# T-105 battery help



## Highground (Jan 22, 2003)

Hope one of the 12 V solar experts can help with this..............

I have two T-105 golf cart batteries in my travel trailer. They are 6 volts each, wired in series to produce 12 volts.
To trickle charge them with a solar panel (ICP -Battery Saver Pro-5 watts), do I hook the panel to the + and - cables leading to the trailer from the set of batteries, or will I have to disconnect the batteries and charge them one at a time?


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

You don't disconnect them.

You need to leave them hooked in 12v configuration since it is designed for 12v.

Edited to add:

5 watts will only maintain those batteries (if your lucky). It is not enough power to give them any kind of charge.


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## Highground (Jan 22, 2003)

Thanks White Wolf. 
What about two of these panels from Northern Tool?
I need to boondock for about two months but don't want to haul the generator and fuel if I don't have to.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200263174_200263174


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

1 would work good in the summer. 2 would be needed through the winter because of less insolation.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

How much load will you be putting on the bats while out "boondocking" . . .???
One light . . ??
Refridgeration . . .??
Water pumps . . .??
You gotta have more in put than out put or you will very soon kill the bats.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Whoops! Looks like I may have misinterpped highgrounds post


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## Highground (Jan 22, 2003)

Will have the fridge set to run on propane, with two 40 pound bottles, water pump will be used as needed for showers and dishes. Will only use a few lights and the radio for a few hours after dark. No TV. Will use a couple battery led reading lights to save battery power.
Jim-mi, do you think the two panels will keep the 105's charged?


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## ozarkgem (Apr 2, 2009)

Highground said:


> Thanks White Wolf.
> What about two of these panels from Northern Tool?
> I need to boondock for about two months but don't want to haul the generator and fuel if I don't have to.
> 
> http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200263174_200263174


don't forget to get a charge contorller so you don't over charge your bats.
depending on the size of your panels


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

I am not aware of the quality of those panels............

But since you asked I'd use 4 of those panels . .and a charge controller. 
You want to stay a head on your bats . . .they will last far longer if you only use a small amount off the top.
How many cloudy days might you have in a row . .?? (nobody knows)
Don't know how much power your water pump uses . .??

People tend to want to go too small for system components and in this case if you only use two panels your batterys will more than likely suffer.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Highground,

With not knowing more details on how much power you plan on using in a day everyone is just taking SWAGs at what will work. You need to sit down with each item and look at its energy usage and hour many hours you plan on using it in a day. 

For ex. Your little radio that you waht to listen to. On the back it will list it's power requirement. It will either be in watts (45 watts) or volts amps (120vac @ 150ma).

If its listed in watts than all you need to do is multiply watts times hours of use and that will give you your usage for that item in a day. So 45watts * 2 hours would be 90wh in a day. 

If it's list as [email protected] than 1st you need to multiply the voltage times the amps to get watts and continue as above. So 120v * .15 amps would be 105 watts.

After you total up all your loads than you can calculate the size of system you need. I'll refer that to another forum I participate in (http://www.solarpowerforum.net) Sunking has a decient write up on sizing a system there and I've copy and pasted it below. The only change I would make from his procedure is going with a 40% daily discharge on the batteries instead of 20%. Reason being is that yours would not see "daily year round" usage so it wouldn't have 365 cycles on it in a year. Bad thing in doing would be is you have very little backup for cloudy days and will need to carry a generator just in case.




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> 
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