Before purchasing, see the "Solar Panel Notes and Tips" section at the bottom, to help with your selection and installations.

$74.95 TWO-PACK Buy Two and Save. Sunforce 1.8 Watt 12 volt Solar Battery Trickle Charge Maintainers. **ITEM NO LONGER AVAILABLE. TRY AMAZON (SEE ABOVE).

Sunforce 7 Amp Charge Controller

$44.95. Sunforce 7 Amp Charge Controller. **ITEM NO LONGER AVAILABLE. TRY AMAZON (SEE ABOVE).

Argus BatteryBug - Battery Failure Warning System

$49.95. Argus BatteryBug. **ITEM NO LONGER AVAILABLE. TRY AMAZON (SEE ABOVE).

* The Battery Bug uses patented technology to check your battery's health at a glance
* LED display shows present battery voltage, alternator/charging voltage, data from the battery's worst start, and data from the battery's last start
* Recognizes that on cold days, a battery has less capacity than on warm days or with a warm engine and tracks this decrease over time, then alerts you when the time is right to replace your battery
* Eliminates surprise dead batteries, gives readout and finally, audible alarm
* Connects to any battery terminal style
* Rugged water-resistant case weathers the corrosive under-hood environment
* Installs in minutes
* Product Dimensions: 2 x 1 x 2 inches
* Can be used with above solar panels & controller

SOLAR PANEL NOTES and TIPS:

1. When using the solar panels in your vehicle, be sure to park the vehicle so that the solar panel receives at least a few hours of direct sunlight per day. Park with the windshield sheltering the panel faceing south, preferably (in the Northern Hemisphere, at least), or otherwise where it can get some exposure every day. All these solar panels will provide charging during cloudy weather, or by indirect or diffuse sunlight. Top performance occurs with direct sunlight, however.

2. All these panels are rated as "water resistant" or "weather proof", which does not mean "water-proof". If they get a bit of water splashed on them it won't hurt. The solar cells are protected by a glass covering, and there is a sturdy plastic or metal support rim around the edges with a sealing gasket, as well as a sturdy back-side. If you leave them out in the rain over the weeks, however, water will probably creep into the crack between the glass cover and the support rim, causing rust or a short-circuit, with a failure and voiding the warranty. Of course this is not an issue if you use the panel inside your car, behind the windshield glass. You can also use the solar panels outdoors over long periods, but must do so with a bit of care and planning. Place the solar panels outdoors facing South in such a manner where rains falling vertically will not significantly strike the panel, but sunlight streaming in from an angle off the vertical will shine on it. If this is not possible, you could add some additional sealing to the panel yourself using transparent silicon caulk purchased at the hardware store. Be aware, however, that any such self-modifications will void the warranty. Some people cover the panel with a layer of transparent plastic, as with the most transparent kitchen wraps. Just be aware, only the more expensive solar panels as used on the roofs of houses are made for long-term exposure to rains and/or snow. Our solar panels are mostly for vehicle usage, and so must be protected.

3. Be aware the solar panels we offer are for trickle-charging your battery, not for re-charging a dead battery, or for providing continuous power for anything more than a very small 12-volt device. It would take a long time, many days, using a small-wattage solar panel to re-charge a battery which has significantly lost it charge. And they are not meant as the primary source of charging power on battery systems which are regularly used, as for powering a DC-AC converter, or for 12-volt appliances using greater power such as a satellite dish and TV, or a refrigerator and lights in a recreation vehicle. Nor will they help starting up a car which has a bad generator or alternator. They are for trickle-charging only, and will work fine to keep a battery at top charge over long periods, assuming all other electronics in your system are functioning correctly.

4. At our facility, we use the smaller solar panels on our passenger vehicles, placed on the dashboard under the windshield, inside the car. One of these vehicles is a very old 4-wheel drive pickup we use mostly for hauling firewood or snow-plowing the driveway in winter. Before we put on the solar panel (one of the smaller ones below) the battery would rarely have enough "oompf" to turn over the engine for more than a few seconds, especially in the cold wintertime. After putting a solar panel on the battery, which is an older battery at that, we have no more problems getting "old blue" started. We use the larger panel to power a small 12 volt fountain pump, which moves water up a tube about 12" high, whereupon the water cascades down nicely. The panel is kept outdoors all summer, but we have sealed it with silicone to prevent the unexpected rainshower from harming it. In winter, when we get torrential rains, it is stored away. We also use a larger solar panel to keep up the charge on an electric-start propane generator, and an electric-start fire pump. In those cases, the panel is placed in a vertical position on the south-facing wall about head-high, just under the roof. The water off the roof is deflected away, but sunlight can still shine under the roof for a few hours per day. This is enough to keep those batteries primed and ready to go in the event the generator or fire pump is needed.

5. For larger batteries and applications, such as heavy trucks and RVs, we advise using the larger panels. For ordinary automobiles and smaller 12-volt battery starter systems, the smaller panels should work fine. For the smaller solar panels or applications where the battery is periodically used, you probably do not need a charge-controller. However, with the larger solar panels on batteries which are used only occasionally, a charge-controller is a good idea, especially in more sunny climates. It is possible to over-charge your battery with these solar panels, causing them to boil over their water and damaging them.

6. All of these panels come with instructions which should be followed. However, as regarding the advice to hook these through the cigarette lighter of your car, in some cases people report this does not work. This can be due to several reasons. Firstly this will only work if the cigarette lighter functions when the car is completely turned off. Secondly, it requires a firm fit into the cigarette lighter, and the lighter electrodes must be clean of any burned ash material, to make a secure electrical connection. If the cigarette-lighter method does not work for you, then try directly connecting the solar panel to the battery by use of the battery clams which are either supplied (see details for each), or which can be purchased at any electronics or automobile-parts store. Be cautious, however, as even a car battery carries quite a jolt, and a faulty connection (reversing the polarity, for example) can almostly instantly destroy the solar panel or its wires, and damage your car as well.

7. Use common sense when mounting these devices. Some come with suction-cups to stick on the inside of your car window. Don't be surprised if these shake loose from your bouncing car and the panel crashes to the floor, risking breakage. If you use these, do so only where it won't fall too far down.

Warranty: All our meters and devices are warranted by the manufacturer against defects of materials and workmanship, excluding abuse or misuse or breakage of parts by the purchaser, for a period of one year from the date of purchase. Malfunctioning or defective meters or devices must be returned to the factory, however, and may be replaced with one of equal usage-quality. Click here for our full Warranty and Returns Policy.

Visitor Count: