Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding Solar charger on Texas Hunter Feeder, how to test?

Noticed that my feeder didn't go off and the battery in it is new this spring. I put the battery on charge over night and charged right back to life and the feeder is back working great. So question is how do I test if the solar charger on the feeder is working correctly?

multimeter when it's sunny out set on DC.

I tell my clients to turn the feed time to "off" during the winter but keep the solar panel connected to the battery. The panel won't charge a drained battery, but if it has a charge it will top it off and keep it topped off.

I have experienced the same thing this year Lassig. I was just thinking it's the battery or poor sun conditions in my area. Battery was good at first use. Mine could be that it took a drink too.

Scott, are you saying that it is a bad thing to bring the feeder inside for the winter, thus not charging the battery.

It's not a "bad" thing to get it out of the elements if you aren't using it. If you take the feeder inside during the winter, put the battery on a trickle charger for the winter. A client in Texas was unplugging his batter for the winter in his feeders and had to replace the batteries every year, while leaving the feeders outside at the pond. I told him to leave the batteries attached and just turn the feed times to "off". This year the batteries worked when he went to use the feeders.

I was replacing the battery in my ATV every few years. Now I have it on a trickle charger and it's been 3 years since I've had to change it.

Perhaps then I should test my charger too.

First year everything was good. Second season, didn't make it thru without a new battery. That was leaving it outside, hooked up without feeding during the winter. So come the second winter I unhooked the battery all together. Still didn't make it, but charging once in awhile and it goes.

lassig, I leave my TX Hunter's out all winter also. With other feeders, it seemed like I was always scraping or blowing fish food paste (dust+water) out of the bottom of the feeder every fall. The TX Hunter's stay clean, and setting all the throw times to zero lets the solar charger keep the battery hot.

lassig,
I picked up a new TH feeder a few weeks back. I have the solar charger as well. I'm not sure about the older models, but on mine when you disconnect the battery and reconnect, it cycles through a systems check. It senses the solar charger is present and indicates whether it is charging or not and will display the message during its cycle. On actual output voltage, you will need to measure with a volt/ohms meter. As someone mentioned, these are trickle chargers. Their job is to keep a charged battery hot. I had one hooked up to a bay boat for 2 yrs. The battery was always hot.

I have an older timer that doesn't do that. I didn't get a chance to measure the output of the charger today, need to do that tomorrow.

Mark, if you need anything LMK.

Well I need to look beyond the end of my nose. I went to measure the output of the solar charger and low and behold it is not connected. I reconnected it and all of a sudden the display of the timer showed the the battery was charging. I have no clue how long it has been disconnected. I do remember a time when it was connect. Oh well all is well that ends well.

That's the kind of fix we like...easy and cheap!

When the battery was made here it lasted years longer than the China Cr##, solar charging does help extend life some

Mark, I'm glad to hear that it was an easy fix!

I have a solar charger on my Texas Hunter Feeder and leave it out all year but do shut down the feeder in late fall. Keeping the charger on even when not in use has worked great for me. Battery is in its 4th year of operation. Started right up in spring. Probably a good idea to get another battery on hand just in case. 4 years seems like a long time for the battery.