Electric Fencing - Solar Charging

pricklyflower

pricklyflower

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 August 2003
Messages
695
Location
In the middle of the Channel
Visit site
Does anyone here use a solar panel to re-charge batteries? If so, how do they work? I use an energiser with a car battery but am fed up with rotating the batteries to charge (have 4 fences to charge) so wondered whether it would be worth buying 4 solar re-charging panels to trickle charge them. Will it keep them topped up or will they still need charging (presuming they will in winter? what about in Summer?)

Any recommendations for the best / cost effective? Or any recommendations in re-charging them in general?

Thanks very much.

Rachel
 
Hi, we have one but its probably too soon to say if it actually works yet. Its not something I would have bought as I cant see it working to be honest but Im assured it does and doesnt need sun to charge. I actually said to its owner it was a waste of money but she was having none of it.
On our small yard I own the energiser and Im the one who charges up the battery. We have a heavy duty leisure battery and to be honest I only have to charge it every few months or so. It was used for about 8 hrs every day as ours are in at night and since buying the newer energiser my charging it up has definately decreased. Another livery decided to keep her horses out 24/7 and so bought the panel to trickle charge the battery, its been about a month now so I cant really say if its helped or not. I probably charged it up a couple of months ago and it seems ok at the mo. She bought it from Maplin, it was supposed to be £70 (its a good one) but she paid £30 ish for it. Think it was in the sale. The only problem with it is the clamps that attach it to the battery are big so the energiser only just clips on to the battery. Im not sure if they are any smaller on a car battery but if so both wouldnt have fit.
So sorry not much help but will be interested to see what others say.
 
Thanks for that Louby - a question if I may?

Do you use one energiser on several different paddocks or do all your horses turn out in one paddock? I have a seperate energiser on each paddock for my 4 but they are all seperated due to difference reasons (mainly laminitic pony, old poor doer, aggressiveness, etc)

Your leisure battery certainly lasts longer than the car ones, I wonder whether that would be a better idea for me? Hmmmmmmmm... food for thought! Thank you!
 
We have one large field split by electric fencing, it is a very long run though with 3 horses in one side and mine in the other. Then in my section I have seperated more off as he had so much grass, again another decent size run. Not sure of the length but just the seperated bit I made has used 20 posts and the other bit must be nearly 3 times this length. Then 24/7 person who has another field next to ours has split her field in two with electric fencing. All of it has 2 strands of tape. I bought my energiser from Robinsons, it was the dearer of the 2 they did about £125 as it said it could do more meterage and it is much more efficient than the last one we had. All the fencing is run off one leisure battery. I dont know nothing about batteries so not sure if they come in different specs??? It was from Halfords though, I didnt buy that. It definately lasts months and hopefully
confused.gif
confused.gif
more with this solar thingy. Im a bit sceptical though.
Oh forgot to say the mares are the adjoining field and this has electric fencing running up the fence too to stop any contact. This is off the same energiser and battery. So I suppose quite a lot really.
 
we have just bought a little solar panel that attaches to are battery and then it just trickle feeds it the panal only needs day light for it to charge the battery!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top