Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 12:00:58 -0800
Reply-To: gary hradek <hradek@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: gary hradek <hradek@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Solar charger NOT to buy
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Andrew,
I have to say that the three vw chargers I got
off ebay have all been good(about 20 dollars with
shipping). The first thing you want to do when you
get one is to measure the voltage output in the sun.
Without a load it should be over 17 volts. After
plugging it into you vanagon the one thing you do not
want to do is to start the van with the solar charger
plugged in as this can fry the elctronics and cause
the charger to short out your battery.
A single charger will keep your battery topped off but
not overcharge. gary
--- Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 23:56:16 +1300
From: Andrew Grebneff
<andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Solar charger NOT to buy
>I have one of the VW units that plug into the
cigarette
lighter....tried it
>out and it killed my battery also.
>
>Warren C.
Any charger, including the alternator, can fry a
battery if it
overcharges. Sounds like a diode failure or something,
so failing to
regulate properly.
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin, New Zealand
64 (3) 473-8863
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Fossil preparator
Seashell, Macintosh & VW/Toyota van nut
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 23:56:16 +1300
From: Andrew Grebneff
<andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Fwd: RE: "Green" solar battery charger
Below are my message to the Australian distributor,
their reply...
and at the bottom, my response.
The charge LED flashes fine even in pretty low light,
but it's only
indicating that there's voltage present... however
there's nearly no
current, and it's current, not voltage, which will
charge a
battery... or an electrocution! (a 100mA current of
1,000,000V will
not even be felt).
Images sent to those who requested them; the list will
strip them
from its copy. Any of the recipients seen these for
sale?
>X-Sieve: CMU Sieve 2.2
>From: "Projecta Australia" <info@projecta.com.au>
>To: "Andrew Grebneff"
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
>Cc: "Don Tennet" <dont@narva.co.nz>,
> "Peter Griffiths" <peterg@griffiths.co.nz>
>Subject: RE: "Green" solar battery charger
>Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 09:29:01 +1100
>X-Priority: 3 (Normal)
>Importance: Normal
>X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 2.60
(1.212-2003-09-23-exp) on
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>Dear Andrew,
>
>A solar panel like a battery chargers output is
dependent upon the
battery
>voltage. This means that when the battery is flat the
charger's output
is
>high and as the battery becomes more charged the
output decreases. You
may
>find that the reason your output is low is because
the battery voltage
is
>high (i.e already fully charged so the charger cant
put in any more
power?).
>The units usually generate approx. 15-17 Volts under
flourescent
lights with
>no load.
>
>Your units may still be faulty and if so I would like
to investigate
for my
>own satisfaction. If you wish to return the unit,
could you please
send me
>the details of the place of purchase so I can arrange
for our NZ agent
to
>arrange for the goods to be returned to Australia for
testing.
>
>If I can be of any more assistance in helping fix
this matter with you
>please let me know.
>
>Best Regards,
>
>
>George Davies
>Projecta Sales & Marketing Manager
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