Posted by Sherman in Idaho [72.47.153.105] on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 at 00:59:29 :
In Reply to: Re: OT......Is there a electrician in the house posted by Chris P [98.198.236.202] on Monday, January 13, 2014 at 22:21:54 :
Best figure out what's wrong with it. Battery shouldn't be dead just because it's cold. Troubleshoot it. You have three parts -- solar panel, charge controller, and battery. Make sure the panel is putting out rated power in full sun. The cheap (e.g. harbor freight) panels have a half-life of only 2-3 years. Then make sure the charge controller is getting the battery up to 14.4 or so before it shuts off. Upgrading to an MMPT controller will give you about 30% more power from the same panel in full sun, and even more improvement in low-light conditions (cost about $120 for a small one) Take the battery home, give it a good charge on a plug-in charger and see if it holds a charge.
You wouldn't get a new truck just because the old one doesn't run very good in cold weather. Electricity is no trickier than mechanical stuff. If it doesn't work, there's a reason, and with a little investigation, a person can figure out the reason and fix it.