One noobish mofo'ing question
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Bronze Member Username: Fac3l3ssPost Number: 87 Registered: Oct-05 | ok..don't laugh..lol i know it will be hard not to but oh well...could you possibly run an amp off a solar panel in your car rather than using the battery? |
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Gold Member Username: InsearchofbassPost Number: 5523 Registered: Jun-04 | someone on here builds them and knows what hs talking bout ......but for now I remember him talking about how expesive it would be to build....it was in a golf cart thread ill see if i can find it |
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Gold Member Username: OglejustPost Number: 2193 Registered: Aug-06 | lol.......... um y would u want to? i dont think it would keep a constant voltage so no |
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Gold Member Username: InsearchofbassPost Number: 5525 Registered: Jun-04 | its a one time power source id say but maybe could be used in other ways |
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Gold Member Username: InsearchofbassPost Number: 5526 Registered: Jun-04 | https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/car-audio/363185.html Paul Larrea Gold Member Username: Wingmanalive A pic is worth 1000 posts!! Post Number: 7606 Registered: Jun-06 Posted on Friday, June 15, 2007 - 04:35 pm: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If money isn't a concern get yourself A 120w solar panel and mount it on the roof of the cart, no room for two. You'll need a charge controller between the battery and panel to protect the battery. This way when you're cruising around in the sun anyway you'll at least be charging the battery you're draining with the radio. I ask if money is an issue cause that solar panel will run you anywhere from $5-$10/watt. Fun project though. When you shop for the deep cycle battery look at the amphr rating. Based on the draw you take from the radio you can estimate how much time you have with it. The solar panel will help offset that draw as well as charge while it's sitting. Are you in Florida/Cali? Good sun=3-5 hrs of stable charging a day. Even a 75w panel would help. |
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Gold Member Username: WingmanaliveA pic is worth 1000 posts!! Post Number: 8130 Registered: Jun-06 | Solar is good only as a means to charge deep cycle/gel celled batteries and NOT meant to directly power most any device. You would only be able to power the amp for as long as the battery/s would hold up. You would need a monstrous array of panels to offset the draw a car amp would require and if that draw isn't matched then it's only a matter of time. Suppose you could, the cost involved would be in the thousands. Still want to try? And as Justin said, a panel alone would never provide a constant voltage as its'power production is dependent on the sun. Even a damn bird sh1tting on a panel affects output. |
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Gold Member Username: JohnfiacA-ToWn, 9515 thumpin... What u bumpin? Post Number: 3306 Registered: Mar-06 | so would driving under a bridge\shade, it would only be good as extra charging IMO ad it to a 300A H\O ;) but its not worth it |
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Bronze Member Username: Fac3l3ssPost Number: 90 Registered: Oct-05 | solar panels hold a charge as well don't they? and it was really just a question i was just curious if one could possibly do it...i never wanted to actually try i wouldn't know where to start |
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Gold Member Username: WingmanaliveA pic is worth 1000 posts!! Post Number: 8165 Registered: Jun-06 | "solar panels hold a charge as well don't they?" Quite simply no. They are power producers only. Without a charge controller the panel/s would simply keep charging the battery and eventually overcharge it if left unsupervised. A solar panel of a small to moderate size would work well as a battery maintainer and not much else. I'm sure you may have seen campers with a panel or two on the roof. The panels charge a small battery bank during the day which is regulated by the charge controller. That power can be used at night through the use of an inverter for common 110v appliances. Consider a solar panel as an alternator, it by itself isn't going to power anything properly, until that power is stored in a regulated 12v source, ie deep cycle/gel celled 12v car battery. Another thing to consider is the fact that unless it truly is a deep cycle battery, it shouldn't be drained past a 50% DOC, (depth of charge). That quickly kills the battery. That's why it's important to monitor your battery's voltage and if it falls into the 11v range, mayday! See chart.  I run a small solar system as an experiement in my home and had a blast doing it. It's also our future so I figured I might as well get up to speed on the subject lol. Small 210 ahr battery bank monitored by a Xantrex meter feeding a 1000w Xantrex inverter all powered by 90w of solar panels.  You can see my meter puts my bank at 90% DOC. The meter also displays battery bank voltage, ahr's used, ahr's remaining, and current draw off the bank. This experiement ran me over $1000 and I can power my big screen, small fridge, lights, even small power tools. Pretty handy during a power outage as well. Beats pulling out the generator lol. Ok. I'm done now.  |
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