Solar Laptop Charger & Portable Power Kit 600 Watt - opinions?

[wrcsixeight]

A battery needs to be rested, without having been charged, or discharged for several hours, for voltage to accurately indicate battery state of charge. With a lot of watching a voltmeter as a battery discharges while you apply differing loads, night after night, then you get a better feel for when your particular battery is in the 50% range<br /><br />After all loads are removed, the battery will climb back up in voltage. &nbsp;After a charging source is removed, a surface charge exists, and it will take several hours, even up to a day to dissipate.<br /><br />When the battery can hold 12.6+ volts, 12 hours after a charging source is removed, then you can consider the battery at or nearly at full charge.<br /><br />This does not mean the battery is going to perform as new. &nbsp; The rate of Capacity loss of a battery is proportional to how much of its life it stays under 80% charged and how long it stays there.&nbsp;<br /><br />An aged or abused battery is like a fuel tank, which keeps getting smaller as it ages. &nbsp;You can still fill it up, but it will just have much less to give. &nbsp;If you don't fill it up fairly regularly, you are performing batterycide.<br /><br />Generally with my system, after I shut off my engine at night, my house batteries read 13.6 and slowly drop to 12.8v. &nbsp;If the batteries were full at engine shutdown after dark, It takes about an hour to reach 12.8, even when powering my 1.1 amp TV, 0.5 amps of LED lighting. ~0.25 amps of fans, and a cycling &nbsp;compressor fridge which draws 2.7 amps ~ 15 minutes of each hour and my batteries are down to about 60% of their original capacity<br /><br />If I shut off my engine, and then only saw 12.7 volts at the house/ aux battery, I would know that those batteries were no where near fully charged.<br /><br />Most auxiliary batteries out there have inadequate cabling to make best use of the alternator to get the batteries back up to the 80% range as fast as possible. &nbsp;That last 20% takes forever, and where Solar panels &nbsp;are especially appreciated by the battery(s)<br /><br /><br />

 

[Saguache]

Personally I'd start here charge a laptop. Realize that something like this is designed to charge a device at a time, not several. So no cell phones or other toys.

http://www.goalzero.com/medium-sherpa.html

Seccond, putting the pannels on the inside of your windows will significantly reduce the ability of the panel to charge. Auto windows are almost always coated to reduce solar radiation in the bandwidth you need. I have a 5W in my van which is supposed to keep the battery topped off. Even in the best sunlight I dont normally see more than 1W.

 

[mark2012]

Honestly, It is my first time to see or heard about this solar charger, It was very impressive because it is more wiser than chargers that needed to be loaded through electricity. GOOD JOB!

 

[wagoneer]

Lets pull this thread from destruction. What new has happened? I just installed a Yakima Megawarrior and looking for a solar panel. Travel with a ladder so I can load and unload the panel lay it on top take it down when I drive,,,, I'm thinking &nbsp;kyrocera

 

[Zil]

Bob @ cheaprvliving sells various solar systems. Check the "store". I can't get the link pasted here.

 

[wagoneer]

thanks zil and casey stay away from those portable car battery starters I bought that same one for 89.00 and wanted to throw it through the store window...