On 01/03/2020 01:37, Harold Davis wrote:
Coronavirus advice sought. Say the mains electricity goes off for a long
time. What is the best solar rig-up for charging batteries for my radio,
music player, electric toothbrush, and torches? I won't need to charge more
than six AAs or four Ds at a time, but a bit of redundancy wouldn't go
amiss so that I can help out my elderly neighbours. Most important is the
radio.

If you need to ask you should be buying something from Amazon that says
it is a solar powered battery charger together with a couple of mirrors
to double its current output. Spare fuel for the car might be more use.
(and a charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter socket)

Some kind of simple setup, say with a single panel producing 12V connected
to a 12V battery charger if they exist would be preferred, but I am open to
all recommendations!

The simplest thing that will work is a PV panel, a Schottky diode and
series resistor to limit the current into the smaller batteries. I doubt
that the peak current a modest sized solar panel can produce would ever
incovenience a rechargeable D-cell. Personally I am more worried about
the freezer than anything else. I have my own generator.

I have a solar panel to keep the battery of the runabout car topped up.
It works well in summer but every now and then lets me down in winter.

Sun in the UK doesn't really get high enough and too many clouds!

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Regards,
Martin Brown