Has anyone tried using a solar powered trickle charger to power lights in a tent? Would you need a bulky leisure battery? How would it work, and is it worth the bother?
I use LED decking lights and run a whole string of them off a 12V 3700mAH NiMH rechargeable battery pack - the sort used in radio control cars and boats. One battery pack easily power the lights all night for several nights in a row. I just charge them before leaving home, but also have a 20W solar panel for other hobbies (amateur radio) yet have not needed it so far for charging the light battery.
Mims, you need something to store the solar panel's output. Therefore you need some sort of rechargeable battery. Even the garden lamps that some of use use to "light" our patch have batteries in them.
I use an old half done golf buggy battery. I got it from my Dad but you could try a golf shop for a free one. On one charge, it ran a 12v light (car inspection LED tube light) every night for a fortnight. When I got home I tested it with my 12v electric cool box and it lasted 15 minutes.
No, you do not need a leisure battery. Small lightweight NiMH rechargeable battery packs are all you need for LED lights. You can get plenty of charge into the NiMH packs even during an overcast day, if you need to, and that'll provide plenty to power LED lights all night. In practice though, like I said a few posts ago, I've found that taking 12V 3700mAH NiMH packs, already charged at home, one pack will power my set of quite bright LED lights all night for at least 4 nights in a row. Even when I got home the voltage of the pack I used had only dropped to 10V or so.
The 20W solar panel I have can quite happily be used to charge the 3700mAH packs without any charge controller. They reach full charge after about 4 hours on an overcast day. However, good 20W panels are expensive. The one I have is a rollable one, which typically sells for over £200, and I was just lucky to get hold of it for £100. If all I wanted to run was some LED tent lights then I wouldn't bother spending that sort of money - I'd just use the rechargeable battery packs and charge them from the car if necessary.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Using a solar panel for lights
