I don't have the FFRR here yet but I don't think I'd need a high power panel here . If I would have to leave it for longer, I would probably put a 5W panel on it, just to be sure.

The 2006 would be left to sit for 30 days at a time (my leave periods in Nigeria) and never had an issue starting. It was parked underground so solar panel would have been useless. So if you don't have battery drain issues to start with, then a month should be doable. MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

how easy is it to find out if you have a battery drain issue?

nicedayforit wrote:

By all means if you have problems with your battery maintaining charge buy a 5W solar charger and plug it into a FFRR in the middle of winter and leave it for a few weeks, but when you go back to it just remember to take a set of jump leads with you.

Whilst I appreciate your endeavours to sell solar battery chargers I am somewhat concerned that your experience in Aus is somewhat clouding your expectations of solar panel output in winter in the uk.
Far from having average winter days of some sunny and overcast days it is not uncommon for some of us to have substantial periods of over-cast days running to weeks on end during which I have no doubt that a 5W solar charger would produce sod all never mind 1W or thereabouts. In these conditions I simply would not expect a 5W solar charger to usefully contribute to maintaining a single battery. I certainly wouldn't rely on one if I wanted my car to start.
Perhaps you have better results on Discoveries as they are in a more southerly part of the country which experiences greater daylight levels, perhaps also the Discoveries simply have no battery drain problems.
I would also have to question why you would chose to fit battery isolators that draw 200mA when the car is closed.
Imo that is just making a problem to be overcome.
I can get cars to start quite happily in winter after sitting 3 for months without being touched, obviously Suzuki and Volkswagen are able to design electrical systems for cars that totally isolate from the battery when the ignition is off.
Pity LR can't do that reliably with the FFRR's.
Whilst you can probably start cars in Aus with a battery showing 11.9V I would seriously question if that the same battery would start a car here after sitting in -8C for a night or two.
Whilst we can both witter on about the performance of batteries and solar chargers in our respective climates, when I go out the the car, no matter what the weather conditions are or have been, I simply want it to start first time without any issue. To date I have had that, something I am convinced I would not get if I had to rely on a solar battery charger during the winter having left my car for a period of weeks.
If I was to leave my car unused for a period in winter I would simply put a spare battery in the boot for the situation where the unthinkable might happen.
One day I might get round to fitting a separate additional "starter" battery, something that isn't that difficult to achieve, then I wouldn't have to rely on sunny days.

I just bought a ring rsp600 5w for £39 notes from amazon

I bought it from the £800 profit from my house solar panels, selling back power to the UK national grid

nicedayforit wrote:

Whilst I appreciate your endeavours to sell solar battery chargers I am somewhat concerned that your experience in Aus is somewhat clouding your expectations of solar panel output in winter in the uk.

espaceboy wrote:

I just bought a ring rsp600 5w for £39 notes from amazon

I bought it from the £800 profit from my house solar panels, selling back power to the UK national grid

are you saying Im £839 up
awesome I am buying another one

@ drive safe.

I would be quite happy to chance a few £'s on a battery with 11.9V not starting a diesel FFRR after a few nights outside at -8C.

"I clearly stated that TDV8s in the UK can be started from 11.9v."

No you didn't I read that to mean a tdv8 in Aus. Obviously as clear as mud.

Nothing wrong with a bit of doom and gloom, particularly as my "opinions" are based on over 40years experience as a Chartered Engineer.

Here's mine.

Click image to enlarge

Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated

Just for your own interest, for all of you fitting the solar panels.

Before you connect them to you battery ( rear Socket ) measure the voltage at your cranking battery terminals and note the voltage, then in about a months time, measure the voltage again.

This will confirm just how much of an improvement a small solar panel can make to your battery’s “Health”

For a single battery charge, a 5w solar panel is more than adequate to keep your battery in good “Health” but if you have one of my dual battery kits fitted to your RR, you will need to go to at least a 10w solar panel. 2007 TDV8 Lux

Look folks. A solar charger is never going to replace a normal mains powered battery charger. It will never be good enough to sort out a poor battery. What it does do though is over a long period of time help to maintain a " good" battery for those folk who leave their car for longer periods of time whilst they are at work. holiday etc.
I am usually away for 2 or 3 weeks at a time. I have had a solar charger (5W I think but who cares!) for a number of years now and have used it both in summer and winter with no issues. I give the battery a good charge up once in a blue moon with a C Tek. Usually if you start having battery problems it is time to change! I had an Uno Turbo back in the day and it was laid up for 5 months when I was away working. Started first time although it was a to get out of the garage, because the brakes had bound on! Previous cars:
S-Max 2007-2013 (only diesel I've had, good car but expensive when diesely bits go wrong, so what's the point?)
Galaxy 2001-2007
Mondeo Estate 1997-2001
Sierra Estate 1993-1997
Uno Turbo 1987 -1993
Fiesta 1984 - 1987
Fiat 127 1982 - 1984

Hi appj62 and while the intention is more so to stop the battery from discharging, but as I posted above, and as long as your battery is in good condition, but just in a low state of charge, a 5w solar panel will actually charge the cranking battery, but it will take a L-O-N-G time and is why I also suggested that you will need to give it about a month before you will see noticeable improvements in a battery’s settled voltage.

To act as a battery charger, the panel would need to have a much bigger capacity.

The thing is though, you can only go up to a 10w solar panel for a singe battery and 20w for a dual battery setup before you need to add a solar regulator.

If anyone wants to go to a panel larger than a 5w, you can go up to a 10w panel without the need for a solar regulator because the cranking battery’s internal resistance will act as a quasi voltage regulator and self protect the battery form over charging. 2007 TDV8 Lux

where can i get a connector that will allow me to connect the charger to the rear socket, i am planning on sticking it on the rear parcel shelf and the one from marlins just has a pair of crocodile clips...

Mine came from conrad and had a cig lighter plug in as well as the crocodile clips.