Question
Can this be used to keep a BIG TRUCK(Semi) battery charged?
I was thinking about buying these for my brother-in-law & step Dad for Christmas. They both are OTR Truck Drivers. With big trucks, there is usually a lot of times a need to jump start, especially in winter months. This would be very helpful if they work with BIG TRUCK batteries. Thanks
asked 1 year, 7 months ago
on NPower Solar Battery Maintainer - 1.8 Watt
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answer 1
Yes, this unit could be used on truck batteries, however I would recommend using a panel with a higher wattage output and a charge controller because of the higher power requirements of a battery bank in a semi. See link below for more details.
answered 1 year, 7 months ago
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answer 2
Top 50 Contributor
No it is too small. Get the NPower 5 Watt Amorphous Solar Panel
It will work great and will fit right on the dash and has a nice long cord. They will love it because it works for their application and they will thank you for years to come.
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answer 3
It doesn't really matter what size the batteries are if you're using this only to maintain, rather than try to recharge a discharged battery. It depends more on the condition of the battery and if you have any accessories connected that draw power when the engine's not running.
The 1.8W would be about 140mA of charging current, but only in full sunlight. Since most locations doesn't have the sun shining all day, it would be more in the range of 30mA.. If that's enough to cover the self discharge of the battery with any accessories, then it should work.
If you're expecting this to charge a battery you've run down, it won't work very well with the tiny current, as opposed to a real charger putting out several thousand mA.
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