On 12/02/2012 18:31, M.Joshi wrote:
Hello all,

I'm thinking of connecting a 12V 10W solar panel permanently to my
vehicle battery as I am not using it very often.

The battery keeps going flat in the cold weather.

What I wanted to know is if others have done this and whether there is a
danger of damage leaving the panel connected when starting the car?

The panel I am thinking of purchasing off eBay has a protection diode
built-in.





I use a 4.8 watt solar panel in a car with a 90Ah battery that is not
started very often (can be 6 weeks). But then the car is driven for at
least 2 hours, often more like 7.

It works fine, and before starting the engine, I turn it over for 5
seconds on the starter to get the oil circulated before starting.

It sits attached to the front screen with suction cups at an angle of
about 35 degrees with the car facing south.

Never a problem.

David