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BigGuy1000 
Bronze Level
Joined: 06 Dec 2013
Location: NWIL
Points: 107
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 Topic: Solar 6 or 12v Battery Maintainer
Posted: 21 Aug 2019 at 6:13pm |
 For many years my 1951 AC WD with its original 6V generator and cutout (located in outbuilding with no utility power and no bat. maintainer) was often found with a low battery and had to be hand cranked, especially annoying when it must power the big PTO generator(Utility failed and below zero temp). I finally found a solution to this problem and was able test it last winter when utility failed and temp was 0F, it cranked and started on its own!!! A solution is a solar controller about $12 and a 10 watt or larger solar panel(about $30), see below. I put the panel on the south side of building, angled about 30 degrees down from horizontal. I ran 50 foot wires to a 2pin automotive SAE bullet connector(must be able to disconnect), then to the SOLAR on controller, then from BATTERY to the red and black battery clips. The controller will maintain either a 6 volt or a 12 volt battery but is most useful on the old 6 volt cutout AC systems(WC, WD, B, CA, etc). Be careful to wire so that correct polarity of red and black is maintained. It will not overcharge the battery, but it will not charge a dead battery, it is only a maintainer and the battery must be 20% or so to start properly. Important: connect controller to the battery FIRST, then connect the solar panel, as it must read the battery voltage first to know whether it is 6 or 12 volt! The red and black wires labeled LOAD are not used here, cut short and tape. It will not work on 8 volt battery or 24 volt systems, unless one for each 12V battery separately. Use shrink tubing and tape as needed to make wire connections waterproof. Use not more than 3 or 4 feet of wire from the controller to the battery clips, as the controller must be near and about the same temperature as the battery in order to regulate properly. If the battery is very low charge to start with, it may need ten or 12 days of good sunshine to bring up to full charge. Pics and links above and below...
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SteveM C/IL
Orange Level Access
Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Shelbyville IL
Points: 7981
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Posted: 21 Aug 2019 at 9:16pm |
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Ingenious idea! Glad it was a success!
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john(MI)
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: SE MI
Points: 9263
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Posted: 21 Aug 2019 at 10:42pm |
We used to connect 12v solar panels directly to sealed batteries on remote equipment. Worked good and a lot less trips out to the equipment. I'm not sure why you would need the controller you have.
I often thought about putting up my solar panel and run wires around the barn to all of the tractors.
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D14, D17, 5020, 612H, CASE 446
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jaybmiller
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Greensville,Ont
Points: 21463
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Posted: 22 Aug 2019 at 5:49am |
Most , if not all 'solar controllers' have MPP built in. Simply put MPP (Maximum Power Point) is a technique to get the most power from a solar cell into a battery. Getting useful energy from the Sun used to be challenging. It's the 'details' like clouds, temperature, etc. that need to be dealt with MPP does that and more. Just wiring a '12V solar array' to a 12V battery only kinda works....use a $10 controller and you get a better charge.
If sending the 12V any distance , use 16GA or lower wire to reduce 'line losses'. A 10% line loss at 12V is 1.2 volts...so you'll never recharge a battery, far,far away.
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3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor)
Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water
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BigGuy1000
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Joined: 06 Dec 2013
Location: NWIL
Points: 107
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Posted: 22 Aug 2019 at 7:46am |
I have posted about this problem before but the company immediately discontinued the 6V controller that I used then. You need the controller prevent reverse discharge of the battery at night and to prevent overcharge of the battery and loss of electrolyte and to insure the correct rate of charge and correct float charge of the battery. You can also use one very large solar panel and wire in parallel to many tractors, but you need one controller for each battery. I note also that 12V only complete(panel and controller) solar battery maintainers are available on Amazon but cost is 2X! Thanks also to CTucker for pictures and for trying this out before I posted!!!
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Steve in NJ
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Andover, NJ
Points: 11549
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Posted: 22 Aug 2019 at 8:11am |
We sell a few different solar chargers from small units to charge breakaway Batteries on Trailers to larger 2.4 Watt maintainers for larger Diesel and commercial Batteries. I don't list them on our website, but we have a lot of cool stuff like that that isn't on the website yet. As mentioned, they're design to maintain the charge in the Battery, not charge it up when the Battery is almost dead. Once most Batteries are fully charged, the solar units maintain the charge quite well when not in use.... Steve@B&B
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39'RC, 43'WC, 48'B, 49'G, 50'WF, 65 Big 10, 67'B-110, 75'716H, 2-620's, & a Motorhead wife
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CTuckerNWIL
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: NW Illinois
Points: 22810
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Posted: 22 Aug 2019 at 8:19am |
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I had this rig hooked to my WC in the neighbors shed over winter. When I finally got around to replacing the "new" junk coil with a Pertronics Flamethrower coil, the old gal snapped right off.
The last time I had to run a 100 foot drop cord thru the tall grass, weeds and snow to put my 110 volt powered maintainer on it.
john(MI)I also tried the cigar lighter plug in with a cheap solar panel and no maintainer on my truck, and the battery went completely dead after sitting in the dark at night.
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Gerald J.
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Hamilton Co, IA
Points: 5636
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Posted: 22 Aug 2019 at 9:18am |
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About 15 years ago I bought a supposed solar battery maintainer from Harbor Freight. It varied from charging the battery to running it dead on my Airstream which has the battery mounted on the tongue behind the LP tanks. At least that was a bad product.
Gerald J.
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DiyDave
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: Gambrills, MD
Points: 50525
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Posted: 22 Aug 2019 at 5:29pm |
Another (cheap) way of accomplishing the same thing is to use the solar panel offa fence charger... 
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Dusty MI
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Joined: 13 Sep 2009
Location: Charlotte, Mi
Points: 5053
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Posted: 22 Aug 2019 at 6:28pm |
Steve, you mentioned chargers for trailer break away batteries. I had a 16' tandem axel trailer with battery powered break away brakes. The system never gave me any trouble and after a few years I wondered about the battery, so I took it in for the winter, and checked it. It was fine. I decided that I needed a bigger trailer, and I bought a new 20' with the same type axels and brakes, except that it had a system that kept the battery charged. I soon found that if I didn't disconnect the battery when not in use the electronics would discharged the battery. Then I had a problem remembering to plug the battery in when I used the trailer. I assume that was typical of that system, or is there a problem with it? Other that that it works fine.
Dusty
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917 H, '48 G, '65 D-10 series III "Allis Express"
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CTuckerNWIL
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: NW Illinois
Points: 22810
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Posted: 22 Aug 2019 at 8:37pm |
 DiyDave wrote:
Another (cheap) way of accomplishing the same thing is to use the solar panel offa fence charger... |
Except most of them are 4 volts, and probably won't do a 6 let alone a 12 volt battery any good.
Edited by CTuckerNWIL - 22 Aug 2019 at 8:38pm
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jaybmiller
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Greensville,Ont
Points: 21463
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Posted: 23 Aug 2019 at 7:47am |
re: Dusty drained battery.. The trailer battery electronics should only be powered when you press the 'test' button. At least that's the way it SHOULD be designed....... If you put an ammeter between the battery + and the + battery connector, it'll show any drain on the battery. If not zero, then something IS draining the battery.
Jay
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3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor)
Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water
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CAPTMARCO
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Joined: 15 Oct 2019
Location: Kewaunee, WI
Points: 63
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Posted: 19 Nov 2020 at 12:57pm |
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steve(ill)
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: illinois
Points: 77708
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Posted: 19 Nov 2020 at 2:00pm |
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CAPT... that one looks like it has all the good stuff that Jay and Steve mentioned.. 6 volts and 5 WATTS means it puts out .8 amps of charge.. That should be enough to keep the battery in good shape !... Price seems decent also.
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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CAPTMARCO
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Joined: 15 Oct 2019
Location: Kewaunee, WI
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Posted: 19 Nov 2020 at 2:07pm |
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Thanks very much!
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