Charge your Shite via trickle power!

[R9UKE]

I've got to the point where I have shite lying around quite a bit. Probably not applicable on older shite, where a clock is all that requires power when the engine is off, but my Renaults are a different story.

 

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/solar-powered-1 ... rger-98358

 

Bargain at £9.99 from Maplin. I bought three. I think they're a great idea, if they work...The Avantime's battery goes flat in about two weeks of standing. It'll have been three weeks since I've been near it this weekend, so we'll see if they're any good.

 

Just thought I'd make you aware of them, bound to be handy to have!

[CYANIDE STEVE]

Should do the trick.

I've got one on the Iveco camper, a slightly bigger 4.5w but it keeps the batteries topped up while I'm not using it.

[willswitchengage]

The Avantime's battery goes flat in about two weeks of standing.

 

Make the Bosch investment my friend. BX has one and it has plenty of cranking power even after the car's been sat under the snow for weeks.

 

Great idea though, can't wait for some tube to try using it in their garage.

[skattrd]

Apologies for the potentially stupid question ....

 

Do these charge the battery if they're in the car and plugged in to the cig lighter?

[CYANIDE STEVE]

Yes but only if your cig lighter is live when the ignition is off. If your cig lighter only works with the ignition on the solar panel won't charge the battery.

[dollywobbler]

Yes but only if your cig lighter is live when the ignition is off. If your cig lighter only works with the ignition on the solar panel won't charge the battery.

 

Aye. Counts most modern cars out! Easy enough to wire in a direct 12v feed point somewhere though. One in the boot can often be handy.

[R9UKE]

It's supplied with crocodile clips to go directly onto the battery which is what I do.

[Ross_K]

 

I couldn't get them to work through the fag lighter with a '01 Scenic or a '02 Espace - the clips need to be used. Shitroens charge fine though the lighter...

[barefoot]

I have an identical item on the T2 connected to the leisure battery and it appears to work.

(there's a little flashing blue light anyway)

[KruJoe]

While my shite is off the road in the shed, I take the batteries out, put them inside a scrap car outside, with one of these clipped to each, the gadget wedged against the windscreen. If there's any daylight, there's a trickle going in and the LED glows. The LED prevents them discharging at night. WIN! Saves buying a new battery each time a car is recommissioned.

I also took one to Thailand last year for my 850, which is parked up for long spells. It nestles neatly between the speakers on the back shelf. I soldered it in to the handy boot lighting circuit which is always live (works on a switch to earth). So far so good, seems to work well enough, even parked under an apartment building, and with heavily tinted windows!

[Spiny Norman]

Quite fancy one of these but is 1.5W of charge really going to do any good? Will that keep an alarm/radio memory etc from flattening your battery?

Also, suppose you were to hard wire it in to the car battery, would there be any ill effects of the trickle charger getting full whack off the alternator when you were driving?

[R9UKE]

I'm heading over the Avantime tomorrow, so I'll report back. It says that the charger should be disconnected before starting the car to avoid damage....

[Mr_Bo11ox]

If you start your engine up with this connected, you get GENUINE SUNLIGHT beaming out of the solar cell panel. PHAQT!

[DSdriver]

Great idea though, can't wait for some tube to try using it in their garage.

 

I've used mine while the car is in the garage... but i've got it bolted to the outside of the up and over door so that the leads dangle down inside and connect to the battery with crocodile clips. I also have a battery isolator so that I can disconnect the battery easily to stop the clock from discharging the system.

Apparently modern cars (Prius and Bentley that I know of) cannot stand in a garage for very long without the electronics draining the system. Apparently this is a major reason for AA/RAC call outs at airport car parks where people have left there cars for a few weeks.

[oman5]

I bought one of these for use on a rarely used quad bike. not impressed, it just doesn't generate enough of a charge to stop the battery flattening over time. I'd save the money and buy one with a bigger solar panel

[skattrd]

Slightly more powerful one of these is now on offer ... just reserved myself one at the local store.

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/solar-powered-1 ... ger-223251