Solar Panel Charger

[unclepockets]

I've tried doing a search but just wanted to know if anybody uses one of those solar panel type trickle chargers in their Chim if so are they any good? I was considering buying one as I don't have access to mains power to be able to use an Optimate type optimiser.

Ta!

[.Mark]

I used one on one of my old cars a few years back and it never really did it's job. I guess the technology has moved on a bit so they may be useful now - guess as always it depends on budget.

[bubblehead]

I use one in my Lotus, got it in Maplins during a half price sale for a tenner. Came with a cig lighter adaptor and croc clips and does the job fine. Suppose it depends on how much of a drain you've got going on but as an example my battery would flatten over the course of 3-4 weeks.

[V8 GRF]

Waste of money. Better to buy a second battery and keep that topped up to do a jump off if necessary.

[Mark_S_24]

I got one from Maplins too, it definitly meant I could leave the car longer. The TVR had a bad battery at the time, but although it didn't keep it topped up it allowed the drain to be managed as it were.

Although it's not ideal, especially here in Scotland, it's better than nothing

HTH

Mark

[unclepockets]

Thanks for the replies, the problem is apart from not being able to connect it to the mains is that I have to park it so that the LH is up against a fence making battery access difficult. The problem with using a slave battery is that it doesn't overcome the issue of keeping the battery in a healthy state.

Another thought is that if I moved the battery to the boot then I could keep the battery indoors on an optimiser and access the boot in the special way and it would be straight forward to fit/remove the battery.

[rickprice]

If you're thinking of disconnecting it anyway, why not fit a circuit breaker? Although I don't have one, I am sure I have seen them where you pull a small handle out. This would stop the drain on your battery.

Downside is the clock would never be right, the alarm wouldn't work and you would repeatedly reset the ECU.

But if you were ging to take it inside regularly...


Rich

[Chris99]

A Priority Start or Battery Brain will automatically disconnect the battery as the voltage drops. When you're ready to go again the battery reconnects with enough charge to start the car.

[SILICONEKID340HP]

You could have one of these..

[Krautchimaera]

I have not heard of that clever device that disconnects the batterie automaticly before. If so I would have bought one of those. I simply fitted a switch with a little knob to turn that bolts onto one of the terminals and breaks the circuit.
got 3 of them new at an autojumble 5 quid each. I had to cut and file a bit on the batterie box but all straight forward, so when I parked my car last november, I switched it off and on again in march. the Chim started at the second attempt.
Main reason was that in my crowded garage I once and my dog once caught the line of trickly charger and send it down the shelf missing the car only by mm's.

[Kwacker]

I also use an isolation switch works perfectly. The clock is often wrong, but correct twice a day.

As a double backup I have an anderson connector attached and a spare battery nearby(which has a solar charger attached to it). And if that ain't enough I also have a jump start baattery pack. (which I sometimes forget to charge up just for that authentic can't start the car feeling)

Kwacker