Anyone tried one of these?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Solar-Powered-Pa...SwibFUYJF5

Many thanks

Ian

hi Ian,
I've got 1 of these, had it a few years ,
http://www.towsure.com/fold-up-portable-solar-panel-kit-4-watt
used on my td5 disco, sons jeep and my caravan.
excellent bit of kit for the money,

terry 2007 tdv8 se ,stornaway grey

I've been looking at these and wondered if any members have a decent one. I see that typical ones of about 5 watts seem quite cheap, (China sourced) at around £20 but I seem to remember reading, you need a sort of regulator, to get it to work....better.
No doubt there are ones within built in.
I had wondered if I could get a super slim type, and have it built into the sunroof's blind tray, though the roof glass is slightly tinted... Or a pair on the rear parcel shelf side panels. For cheap money, I'm happy to try, but I don't want to find I fry the electrics, with an over voltage, on a baking hot day.
So, experiences here please.

It's kind of a given, that having an l322 means you HAVE to be a two car household....to guarantee a quick jump start, should your battery be flat!

I use a 5 watt one on my boat and it keeps everything ship shape throughout the summer. Can go 3 weeks between trips and if the auto bilge is running a lot it still keeps up. This was from the bay at £35 ish and it does have built in regulator. 2017 5.0 Autobiography Supercharged
2005 Merc SL350
2005 Disco HSE 2.7 oil burner

I used to have one (not sure what type) on the back shelf of my L322 24/7. Kept the battery topped up as I tend to do lots of short journeys.

I have two that I leave on my boat through the winter - it has dual batteries - and seems to keep them charged up & ready for use each spring.

Not sure how much use it would be on a FFRR through the winter though - unfortunately peak battery load coincides with the least sunlight - but I guess that every little helps.....

In fact mine are the exact same ones - bought from a Maplin store when they were on a similar offer - cheaper than the one half the size

That was my logic - every little helps. I never had a problem. Would I have had a problem without it? No idea!

A bit like that old joke about a chap who bought some magic beans to protect him from werewolves. When asked by a friend why he'd ever do that, he replied "because they work! Since I bought them, I've never been attacked by werewolves, so they are excellent".

Surely at 4w the charge is so small it will be of no use. It wouldn't even run the internal lights.

That eBay one is 2.4watt... a massive 0.2amps....!!!!!! and that's in direct sun light

Don't think that would do much, your going to need a much bigger one for a FF during the winter....

These are designed to keep a charged battery topped up, a decent battery will lose less than the 0.2amps supplied by it so if it's in a boat/caravan etc doing very little to nothing then it will keep the battery charged, it won't work to replace any significant draw from a battery...

Remember your alternator is designed to do that and it puts out 150amps... 750 times more than the solar panel.... Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

It's 4w more than you're getting without it.......

I kind of assume that a battery is always draining slowly - so this is enough to replenish what is otherwise wasting away and maybe a little more.

I've not bothered on a FFRR, but I can't see it doing any harm - and would make some sense for a car not getting regular use.

Thanks for all you input
Going to invest £15 of hard earned cash as the RR is going to be parked up for a few weeks
Will report back
Ian

Looking at your link it isn't clear if there is any form of regulator with it. It rather appears as if there isn't. You need at least a diode to make it "one way" to avoid the battery discharging back through the panel when there is no light on it. John
2008 Stornoway Grey 3.6 Tdv8 Vogue
2005 TD6 Java Black Vogue - Written off!!
GAP iiD BT
2003 Discovery TD5 Auto, Nanocom Evolution - gone to a new home!
MasseyFerguson 152 - No electronics!! - Sold

still would guess that 4 watts would barely cover the alarm draw.

From ad
Built-in diode prevents reverse charging

Didn't see that. Better sure than sorry.  John
2008 Stornoway Grey 3.6 Tdv8 Vogue
2005 TD6 Java Black Vogue - Written off!!
GAP iiD BT
2003 Discovery TD5 Auto, Nanocom Evolution - gone to a new home!
MasseyFerguson 152 - No electronics!! - Sold