Wagan EL2448 Solar ePanel Charger for 12 V Battery Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)To be objective..

Pros:
- Well built (although has those sharp edges as mentioned in another review)
- At 9AM, clear sky, mid May in Brazil, around 17 degrees Celsius (it is Autumn and the temp is dropping), it is generating about 8 watts (18.8 volts at 0.44 Amps.. probably around noon is going to be even more powerful)

Cons:
- 18.8 volts! Depending on the device you are connecting to it, it may be burned if not tolerant to higher voltage. It should be around 12v, and I think 50% it too much variation.
- The picture shows a girl with the panel hung to a backback. Indeed, you will need to make holes in the fabric in order to do that.. there is no way to hang it as it comes from factory
- Those sharp edges and the pet finish over the panels can be improved. Something that would be more scratch-resistance would be best, especially if you are taking it outdoors.

I surely recommend the item, but I'll definitivelly look for a small solar charge control to use with the panel. I'm no electric engineer and I've read you dont need one for panels that dont go beyond 12w, but 18v is too high IMHO, so I'm kinda scared of connecting my Garmin GPS to it. I'll probably look for "Sunforce 7 Amp Charge Controller".. never tested or seen it, but the reviews shows that it may worth the try.

Edit:

With direct sunlight, from 9AM to 11AM, it fully charged two CR123 Tenergy batteries in about 2 hours, what is really amazing. On the other hand..

Now I'm measuring the power generated by the panel with the sky covered by clouds. It is noon, pretty clear on the same day, but no direct sunlight. It is quite a surprise it is still generating those 18 volts, but now, at 0.04 amps ONLY. Since the Tenergy batteries are charged already, I cant measure how long it would take to charge them, but I believe it would take quite long... I'll update this later whenever I can test charging them again w/o direct light.

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Product Description:
Wagan Solar ePanel Charger for 12 V Battery converts daylight into electricity to charge 12 volt batteries, extending battery life. This power supply is ideal for batteries stored in caravans, boats and vehicles in long-term storage and is suitable for trickle charging a wide range of batteries and power packs. It can also be used to charge laptop computers, cell phones and other DC powered items. This power supply requires only daylight (not direct sunlight) and is ideal for indoor and outdoor use. The Solar Panel is made of high efficiency mono-crystalline solar cells embedded in transparent vinyl acetate behind tempered glass with heavy back sheet ensuring maintenance free performance. Specs: Peak Wattage (Pm): 12W, Peak Voltage (Vmp): 15V, Peak Currency (Imp): 0.77A, Open Circuit Voltage (Voc): 18.8V, Short Circuit Currency (Isc): 0.87A.

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