Does this HAVE to be recharged with a special charger, or can I use it with my solar panel and a solar charge regulator, like with both my 12 V lithium and lead batteries. With its light weight this would be perfect for backpacking, as long as it will work! Does this HAVE to be recharged with a special charger, or can I use it with my solar panel and a solar charge regulator, like with both my 12 V lithium and lead batteries. With its light weight... » Read More Does this HAVE to be recharged with a special charger, or can I use it with my solar panel and a solar charge regulator, like with both my 12 V lithium and lead batteries. With its light weight this would be perfect for backpacking, as long as it will work! « Show Less
1297080
I use a 'battery tender' trickle charger designed for a lead acid 12v battery.
1085711
Yes, it's just like any other charger. If you're hiking with the panel strapped to your backpack, that's normally how you'd be doing it anyway.
1867174
I don't know about that one. I've always hooked up the 12V battery directly to the solar charger. A lighter adapter didn't come with the solar panel.
320478
That's an interesting question. As reported in my original report on this product, the unit I received was non-operational. If I were travelling, thanks to your question, I would think about using electronic devices with external power packs to recharge batteries. (th)
1269793
Good question. I would ask the manufacturer I had a question of them once and they were fairly prompt in answering. With mine I only need to connect to the batteries on my pick up camper and charge away!
2236906
I use this panel to charge a 4ah lithium iron phosphate battery w/ a charge controller to regulate voltage(14.1). I wanted an unbreakable portable panel for charging electronic devices. You could link two of these in parallel to 2 group 24 batteries but it would only be a trickle charge(&lt;20watts). I would suggest a cheap charge controller even though it's not necessary to extend your battery life. These are nice panels but for two 85ah batteries you might aim for 50-75watts.
325754
I'm not an expert but I don't think this thing draws hardly any watts or amps etc. I lost my instruction booklet because half of the unit stopped working and MinnKota said it can't be fixed. I kept it to use as a trickle charger for cars, boats etc. I would think almost any generator would make this charger work. It' basically a trickle charger so it's gonna run your generator a long time to charge a battery a battery. You might want a more powerful charger depending on your use to shorten the generator run time..
1443902
This is essentially a battery pack that you can charge with a normal wall plug, car charger of solar pannel.Suggest you have a look at the manufacturer website for all the options and ones they have.I use this pack, but without solar pannel. Keeps the phones etc charged and light for couple days of camping.
1060823
look at it like this . a regular battery charger has a lot of power. a nice powerful solar cell will hardly light up a flash light bulb. the only way a solar cell is going to charge a battery is over a long length of time as a trickle charge. the trickle is relatively so small that it really does not matter if you put 12 or 24 volts on the battery. it's still a trickle. i put six solar cells (powerfull ones) on one battery. it charges faster but there is really just not enough power to fry a car battery. just make sure your diodes are good so that the battery will not discharge over night. the answer is yes though, and the more the better, and forget v. & i. regulators unless you have a yard full of cells again you are not generating that much power, probably, if you are like me. - i like all paralel at 12 v. though. i have no need of a 24 v. source.
1591673
Others have ask "how can I use this both at home and outdoors?" My response was "Having this and a battery pack make a good combination." With a "jump-start" battery pack that usually has a lighter outlet, you can run this anywhere, then just recharge the battery when your done (and since it's only needed for a few minutes at a time, a battery is OK where you don't need a continuous power source). I think that is the easiest way to use anywhere and minimizes the issues of needing a 12V "power supply" to run it in your home (that would need to be like a 10 amp car battery charger) or a "power inverter" to run the AC version from your car. Others have ask "how can I use this both at home and outdoors?" My response was "Having this and a battery pack make a good combination." With a "jump-start" battery pack that usually has a lighter outlet, you can run this anywhere, then just recharge the battery when your done (and since it's only needed for a few minutes at a time, a battery is OK where you don't need a continuous power source). I think that is the easiest way to use anywhere and minimizes the issues of needing a 12V "power supply" to run it in your home (that would need to be like... » Read More Others have ask "how can I use this both at home and outdoors?" My response was "Having this and a battery pack make a good combination." With a "jump-start" battery pack that usually has a lighter outlet, you can run this anywhere, then just recharge the battery when your done (and since it's only needed for a few minutes at a time, a battery is OK where you don't need a continuous power source). I think that is the easiest way to use anywhere and minimizes the issues of needing a 12V "power supply" to run it in your home (that would need to be like a 10 amp car battery charger) or a "power inverter" to run the AC version from your car. « Show Less
984229
In basic terms, the watt rating is irrelevant to whether or not a solar panel CAN charge the battery, but can help you determine how quickly it will charge the battery. You'll need a solar setup that can output 12V. Watts = Volts x Amps, so if you had a solar setup outputting 60W at 12V you would have a 5A charge. This means that you could recharge 5AH in one hour, or 35AH in 7 hours (but you should never discharge your battery completely - this battery should be fine with around 80% discharge). The tricky thing with solar is that they rate for ideal conditions, which you will not achieve (or even come close to) the vast majority of the time - unless you're under perfectly clear skies and have a sophisticated setup that changes the angle and direction of your panels to follow the sun's movement. I would read up on solar setups, what you'll need (panels are only one piece!), and what level of efficiency you should expect under different conditions where you'll be using it.
522525
If you are using it to keep batteries charged, you do not need a "charge controller" for 5 Watt panels. For more than 5 watts it is best to use a charge controller. You do not neet a circuit breaker or a built in volt meter. When it is connected to a battery, you cannot tell if it is working with a voltmete. You can check it out when it is not connected to a battery with a voltmeter. It may read as high as 24 volts DC (open circuit). If your plan is to charge a battery that has been used on a boat, it may not be a large enough (not enough watts) to charge a battery in any reasonable time period. 5 watt panels are good for keeping batteries fully charge while being in storage or not in use for long period of time. Maximum current available is about 350 milliamps. It would take well over 129 hours to add back 45 amperes to a 90 amp-hour battery. If you use a larger solar panel, then you will want to use a "charge controller" made for a solar panel. Hope the above helps. Ralph
946163
I used it while backpacking, and hung the solar charger from my backpack to let it charge during the day while hiking. At the end of the day, I connected my phone, and it took about an hour to charge it up. Battery life lasted me more than a day, for photos and onboard apps, using the phone in airplane mode to conserve power.
541425
I have only had to use it a few times so far, but even out of the sun it appears to charge as long as the power cell has some juice stored in it. I would suggest contacting the manufacturer to be sure, especially if you really need to rely on it for a longer trip.
118014
For me, I am currently using a LifePo4 48Volt battery pack. However, I started with a 48Volt SLA pack, (or Lead Acid Battery). This will consist of 4 x 12v 10amh batteries connected in "series". You can use 4 x 12v 12amh as well or, 4 x 12v 8amh, if you want something lighter in weight, but any of these configurations will work. It really depends on the distance you travel and how much weight you want your bike to carry. I prefer Lithium batteries for weight distribution, but Lead Acid works fine for starting out and it's a much cheaper option. With either option, be sure to get a smart charger with low amps. You do not want anything that provides a fast charge. Always think in terms of deep cycle charging. If you need any recommendations, just reply to this post. I hope this helps.
513561
Be careful though; Lugulake in an email informed that it's not advised to use it in this manner when the battery in the charger is fully charged as it will likely affect the battery pack life. I've been using it both ways (portable charger and wall connected) sofar with no issues.
1336070
To charge a 12v battery you will need a voltage of at least 13.6v. For a trickle charger, you only need a small current and if the charging current is below the "14 hour charge rate" voltage regulation shouldn't be needed. Ideally, the trickle charge current should be around the self discharge current of the battery, this varies with battery design and capacity. Three of these solar panels in series will deliver 15v @ 500mA (on a good sunny day). Depending on the capacity of your battery, this may be OK as a trickle charger setup. Maybe the battery supplier can advise on the maximum trickle charge current for your particular battery.