That's a thought, I wonder if I could but a cheap batch of 20 solar lights and connect the panels in series.
Of course you could, you will get 20 times the voltage, but still the same miniscule current.
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That's a thought, I wonder if I could but a cheap batch of 20 solar lights and connect the panels in series.
I got two 20W panels from the tops of parking meters, before you say that's theft, my local Tesco had meters in the car park but noone used them and *if* you got a ticket you send you shopping receipt and the ticket and they dropped the charge. I think they got fed-up with the whole thing. After a year or so, they were gone and it turned out that they were thrown out back in the hedge - that's responsible! I managed to dismantle them to get the panels out.
I connected them up yesterday evening at 5pm, the weather was overcast and the current was 5mA. I measured the current at 11am this very sunny morning and it read 50mA, the terminal voltage was 32V. The batteries were making a weird creaking noise which I think is hydrogen bubbling off so I decided to disconnect the cells before the batteries start venting and drying up.
how about a regulator or switching regulator
I thought that too but it powers the two tubes without any trouble and the terminal voltage stayed up at around 25V even though it hadn't been charged since Christmas - I measured it yesterday before I connected the panels.
I've just tested it now. I measured the battery voltage without anything connected and it read 25.95V and I turned both tubes on and it dropped to 24.85V which I think is pretty normal given an ambient temperature of 8°C. The batteries also managed to light the tubes on the coldest night of the year, -10°C, I didn't measure the terminal voltage though, it probably would have been under 24V given the cold.
They're gel cells, I don't know if that makes any difference but I have a feeling that they can't stand a constant charging current and need to be float charged but I could be wrong.
Think I'll add some thing like that. Any way Is there not some way you could use the sameI do not answer private messages asking for help because no one else can: benefit from advice I may give or correct me if I'm wrong.
Please ask on the open forum if you have a question and I'll be happy to help, if I know the answer.
seeing your getting to much volts any way. And regulating it.solar panels have built-in diodes which prevent the batteries from discharging back