I'm kinda interested in this too, however from a different angle. I would like to build a fully self contained car that runs off solar and would allow me to drive to and fro say 30 miles one way and re-charge the batteries while my car is parked all day or some part of the day and return home on the days charge. I would like to do this experiment with all readily available parts. Oh and so it is not too far off base.... I wrote this using Yahoo webmail on a laptop running XP while thinking of my PHP/MySql project that runs on a Linux..Apache etc server. Keith Nathan England wrote: No, I don't have to switch anything, I just plug unplug. Basically my system is fully powered by the 2 12 volt batteries. When I plug into shore power it powers the inverter to charge my batteries and run the A/C and microwave. On Monday 18 September 2006 15:43, you wrote: > On Mon, Sep 18, 2006 at 10:43:44AM -0700, Nathan England wrote: > > All, > > > > I live in a travel trailer full time and move from place to place. I > > always hook up to power at the camp ground / trailer park and have never > > needed to use my batteries unless the power goes out, which in northern > > AZ is quite often. > > > > Anyway, I want to start using my batteries more and not paying APS for > > electric, so I am looking into solar generation or a gas generator to > > supplement. But I am completely ignorant of the way power works or what > > amp/hours means and all that. > > > > I have two 12volt deep cycle batteries, what do I need to charge them and > > how long could it take to charge them? > > > > I know I could ask this on an RV forum, but being a tech junkie, and you > > all as well, I'm assuming someone will know some tricks so I could > > possibly build something myself... Possibly creating an interface to my > > computer to monitor/control any of this. > > I looked into solar chargers a while ago, and the bottom line is that it > takes a lot to provide enough power to run much on. A lot meaning money > and surface area. Most of the stuff out there for RV/marine is meant to > recharge and keep charge on seldom used storage batteries. > > Do you have to switch over between A/C and battery, or can you just > plug/unplug whenever you feel like it? If you don't have to switch over > then it should be pretty easy to add solar to the mix to reduce your > electric usage. > > FYI, I am NOT an expert at this. I just did some reading on the net. -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nathan England PaysonLinux User Group nathan@paysonlinux.org http://www.paysonlinux.org/ Software Development Website Development Linux Administration --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change you mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss - - - - - - - Keith Smith - - - - - - - http://travelingcheese.com/search_engine/increase-search-engine-traffic.html - - - - - - - --------------------------------- Stay in the know. Pulse on the new Yahoo.com. Check it out.