[AZ-Observing] Re: Recharging
- From: Stan Gorodenski <stanlep@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2015 12:41:01 -0700
I have a deep cycle marine battery that is no good. When I bought it I
did not know they make ones that require a trickle charge and ones that
do not. I had used mine for some time before I discovered this. The ones
that do not require a trickle charge are quite a bit more expensive, if
I recall correctly. Was this always the case, i.e., that they made two
kinds? I had bought one many years ago I gave to a friend who was very
knowledgeable about electronics. He just had it set outside without any
charge. He would have known if it required a trickle charge. Either they
didn't make the trickle charge ones way back then, or maybe I had just
lucked out and bought the kind that does not require a trickle charge.
Tim, since you can get 30 hours of a battery before it needs recharging,
maybe the cheapest thing for me to do is buy another battery for my
pickup. Then when I do my 80 mile per day driving I can put in the one
that I had used for the laptop to charge it up. Since you can get 30
hours I am assuming there would be enough charge left to start the 2004
Ford Ranger motor.
Stan
On 3/15/2015 12:29 PM, Jim Waters wrote:
> I have never had an issue with the Deep Cycle Marine that I use. I have it
> in a carrying case. Yes - you need to be careful when transporting it. The
> out gassing issue has never been a concern for me. Not sure what you mean
> by 'overloading the cigarette lighter circuit'.
>
> Jim
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: az-observing-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:az-observing-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Dan Heim
> Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2015 12:05 PM
> To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [AZ-Observing] Re: Recharging
>
> Stan,
> Figuring on a good day you'll get 6 hours of solar charging (in an unshaded
> area on a clear day), that would provide 30 watt-hours ignoring conversion
> efficiency losses. Your typical car battery holds about 1000 watt-hours, so
> you wouldn't be able to give it much of a charge.
>
> I'd be a little wary of having an acid filled car battery sitting on the
> floor in my car and charging from the cigarette lighter, although that could
> add some more capacity. I'd be worried about the charging current
> overloading the cigarette lighter circuit, not to mention out-gassing (if
> it's a non-sealed battery).
>
> But a small UPS of the correct capacity, with a built-in charge controller
> might do the trick. They are totally sealed. But you'd still have to check
> the capacity and charging current so it doesn't blow fuses in your car.
> Haven't searched online, but I'm pretty sure you could find with with a
> cigarette lighter adapter. The standard UPSs usually charge from 120 VAC.
>
> Dan Heim
>
>
> On 3/15/2015 11:51 AM, Stan Gorodenski wrote:
>
>> A few years ago I had asked a question of how long a 12V battery would
>> last to power a laptop on a night of observing. I have a related
>> question. The reason I ask it is because I know nothing about
>> electronics or electricity.
>>
>> I need to be away from power for days at a time. I have a 5 watt solar
>> panel I bought years ago. If I run a laptop for about 3-4 hours a
>> night with an inverter, would this 5 watt solar panel be enough to
>> charge a car battery (not a battery in my pickup but a separate
>> battery) with the amount that was used by the laptop? I doubt it and
>> probably need a larger panel for this to work, but maybe it would have
>> to be too large to be practical.
>>
>> Alternatively, I would be driving about 80 miles per day. Can one
>> charge a separate car battery plugged into a cigarette lighter?
>> Stan
>>
>>
>
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