Solar-Powered Battery Trickle Charger safe or not?
 

Hi there alas dont drive my x5 too often in the summer so was wondering if the following is any good?or if it will be damaged by my battery lighter socket outputting power to it?I know for a fact that when the ignition is off the dc socket stil has power to it, so not sure how this will work, thanks

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Solar-Powered 12V 1W Battery Trickle Charger

only £5.99 - on sale until 01/09/2009
SAVE £2.00 was £7.99
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Order Code: N47GR
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Product Features

• Keep your battery topped up with solar power, even if the weather is overcast or dull
• Interchangeable connectors: cigarette lighter plug and crocodile clips
• Durable ABS outer casing
• Built-in diode prevents reverse charging
• Suction cups for easy mounting
• Ideal for cars, caravans, boats etc

Designed to trickle charge 12V lead acid batteries with no additional running costs. Ideal for cars that will be left standing for long periods, as well as for maintaining batteries in caravans and boats. The built-in blocking diode prevents reverse charging from the battery to the solar panel at night.
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Technical Specification


Technical specifications: Peak output power:1W Voltage (@max. power):17.5V Open circuit voltage:21V Short circuit current:90mA Tested under standard condition: AM1.5, 100mW/100cm² @25° Cigarette lighter plug fuse rating:0.5A Cable length:2.7m (9ft) Dimensions:354mm (l) x 100mm (w) x 14mm (d) Weight:500g

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Frequently Asked Questions
Q- This unit works great charging up my 20 amp 12volt lead acid battery and was a great buy!! :-) - Victor
Answer- thank you very much for the feedback
Q- Does it charge gel cell batterys - M Dowsett
Answer- No sorry this product does not support that.
Q- As the panel charges my battery, can I use it at the same time? - Thomas
Answer- yes you can (although for it to be effective it is recommended that the device you use does not consume more power than the panel is outputting to the battery).
Q- hi will this charger cut out when the battery is fully charged and is there a warning light to tell you so. richard. - richard
Answer- No, with such a low wattage it is not neccessary.
Q- Will the unit be effective through the windscreen, if placed on the dashboard of a car. - Jim Smale
Answer- Yes it will.
Q- I intend to use this for my boat.It will be exposed to rain, wind and salt water. Can it resist all these elements. - cammy
Answer- The item is not going to be suitable for exposure to salt water i am afraid.
Q- i see its not resistant to salt water but what about rain? - Rich
Answer- the item is ok for use in light showers but in heavy rain etc the item would need to be taken indoors.

I have one of these I use on my 3Wheeler battery, and every so often I throw it on my Dads 76 Harley sportster when it sits a while.

The built in diode means it can't drain the battery, so I'd feel ok giving it a try. I wonder if it would fit between the sunroof and sunshade? (though it would be behind tint there...)

Weasel thanks fo the input, I am going to get on and what the heck, as long as it doesnt drain the battery, but as you say the diode protects it.....thanks

hi all, well after replacing my battery and reading many posts here seems the little driving i do say about 20mins a day may not be good enough to keep my battery charged well enough, so i have the solar 'charger' shown, just wondered though if i plug it in the rear whether or not the posts i read on an x3 forum about the port in the rear being disabled 15mins after you turn off ignition are true? which means plugging this thing in for 15mins worth of 1w charging is pants:rolleyes:

I had that solar charger on my 4.6 for about 6 years... actually, i had two of them, and placed them behind the glass on the rear quarter of the car, past the C pillar (the last fixed glass on the side of car). I did that for symmetry but must admit, the solar panel was sitting there at a wrong angle (not vertical but still, too close to vertical) and thus the power output was limited (also, the back windows are factory tinted).

It never did any damage to the car but the benefits of almost vertical placement were minimal...

Placing on the sunroof glass on top of the shade would have been a better idea, given tha proper horisontal positioning but the shade is a moveable part (manual or automatic for pano roofs) and proper wire routing is super important... I was contemplating this but never got around to actually dive into this project...


In my opinion, the car manufacturers should incorporate this into the cars as an option - if somebody wants it, they can order it from the factory... this way, it will be integral part of the car and possibly available for a retrofit...

I would not depend on it maintaining battery long term, as this charger is only a single stage trickle charger. Google battery tender. One of several maintenance chargers which have three stages including max amp when voltage is low, trickle when voltage is restored, and intermittent Max charge to keep sulfur from precipitating.

I would only use solar charger for no more than several weeks at a time without boosting the amps or just driving.

DrRICK terminatorx5 thanks, I reckon i should drive it more, looking at my odometer again today , i don't think i cover more than 5 miles a day, barring weekends where i drive a bit more, anyone know what if there is a recommended distance that should be covered so as to keep battery in good condition......? the retrofit solar panel should have been incorporated into car design but perhaps this would keep some battery manufacters from raking is less cash....but then again solar panel manufacturers would benefit i guess.....be good if the solar panel could be fitted horizontally to the rear fender and in such a way that it is aesthetically please yet functional and replaceable as the have finite lifespan....ok thanks fellas

you should drive your car more than 5 miles not only for the sake of the battery, which is a relative cheap replacement, but also for the sake of your engine. The older BMW manuals recommended at least once a month 40-minute drive at "highway speeds". In the US, the highway speeds are anywhere from 55 to 75 MPH, in Germany - the autobahn is the limit... lol... the 40 minute drive will charge the battery but more importantly, it will warm the engine up to the operating temperatures and keep it hot for some period of time, that will allow burning off the carbon deposits that may have accumulated inside the engine due to low miles... My mom's mercury's engine seized at 89K miles because she was not driving the thing, she would put on like 5-6K miles a year at the most... killed the engine... it was due to carbon build up inside the chambers...

so, take the car for an extended drive, regardless if that is a BMW or a Yugo... lol...

will b taking a detour from now on when picking up junior from school,ironic really..but at least will avoid all the road humps n b able to have a good run on the highway,and at least get the engine warm..luckily not much congestion on routes i take..ta for feedback

There isn't any where in Hawaii where you get drive for 40 minutes, non-stop, at highway speeds :rolleyes: