Battery Tender Solar Panel Connected While Running Motor

You will need a solar charger for the battery a small battery and the motor.

Battery tender solar panel connected while running motor. There is not a problem. It is perfect for storage space without power access and is the only type of solar panel available with a built in charge controller to prevent overcharging. The battery tender solar tender 12v 5w battery charger is a 100 percent portable battery charging and maintenance device. But you should never leave your solar panel plugged in while you start your car because the start motor will absorb any energy available and that will overload the solar panels and can cause damage.

Without the panels the battery would have been running the motor on its own for one hour and be significantly discharged. The solar panels charge the battery when the motor is not running. Obviously with this setup you are not going to run the motor 24 7. This is just a start and its what these guys have left out.

Now there are things to consider. This protects the battery and the cars electronics. Ideally we would like to recommend a 12v 100 watt or 150 watt solar panel. Well look what i just found a 15 watt trickle float battery tender with a built in solar panel.

It s waterproof so you can mount this solar panel with an integrated float charger however you like on the outside of your rv so it gets lots of sunshine. Solar energy is not 24 7 doh. If the outlet is directly connected to the battery then it should be possible. 5 watt solar panel.

Solar panels must meet the running voltage and current of the motor at all times the motor is running other wise the battery is being drained. The solar cell you have installed provides about 1 3rd of an amp charging rate. You don t need to disconnect that charger prior to starting your vehicle. The 12v 70 watt can output 16 to 24 amps a day while the 12v 100 watt can output 20 to 31 amps a day with the 12v 150 watt offering 32 to 48 amps a day.

For 12v trolling motor batteries using batteries that range from 75 group 24 to 120 ah group 31 we would recommend a solar panel no smaller than a 12v 70 watt solar panel. Yes you can do drive around with the solar charger plugged in. For a real tender one of those units that actually senses the charge and adjusts accordingly probably not a problem. They have built in circuit protection usually.

Make sure to connect the solar panel through a charge controller configured for the chemistry of you car battery so the charging will stop as soon as the battery is full. Connect the positive wire from the solar panel to a battery cable with a fusible link between the battery and the solar panel. Connect the negative wire of the solar panel to the negative terminal of the battery. After 1 hour running with panels connected battery will be close to where it started even though it has never actually seen any net charge.