storeing unused energy

Brian, Storing unused energy is the bain of all mankind, especially electrical energy. You could go get another battery, connect it in PARALLEL not in series, and then charge that up also. Question is....do you need to? A 130ah battery is quite large and unless you need additional power from a second battery, don't sweat it, you're not really wasting energy, just replacing what you use.

Depending on what you are using your deepcycle battery for (i.e. current drawing rate on your accessories) you will increase your storage capacity if you connect up a second battery in parallel. It is best to do this setup with 2 x new batteries otherwise isolate them and rotate your power selection so that your solar panels can charge the one off-line. It is recommended by some Solar Power suppliers to leave your panels permantly connected via a suitable regular so that your battery when fully charged remains in that state when not in use. I use a set-up using a "Puilse" regulator which sends a pulse current to the battery when it is fully charged to reduce the 'sulphation' which deteriorates the cells in all lead acid batteries during discharge cycles & subsequently increases the life of your battery. Just because you have a solar power setup which is not being used to full capacity doesn't necessarily mean you go and spend money on a second battery for the sake of getting the max out of your panels if you really don't need to. It is always better to have some in reserve. Hope this helps in your decision. Cheers

Brian if your battery is still taking 3 to 4 amps, it is doubtful it is fully charged.

Just take a look at my belly....... now there's a LOT of stored energy!!

Wolfie