Type of charger

What sort of charging arrangement do you need when you are camping for a week or more. Solar thru a inverter. But how big a panel, what size inverter? Maybe there is other methods. All new to me.

Hi Tack..
What do you want to use when out in the bush..
You know like do you just want to charge a detector battery and maybe a phone..
Or do you want to run a 12 volt fridge or tv..

I will tell you want we have set up..
In car we have 1x 130 amp hour battery, 1x 50 litre fridge, and 1x 80 watt solar panel.. Plus 1 solar regulator
Have run this system for a few years now..

Caravan 1x120 solar panel 2x 130 amp hour batteries.. Plus 1 solar regulator
It runs 140 litre fridge none stop.. We watch tv, runs the water pump. Runs a set top box, chargers detector batteries. I also charge my iPhone, iPad..
At night we do run a genny for a bit, to re top up the batteries, but there really is no need for it. Just that we are night owls
Plus if we want to use a mircowave or aircon, the genny is a must!

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Here's an idea
This one is a pure sine wave.. You can go bigger or smaller if you want.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Pure-Sine-Wave-600W-1200W-Max-12V-240V-Power-Inverter-/271429284076?pt=AU_Boat_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f327230ec

http://stores.ebay.com.au/Bit-Deals/Pure-Sine-Inverters-/_i.html?_fsub=1750571018&_sid=302026428&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

This has the regulator built in..

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-120W-FOLDING-SOLAR-PANEL-KIT-WATERPROOF-MONOCRYSTALLINE-COMPLETE-SET-/361008911282?pt=AU_Solar&hash=item540dced3b2

http://stores.ebay.com.au/Bit-Deals/Folding-Solar-Panels-/_i.html?_fsub=1750574018&_sid=302026428&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

Now all you need is a deep cycle battery, 120 amp will do..

Oh by the way I picked that site, as I have brought stuff from them, and always received my items..

Hello Jen58, sorry about the slow reply. I have a 300 watt inverter in the troopy ,that I use to charge computer ,shaver, phone and such, but is it enough to charge the GPX 5000 battery over night . I have a aux 120 amp hour battery that I will solar charge thru the day while I am detecting. Thanks . Rick. (tack)

G'day Tack

Just use the 12 volt charger that came with the detector, get a ciggy socket from super cheap or somewhere like that, make sure it has the aligator clips and go from your 120ah aux battery, it will only take 3 or 4 hours to charge the battery and then take it off the charger.

We charge 2 x GPX battries like this of the AUX bat in the back of the vehicle.

If your doing it this way make sure you disconnect the charger from your GPX bat before starting the vehicle, we don't need to worry as our aux batt is only charged by solar.

It's just a waste of power to run an inverter to charge a GPX battery.

cheers dave

Hi Tack
That's ok

Yep what Davesgold has told you.

tack wrote:Hello Jen58, sorry about the slow reply.  I have a 300 watt inverter in the troopy ,that I use to charge computer ,shaver,  phone and such, but is it enough to charge  the GPX 5000 battery over night . I have a aux 120 amp hour battery that I will solar charge thru the day while I am detecting.  Thanks .  Rick.  (tack)

I tested the 240 volt minelab battery charger and uses 20 watts