TheSamba.com :: View topic

Wed Aug 20, 2008 8:01 pm

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2006/02/vw_to_offer_sol.html

Anyone seen these?

I was hoping to put one on my bus for my battery, so when I stop and sleep somewhere I could listen to my radio..

Would it work like that?

Like give my battery constant fuel in the sunlight?

Wed Aug 20, 2008 8:09 pm

It would probably work sort of like that.

Most of these types of chargers put out a low current,"trickle charge" to keep the battery from going dead while the car sits.

I don't think it would supply as much current as most radios consume, but it would probably help the battery keep a charge a bit longer.

Running your stereo off of a second battery using an isolator would be a better bet if you want to make sure the bus starts when you wake up.

Wed Aug 20, 2008 8:13 pm

Djembejim wrote: http://blog.wired.com/cars/2006/02/vw_to_offer_sol.html

Anyone seen these?

I was hoping to put one on my bus for my battery, so when I stop and sleep somewhere I could listen to my radio..

Would it work like that?

Like give my battery constant fuel in the sunlight?

Well, if you sleep in the daytime it might work.

VW has used these in their new cars to keep the batteries charged while they are sitting on storage lots. They're tossed when the car arrives at the dealer. Somebody brought a few to BBB a couple of years ago and I bought one. Good to keep the battery topped up, but you won't run much from them.

Wed Aug 20, 2008 8:30 pm

GeorgeL wrote: They're tossed when the car arrives at the dealer.

Wrong. They are supposed to go with the car to the new owner, but few make it there. The techs take them home and put them on ebay. Do a search, I guarantee there are at least a dozen on ebay right now--there have been consistently since VW started putting those in cars about 6 years ago because their batteries are absolutely horrible junk. They are on the windshield of the car until it gets its Pre Delivery Inspection before being delivered to the owner, they certainly aren't being tossed out.

Wed Aug 20, 2008 10:19 pm

I have two that I bought on ebay ~ one charges the aux, one charges the starter. Cost was about $25 per unit. Like it a lot.

OEM VW, works fine.

Best,

Lanval

Thu Aug 21, 2008 3:51 am

GeorgeL wrote:

Well, if you sleep in the daytime it might work.

VW has used these in their new cars to keep the batteries charged while they are sitting on storage lots. They're tossed when the car arrives at the dealer. Somebody brought a few to BBB a couple of years ago and I bought one. Good to keep the battery topped up, but you won't run much from them.

If I just listened to it in the sunlight, would it work? :P

Thu Aug 21, 2008 6:35 am

I use it in my bus.......... all day at a Vw show and run the stereo ..... I checked voltage drop and it was maybe .10volt..... 8) I would guess a high power stereo would be too much draw though....

Thu Aug 21, 2008 7:33 am

VDubTech wrote: GeorgeL wrote: They're tossed when the car arrives at the dealer.

Wrong. They are supposed to go with the car to the new owner, but few make it there. The techs take them home and put them on ebay.

In any case, they end up available to us.

With all the "green" hype you'd think that VW would make a big thing of how their cars come standard with solar panels!

Fri Aug 22, 2008 1:56 pm

Hmm.. How much money/time/effort would it take to get a second battery, and possibly connect it to one?

And do they make a higher powered one?