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Old 10-16-2011, 12:21 PM   #1
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Seattle , Washington
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Charging batteries for the winter from Solar panel

Hello!

I have a 60 W panel that I have connected to a charge controller. I would like to charge my battery (removed from my trailer) for the winter.

The charge controller:
Sunforce 12v 7 AMP
cut out: 14.2
cut in: 13v

Battery:
Workaholic Brand
31-MHD
CCA950


My question is - do I need to use a " Battery Minder" or will this solar system do the same thing? I would like to use this to save $ and not have to buy an additional piece of equipment.

Thank You!

Barry
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Old 10-16-2011, 02:58 PM   #2
"Cloudsplitter"

 
2003 25' Classic
Houstatlantavegas , Malebolgia
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Barryamo View Post
Hello!

I have a 60 W panel that I have connected to a charge controller. I would like to charge my battery (removed from my trailer) for the winter.

The charge controller:
Sunforce 12v 7 AMP
cut out: 14.2
cut in: 13v

Battery:
Workaholic Brand
31-MHD
CCA950


My question is - do I need to use a " Battery Minder" or will this solar system do the same thing? I would like to use this to save $ and not have to buy an additional piece of equipment.

Thank You!

Barry

Barry,

You mean there IS Sun in Seattle in Winter?

Probably about as much as we have here in WNY.

I use BM's on boat and car batt's for storage, minuscule cost other than initial investment, -$-45ea,(1 6v, 1 12v), plus the confidence that they are being properly charged.

All batt's get removed and stored indoors.

Bob
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Old 12-26-2011, 06:02 PM   #3
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Albuquerque , New Mexico
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Your solar panel and charge controller are perfect - you don't need the battery minder.
If your Workaholic battery is a wet cell, make sure it is topped up with distilled water and don't let them freeze.
Place your panel facing due south and tilt it up to ~47 degrees (your latitude).
Even Seattle will have enough photons to do the trick if there's no load on it.
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Old 12-26-2011, 09:02 PM   #4
"Cloudsplitter"

 
2003 25' Classic
Houstatlantavegas , Malebolgia
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Wink Sunless in Seattle....

Maybe....maybe not.

Seattle only averages 58 sunny days a year. That's seventh-least in the U.S. of cities that report official climate data, and as you might expect, other Pacific Northwest cities dot the list.
But I bet you can't guess the least-sunny place in the U.S.

With just 48 sunny days a year, it's Elkins, West Virginia, just edging out Astoria, Oregon which has 50.

As for the rest of Seattle's days, we average 226 cloudy days (4th most in the U.S.) and 81 partly cloudy days. Of all those days, we get 155 days of rain a year (we've had 97 so far this year.)
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