Dashboard 16w Solar Panel for trickle Charge?

[One Awesome Inch]

I will soon be getting a dual marine/rv battery that has 730 cold cranks and 100 amp hours. While my power needs are on the low end, I also will not be driving that much  (10 to 20 min a day max). My concern is that I might drive enough to keep the battery charged off the alternator. 

One thought I had was to buy a 16watt foldable solar panel that will fit on my dashboard and connect it to the battery for a trickle charge. Will that work?

 

[SternWake]

In full Noon sun that panel will return right around 1 amp to the battery.

These Tiny panels are more for preventing parasitic draws in modern vehicles sitting in storage from battery depletion.

They rarely meet their ratings under the glass either. when they get really hot baking on the dashboard their output diminishes. The lower the sun is the more the windshield reflects the light.

The panel might be of some small benefit, but in terms of benefit for $, I'd say not to bother unless it is cheap or free.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Good to know. I was thinking of one of these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00J2...colid=6GJ0GDWP1J9Z&coliid=I3699HEME9LKMB&vs=1

 

[One Awesome Inch]

My power requirements...

LED RV lights = 1.2w each or 0.1 amps or 100 mA
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 = 12.16w / 3.8v / 3200 mA
Comp fan = .08 Amps / input .96w (.96w = .08 amps)

100 mA
3200 mA
80 mA

= approx 3400 mA or 3.4 Amps

My 100Ah battery will be able to theoretically support 1A draw for 100 hours. This means a 100Ah battery will last for 29.4 hours at 3.4 amps

My weekly driving will not exceed 200km or 125 miles.

Will that be enough to keep the battery charged?

 

[One Awesome Inch]

BTW my Ford E150s stock alternator has an amperage output of 95.

 

[highdesertranger]

I believe that panel you linked to only has a 5v output. will not charge a 12v battery. highdesertranger

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Thanks for catching that!☺

 

[LeeRevell]

My power requirements...

LED RV lights = 1.2w each or 0.1 amps or 100 mA
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 = 12.16w / 3.8v / 3200 mA
Comp fan = .08 Amps /  input .96w (.96w = .08 amps)

100 mA
3200 mA
80 mA

= approx 3400 mA or 3.4 Amps

My 100Ah battery will be able to theoretically support 1A draw for 100 hours. This means a 100Ah battery will last for 29.4 hours at 3.4 amps

My weekly driving will not exceed 200km or 125 miles.

Will that be enough to keep the battery charged?

Not necessarily.   Waiting for Sternwake or another to invoke the spirit of Mr. Puekert......... 

 

[Wabbit]

Not necessarily.   Waiting for Sternwake or another to invoke the spirit of Mr. Puekert......... 

Peukert's law invoked and cited!

In case someone is curious but lazy, here's a link...  

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peukert's_law

 

[SternWake]

Not necessarily.   Waiting for Sternwake or another to invoke the spirit of Mr. Puekert......... 

A hundred amp hour abttery can provide 5 amps for 20 hours until battery voltage drops to 10.5 volts, which is considered 100% discharged, even though a battery can be drained to 0 volts.

One should not regularly discharge a deep cycle battery below 50%.  One should rarely take a marine battery to 50%, One should never take a starting battery below 80%.

If the 100 amp hour battery has loads under 5 amps it actually can provide more than 100 amp hours, but not an incredible amount more.
If the 100 amp hour battery has loads Over 5 amps it cannot provide 100 Amp hours
The higher the load, the less the battery has to give .

That is the jist or Senior Peukert's law.

The 18 watt panel linked is for charging USB devices, not 12 volt batteries.

Charging through glass is less efficient at noon and much less efficient the further away from noon.