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Answer by Robin
Yes, not sure why you’d want to but it can be done.

Depends a lot on how it is wired. If for example you exceed the voltage/current charge limit on the battery at ideal the electrolytic (likely an acid) will boil releasing a poisons flammable gas. Worst case has explosions…

The systems can be wired as to not interfere with each other or exceed battery limits. For example high end new RV’s mix solar and alternator charging.

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• Solar powered
• Charges 1-4 batteries at once
• Meter shaows battery charge and output
• Blocking diode
• Panel can be angled to maximize solar power

AA solar battery charger that works from the power of the sun. A built-in meter shows the charging power and the current battery output. A blocking diode prevents the reverse flow of power from the battery to the solar panel during night use or when sunlight is not available. Can charge 1-4 rechargeable batteries at a time. Angle the unit for maximum solar efficency and maximum power.

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51 of 51 people found the following review helpful: A last resort, October 19, 2007 By  D. M. Harman – See all my reviews       This review is from: Sunforce 82883 Solar “AA” Battery Charger (Misc.) Only way this unit would be worth anything is as a last resort. Even in full sun it rarely generates more then 120 mA and 80 mA is probably the average and the slightest wisp of cloud drops it to near zero. With todays 2000-2750 mAH rechargeable batteries this unit would take 125 hours to charge 4 2500 mAH batteries. Assuming 6 hours of “full” sun a day at 80 mA it would take nearly 21 days to charge those four batteries. Real world would be more likely a month. Like I said, maybe if it was all I had, but there are superior places to spend your money. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you?  >Report abuse | Permalink  Comments (2) 8 of 8 people found the following review helpful: Poor design heats up the batteries, September 4, 2009 By  AKO California (Los Angeles) – See all my reviews This review is from: Sunforce 82883 Solar “AA” Battery Charger (Misc.) I purchased one of these several years ago and am surprised these are still made. As someone has already mentioned, this unit doesn’t provide a lot of power. You are really looking at weeks to absolutely charge a set of batteries and that is if you have a place that gets sun most of the day. Having it inside a window causes a pretty significant drop in amps, but leaving it outside for weeks is not a great substitute either. Obviously partial charges and top ups might work for some people, but for most this is just not efficient enough. But another huge problem with this unit is the batteries are in a shut plastic case in the sun. Heat degrades rechargable batteries and I doubt any manufacturer would advocate it for such an extended period as this solar charger requires. I do not feel comfortable with how hot they get as it probably shortens the battery lifespan. There is a platicky smell when it heats up. There really should be an air gap and a more open case that grants excess heat to be carried away. With two huge flaws, I think people should apply their money toward a superior charger, even if more expensive. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you?  >Report abuse | Permalink  Comment 14 of 16 people found the following review helpful: Sunforce 82883 Solar AA Battery Charger, February 19, 2008 By  Guy Fanguy “solarGuy” (USA) – See all my reviews    This review is from: Sunforce 82883 Solar “AA” Battery Charger (Misc.) Customer Video Review Length:: 1:32 Mins Sunforce 82883 Solar AA Battery Charger Review. Works well. Does not work well when on dashboard of automobile because of UV protection of the windsheild. Direct Sun 160 mA, when on dashboard brought it down to 40 mA. Very pleased with the item Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you?  >Report abuse | Permalink  Comment

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• Power (Pmax) : 30W
• Maximum power voltage ( Vpm ) : 17.5V ;Maximum Power Current: 1.68A
• Cable lengths : 12.5′
• Open circuit voltage ( Voc ) : 21.95V
• Charge controller prevents overcharging of 12-volt batteries

Tired of all the noise and smell from your diesel generator? The Instapark SPCC-30W offers you a quiet, clean while carbon-free alternative. Capable of converting virtually unlimited solar energy into clean, green, most importantly, free electricity, the Instapark SPCC-30W includes a 30-Watt mono-crystalline solar panel with solar charge controller.

This solar panel is made of high efficiency mono-crystalline solar cells embedded in transparent vinyl acetate behind tempered glass with h

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• Charge controller prevents overcharging of 12-volt batteries
• Intended for use with 12-volt solar panels
• Handles up to 30 amps of array current and up to 500 watts of solar power
• Continuously display the charging current or battery voltage on the LCD digital meter
• Automatically indicates the charged condition of your battery on the LED bar graph

The Sunforce 60022 30 Amp Solar Charge Controller prevents overcharging of 12-volt batteries. It is intended for use with 12-volt solar panels, and can handle up to 30 amps of array current and up to 500 watts of solar power. The controller will continuously display the charging current or battery voltage on the LCD digital meter, and also automatically indicates the charged condition of your battery on the LED bar graph. The 60022 is designed to work with all kinds of 12-volt solar panels for i

List Price: $ 99.99

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: charge controller, December 20, 2008 By  R. cornell – See all my reviews    Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?) This review is from: Sunforce 60022 30 Amp Solar Charge Controller (Misc.) very good product. I have it controlling a 500 watt solar array. First one failed after about a month, amazon replaced it, no problems since. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you?  >Report abuse | Permalink  Comment 2 of 3 people found the following review helpful: A Great Tiny Charge Controller, May 7, 2009 By  R. Macullar (Salem, MA) – See all my reviews    This review is from: Sunforce 60022 30 Amp Solar Charge Controller (Misc.) This product is what I was looking for. It was simple to install and set up. The only drawback I have found is that the LED charge level lights are a tiny hard to read. I would advocate this to my friends! Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you?  >Report abuse | Permalink  Comment 1 of 3 people found the following review helpful: Cost Effectiveness, June 8, 2009 By  D. Muirhead “Org” (Jamaica) – See all my reviews    This review is from: Sunforce 60022 30 Amp Solar Charge Controller (Misc.) For someone who is just looking to get into substitute energy, this product is a great start. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you?  >Report abuse | Permalink  Comment

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• Solar panel output: 6V, 410mA
• Working temperature: -20-80?
• Working life of solar panel: Above 10 years
• Charging time for handset: 2-3 hours
• Dimension: 245*170*5mm,Weight: 220g,full 12 months warranty

If you are a frequent traveler, we highly advocate this powerful solar charger. The unit is qualified for recharging your cell phone, digital camera, portable multimedia player, GPS, and other digital devices. Besides, you will like the practical design which grants for multiple placement options. It can be clipped on the bag, attached on the automobile window glass, or put on the ground with bracket.
Brand New Product! Full 12 months warranty!
Pay Attention:
1:The Power bank included in picture i

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful: A great purchase for campers who need their toys., August 9, 2010 By  Karl – See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?) This review is from: New 6V,410mA Portable Travelling Solar Charger for Cell Phone w/ USB charging cable,GPS,DC,MP3/4 (Power Bank Not Included) I purchased this panel to charge my Nokia N810 on a week-long camping trip. I was able to charge my N810 (PDA,) my old HTC Wallaby smartphone, and my girlfriend’s Sansa e260 music player with it. I never let any of them run down to 0% battery, however it took the HTC Wallaby only about 4 hours total to charge both the internal and external batteries from about 5% total battery power. The Sansa took two hours to charge to full from 25%, and the N810 charged from 50% to full in around 2 hours. The panel is listed as a max 410mA, and in full sun, properly angled, I was reading 400mA from the panel. The biggest point of note is that in order to get full power from any solar panel, it needs to face the sun directly. This means in order to get the most out of the panel you need to readjust the angle each hour or so. The way I judge the proper angle of the panel was to put a one inch bolt through the small grommet at the bottom of the panel. With the bolt firmly in place, I turn and tilt the panel until the bolt has no shadow – this then means that the bolt, and therefore the panel, is aimed directly at the sun. Charging in the automobile works, but with similar concerns. It’s much more difficult to properly orient the panel, and driving around results in inconsistent light hitting the panel, resulting in longer charge times. The panel came with an assortment of charging plugs, however none fit the HTC Wallaby, so I needed to make my own. It did have the 2mm charger for most Nokia devices (my N810 included) and the power connector on the panel itself is a USB socket, allowing most USB charging cords to be used. The panel worked beautifully for me, and even with 3 different devices I was able to keep all three charged for the entire week I was camping. I was using the N810 for roughly 5 hours a day, the HTC Wallaby for about 3 hours at night watching movies, and the Sansa e260 was running 8+ hours a day. I highly advocate this solar panel if you have any mobile devices you might need to keep charged while camping or hiking. It’s small, light and provides enough power to charge many handheld devices. For this price, I have found it more than worth the money. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you?  >Report abuse | Permalink  Comment

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Wondering if it’s safe to connect the inverter to this panel/battery charger, if we can somehow install a shutoff switch on the charger or if there is some other option we are not seeing?

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Answer by Rudydoo
Hey Sister, great idea. I am not sure exactly what you are doing there. We have a home that is powered by the wind and sun, and a small camper with solar as well, but ours might be set up a tiny different.

The solar panels you are using do not need an inverter to charge the battery, they should simply hook to the battery bank directly, or by way of a charge controller. If you are also adding an inverter to use the battery power to run your AC outlets, that is a separate problem. Most boats I have come in contact with have a selector switch that selects between the battery charger or the inverter. So when you are on shore power, it stays in the charger position, which grants the battery charger to keep the battery’s at float, and does not grant the inverter to power the AC system. Away from shore power, it is selected to the inverter, which grants the batteries to power the inverter, which powers the AC system, and the battery charger is then locked out. This is why most RV and marine inverters this day have both the charger and inverter built into one unit, and it switches for you whenever you plug in the shore power cord.

If you are installing the solar panels yourself, see what the, “short circuit current,” rating is on the panels. If it’s 3 amps for example, and you are hooking two of them up in parallel, then you can have as much as 6 amps of charge current on a sunny day. Then see if you can find out what the amp hour capacity of your battery bank is. As a rule of thumb, if the maximum charge current of the solar array is less than 2% of the amp hour capacity of the battery, then you do not need a charge controller, the panels will never over charge the battery. All you need then is a diode between the panels and battery. A diode is an electrical check valve, allowing the panel to charge the battery, but not allowing the battery to feed back into the panel at night. There is a good book on charging batteries at the library, and a magazine you might think about looking into. I will list them below. Good luck, and take care…Rudydoo

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• 2 pack
• Trickle charges and maintains 12 volt batteries
• Maintenance free
• Easy to install
• Charges 12V batteries with the power of the sun

This twin pack includes 2 units of the 5 watt solar battery trickle charger. Each unit is the best solution for maintaining 12 volt batteries for your cars, RVs, tractors, ATVs, electric fences, deer feeders, boats, and more. The units are absolutely weatherproof and can be used both indoors and outdoors. The built in blocking diode protects battery discharge at night. Perfect solution for battery maintenance as the unit is absolutely maintenance free and simple to install. Each panel includes 4

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• Solar-powered charger engineered to maintain your vehicle’s 12-volt starting battery
• Extends battery life using the sun’s power
• Blue LED charging indicator
• Connects swiftly and mounts easily
• 6-Watt Amorphous silicon solar cells

Designed to protect against natural battery discharge and electronic drain in cars, recreational vehicles, SUVs, and trucks, the 6-watt 12-volt deep-cycle charger keeps the 12-volt batteries in the car charged so you can run small appliances such as fluorescent lights, coolers, small TVs, or laptops. The solar charger provides an immediate charge when exposed to daylight, even on cloudy day. A blue indicator LED lets you know the panel is charging. Plug-in-play compatible for swift connectio

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SOLAR BATTERY CHARGER, November 3, 2009 By  P. Johnson (MIAMI FL.) – See all my reviews    Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?) This review is from: 6-Watt 12V Solar Panel Battery Charger / Maintainer THE SOLAR BATTERY CHARGER WORKS GREAT AS PROMISED. IT WAS DELIVERED ON TIME NEW AND IN GREAT CONDITION. IT DELIVERS 13.63 VOLTS DC GOOD ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN YOUR CAR BATTERY WITH A SMALL DRAIN ON IT. I AM VERY PLEASED WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF THIS CHARGER. NO LIE PPJOHN. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you?  >Report abuse | Permalink  Comment Decent, October 27, 2009 By  Mark A. Durham “Mark Durham” (Tryon, NC USA) – See all my reviews    Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?) This review is from: 6-Watt 12V Solar Panel Battery Charger / Maintainer Item only came with the alligator connectors, yet packaging points towards other connectors, but still overall a very nice product. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you?  >Report abuse | Permalink  Comment

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• Power (Pmax) : 20W
• Maximum power voltage ( Vpm ) : 17.5V
• Cable lengths : 12.5′
• Open circuit voltage ( Voc ) : 21.95V
• Charge controller prevents overcharging of 12-volt batteries

20-year, 80% power output warranty. 5 year limited warranty on workmanship and material

List Price: $ 139.90

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• Solar-powered charger engineered to maintain your vehicle’s 12-volt starting battery
• Extends battery life using the sun’s power
• Patented LED bright blue indicator to know when your battery is charging
• Connects swiftly and mounts easily
• 2-year limited warranty

The Coleman Solar Charger CL-600 provides immediate charge when exposed to daylight, even on cloudy days. It charges your 12V RV, boat or truck batteries so you can run small appliances such as fluorescent lights, coolers, small TV’s, or laptops.Designed to protect against natural battery discharge and electronic drain in cars, recreational vehicles, SUVs, and trucks, the Coleman solar 1.5-watt 12-volt deep-cycle charger keeps the 12-volt batteries in the car charged so you can run small app

List Price: $ 69.99

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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful: THIS IS A MISPRINT !! ACTUALLY MORE WATTS, July 17, 2008 By  Mike2020 (LAX) – See all my reviews This review is from: Coleman 72002 CL-600 9-Watt 17 – 24 Volt Solar Panel Battery Charger / Maintainer (Lawn & Patio) This Coleman unit is rated at 600ma and a total power of 9 Watts. Buyers will be pleasantly surprised. The fair price for weatherproof solar panels is /watt…so this one qualifies even though has been discontinued. My lack of a full five stars is because Coleman seems to overrate their panels by about 20%…or else they take it down to the equator to measure the power. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you?  >Report abuse | Permalink  Comment 10 of 11 people found the following review helpful: Solar Panel, April 18, 2007 By  J. POLLARD (Memphis, TN) – See all my reviews    This review is from: Coleman 72002 CL-600 9-Watt 17 – 24 Volt Solar Panel Battery Charger / Maintainer (Lawn & Patio) The unit is more or less what I expected and appears to be working well for my application as a trickle charger for my deep-cycle marine battery operating an ornamental iorn entry gate. This unit DOES NOT work with the Sunsei Solar Grip bracket which is listed as working with the Coleman Solar Panels (both are ICP Solar products); the bracket extexsions are not long enough. I was able to frabricate a easy clamp for the panel which did work with the bracket however. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you?  >Report abuse | Permalink  Comment 6 of 6 people found the following review helpful: Could be superior but for the price you can’t beat it with a stick!, October 25, 2009 By  Searcher67 (PA) – See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?) This review is from: Coleman 72002 CL-600 9-Watt 17 – 24 Volt Solar Panel Battery Charger / Maintainer (Lawn & Patio) I ordered one Coleman panel to see how good it was. I am a long time Coleman collector and this fits just right! Brand power at its best! I have had it about 2 weeks and have it connected to my campers battery. The camper has a stereo system which requires a “hot” lead to maintain memory so this creates a drain on the battery. After this panel, no more worries about the drain! This panel in full sun is putting out 22.65volts and drops to 17.3 on a cloudy day, even when it was raining!I ordered two more and anticipate them to arrive tomorrow. I will build a frame to attach the panels to and hook all of them to my battery bank (3 D/C NG27). I anticipate to be able to use them for a generator (less) week of camping next month! If it fails then anticipate me to update this review! I think ICP could have had a superior way of connecting multiple panels though. Coleman dosen’t supply the gang plug, so I have to cut the plug ends off and hardwire them together. Not too much of an issue though. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you?  >Report abuse | Permalink  Comment

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Related Solar Panel Products

• Length x Width x Height (Solar Panel): 4.8″ x 2.88″ x 0.4″ (12 x 7.2 x 1 cm)
• Length x Width x Height (AC Adapter): 2.6″ x 1.5″ x 0.8″ (6.5 x 4 x 2 cm)
• Length (USB Output Cable): 19.6″ (49 cm)
• Length (Connectors): 1.4″ (3.5 cm)
• Color: Black

·Highly versatile with as many as 4 different connectors/tips, compatible with most cell phones, PSPs, MP3/MP4s, PDAs, digital cameras, electronic dictionaries, IPAQs, from discontinued models to latest innovations
·Compatibility list: Connector/Tip 1: 2 mm round pin, suitable for Nokia phones Connector/Tip 2: 3.5 mm round pin, suitable for NK02 Nokia phones Connector/Tip 3: Wide connector, suitable for Sony Ericsson phones Connector/Tip 4: Mini USB, suitable for HTC phones, Bl

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List Price: $ 50.80

Price: $ 31.70

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