I have some solar battery charging questions

[Korwedge]

Here's my setup:

BATTERY - Mity Mite
12 Amp Hour 12VDC

SOLAR PANEL
13W 17.5VDC 750ma


Can I simply connect the panel directly to the battery to charge it during the day? I will be running a 10V fan during the day off the battery at the same time. The solar panel does have a diode to prevent reverse discharging. Do I need a charge controller so I don't overcharge the battery? Does running a 10V fan off the battery at the same time prevent the battery from potentially overcharging?

Thanks for the help :)

[Token]

You should be fine.

Check the fan and see how much current it draws. See how that compares with what the solar panel provides (750 mA).

Try it out tomorrow and see if it catches on fire or explodes. >:)

[Marscrumbs]

I don't know it yours has a cigarette lighter style socket but I got a voltage reader that plugs into my battery pack (or car) and tells me how charged up they are. I got mine at radio shark or walmart a few years ago, I forget, but it was less than 20 bucks.

[Don Gately]

[quote="Korwedge"]Here's my setup:

BATTERY - Mity Mite
12 Amp Hour 12VDC

SOLAR PANEL
13W 17.5VDC 750ma


Can I simply connect the panel directly to the battery to charge it during the day? I will be running a 10V fan during the day off the battery at the same time. The solar panel does have a diode to prevent reverse discharging. Do I need a charge controller so I don't overcharge the battery? Does running a 10V fan off the battery at the same time prevent the battery from potentially overcharging?

Thanks for the help :)[/quote]

I use a charge controller for a 45W panel + 12V battery setup, you can get it for about $20 at an RV store. The fan can burn out (moving parts + dust), charge controller is pretty stable. Also, if you're running the fan all the time then you aren't charging your battery during the day, which means you won't have as much power available to run lights and music at night.