Solar charger and Battery switch question

[brooksville_rebel]

Feeling silly but I have a 6 Watt Solar charger to charge our deep cell secondary battery. I have a Blue Seas 2 battery switch. I think. I swear the package said Perko but anyways its this one or looks exactly like this one.
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Syst...&ie=UTF8&qid=1404616436&sr=1-2&keywords=perko

The Battery died.
So either the solar panel is bad, but don't think it is cause the Volt Meter seems to say otherwise.
Battery is bad. Which is a possibility since it was a returned one I got from Auto Zone dirt cheap.
However I am beginning to think it might be due to the brain misunderstanding the battery switch. When docked and wanting the secondary battery charged by the solar panel does the battery switch have to be on OFF or 2 (secondary battery + cable connected to the 2 selection) ? Or does it matter if OFF or 2 is selected ?
Thanks
Mark

 

[MH Hawker]

Depends on how its wired and a 6 watt panel will take at least a month to top off a battery or 6 months to charge one.

 

[UncleWillie]

If the Panel is connected to Batt #1; #1 get charged in the OFF or #1 or #2 position.
Both Batteries get charged in the BOTH Position.

If the Panel is connected to the Switch COMMON Wiring; (1) charges #1, (2) charges #2, BOTH charges Both, and OFF Charges Neither.

Keep in mind that charging will only take place during FULL sunlight with the charging battery showing More Than 13.8 volts on the terminals.
If the Battery is showing more than 12.6 but less than ~13.5; The Sun isn't bright enough to charge the battery.

6 Watts is only 0.5 Amps under FULL Blue Sky Sunlight. (10am to 2 pm)
A very minimal 10 Amp Hour charge that would take 2 hours at most with an AC Charger is going to take 5 to 7 days with your solar panel.
Your charger was meant to keep your Car Battery topped off in an airport parking lot while you are parked and on vacation for a month,
Not to actually put a real charge into a battery.

 

[bruceb58]

Since chargers are rated at 16V, you will be lucky to get even 0.35A out of it.

 

[brooksville_rebel]

Thanks. During the summer months we are out sometimes 2-3 times a week, like last week so not worried about these months as we are out enough to charge the alternator on the rides in and out. Its during the Nov - Feb/March when we don't go out as much.
When I first installed the panel the battery was nearly dead. Before I put the switch in I had the charger directly to the battery. When I checked the charger then it was outing 24v on the VM.I don't recall the amp reading or if I took one. Probably didn't. Probably 2-3 weeks between the solar install and going out again and battery was good to go. That's all I am looking for.
From the Uncle Willie post I think that was my issue of it dying. I had the switch set to off after putting it on the switch were it was directly hooked before and I never paid attention to the switch setting. Brain farts hurt.

 

[jc55]

I've read that faulty or cheap solar panels can actually discharge batteries through leakage at night. I have a 2x4' 100 watt panel with a charge controller so I've done a little research. Something to look into.

 

[H20Rat]

the cheap solar panels often have a single very cheap diode, and if that fails, you will discharge at night more than you gain in the day.

 

[brooksville_rebel]

Thanks I will have to check that out and see if that happens.