|
best solar charging system for a 12v system? |
Post Reply 
|
| Author | |
Heathrow_B_line 
Old Croc 
Joined: 11 January 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 7344 |
 Post Options
 Thanks(0)
 Quote Reply
 Topic: best solar charging system for a 12v system?Posted: 02 December 2013 at 6:58pm |
|
any ideas chaps?
|
|
|
Produce a killer sound. Take no prisoners.
|
|
 |
|
|
Saturnus
Old Croc
Joined: 13 July 2010 Location: Copenhagen Status: Offline Points: 2025 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 02 December 2013 at 7:02pm |
|
What wattage range are we talking? Less than 50W, more than a few hundred watts or somewhere in between?
|
|
|
|
|
mini-mad
Old Croc
Joined: 13 July 2012 Location: london Status: Offline Points: 6903 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 02 December 2013 at 7:07pm |
|
i have a 10w system (now a 20) in my little girls zombie fortress... cost me around £35. thats the panel and charge unit with about 5m of cable. i banged on some clips and a voltage meter enclosed the car battery in a box. jobs a good'un!
|
|
|
If it sounds like a gorilla is trying to escape, turn it down.
|
|
|
|
|
lutkeveld
Young Croc 
Joined: 23 September 2013 Location: The Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 517 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 02 December 2013 at 7:39pm |
|
It doesn't sound like you need solar power. And even if you do, it will cost you more than your entire system costs.
Edit: sorry, I thought the post above me was the topic starter Edited by lutkeveld - 02 December 2013 at 7:56pm |
|
|
|
|
Heathrow_B_line
Old Croc
Joined: 11 January 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 7344 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 02 December 2013 at 7:49pm |
|
well I am hoping to try to make a boom box type system so the limit is size |
|
|
Produce a killer sound. Take no prisoners.
|
|
|
|
|
mini-mad
Old Croc
Joined: 13 July 2012 Location: london Status: Offline Points: 6903 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 02 December 2013 at 7:49pm |
|
*badly timed. ignore this post
Edited by mini-mad - 02 December 2013 at 7:50pm |
|
|
If it sounds like a gorilla is trying to escape, turn it down.
|
|
|
|
|
mini-mad
Old Croc
Joined: 13 July 2012 Location: london Status: Offline Points: 6903 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 02 December 2013 at 7:52pm |
|
you may get a 1-5w pannel on the box or... backpack with a pull out (and stand) foldable panel with two 10watt panels. think 20watt worth of solar charging maybe overkill though.
|
|
|
If it sounds like a gorilla is trying to escape, turn it down.
|
|
|
|
|
Saturnus
Old Croc
Joined: 13 July 2010 Location: Copenhagen Status: Offline Points: 2025 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 02 December 2013 at 8:16pm |
Given your location is the UK and the usage you'll probably want a thin film solar cell. Either in a a-Si or CI(G)S type panel. Anything less than 4-5W is probably going to be a waste of time/money. So that means you need a flat surface area of at least 500cm2. If you don't have that, ditch the idea. Second, you need a charger. Most solar chargers used for lead batteries produced in 2013 and later have built-in support for LiFePO4 batteries, even if the manufacturer specification does not state it. This is due to the typically used controller chips being upgraded during 2011/2012. Li-ion/LiPo batteries are generally never supported by a solar charger unless specifically produced for the purpose, ie. they are generally much more expensive. Edited by Saturnus - 02 December 2013 at 8:16pm |
|
|
|
|
davey t
Young Croc
Joined: 11 March 2004 Location: Bristol UK Status: Offline Points: 1428 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 02 December 2013 at 10:39pm |
|
If it's USB charging then these work well. You can charge a Minirig in almost any good light outdoors.
Or a normal 12V trickle charger will charge a SLA battery or Nimh. You have to regulate the voltage carfeully with lithium batteries.
|
|
|
Minirig portable soundsystem movement
|
|
|
|
|
Aztor
Registered User 
Joined: 22 September 2010 Location: Norway Status: Offline Points: 381 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 28 July 2014 at 11:23pm |
|
What solar charging would you recommend for a larger system. Typ 200-600w. ?
|
|
|
|
|
Arrvenn
New Member 
Joined: 30 July 2014 Location: Sydney Status: Offline Points: 5 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 31 July 2014 at 6:52am |
|
I bought two of these cheap 10W panels as an experiment to power my boombox, and paired it with a dirt cheap controller unit as well
Panels in question http://www.aliexpress.com/item/10W-Watts-10-Watt-Poly-Solar-Panel-Off-Grid-12V-RV-Boat-Marine-Car-Solar-Kits/1572472842.html and the controller http://www.aliexpress.com/item/10A-12V-24V-Auto-switch-PWM-Solar-Charge-Controller-LED-indication-the-battery-voltage/714165614.html I've measured mine by themselves and they spit out between 18-22v in full sun at about 0.5A - which is 10W as advertised! In the shade or cloudy it dips to about 15v, I'm charging 2x 7.2ah SLA's i'm using as a 24v source, so have wired 2 panels in series to get my voltage up (one panel is only suitable to charge 12V.) This little rig happily pumps 10w into my batteries BUT it only really works well in direct sun, when the panels voltage is in the optimum range I've discovered since playing around with this budget setup, that there are 2 types of solar controller, PWM and MPPT. I think if i was to replace the little controller with a smarter (and more expensive) MPPT controller, i'd get more a more effective charge for more of the voltage range, But for the princely sum $65 for two panels and a controller, it does the job just fine well enough. Edited by Arrvenn - 31 July 2014 at 6:53am |
|
|
|
|
Post Reply
|
|
| Tweet |
| Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |
Topic Options
Heathrow_B_line wrote: