On Sunday, 16 July 2017 21:36:17 UTC+1, wrote:
On Sat, 15 Jul 2017 18:12:14 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:
On Sat, 15 Jul 2017 15:15:03 -0400, wrote:

But it seems to me that there probably needs to be
some sort of component (at least a diode) to protect the battery current
from back-flowing into the solar panel.

True. Schottky diode for minimum voltage drop. It's often inside the
charge controller chip.

So, would one of these diodes be all that I really need to use this
solar panel?

any diode, doesn't need to be schottky. But you've still got to get the numbers right. Start with measuring the panel's offload voltage & short circuit current in full sun.


NT