I have replaced the wet cell battery which came with my H260 with a 95AH AGM battery, and I am wondering if it will be enough to power a 10A CD/Receiver, Raymarine autopilot(10A), Raymarine Depth/knotmeter, VHF and start the outboard(Nissan 9.9 4) 2-3x. We typically sail for about 3-6 hours(on a a good day). If I get a second battery, should I use it in parallel with the existing to increase the capacity, or opt for a dedicated starting battery? I would probably place it in the aft port bulkhead to simplify wiring and because their's a flat panel ready and waiting for a battery and strap. Also, I have a Unisolar 5W solar charger. Can I use this to recharge the battery without worrying about overcharging? Or should I get a regulator? West has a cheap one for around $30, and then they jump to $80 and then up. Any recommendations? I usually get down to the boat once a week and I'm uncomfortable leaving a shore powered 3-stage charger plugged in when I'm away. Thanks, Al
AGM Charging
- Thread starter Alan ONeill
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H260 Electrical Requirements
It makes sense to add a battery to power your H260 electrical requirements. I have a Trucharge 20 and the ability to switch between both batteries when necessary. Gives me lots more flexibitly. There is lots of stuff in the archives that helped me. This link also might help: http://pws.chartermi.net/~gkobernus/H260_Web/electrical.htm
It makes sense to add a battery to power your H260 electrical requirements. I have a Trucharge 20 and the ability to switch between both batteries when necessary. Gives me lots more flexibitly. There is lots of stuff in the archives that helped me. This link also might help: http://pws.chartermi.net/~gkobernus/H260_Web/electrical.htm
you need to balance
your storage capacity with your load requirements and your charging ability. You should not drain your batteries more than 50% capacity. If you drain them more than that, they will die an early death. The lower you draw them down, the more important it is to fully charge them quickly. a 5 watt solar panel will produce about 1/2 an amp max. assuming you draw down your 95AH battery 50 %, it will take about 48 hours to charge it with the panel. Figure 4 hours of sun a day, 12 days to fully charge it. In the real world of less than 100% effeciency, cloudy days, etc. figure 15-18 days. Thats not soon enough. If you have shore power, a good (key word good) 3 stage charger with the proper safety devices should be just fine. If you are nervous about leaving it unattended, maybe use a timer that shuts it off after 5-7 hours. A 10 amp shore powered charger will charge your batteries in that time and your solar will keep it topped off after that. A five watt panel will not overcharge a 95AH battery. Also consider a seperate starting battery. It doesn't need to be big, I also have a 9.9 nissan, I use a $30.00 Wal Mart garden tractor battery for my starting battery and a battery combiner to keep it charged and also charge the house battery when the outboard is running. You might also consider increasing your house bank by one more identical battery. The shallower you cycle your batteries, the longer they will live. It would also give you the extra capacity to go for a 4-5 day trip. There are LOTS of threads in the archives about this subject.
your storage capacity with your load requirements and your charging ability. You should not drain your batteries more than 50% capacity. If you drain them more than that, they will die an early death. The lower you draw them down, the more important it is to fully charge them quickly. a 5 watt solar panel will produce about 1/2 an amp max. assuming you draw down your 95AH battery 50 %, it will take about 48 hours to charge it with the panel. Figure 4 hours of sun a day, 12 days to fully charge it. In the real world of less than 100% effeciency, cloudy days, etc. figure 15-18 days. Thats not soon enough. If you have shore power, a good (key word good) 3 stage charger with the proper safety devices should be just fine. If you are nervous about leaving it unattended, maybe use a timer that shuts it off after 5-7 hours. A 10 amp shore powered charger will charge your batteries in that time and your solar will keep it topped off after that. A five watt panel will not overcharge a 95AH battery. Also consider a seperate starting battery. It doesn't need to be big, I also have a 9.9 nissan, I use a $30.00 Wal Mart garden tractor battery for my starting battery and a battery combiner to keep it charged and also charge the house battery when the outboard is running. You might also consider increasing your house bank by one more identical battery. The shallower you cycle your batteries, the longer they will live. It would also give you the extra capacity to go for a 4-5 day trip. There are LOTS of threads in the archives about this subject.
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