighter ?
Can it do it via the 12v socket also?

The 12V socket in the boot? Yes, I plug my battery conditioner in there after finding not using it for two weeks results in a flat battery

[David W.]

Just needs to go into something that is live with ignition off.
dw

[SELON]

So stick it on the dash, plug it into the 12v socket (there's one under the armrest in mine) and it will charge the car battery while the car is switched off?

Cool. Will add that to my shopping list!

Cheers guys.

[CLiv]

Hi guys, I'm looking at buying one of these for my 2006 DB9. The malpin link is down - would you mind sending one one that will work properly with the right specs? Also, how do I run the cable from the trunk to the front of the car?

Thanks!

[Manners79]

The Maplin link is down becasue Maplins went bust about 3 years ago! BTW there is also a global pandemic going on if you hadn't heard... (sorry!)

I use a solar charger when not able to get to mains power (for a variety of vehicles). What I would say is avoid the teeny little 4w / 8w ones. By the time they sit on a dashboard (ergo in the shade at least half the day often behind a filtered piece of glass) their output is negligible and some of the cheaper ones are so badly made (eg rubbish or non-existient blocking diodes) that they may actually drain the battery!

My personal view is you want 25w minimum and decent quality cables etc. Ideally with a charge controller rather than simply a blocking diode. Also (and I have no evidence for this merely gut feeling) I prefer ones that I can clip direct to the battery rather than going into a 12v socket (formerly known as a cigarette lighter socket!) whereupon it has to get through an awful lot of wiring loom beofre the amps get to the battery (the exception being where the manufacturer mounted a socket specifically for charging - eg in the boot / trunk of the Vantage - but there ain't much sunshine in the boot!).

As an aside, I'm also paranoid about sunlight cracking / shrinking the dash leather so there is a bit of a built in oxymoron that where I'd want to park for solar charging is not where I want to park for sunlight protection! I do get round this to some extent with a windscreen shield on the inside with the solar panel mounted between that and the screen...but then you're starting to have a lot of stuff in the 'cockpit' to remove and stow before driving.

[vernierMike]

I use an AA one - it's quite big and plugs into the OBDII socket so not wonderfully convenient but handy if you have a car that isolates the cigarette lighter/accessory socket!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154205536086

[TR-Spider]

Manners79 said:

As an aside, I'm also paranoid about sunlight cracking / shrinking the dash leather so there is a bit of a built in oxymoron that where I'd want to park for solar charging is not where I want to park for sunlight protection! I do get round this to some extent with a windscreen shield on the inside with the solar panel mounted between that and the screen...but then you're starting to have a lot of stuff in the 'cockpit' to remove and stow before driving.

Thought about the same thing - I actually park the car with the dash in the shade (or use a deflector otherwise).
However, why not putting the solar charger on the rear trunk lid (the inside part that moves up when you open)?
You could permanently bolt it down, so no need to remove...

[Manners79]

TR-Spider said:

However, why not putting the solar charger on the rear trunk lid (the inside part that moves up when you open)?

Ah mine is a roadster

[CLiv]

vernierMike said:

I use an AA one - it's quite big and plugs into the OBDII socket so not wonderfully convenient but handy if you have a car that isolates the cigarette lighter/accessory socket!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154205536086

Thanks for sharing this one. I noticed it's 2.4 watt. Does the OBD2 socket require a lower wattage than the 12v plug in the trunk?

[vernierMike]

CLiv said:

Thanks for sharing this one. I noticed it's 2.4 watt. Does the OBD2 socket require a lower wattage than the 12v plug in the trunk?

I don't know, there must be one but I just assumed it was just the output of the cell. I daresay it's not exactly cutting edge PV technology...