@toroidalcore@masto.hackers.town
Post #2467850
2026-04-21 05:22 UTC
@flipsideza@fosstodon.org A lead acid battery, like a gel cell or AGM without a controller or some sort of BMS will get overcharged unless you have a tiny solar panel that just compensates for its self discharge. Car battery maintainers work this way, they're panels that put out a couple watts into a relatively large battery.
Replies (1)
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@toroidalcore@masto.hackers.town 2026-04-21 05:25
@flipsideza@fosstodon.org In my case, the DC-DC converter I have (something from Amazon with a USB-C connector that plugs right into the node, and bare leads) can tolerate that voltage, so it's not a problem. If a cloud passes by, the BMS reconnects the battery, and it keeps going. I also kind of bank on my panel not being in the sunniest location, and getting clouds, etc. while the node is on 24/7, so I don't think it's spending a lot of time at full charge. But it is close.