Solar-Powered Trickle Charger

Solar-Powered Trickle Charger ENERGY Solar 27-5-40 Trickle chargers are great if you've got an electric cord that'll reach out behind the shed. If not, a solar-powered trickle charger can really come in handy. "Solar-powered trickle chargers are absolutely fantastic for anything that uses a battery and is inactive for a period of time," says Curt Shoup, owner of Solar Power Concepts, Santa Ana, Calif. "If you park an RV or other vehicle for any amount of time, the battery will decay. The older the battery, the faster the decay." The amphour capacity of the battery dictates what size solar module you need, advises Shoup. "The cost of a solar module is all in the size of the solar cell array. As size increases, cost increases proportionately." There is a big difference, he warns, between maintainers that hold the battery at 20 percent of charge and full-fledged battery chargers. Trickle chargers will, over time, bring a battery up to 50 to 70 percent of charge. "A 65 amphour battery could use a 1 to 2-watt solar module to hold its charge. A 4 to 5-watt module could bring the battery up to 70 to 80 percent level of charge. If you want a full charge, you would have to get into a 20 to 25-watt charger with a controller." Prices vary from $40 to 50 for a single car battery trickle charger to hundreds of dollars for a large RV unit. Contact FARM SHOW Followup, Curt Shoup, Solar Power Concepts, 1945 E. Occidental St., Santa Ana, Calif. 92705 (ph 714 259-9772; email: JRVproducts@msn.com).

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