Charging a battery - Solar v Alternator

Dave your post in it’s entirety is the following ""just a thought, if solar panels did a better job at charging (a battery) than an alternator, wouldn't they (manufacturers) fit them instead??"

I don't see how I’ve contradicted myself, but I accept that you may feel I have, what I don’t understand is how you believe I’ve contradicted myself ?

As to a Solar panel being better at charging a battery _v_ Alternator
Yes, I will stick with that statement.
Reasons being, ‘my’ Solar system will maintain the Auxiliary battery system at 13.8 Volts ALL day, as is shown in all pictures on my ‘members rig’ even when the fridge is actually running and is drawing a hefty 7.8 Amps, the Auxiliary battery system is still being maintained at 13.8 Volts, even when parked in the bush for many weeks at a time.
Sometimes it goes up to ~15 Amps as a 'boost' for a short period, it's 'regulated' by the 3 stage Steca Solar regulator pictured.

The Alternator could never maintain the Auxiliary battery capacity at 13.8 Volts or even only 100% charge ALL day, unless of course the engine was actually running ALL day.

As to what puts "MORE charge into a vehicle battery" - the Solar will, unless it’s a small ‘toy’ under capacity Solar panel.

The conversation will arise that Joe Blogs drives a Cruiser with a 120 Amp Alternator, BUT, it will NEVER put the full 120 Amps into the battery at any stage, it will only recharge the Aux battery when it's been used and 'lost' battery capacity.

Because a Solar system is connected ALL day the Auxiliary battery never loses ANY battery capacity - unless it's NOT in the sun, because the Solar system actually runs the fridge and will STILL charge the Auxiliary battery system at the same time, as shown in the pictures.
A small, under specified, solar system will not be able do this.

Yes, true, neither will work if the Solar is in the garage and the Alternator won't either if vehicle is not running.

As to taking sides, you asked the question posted above, I believe I’ve answered it !

there you go again contadicting yourself by your own admisson the solar panel needs to be in the sun same as a motor needs to be running to charge a battery. A solar panel will only outperform an alternator if it sits out in the sun WITHOUT the engine running
............ and hey geuss what thats what there desighned to do
as for your (completly WRONG) assertion a battery connected to solar will never lose charge as long as its in the sun................................. NEWSFLASH it aint summer in the arctic circle sunshine (or lack off) even at the longest day of the year wehave about 9 hours of NO SUNLIGHT so i doubt
your complety wrong claim that a battery conected to solar never loses charge is ridiculous even to a layman like me
"the Auxiliary battery never loses ANY battery capacity "
if I can pick holes in your claims ------ its time to give up

I don't believe I have contradicted myself at all, I say explicitly the Solar panel NEEDS to be in the sun, that's why you buy it, to place it in the sun and allow the sun, via the Solar panel, to charge the Auxiliary battery system.

I posted: "Because a Solar system is connected ALL day the Auxiliary battery never loses ANY battery capacity - unless it's NOT in the sun" . . so you see the Aux battery will only loses capacity when the Solar panel is NOT in the sun, and yes that’s at NIGHT in Australia, in the Arctic I have no clue as I haven’t set up any Solar systems there.

Why on earth would you go to the effort of buying and placing a Solar panel in the sun and have it producing Solar energy, which will effectively maintain the Aux battery fully charged, and then use the Alternator in an attempt to charge the (already fully charged) Aux battery ??

You say "if I can pick holes in your claims" it's simply because you don't understand what I've written, as I suggest just look at the pictures and tell me they are 'wrong' or maybe more to the point, you simply don't understand the relevance of the numbers shown in the electrical gauges used.

Pictures are worth a thousand words, and the pictures prove my statements are correct way beyond any doubt !!

Mainey

I would give up if I were you.

You are wasting your breath trying to explain such a simple concept to someone who obviously lacks the intellectual ability to understand it.

i reckon your both a few roos short
direct quotes

As to a Solar panel being better at charging a battery _v_ Alternator
Yes, I will stick with that statement.

So cruising along with the fridge going the laptop running ozi plugged into an inverter spotties on on high beam
a solar panel will keep up
course it wont even with the lights off many modern 4bys would place quite a load on the battery which needs to be replaced
because an alternator isnt sunlight dpendant and can provide much more charge

same as parked up just the fridge going with the solar panel in the sun is a good way to go

so you see the Aux battery will only loses capacity when the Solar panel is NOT in the sun, and yes that’s at NIGHT

last i checked there were 24 hours in a day


explicitly the Solar panel NEEDS to be in the sun


duh yea no crap same as an alternator NEEDS to be running to work

And this was the part where you contadicted yourself (all your quotes)
Dave, it's not a matter of IF Solar does a better job, (it does)

then you wrote
I will then have to park in a garage (like every-one else) and out of the sun for the first time in 12 years, so the Solar system will be absolutely and totally USELESS to me for running my fridge etc.
so the assertion that solar does a better job where does that stand?


Solar will only do a better job at maintaining a batterys charge if it is used within its desighn perameters
ideally this would involve having the panel in the sun and having the draw at a lower rate than can be provided

an alternator will do a better job at dealing with the normal draw of an operating vehicle because for mosrt vehicles this would EXCEED what a solar panel could provide let alone the imparacticalities of operating solar on a moving vehicle


Any way i probably havnt made my self clear and feel free (as i know you will feel the need to) argue any of these points

- An alternator is capable of provide more total charge to a a vehicles battery in a given 1 hour period assuming both were in ideal conditions (ie car running and solar panel in full sun)
are you trying to tell me a practilcle size solar panel will maintain a charge (as opposed to discharge) with the fridge, invertor and laptop. lights, spotlights, HF radio, uhf radio ???

- the whole alt vs solar argument you seem keen to keep going is a bit pointless
there is no VS they have different desighn parameters
where as you park up for however long the cost of such a system for me would not be worth it as the batterys charged by alternator in overnight situations and moving on is more than adequate and more cost effective

Dave,
A simple fact you very obviously don't know is:

#Solar will NOT (as in won't, doesn't and cant) charge a battery, in the context your using, in a moving vehicle !!

Dave, to drive around with the "spotties on and on high beam" indicates it is night time, Solar will not work at night, but most smart people already are aware of that.

You also say: ""So cruising along with the fridge going the laptop running ozi plugged into an inverter SPOTTIES on on HIGH BEAM, a solar panel will keep up, course it wont even with the lights off many modern 4bys would place quite a load on the battery which needs to be replaced because an alternator isn't sunlight dependant and can provide much more charge ""

Dave that is NOT the reason the Solar panel/s will not keep up at all, just another of your mistakes, to believe a Solar panel will charge a battery in a vehicle when the engine is running or as you say "So cruising along with the.... "

Dave, Solar will NOT charge the battery when the vehicle is moving, either in full sun during the day, or at night, it just won't happen, it's not meant to happen either !!

Solar power will ONLY power an INDEPENDANT battery system.

How simple do I have to say it, if I had typed it slower then maybe you would understand it better.


Solar is used by the smart people who travel for long periods of time, who are stopped and camp in the same place for extended periods.

They don't have to worry about their Auxiliary battery going flat or recharging their Auxiliary battery by starting the vehicle every second day, as it is maintained fully charged during the day, and it's only required to power their accessorries at night.

As I have said, look at the pics on my 'members rig' and you will get an idea how Solar actually works, because I'm positive you presently have NO IDEA at all.


And yes your correct
I did have to reply - to correct your obvious "mistakes"

Yes, the search function failed me also...

Click on "Forum" from the headings above

Type the word-> cuddle <- into "SEARCH FOR"

Set the 'BEGIN DATE' as 16 December and 'END DATE' as 18 December

It will then be the only thread that will appear

Mainey

It is "ThreadID: 51699." For further information for you, the ThreadID number is in the Thread Summary box that follows the original posting.

PeterD