Re: [A/S] 'Q on solar charging battery operated drill.

["Terry Tyler" <tylerbears@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Fred,

It's good to hear from you. Your Alumtrum for Parapetic Seniors is priceless - very creative.  

In a recent post, you asked if we recharge our 14.4 volt Makita batteries with our solar panels. No
and Yes. No, not directly from the panels. Yes, directly from our inverter. How come?

Back in the late 50s, early 60s, we began exploring the continent with an RV. Almost immediately
back then, it was obvious that cutting edge technology could easily be integrated into our RVs. It
just kept snowballing. We wanted our lifestyle determined by our personal interests and
inclinations. If current and/or emerging technology could increase the chances of that occurring, I
was ready to use it and I still am. 

As a result, our '77 31' Airstream ended up with three deep cycle marine batteries and three solar
panels, plus a moderate size inverter that can operate all the electrical equipment in our
Airstream, plus all our electrical toys, if needed. With this one little piece of technical
wizardry, our circle of travel expanded even further beyond the limits of commercial campgrounds and
their utility poles. It wasn't as big a bump as solar panels gave us, but it helped.

If I was starting out today and knowing what I know now, I'd go directly to using an inverter rather
than restricting my electrical purchases to a less powerful appliance (especially when the rabbit in
the 14.4 volt battery has more staying power when I'm drilling out pop rivets in the underbelly of
our Airstream trying to....). 

The capacity of an inverter for recharging a portable drill battery isn't much and won't cost much.
Plus, there's the convenience of using the 120 volt charger (that comes with the electric drill) to
sense when the battery is fully charged and shutting itself off. Maybe that automatic feature is of
no consequence relative to the life of the battery, but perhaps it is. If the cost of a new battery
amounts to half of what an small capacity inverter costs, it may be time to do a little figuring.
Some batteries for portable drills cost almost as much as a size 27 deep cycle marine battery. 

There are other members on this list wiser than I when it comes to electrical details. Perhaps one
of them has direct experience doing what you asked. I took a different path long ago and it has
worked very well for us. That doesn't mean it's the path for you. Have fun with the mental
gymnastics.  

Terry