BATTERY MUSTER - What kind of battery set-up do you run?

[Steve & Sandra Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve & Sandra]

still doing my homework on a dual battery system although i am surprised more people dont take use of the sun and fit a solar panel on the roof. I am still looking for a dual battery system that will allow for solar input and keep both batteries charged, although i am aware piranha have a controller with a solar input. I havent had the chance to go shopping yet. i am also looking at the dualmate system. Does anyone have any history of this setup?
I also like the arb dual battery tray which mounts the second battery up close to the firewall.

[waltec Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close waltec]

Hi Steve & Sandra, regarding the solar input of the dual batt system, Our troopie at work is an on call vehicle and as such it can sit for a week or 2 without being started, and with all the communication gear in it, it was running the battery flat, So I bought a small 2.5 amp float charger (Battery fighter I think its called).

Anyway I connected it to the Starting battery, as starting the vehicle in a hurry was the priority. What I have noticed is that as the start batt charges the voltage obviously gets high enough that the battery controller connects the 2 batts together, therefore charging both.

With the higher charging currents of the solar cells, it should have no trouble doing the same, if you were to connect them to the start battery.

Just a thought that may give you a lot more options.

Matt

[jeff s Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close jeff s]

I'm not 100% sure how the solar panels charge. Obviously they put out a charge, but do they go through some sort of charging regulator first?

Batteries can get over charged.
Your vehicles alternator does not give out a constant charge until the battery is full. It gives the battery a zap, then checks to see if the battery is ready for another one or not. if it is it does it again. (all within micro seconds) through a regulator. Its not a smooth flow. When your battery is "full" the alternator does nothing more than top up the battery when ever load is drawing on the system etc. The battery will only draw what it needs. If its flat it will have a high draw and visa versa.

I imagine that solar panels give out a steady smooth flow regardless of draw. Is that correct????

[chester Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close chester]

I run the standard cranking battery and for AUX a 95ah pulse AGM battery with Rotronics battery management system. I like the AGM as i have an old fridge with no low voltage cut out and a lot of my camping the car does not move so i usually find out the battery is flat when the fridge stops and it seems to recharge a lot quicker

I did run a standard wet cell as my aux battery for a while but found after i ran it flat a few times and then did my annual week in the snow it was stuffed

[waltec Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close waltec]

Jeff to answer your question, yes you do need a solar regulator to charge batteries from a solar panel. The output voltage from the panel is dependant upon the sunlight falling on it, more sun more volts. The regulator, limits the voltage applied to the battery, so as it is not over charged.

Cheap regulators just limit the volts whereas an expensive regulator usually does a power conversion, so less wasted power > more charge in your battery!!!

Matt

[jeff s Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close jeff s]

Thanks Waltec