| Author | Message | ||
     Xdigitalx |
just picked this up, have yet to hook it up but hopefully it will help when I just forget to turn stuff off or whatnot.   Was only 20 bucks. | ||
| Froggy |
Useless. I have one. | ||
| Xdigitalx |
yea, now that I think about it, I intended to use it while bike was parked at work or when I camped or parked for at least 8+hrs to keep the battery peaked. But if my battery is low/bad in the morning, the bike won't start and then I won't be able to get to work anyways...and I will need a JUMP. BUT... couldn't this help after that fact...I mean after I get a quick jump, arriving at work with a low battery..., let it sit for 8hrs charging? Also,... what about keeping a spare battery charged... or using it for my tractor or car?? (both with older batteries) Have you used it like that? | ||
| Froggy |
Yep, and again its useless. Even under perfect sunlight where it will have the most output, it still is a fraction of a Battery tender Jr. The Jr puts out .75 amps, and will take at a minimum a few hours to top of a moderatly discharged battery. If your solar charger is the same as mine, it is 1.5 watts, or .125 amps. It would take a century to recharge a battery, hell it isn't even enough to charge a cell phone. You would be better off getting a cable that plugs into your USB port on your computer to top off the battery. | ||
| 7873jake |
Think of this solar cell as a maintainer for that recreational vehicle that doesn't get touched for extended periods but isn't parked near an outlet to allow for a BT Jr, et al. It keeps the battery fade or parisitic drain (on an otherwise good, functional battery) from leaving you flat when you do decide to return the vehicle. I have neighbors that park their 'fleet' of PWC's in a pole barn that has no power. This is how they keep the batts topped off. That miniscule trickle of electrons is just enough to keep them ready for the next outing after having sat for weeks between use. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Froggy, Quit beating around the bush and tell us what you really think about Xdig's purchase.  | ||
| Biffdotorg |
Ya, it is too bad that they put pictures of Cycles, PWC and Tractors on the package. I had shopped these a few years ago when I wanted to put one on the dock where I parked a two-man bass boat on a private lake. I thought it would be cool to charge my trolling battery since there was no power there. The size of panel I would need to charge that deep cycle battery would have been large enough to use as a bimini top on a 10ft boat!! Solar technology is becoming cheaper, but the technology has a ways to go yet. | ||
| Dmmblaze |
I bought a slightly bigger unit a year back from Northern Tools. Thought it would be great for camping, where there was no power to tender the Uly. It was crap. Actually drained my battery dead in my Jeep when I first tested it out. It probably was defective but it totally unsold me. I got a refund which might be your best bet xdigitalx. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Solar power is so awesome and cool. Until you have to actually buy it by the watt. Then you realize it's cheaper to.. well just about anything. In order for solar to make sense financially, you would have to have the installation up for decades. The efficiency is still creeping up as the cost is slowly decreasing. I keep my eyes peeled for the "BIG breakthrough" | ||
| Froggy |
Solar power itself is fine, its just that these cheapo units have cheap cells that aren't worth squat. A more expensive unit might do the trick, but obviously it will cost quite a bit more. | ||
| Uly_man |
I have one as well. Its crap. Waaaay to small. If your battery/charge is good a daily 10 mile run should be fine for the battery or at least mine was. Maybe top it off with a charge once a week. As an idea of what it should be I would find if a battery, HD AGM, had just got to that "chatter not start point" a one hour charge @1amp would charge it to full. The battery is on the margin and needs a 250 amp CCR type. |
