Adding a second battery.

[KAM]

This is a bit non boaty but probably a good place to get a sensible answer. I'm looking after a remote video camera on a hilltop. It's solar powered. The battery ran flat just before the winter solstice. I'm planning to replace the battery with a fully charged one and was wondering whether to just take up the second battery and wire it in parallel with the fat battery. Hopefully it would run for a bit and both would then charge if the sun ever comes out. Or should I just swap batteries. It's a bit of a flog uphill so trying to save some effort. Also just realised I think the solar panel angle which was optimised for the latitude should have been much steeper to optimise charging in the winter at the expense of less overall output in summer when there is excess power. Would appreciate any comments from people who know about this stuff.

 

[Neeves]

You don't define the size of the battery nor the type.

I believe it is a bad idea to mix old and new batteries (if you define the battery types - they should also be the same). If you define the size of the panel and the size of the batteries you might also have comment on your expectation of compatibility of panel and batteries.

Hopefully you will get some more useful answers.

Jonathan

 

[William_H]

I would suggest replace the flat battery with a charged one. I imagine a remote camera has a lithium ion battery charged by solar PV panel. However interesting at our club we have a anenometer out on the water on a post witha large capacitor as storage charged by solar PV. There is also a CR123 lithium battery as a back up. So I hope you know what you need to replace the battery. Incidentally the capacitor did fail and was replaced. ol'will

 

[KompetentKrew]

Lead acid / AGM batteries?

 

[KAM]

It's a 100Ah lead acid gel. Pretty heavy to lug up a big hill hence my reluctance to do too many trips.

 

[Refueler]

Take the charged battery up there ... connect the charged battery before disconnecting old ... (Solar controllers if fitted do not appreciate being disconnected from batterys while still connected to solar !! )
If you can angle the solar better - then of course this helps.

Take old home and charge it up ...

Leaving new with old connected only means you have then TWO discharged batterys and no video !!

 

[andsarkit]

If the old battery has been flat for any length of time it will have reduced capacity. You need enough capacity to cover about 10 days of dull weather so a 100Ah battery with 50Ah available will give you an average current of 0.2A for 10 days. If the camera draws more than this you need more battery capacity. Also think about adding more solar as it has now become very cheap especially for the large house size panels. If you have a controller and orientate for the winter then losing a bit in the summer will not be a problem.
This is the output from my house to give you an idea of the variation.
A 100W panel will give an average daily output of about 0.2A in winter but up to a peak of 8A in summer so will need a controller. If the panel is smaller than this I don't think it will cope with a dull winter period.

 

[Sandy]

It's a 100Ah lead acid gel. Pretty heavy to lug up a big hill hence my reluctance to do too many trips.

Have you considered one of these?

 

[Refueler]

Have you considered one of these?

View attachment 187210

or :

far more comfortable ......

or :

 

[Neeves]

This is a bit non boaty but probably a good place to get a sensible answer.

Hope springs eternal

 

[KAM]

Always good ideas here but looks like a double trip up the hill. Not much prospect for any sun.

 

[Refueler]

You have my sympathy .... humping batterys on / off boats - even a car is not exactly my fav job.

Luckily now I have a flat bed van with a HIAB on - that lifts my gear on off the boats now ...

 

[rogerthebodger]

I have lifted batteries and a 4-cylinder Diesel engine on and of my boat while it's on the hard, I had to lift both over 2 meters high then across the deck and into the inside using scaffold and a chain block on my own.

 

[Refueler]

I have lifted batteries and a 4-cylinder Diesel engine on and of my boat while it's on the hard, I had to lift both over 2 meters high then across the deck and into the inside using scaffold and a chain block on my own.

I used to use the boats boom ...... surprising what weight that can lift.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I used to use the boats boom ...... surprising what weight that can lift.

I had no mast on the boat on the hard and once launched I will have to work out how I can raise it using my mast hinge and an electric winch on my 4x4 of the power winch on the boat.

I spent many years in a fabrication shop when an apprentice and got experienced in rigging structures for safe lifts

 

[andsarkit]

Many years ago (pre GPS) while doing survey work we regularly humped a couple of 100Ah batteries up a hill to power our Decca Trisponder navigation system. In Nigeria we had to employ a man to sit next to the batteries all day to stop them being stolen.

 

[Refueler]

Many years ago (pre GPS) while doing survey work we regularly humped a couple of 100Ah batteries up a hill to power our Decca Trisponder navigation system. In Nigeria we had to employ a man to sit next to the batteries all day to stop them being stolen.

With Syledis (CGG) we often found surveyed spots had been built on ... so we used to calculate change of elevation and rent the roof' to mount the Transponder on ... the system was based on minimum of three to triangulate.

In Sicily - we had to BUY the Donkey and Cart to carry the Transponder gear up to the installation point. We had to employ a bunch of guys with sawn-offs to 'protect' - dunno what from because THEY were the 'guys' !!
When finished - we had BUY the Donkey and Cart again !!

North Sea as example - we would have agreements with the Rig owners to have the Syledis Transponders mounted on the rig Tower ... trouble was Towers would 'skid' at frequent times (be moved to drill via a different template hole set on the rigs platform) ... that movement was enough to cause our shoot nav to be in error ... The Rig was supposed to call us and tell what Template # they were 'skidding' to ... but most times they never bothered - so we often called them and said we knew they had ... asking for what # they were now on.

Syledis was the most accurate form at that time ... down to cms literally ... as boar drivers - we would be +1 .. -1 degree ... slight twitch on ships engine speed etc to maintain shoot ....

 

[Refueler]

Many years ago (pre GPS) while doing survey work we regularly humped a couple of 100Ah batteries up a hill to power our Decca Trisponder navigation system. In Nigeria we had to employ a man to sit next to the batteries all day to stop them being stolen.

Nigeria :

Sign outside Trucking Compound .... Port Harcourt :

My Guard during trip to discuss Petroleum Operations :

Yes it was loaded .... Chinese AK47 with modified wood stock ...