6 Volt Solar Trickle Charger

Northern Tool has a Coleman brand 12V solar trickle charger on sale (I think) now. Two of them for ~$30 (again I think.

I bought several of them several years ago and use them on both 6V and 12V batteries and they work great.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200623684_200623684

I have one on an electric pony start D4, a 8N Ford (6V), etc. They are rated 1 1/2W (~0.2A). If needed youcould use both in parallel.

Daron

I didn't open the link, but how does it regulate for a 6 volt?

with it that cold there i'd remove battery for 2 times a month start.

someone jump in here if i am blowing smoke, but, there are little tiny solar panels that measure about 4 inches by 11 inches and they do not have a regulator on them, the voltage they are connected to determines the output. we hooked one up to a 12 volt battery and it kept it charged, we tried the same unit on a 24 volt system (4 6 volt batteries in series) and they stayed charged as well,

the solar panels are rated by watts which is equal to amps multiplied by volts. if the solar panel is rated at 2 watts, on a 12 volt system that would be 2 watts divided by 12 volts which equals o.1666 amps. on a 6 volt system it would be 2 watts divide by 6 volts equals 0.33333 amps, no worries about overcharging the battery.

the little solar panel i am talking about, if it is not connected to a system, and when it is in full sunlight, would have a potential voltage at the leads of 47 volts, at 0 amps, so total output was 47 volts multiplied by 0 amps equals 0 watts of power produced.

Voltage regulation- There is none. They are only capable of a given output (current) governed by their physical size, efficiency, and amount of solar radiation. They can only "push" so hard then "stall" (still pushing).

For the older generation they're similar in operation to the old Tungar Bulb Battery Charger (comparatively high internal resistance).

Another (2 1/2W) on Northern's website:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200655383_200655383

Daron

IMO if a battery is in good condition and there are no faults in the electrical system or constant draws like on modern vehicles battery maintainer chargers are a rip off. I have 4 farm tractors, a backhoe and now a dozer plus a boat with 3 batteries and a golf cart. The boat, golf cart (used on the farm as a tool) 3 of the 4 tractors the TLB and the dozer will sit most of the winter where -20F is normal and all I do is make sure the batteries are fully charged before I put my stuff away. I never have battery problems. If the battery is fully charged it won't freeze. Many store get batteries in and they sit for a long time before being sold and most often they will start what ever they are put into without charging. Many of those store don't store their batteries in a heated area.

Rick

I was at Batteries Plus a while back and there was a factory rep there for an open house deal. He claimed that the proper way to store a wet cell battery is the same as a dry cell. Fully charged, make sure nothing is bleeding off them, pull the cables is best to insure no moisture trail and store in a cold dry place. He said a deep freeze is the absolute best way to store a charged battery for a long period if your wife is a more than reasonable women. Warm and heat is what kills them the fastest.

A real easy thing to do to preserve battery life is keeping them clean. A lot of machines operate in dust and that builds up on top of the battery. Once that dust collects moisture, there is a track for the battery to lose charge. So keep 'em clean (and charged)