I have seen a 12 volt, 8.5 watt solar panel on ebay (see below). Will this alone power a mini TV that states its power consumption as 8 watts and with a 12 v/1.5 amp power input? Or an I missing something here? Can I also use this to charge both the starter and leisure batteries? Thanks. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-Volt-8...61365899594?pt=UK_Gadgets&hash=item3cda9f214a
You'd need to hook the TV up to battery power so it can have a steady source of power. The panel you are looking at would "in theory" power the TV, or more accurately, make 8.5 watts , but send it back very slowly to recharge the battery as you had the TV on but this is only theory. That small panel is met to keep a 12 V battery "topped up" while you're , say, not driving your van in the winter. Once you start to drain power from the battery, the panel would (in peak times) only trickle back power in to the battery. You'd use up the battery's power before the panel could keep up. If your starter and or leisure batt's were down on power, this small panel would take for ever to recharge them, I'm thinking like days. The 1.5 amp it refers to is the amount of power going back to the batt. from the panel. I think you'd need over a 20 or 30 Watt panel to make much difference to our Van batteries and the aux. batteries.
What mismusq says - the one on your link would keep up with your stereo memory battery use and that's about it. I have a similar one for just that purpose - when the van's parked up for a few months without use.
Solar power isn't good enough at the moment to keep up with demands. I'm thinking of one for over the winter for exactly the reason zed has stated as my leisure went flat over the winter and I'm almost certain it was only the stereo that was connected. Or on second thoughts I might just disconnect it altogether.
I have quick release connectors on my leisure battery which I remove when parked up and not using the bus for a few days (when I remember!). I will carry on doing so I reckon as it's a cheaper option.
You need at least a 80w panel to be of any use 8.5w panel will only produce that in the best lab conditions when new not in a British summer
Ever since @theBusmonkey should me his solar setup I am wanting one myself. Will make it worthwhile in the end as there will be little to no requirement for mains hookup then
I have 64 watt set up and at stanford it kept my leisure batt topped up but to be fair I was only using stereo but I do have a 750w amp!
I also find the split relay works really well with a 20 mile drive seeming to top leisure batt up well!
