I too use the Sunsei 1500 and even with incandescent bulbs all around and a TV and stereo in the boat, it keeps everything topped off. Be sure to get the charrge controller, otherwise you will cook a battery off pretty quickly with that charger.
solar ?????
- Thread starter piedpiperIII
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I agree. The link I posted includes the charge controller and a bunch of different "tips". Mine goes from the panel to the controller, then to a buss bar(?) in the old battery locker where it and the 120v charger then connect to the rest of the system.
Hey Al;
I bought a cheap solar panel from Harbor Freight 4 or 5 years ago for my Catalina 22. I can't remember what the output was, but I only wanted it for the trickle charge.
I also installed a simple regulator to stop backflow back to the panel at night.
I bought a cutting board from Home Depot that was a bit larger than the panel. I cut out the middle of it because I had read somewhere that heat was the biggest enemy of solar panels. I ran the wire through the vent down to the battery.
I then purchased a clamp used for grills. I attached it to the panel/cutting board and the port side rail. I would loosen it and swing it down while I sailed and it never got in the way, even my kids getting in and out of the boat via the stern rail.
Once I installed this I never had trouble with my battery during the summer. Before that, by the end of August the battery wouldn't have enough juice to start to motor and I would have to manually start it...
Chris
I added another pic with the panel turned down. I apologize for the sloppiness of my boat in that picture...I am so ashamed!
One of the up sides of turning the panel down while sailing was that it allowed my to place my 'pop' between the panel and the molded side of the boat.
I bought a cheap solar panel from Harbor Freight 4 or 5 years ago for my Catalina 22. I can't remember what the output was, but I only wanted it for the trickle charge.
I also installed a simple regulator to stop backflow back to the panel at night.
I bought a cutting board from Home Depot that was a bit larger than the panel. I cut out the middle of it because I had read somewhere that heat was the biggest enemy of solar panels. I ran the wire through the vent down to the battery.
I then purchased a clamp used for grills. I attached it to the panel/cutting board and the port side rail. I would loosen it and swing it down while I sailed and it never got in the way, even my kids getting in and out of the boat via the stern rail.
Once I installed this I never had trouble with my battery during the summer. Before that, by the end of August the battery wouldn't have enough juice to start to motor and I would have to manually start it...
Chris
I added another pic with the panel turned down. I apologize for the sloppiness of my boat in that picture...I am so ashamed!
One of the up sides of turning the panel down while sailing was that it allowed my to place my 'pop' between the panel and the molded side of the boat.
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