The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Equipment => Topic started by: ileach on April 21, 2008, 02:31:24 pm
-
Just about to get the fencer to erect solar panels to power the top strand of the electric fence in 4 new fields i am creating, apparently this one panel can do 18 kms. This is a totallly new venture for me so will let you know how i get on and the pitfalls etc. Has anyone any experience of them.
-
Only experience I have is that the bigger the better. Maplins do a 2watt panel and clips for less than a tenner,but if you're using 6watts an hour,then obviously you'll need 3 of them. You can't over-charge a battery with them and there's an in-built diode,make sure yours has.
-
I used one of those 1 watt trickle charger panels . the type that you put in your windscreen to top up your car battery. That kept an old worn out battery going on the fencer for months at a time. I would then have to charge the battery on a normal mains charger for a day and then off it would go again for another few months. Very handy things to have. They are as you say Ree , very cheap now ...I think I paid about 25 quid for mine ??? :(, mind you it was about 5 years ago now.
Clifford james do a nice little solar powered shed/chicken house light for 20 quid, very handy thing if you don't have mains in your shed or whatever...here is the link :
http://www.clifford-james.co.uk/ProductDetailInfoWithoutOptions.cfm?ID=D2536&ShopRef=72&Prime=Yes&shopListRec=37535
cheers
Russ
-
if i click on link nothing happens.......what am i doing wrong please
-
http://www.clifford-james.co.uk/ProductDetailInfoWithoutOptions.cfm?ID=D2536&ShopRef=72&Prime=Yes&shopListRec=37535
sorry the link didn't work before ....I think it should this time though .....cheers Russ
-
Just a little update from me.........
We brought over some of those garden solar spotlights from the Uk,you know the 4 for a tenner ones. Boys being boys,I took one apart to see how it worked and ended up with more pieces spread over a large table. Anyway,I extended the wire between solar panel and light,put in a switch,placed the panel on the south facing wall and the light inside and hey presto! It's only bright enough to see that they are all in of a night time,I doubt it will extend their laying capacity during winter months (their coop is too large to light this way),but a very cheap alternative........Ree