[Murphy625]

I don't get it.. the generator will require an electrical connection to the house anyhow.. why not just run a 120 volt circuit to it and plug in a ($30) NOCO charger in to keep the battery topped off?

As for small solar charge controllers, off the top of my head, there is only one brand that makes a small charger that won't destroy your battery, catch fire, or just stop working.. that brand is MorningStar.. They make a small SL10 (about $50 to $60 I think). They are quality units. You will need to run the 20ft of wire through conduit or one critter or another will most likely chew it.

Victron makes a nice unit as well.. but they're even more pricey. The rest of them like Renogy, SunGold, etc.. they're all junk.. stay away.

You'd be far better off just running a 120 volt circuit to the shed.

Wow, just double checked the price on the SL10 and they're $100 now.. Holy crap batman! I bought mine for $25 a decade ago. It's still working by the way..

 

[Murphy625]

There isn't enough space for another connector box on the exterior wall

Then your best bet is a 30 to 40 watt panel connected to a MorningStar or Victron controller. Expect to pay about $250 + battery by the time you're done with the system..

Even better would be a 50 to 100 watt panel connected to a more feature rich controller like the Victron Smart Solar where you can set (limit) the charge rate based on the battery specs. With the Morning star, you get the full power of whatever panel you're using, but the victron allows you to limit the charge rate.

 

[Murphy625]

What's going on with the pictures in this forum? Is it just me or are they failing to load for anyone else?