skippydiesel Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 (edited) My aircraft, fitted with an Earth X. It can not be easily removed (for home charging). I do not have a mains supply where plane lives. I would like to keep the battery in top condition. Solar charging would seem to be a potential solution. Your recommendations/advice for (against) a solar (trickle?) charger, compatible with the Earth X battery, will be much appreciated. Edited January 10, 2023 by skippydiesel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyBoy1960 Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 contact the company directly and ask them otherwise it could end in flames. If there is no draw on the battery when it is just sitting there it will last at least 9 months before it needs recharging 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippydiesel Posted January 10, 2023 Author Share Posted January 10, 2023 21 minutes ago, FlyBoy1960 said: contact the company directly and ask them otherwise it could end in flames. If there is no draw on the battery when it is just sitting there it will last at least 9 months before it needs recharging Good idea. Battery is in fairly regular use - test flying new home built. At this stage test flying involves a lot of short "hops" as we are still fine tuning flight controls and engine cooling. It just concerned me that the hops may not be of sufficient duration to keep battery in top condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facthunter Posted January 11, 2023 Share Posted January 11, 2023 Looks to me as though they have their own specific charger and the major issue is if they are fully discharged. A multi meter should give you a voltage reading indicating charge state.. Refer to maker's figures. I don't think I'd just leave something turned ON. Maybe use a separate TIMER? Nev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippydiesel Posted January 11, 2023 Author Share Posted January 11, 2023 Optimate TM-522-D4 is the Solar Battery Charger/Regulator supplied by Earth X USA. Australian distributer of Earth X is going to give me a price on special order/import (scary!). Recommended for LiFePO4 batteries: 12.8V / 12.3V Weight: 6.8lbs Dimensions (including corner mount brackets): 16.6″W x 27″H x 1.25″D Charging Amps: 3.33A from 40W panel (max average current) Input & output cable lengths: 2m Lowest operating temperature: -20°C / -4°F Warranty: 3 years limited warranty through OptiMate These battery's are pretty costly (compared with a lead acid) so I am anxious to keep it in top condition, in the hope of getting the max service life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippydiesel Posted January 11, 2023 Author Share Posted January 11, 2023 18 minutes ago, facthunter said: Looks to me as though they have their own specific charger and the major issue is if they are fully discharged. A multi meter should give you a voltage reading indicating charge state.. Refer to maker's figures. I don't think I'd just leave something turned ON. Maybe use a separate TIMER? Nev I think I would just top up the battery periodically eg once per month, rather than leave the charger on all the "parked" time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippydiesel Posted January 11, 2023 Author Share Posted January 11, 2023 TM-522-D4. Solar Battery Charger/Regulator, supplied by Earth X USA. Specification's - as above $330 (Au) landed in Australia. What thinks the brains trust? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facthunter Posted January 11, 2023 Share Posted January 11, 2023 It's the right thing . Mucking around with anything cheaper will waste time and not make you happy. Nev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old man emu Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 Strewth! $50 freight from the USA????????? Grab it with both arms and wrap your legs around that price! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now