Solar-Powered 12V 1.5W Battery Trickle Charger - £9.99 @ Maplin

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  Hancock1 year, 3 weeks ago #1Show comment toolsReply

  1.5w won't stop your battery from going flat.
  
  Even if you left your interior light on by mistake it would take over 80 hours or more to go flat.
  

  
  Edited By: Hancock on Apr 28, 2012 21:27
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  jonnyyahoo11 year, 3 weeks ago #2Show comment toolsReply

  this is a great product, used it when I worked overseas and came back once every six months, car always started first time. But it has been this price for a least 5 years to my knowledge so not a deal
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  pete_l1 year, 3 weeks ago #3Show comment toolsReply

  I bought one of these years ago for other uses. It never produced anything like the advertised power.
  If your car battery really is in such a bad shape that "a flat battery when your car is not in use for more then a few days" then it's completely knackered and needs replacing anyway.
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  loopie1 year, 3 weeks ago #4Show comment toolsReply

  These sort of things can have a use, I rigged up a 5 watt panel to an old car battery in the garden in a water proof box, this system now runs a 12 volt led spot lights and I have been very pleased with it. Did not want the danger of taking 240 volts outside. Plus it runs for free.
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  FocusZing1 year, 3 weeks ago #5Show comment toolsReply

  They need to be in direct sunlight behind the cars glass, any shade on the cells and it about as useful as tits on a fish (about 10 to 15 less current being produced). I have the 2.4watt one from maplins which regularly gets discounted to £12.99, pretty happy with it. produces around 200mah.
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  credington1 year, 3 weeks ago #6Show comment toolsReply

  Hancock

  1.5w won't stop your battery from going flat.
  
  Even if you left your interior light on by mistake it would take over 80 hours or more to go flat.
  

  
  
  Looks like your the only one that says that.
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  mozzer991 year, 3 weeks ago #7Show comment toolsReply

  Typical battery drain on a modern car stuffed with ECUs, alarms, locking etc (when switched off) is 50milliamps. This Maplin's unit gives 125millamps.
  So taking into account hours of darkness it will just about keep a battery output level, but would not have enough oomph to increase the charge in even a slightly discharged battery.
  BMW state that a battery in excellent condition will retain just enough charge to start a petrol car after 6 weeks of no use. So if you are going abroad to your villa for the summer and leaving the car in a car park away from a proper charging source this will save your bacon IMHO.
  BMW's with lock heaters are excluded from the comments in this post!
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  Hancock1 year, 3 weeks ago #8Show comment toolsReply

  mozzer99

  Typical battery drain on a modern car stuffed with ECUs, alarms, locking etc (when switched off) is 50milliamps. This Maplin's unit gives 125millamps.
  So taking into account hours of darkness it will just about keep a battery output level, but would not have enough oomph to increase the charge in even a slightly discharged battery.
  BMW state that a battery in excellent condition will retain just enough charge to start a petrol car after 6 weeks of no use. So if you are going abroad to your villa for the summer and leaving the car in a car park away from a proper charging source this will save your bacon IMHO.
  BMW's with lock heaters are excluded from the comments in this post!

  
  
  When ever I have tested for the drainage on the battery on different cars - some have been high as 1/2 amp.
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  mozzer991 year, 3 weeks ago #9Show comment toolsReply

  Hancock

  
  
  When ever I have tested for the drainage on the battery on different cars - some have been high as 1/2 amp.

  
  
  Most manufacturers quote a time to leave the car before measuring as some units 'go to sleep'. Typical is 30mins.
  Plainly 1/2 amp is well out of the territory of this low trickle charge.

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