Solar charging

[LessThanSatisfactory]

I have a solar array that fluctuates around 5-18v, and I want to charge a couple of lead acid batteries. is there any special equipment I need? regulators, diodes, capacitors, etc? I would assume you hook them up like how you jump a car (positive charge to negative battery, vice versa) but im pretty new to electronics so help will be awesome! Also, are car 12v to 120v ac adapters efficient enough for solar panels?

[Jaybird]

your batteries will explode. only use branded rechargeable batteries to recharge. 

[rhyseyness]

Yes you can do this, but you'll need to do it through some resistors and charge controllers (you could make one yourself).

What's the current/power rating of your supply, and do you know what current (or power in Watts) your batteries should be charged at?

 

EDIT: Need more general info about your batteries.

What are you using them for, what are the voltages, etc.?

[mr moose]

yes, you'll need a charge controller though and you should only run the inverter of your battery.

 

P.S don't buy a cheap charge controller they'll burn out too quick.   assuming you are using 12v deep cycle batteries, you will need something like this:

 

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SOLAR-CHARGE-CONTROLLER-REGULATOR-20AMP-STECA-SOLAR-POWER-CHARGER-CONVERTER-/281215053901?pt=AU_Solar&hash=item4179b9304d

[LessThanSatisfactory]

your batteries will explode. only use branded rechargeable batteries to recharge. 

They are deep cycle lead acid batteries

[LessThanSatisfactory]

Yes you can do this, but you'll need to do it through some resistors and charge controllers (you could make one yourself).

What's the current/power rating of your supply, and do you know what current (or power in Watts) your batteries should be charged at?

 

EDIT: Need more general info about your batteries.

What are you using them for, what are the voltages, etc.?

I have a couple of 35 amp-hour deep cycle batteries in parallel. They are ghetto-rigged to a cheap ups and i'm using them as a source of rechargeable 120v ac for general use (power outages, camping, filming, etc.) A $50 ups was the cheapest charge/power solution i could find, and you can hot-plug it or pull the socket out while still getting a continuous flow of them volts.

[rhyseyness]

I have a couple of 35 amp-hour deep cycle batteries in parallel. They are ghetto-rigged to a cheap ups and i'm using them as a source of rechargeable 120v ac for general use (power outages, camping, filming, etc.) A $50 ups was the cheapest charge/power solution i could find, and you can hot-plug it or pull the socket out while still getting a continuous flow of them volts.

Ok, that's pretty insane.

I'm not good with higher power stuff like this, I'm more of a precision electronics kinda guy.

@mr moose should be able to help you out though

Sorry I couldn't be of more use

[mr moose]

I have a couple of 35 amp-hour deep cycle batteries in parallel. They are ghetto-rigged to a cheap ups and i'm using them as a source of rechargeable 120v ac for general use (power outages, camping, filming, etc.) A $50 ups was the cheapest charge/power solution i could find, and you can hot-plug it or pull the socket out while still getting a continuous flow of them volts.

The solar charger I linked to above is all you need.  You wire it in between the solar panels and the batteries .  It also has the provision to control the load current and protect the battery from low voltage damage if you want to use it, other wise just use the charge part of the controller.  

 

The solar controller will step up the voltage from the array or regulate it down so that it chargers the battery at the correct voltage.  It will then turn off when the battery is full and revert to trickle charge or cutoff when the panels cannot provide enough power to charge at all.  It will also prevent the battery From discharging through the panels.