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Geez, I'm seeing those priced at around $50 bucks, what a deal! I may have to buy one just to have it! Thanks! 
1983 kawasaki kz440 starting problem
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ya i would'nt think so either, but i will check this out just to be safe. don't want to ruin a new battery. this bike is a low mileage cream puff that was stored for 30 years plus. it doesn't have any excessive wear on it anywhere so i can't imagine any shorts due to bare wiring or whatever.
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Is your solar charger "smart" similar to a Battery Tender or other charger that can sense battery state and cease/resume charging automatically?
Or the solar charger continuously charges like an old school trickle charger?
I ask because over charging will sulfate a battery and this could be your cause.
Or the solar charger continuously charges like an old school trickle charger?
I ask because over charging will sulfate a battery and this could be your cause.
in bright sunlight the solar panel puts out 1.4 watts. the panel is mounted in a garage window facing the west so even on a sunny day it gets sun maybe half a day. a small panel like this doesn't need a charge controller as it just maintains the batteries state of charge with a slight trickle charge. a battery tender runs more current through the battery in float/maintenance mode so I can't imagine the solar panel overcharging the battery. I think the battery might have been a cheap brand. I ordered a scorpion agm battery the same in my Kawasaki 200 which is about 5 years old & still starts with plenty of power & maintained by a identical solar panel.
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Given that your 1.4 watt solar panel output is 20 volts, this means the maximum current it can provide is 0.07 amps.
I have to wonder how it is possible for this low a current to do anything much in the way of maintaining a charge for a battery. A typical trickle charger puts out 1 to 2 amps.
Also if your panel is not equipped with a diode, you will get reverse flow at night or when the panel is in the shade and this would draw your battery down. I admire the effort to use renewable energy, but it sounds like you need a much larger solar panel and a proper charge controller.
I have to wonder how it is possible for this low a current to do anything much in the way of maintaining a charge for a battery. A typical trickle charger puts out 1 to 2 amps.
Also if your panel is not equipped with a diode, you will get reverse flow at night or when the panel is in the shade and this would draw your battery down. I admire the effort to use renewable energy, but it sounds like you need a much larger solar panel and a proper charge controller.
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I use solar on a 12v battery (sailboat) but run through a device that can sense battery charge state and interrupt the circuit when the battery is topped up.
If the solar panel is capable of charging the battery, then it seems it must also be capable of overcharging?
If the solar panel is capable of charging the battery, then it seems it must also be capable of overcharging?
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Without a diode, you could be pumping energy n and pumping it out. That's far too low of a wattage to charge a batery, which new studies show should be charged a 1.5 volts preferably. When the target is reached, the tender shuts off, only coming back down with the voltage drops. The method you are using would work if you had more wattage, and a battery sensing unit on the end. Without the sensing unit, you are either cycling the unit with charges and discharges, though I think at the wattage you describe, you would actually lose more, and if you add more panels, without a sensing unit, you will bake your batteries. Tenders are pretty cheap, it's the better way to go. If you are off the grid completely, then you run an inverter from 12V to 120v to run the battery tender. Easier just to plug a tender into the wall. The one I have has a piece you attach to the bike, and just plug the tender into that, you need not remove the battery. You still should check the fluid levels though. IMHO.
it's a motorcycle charge maintainer that does have a diode & led status light. i think however that i overestimated it's ability to keep the battery charged in the winter with no bright sun. i have a battery tender that's like new & i will use it in the winter & in the summer i will hookup the panel seeing the bike will be used in the summer & the panel will maintain charge between rides. this should work. i think the panel in the winter fell just short of keeping it fully charged even though when i would start up the bike it seemed to fire up fine but it rand down slowly & i didn't keep the bike running long enough to makeup for the lost charge....
this is the exact one i have & it's 1.5 watt: Solar Powered Motorcycle Electric Scooter 12V Battery Maintainer Trickle Charger | eBay it's also for a car....
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The fact that it says scooter battery makes me wonder if it can charge a much higher amperage battery. I can understand wanting tograb free energy, if you were going that route, I'd suggest a small windmill attached to a seep cycle battery, that attached to a DC to DC power regulator, to plug you charger into. In all honesty, it's kind of a convulated method if your on the grid to go through such extremes. If you are extremely off the grid, then I'd go the windmill with larger Solar Panel route, tied to a battery bank, and have a battery tender wired into it. I'd use Deep Cycle batteries as they can hold onto amps far longer than conventional batteries. The one in my motor home is 10 years old, and works great. If the main battery goes flat, I just hit a switch to change over to the deep cycle to start the motor home, then start the 4000 watt generator, and I can charge the main battery (if on the road) or run the generator, and get to someplace to get a conventional battery. I lost my alternator once, and using the generator was able to use the Deep cycle to charge the main battery, and drive for an hour to get to a shop, where I was able to fix a broken harness attachment to the alternator.
Your being penny wise here. All of this, and you can't just get on your bike and ride. That's the bottom line for me, having the bike readily available. Otherwise I must answer to "She who must be obeyed".
Your being penny wise here. All of this, and you can't just get on your bike and ride. That's the bottom line for me, having the bike readily available. Otherwise I must answer to "She who must be obeyed".
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The other option is to buy a bigger panel and connect it to this device. Its only $19 CDN so about $15 USD.
5A Solar Charge Controller Waterproof, Solar Panel Controller 6V/12V Auto 24Hours Load on IP67 Waterproof Solar Controller for Lead-Acid Battery : Amazon.ca: Patio, Lawn & Garden
5A Solar Charge Controller Waterproof, Solar Panel Controller 6V/12V Auto 24Hours Load on IP67 Waterproof Solar Controller for Lead-Acid Battery : Amazon.ca: Patio, Lawn & Garden
www.amazon.ca
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The discharge current on the charger in the previous link goes up to 5 amps. That's over double the high limit for battery charging. I posted in another thread that 1.5 amps is the recommended charging rate, so as not to burn out the panels, i wrote down the wrong number, it's 1.8 amps. There is actually a formula that depends on the battery's total amperage and how tall it is (stratification) This is for new battery. After much research it was found that automatic chargers which let the battery draw what it can, sometimes starting at 10 amps, shortens the life of the battery. 2 amps is what is become the commercial standard, but if you look at the better charging systems, they are at 1.8 amps. There is an equation for charging based on battery size and ambient temperature. It's on the 2nd link below.
Don't take my word on it, research it. I found this stuff out around 3 years ago, and have noticed that all the batteries I have since purchased, even when I let run dead, charge to full capacity, and seem to hold on to the CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) much better. I notice this starting the vehicles in 10 degree and single degree digits. I stick to two amps for charging my batteries. My Motorhome has a built in charger on the inverter, so I just keep the Motorhome plugged in. The battery is 8 years old now, and works great. Proper charging reduces sulfide, the killer of all batteries.
It does take longer with the lower amps, but battery life is vastly improved. I don't charge anything at 10 amps anymore, unless it's so dead I can get a charging start, then I blast it with 10 amps for a few minutes to establish polarity. I have noticed that some of my automatic battery chargers will show 90% charge when set to auto, but when set to 2 amps, it then reads 75% charged, and this is within the same unit. So companies are selling chargers that have different battery states at different levels of amperage. To me, that's really poor engineering. IMHO.
Interesting articles: Battery Charging Tutorial | ChargingChargers.com
Complete Guide On How To Charge A Lead Acid Battery - Power Sonic (if you apply Ohm's Law to this, on some instances, you come up with some pretty low amperage charging)
![Font Number Rectangle Circle Screenshot]()
Don't take my word on it, research it. I found this stuff out around 3 years ago, and have noticed that all the batteries I have since purchased, even when I let run dead, charge to full capacity, and seem to hold on to the CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) much better. I notice this starting the vehicles in 10 degree and single degree digits. I stick to two amps for charging my batteries. My Motorhome has a built in charger on the inverter, so I just keep the Motorhome plugged in. The battery is 8 years old now, and works great. Proper charging reduces sulfide, the killer of all batteries.
It does take longer with the lower amps, but battery life is vastly improved. I don't charge anything at 10 amps anymore, unless it's so dead I can get a charging start, then I blast it with 10 amps for a few minutes to establish polarity. I have noticed that some of my automatic battery chargers will show 90% charge when set to auto, but when set to 2 amps, it then reads 75% charged, and this is within the same unit. So companies are selling chargers that have different battery states at different levels of amperage. To me, that's really poor engineering. IMHO.
Interesting articles: Battery Charging Tutorial | ChargingChargers.com
Complete Guide On How To Charge A Lead Acid Battery - Power Sonic (if you apply Ohm's Law to this, on some instances, you come up with some pretty low amperage charging)
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5 amps is the maximum current. Its an intelligent charger that is designed for many different uses, ie a battery bank where 5 amps might be appropriate.
The amps will float to whatever is needed, and then will taper off as the charge level in the battery rises.
I don't think you would ever see 5 amps when hooked to a motorcycle battery. Charging technology of SMART chargers has advanced a lot over the years. It varies the amps to keep the charging voltage where it needs to be. The last little bit of charge goes in at under an amp.
That said, I do not endorse, nor have I used this particular charger. I have worked with other brands and in my experience, they work very well. This one was just an example when I searched for an inexpensive solar charger.
Personally I would spend a bit more and get a known brand name like Morningstar if you were determined to stick with solar charging.
The amps will float to whatever is needed, and then will taper off as the charge level in the battery rises.
I don't think you would ever see 5 amps when hooked to a motorcycle battery. Charging technology of SMART chargers has advanced a lot over the years. It varies the amps to keep the charging voltage where it needs to be. The last little bit of charge goes in at under an amp.
That said, I do not endorse, nor have I used this particular charger. I have worked with other brands and in my experience, they work very well. This one was just an example when I searched for an inexpensive solar charger.
Personally I would spend a bit more and get a known brand name like Morningstar if you were determined to stick with solar charging.
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All of this theory aside, we shouldn't discount OP reports
another 5 year old battery maintained this same way.
So, go figure.
I'll always believe 12v batteries are half science, half voodoo.
🤷♂️
another 5 year old battery maintained this same way.
So, go figure.
I'll always believe 12v batteries are half science, half voodoo.
🤷♂️
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5 years out of a bike battery is really good IMHO. Usually Yuasa batteries can last that long.
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Yes but on a different bike. The parasitic loads vary from bike to bike. And as Kawasakian points out, battery quality comes into play as well. I will often remove the battery for winter storage and either put it on a good quality battery tender, or charge it periodically.
They say a sitting car battery (totally isolated from any circuit) can lose up to 1% of its charge per day. So without any charging it can be flat dead in 100 days which is a little over 3 months.
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If the battery is in the bike, the discharge rate is even quicker, especially if the ground wire is attached. That will drain a battery to almost non starting if you don't ride a couple of weeks during the riding season. I always have a piece of wood under my side stand. They batteries really need to be stored out side of the vehicle, and on a non conductive surface for long term tendering. IMHO
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