[SunShineCleaning]

Video of the panel on my van.









I'm bored............

[Dave Garrett]

Mate well impressed also where did you get digital reader for batt from ...Is the solar panel mounted to roof rack do they do smaller ?

[SunShineCleaning]

It is attached to the roofrack. You can get smaller than 12w but I dont think it would produce much power.
I'll look for a link to the battery reader.

[SunShineCleaning]

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=121030170318

[Dave Garrett]

thankyou ordered

[SunShineCleaning]

You're welcom. I'm glad my obsession with recording things has a use. 

[SunShineCleaning]

http://mobile.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?moduleno=217850

This is the solar panel

[Crystal-clear]

i like it mate very nice,quick question if you had a split relay could you just turn your engine on to power it up or has it gota actually charge up slowly?,i must do about 30 miles a day 1 and a half hour in traffic in the mornings and could be the same when i finish so i think i will be ok with the relay!

[Spruce]

i like it mate very nice,quick question if you had a split relay could you just turn your engine on to power it up or has it gota actually charge up slowly?,i must do about 30 miles a day 1 and a half hour in traffic in the mornings and could be the same when i finish so i think i will be ok with the relay!

You may just be ok IMHO.  You may have to stick a normal leisure battery charger on it once a week and then see how it goes. You may even have to only do it every two weeks or even less.

A leisure battery will only accept a trickle charge, it has nothing to do with the alternators charging capacity.

I have a 110 amp leisure battery in my van. The battery when about 75% charged will accept about 6 to 7 amps per hour which reduces as the battery gets 'fuller'.

If your pump draws 3.5 amps and hour and you are actually pumping water for 4 hours, then you will use 14 amps. If you spend 3 hours travelling and your battery is accepting 6 amps, then you will probably nearly fully charge your battery every day (remembering that when my battery is just about fully charged it may only be accepting 1 to 1.5 amps an hour.

Your alternator will be providing enough to charge the leisure battery whether idling in trafic or cruising on the motorway. In fact, from a charging point of view of your leisure battery, it is better to be stuck in traffic.

[Crystal-clear]

Thanks spuce

[Spruce]

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=121030170318

Hi Stewart,

Do you find a voltmeter gauge a useable accessory?

The reason for asking is that when I come in from work and switch off, my voltage meter across the leisure battery reads high, and takes a long time to settle down to its true voltage so at a glance initially, I don't know exactly how much charge is still left in the battery.

I have a split charge relay.

Also, the difference in voltage between a fully charged leisure battery and a 75% charged one is very small.

[GoodFella2006]

Check this out

[SunShineCleaning]

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=121030170318

Hi Stewart,

Do you find a voltmeter gauge a useable accessory?

The reason for asking is that when I come in from work and switch off, my voltage meter across the leisure battery reads high, and takes a long time to settle down to its true voltage so at a glance initially, I don't know exactly how much charge is still left in the battery.

I have a split charge relay.

Also, the difference in voltage between a fully charged leisure battery and a 75% charged one is very small.

I like gadgets and numbers. It does give me an idea though.

I've never really understood the full/part charged stuff with batteries.

When it has been on charge it can go up to 13+ and so far is useable down to 11 without any issues.
My car batteries worked to a reading of 10.

Maybe someone can explain.