...and thought that maybe my response might help someone although it is pretty vague..
===========================================================
The Question:
Sum: I also have a 26 Mac D model and have 2 80 watt solar panels that I use when cruising. I was wondering what your experience has been on your Florida trip with the solar electrical generation and usage. How many Batteries do you have and what is the total Amps of storage. Do you feel that your solar generation has been enough to do the computer,navigation,refrigeration and any other electrical needs or would you increase any of the components? Could you also get along with a smaller refrigeration unit?
==========================================================
My Response:
The electrical needs we all have are so varied it is hard
to really make a recommendation. Here is what we found.
On the frig a 43 quart would probably do, but we had the 63
filled a number of times on this last 7 1/2 week trip. It
draws a little over 5 amps when it kicks on, but seems to
then go to about 3 1/2 pretty quickly until it kicks off.
We would run it down to 37-38 late afternoon and then turn
it off for the night. It has a good thermostat. In the
morning it would be up to about 44/45. Then it would run
for about 8 hours to get back down to the 37, so it was
running for 30 to 40 percent of the time. Now it was hot,
being 85-90 in the boat most of the day and only getting
into the mid 70's at night. I have no complaints with the
frig considering the conditions. So it is using on the
average about 30-40 amp hours a day.
We used the computer, which is a low draw 12 volt any time
we were underway with the SeaClear program running. The
computer draws about 2.3 amps in this mode and about 2.8
with the WiFi running (Bullet 2HP and router). Now a lot
of the time on this trip when moving it was also on the
outboard which can put out up to 6 amps.
I ran the computer/wifi a lot at night. Often 4-5 hours a
night. We also power the Garmin Map 76S all the time, 24
hours, with the batteries, but I don't think it takes much.
Also at night we ran my CPAP machine that uses about 2
amps for 6-8 hours a night off of the batteries.
A lot of nights towards the end we would run a fan...
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...toreNum=10114&subdeptNum=10704&classNum=10706
...that we love for 2 hours going to sleep and it draws .1
amp on low and puts out a lot of air even on low and will automatically turn off after 2/4/6/8 hours. Not cheap but it moves so much air that we were very comfortable even when the inside temps were over 85 going to bed. With the double gimbal design you can point it anywhere. We had it mounted in front of the v-berth hatch so that it blows air coming down the hatch on us.
For batteries we have two 1 year old interstate RV
batteries group 27. I'd like to change these out in the
future for 2 6 volt golf cart type batteries as I always
run them in parallel.
On the trip I think I put about 2 tanks of gas in the 12
volt gen-set I made. So probably ran it for 3-4 hours
total on the trip. I could of avoided that by staying off
the computer at night. There were a lot of days we never
ran the gen-set at all. In fact maybe only 1 day in 4 and
I might not of needed to then, but would run it for 15/20
minutes in the morning when it would charge at about 18
amps soon going down to 12. I never used it if it was only
putting in 12 amps. I like having the accurate volt and
amp meter and consider them necessary or something like
them if you want to know what is going on.
A lot of days the MPPT charge controller would show the
battery topped off by late afternoon, especially if we had
been on the outboard at all. We have 180 watts. We bought
5 new 80 watt panels for $159 each for the new boat and I
hope to have them all mounted for 400 watts. Your panels
will only put out close to max. wattage for just a couple
hours of the day and then usually never the full rated
output as they aren't perfectly orientated towards the sun.
I would say that you will know pretty quickly if you have
enough storage for your needs. You might have to run the
outboard sometimes depending on the sun angles where you
are and things like cloud cover. We had very little cloud
cover. We also ran the gen-set more on the fall trip with
the low sun angles and short days.
========================================
Here are some links to our site that covers some of the about:
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/outside-13.html
..... 12 Volt Gen-set
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/outside-22.html
..... 40 Watt Panel
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/outside-33.html
.....180 Watt Solar Panels</A>
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/inside-22.html
..... 12 Volt Frig
c ya,
Sum
Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
Our MacGregor S Pages
Mac-Venture Links
===========================================================
The Question:
Sum: I also have a 26 Mac D model and have 2 80 watt solar panels that I use when cruising. I was wondering what your experience has been on your Florida trip with the solar electrical generation and usage. How many Batteries do you have and what is the total Amps of storage. Do you feel that your solar generation has been enough to do the computer,navigation,refrigeration and any other electrical needs or would you increase any of the components? Could you also get along with a smaller refrigeration unit?
==========================================================
My Response:
The electrical needs we all have are so varied it is hard
to really make a recommendation. Here is what we found.
On the frig a 43 quart would probably do, but we had the 63
filled a number of times on this last 7 1/2 week trip. It
draws a little over 5 amps when it kicks on, but seems to
then go to about 3 1/2 pretty quickly until it kicks off.
We would run it down to 37-38 late afternoon and then turn
it off for the night. It has a good thermostat. In the
morning it would be up to about 44/45. Then it would run
for about 8 hours to get back down to the 37, so it was
running for 30 to 40 percent of the time. Now it was hot,
being 85-90 in the boat most of the day and only getting
into the mid 70's at night. I have no complaints with the
frig considering the conditions. So it is using on the
average about 30-40 amp hours a day.
We used the computer, which is a low draw 12 volt any time
we were underway with the SeaClear program running. The
computer draws about 2.3 amps in this mode and about 2.8
with the WiFi running (Bullet 2HP and router). Now a lot
of the time on this trip when moving it was also on the
outboard which can put out up to 6 amps.
I ran the computer/wifi a lot at night. Often 4-5 hours a
night. We also power the Garmin Map 76S all the time, 24
hours, with the batteries, but I don't think it takes much.
Also at night we ran my CPAP machine that uses about 2
amps for 6-8 hours a night off of the batteries.
A lot of nights towards the end we would run a fan...
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...toreNum=10114&subdeptNum=10704&classNum=10706
...that we love for 2 hours going to sleep and it draws .1
amp on low and puts out a lot of air even on low and will automatically turn off after 2/4/6/8 hours. Not cheap but it moves so much air that we were very comfortable even when the inside temps were over 85 going to bed. With the double gimbal design you can point it anywhere. We had it mounted in front of the v-berth hatch so that it blows air coming down the hatch on us.
For batteries we have two 1 year old interstate RV
batteries group 27. I'd like to change these out in the
future for 2 6 volt golf cart type batteries as I always
run them in parallel.
On the trip I think I put about 2 tanks of gas in the 12
volt gen-set I made. So probably ran it for 3-4 hours
total on the trip. I could of avoided that by staying off
the computer at night. There were a lot of days we never
ran the gen-set at all. In fact maybe only 1 day in 4 and
I might not of needed to then, but would run it for 15/20
minutes in the morning when it would charge at about 18
amps soon going down to 12. I never used it if it was only
putting in 12 amps. I like having the accurate volt and
amp meter and consider them necessary or something like
them if you want to know what is going on.
A lot of days the MPPT charge controller would show the
battery topped off by late afternoon, especially if we had
been on the outboard at all. We have 180 watts. We bought
5 new 80 watt panels for $159 each for the new boat and I
hope to have them all mounted for 400 watts. Your panels
will only put out close to max. wattage for just a couple
hours of the day and then usually never the full rated
output as they aren't perfectly orientated towards the sun.
I would say that you will know pretty quickly if you have
enough storage for your needs. You might have to run the
outboard sometimes depending on the sun angles where you
are and things like cloud cover. We had very little cloud
cover. We also ran the gen-set more on the fall trip with
the low sun angles and short days.
========================================
Here are some links to our site that covers some of the about:
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/outside-13.html
..... 12 Volt Gen-set
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/outside-22.html
..... 40 Watt Panel
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/outside-33.html
.....180 Watt Solar Panels</A>
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/inside-22.html
..... 12 Volt Frig
c ya,
Sum
Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
Our MacGregor S Pages
Mac-Venture Links
