So what I'm trying to figure out, is this; lately I've noticed that while working on renovating my boat, I've always ran my laptop off it's own battery for background music, and hand sanding, so there's NOTHING using any electricity. I have a 5 watt solar panel(considering adding a 15 watt panel and regulator as well) attached to the marine battery. However, I'm seeing that around 8 or 9pm, when I turn on the cabin lights, they start to dim REALLY fast, like around 25-30 minutes after being turned on. What should I be doing to make sure those don't dim out, because later on down the line, I don't want to be night sailing and not even have enough juice to power the running lights and whatnot. My ultimate goal, is to be able to go out in the evenings, and not have to worry about the electric failing, while still being able to operate lights, VHF radio, and music as well. I plan on switching out the conventional bulbs in the cabin lights to LED, possibly even just getting battery powered LED taplights to replace them altogether and add one, maybe even two more batteries and run them parallel. Anything I can do besides getting a gas powered generator to do this? I really don't want to get a set up that relies on dinosaur juice. Trying to break away from that. Thanks.
- Status
Well...
Some information is missing. I guess the first question, and you already asked it, is why? But that could be answered easily by performing a budget analysis of you electrical needs. Calculate exactly what you have in your boat. Regardless if you use it all at once, find out what the total power requirements would be. Then check to see if you have the batteries to support that requirement in amphours. But because your lights are fading quickly, I would think possibly you are having battery problems. How many batteries do you have and what type? If you turn on your lights and about 30 minutes they are dying then I would think you have bad batteries or dead cells. Tell us what you have battery wise and what you are running. Your solar power might not even be enough to trickle you batteries if you are using them for anything.
Some information is missing. I guess the first question, and you already asked it, is why? But that could be answered easily by performing a budget analysis of you electrical needs. Calculate exactly what you have in your boat. Regardless if you use it all at once, find out what the total power requirements would be. Then check to see if you have the batteries to support that requirement in amphours. But because your lights are fading quickly, I would think possibly you are having battery problems. How many batteries do you have and what type? If you turn on your lights and about 30 minutes they are dying then I would think you have bad batteries or dead cells. Tell us what you have battery wise and what you are running. Your solar power might not even be enough to trickle you batteries if you are using them for anything.
My experience
A single small deep cycle battery really doesn't run lights all that well or long in my experience. I had one in my L25 and if I came in late after running my running lights for only about a half hour the drain on the battery was noticeable. My boat had a solar panel on it that couldn't have been more than five watts. It worked well to keep charge topped off and to run the bilge pump, but I think I would have added a second battery if I was planning anything more than an overnight. BobM
A single small deep cycle battery really doesn't run lights all that well or long in my experience. I had one in my L25 and if I came in late after running my running lights for only about a half hour the drain on the battery was noticeable. My boat had a solar panel on it that couldn't have been more than five watts. It worked well to keep charge topped off and to run the bilge pump, but I think I would have added a second battery if I was planning anything more than an overnight. BobM
Second battery
You really should consider a second battery, in addition to checking the condition of your existing battery, if your primary concern is safety. I too, plan on looking into LED's for cabin lights, running lights, etc...as I think they can save a lot of power drain on a limited system...but I have two batteries already on my recently aquired S2 9.2A, so I have the safety aspect somewhat covered already. BobM
You really should consider a second battery, in addition to checking the condition of your existing battery, if your primary concern is safety. I too, plan on looking into LED's for cabin lights, running lights, etc...as I think they can save a lot of power drain on a limited system...but I have two batteries already on my recently aquired S2 9.2A, so I have the safety aspect somewhat covered already. BobM
update...
Man, you gotta love Home Depot. I picked up a 2-pack of battery powered LED lights for 14.77, that let you screw-mount, stick on, or even just clip on to anything. They are wayyyyyyy brighter than I thought they would be. I'm thinking if I picked up 2 more packs, I'd be able to light my whole cabin up like a Christmas tree. Also, got 2 new fire extinguishers for 12 bucks each. So the lighting and more safety features are now covered...as for the battery though, I went back and checked, and it's an Optima Blue top. Not sure how old it is, but I made double sure that the terminals were completely clean, and that the connections were tight. I found a guy on craigslist that has a whole pallet of Optima Red Tops, that he's selling for $80 each, but I don't know if they would work out or not. Another thing that's been bothering me the past couple days, is the fact that when I hook up shorepower, I still can't get anything other than the power outlets to run, like the cabin lights, etc. I'm still trying to figure out how I turn the bilge pump on. As is, I just bailed water out of the bilge compartment with a cup, into a bucket.
Man, you gotta love Home Depot. I picked up a 2-pack of battery powered LED lights for 14.77, that let you screw-mount, stick on, or even just clip on to anything. They are wayyyyyyy brighter than I thought they would be. I'm thinking if I picked up 2 more packs, I'd be able to light my whole cabin up like a Christmas tree. Also, got 2 new fire extinguishers for 12 bucks each. So the lighting and more safety features are now covered...as for the battery though, I went back and checked, and it's an Optima Blue top. Not sure how old it is, but I made double sure that the terminals were completely clean, and that the connections were tight. I found a guy on craigslist that has a whole pallet of Optima Red Tops, that he's selling for $80 each, but I don't know if they would work out or not. Another thing that's been bothering me the past couple days, is the fact that when I hook up shorepower, I still can't get anything other than the power outlets to run, like the cabin lights, etc. I'm still trying to figure out how I turn the bilge pump on. As is, I just bailed water out of the bilge compartment with a cup, into a bucket.
Even with shore power connected...
You still need to turn on the master DC switch and battery switch. I did the same thing a long time ago thinking that connecting to shore power I'd get DC thru the charger. Well, hello... Don't work that way. In my boat, I have shore power tricking the batteries and the master DC switch on. Bilge pump is the only switch I have on. Everything else is off. Battery switch in lazerette set to "all" or "both". Bilge pump works. At least that is how my wiring is done. It may not be right, but I am not messing with it. LOL
As for batteries, I purchased mine at WalMart. Did that last year. Got Group27, two of them.
You still need to turn on the master DC switch and battery switch. I did the same thing a long time ago thinking that connecting to shore power I'd get DC thru the charger. Well, hello... Don't work that way. In my boat, I have shore power tricking the batteries and the master DC switch on. Bilge pump is the only switch I have on. Everything else is off. Battery switch in lazerette set to "all" or "both". Bilge pump works. At least that is how my wiring is done. It may not be right, but I am not messing with it. LOL
As for batteries, I purchased mine at WalMart. Did that last year. Got Group27, two of them.Starting to put in a LOT of hours on this...lol
Okay, I think I found the root of one of the major power issues I was having. After looking over everything, and unscrewing the switch panel, I discovered that the master switch has no wires connected to it at all. There's 4 wires just hanging loose inside the compartment behind it not even taped off or anything, and I have no clue which one goes where. I guess the only reason that my cabin lights were even working long enough to dim out, was because even though they are running through an accessory switch panel behind the battery, and THEN to the main switch panel, the lines had been spliced, and run straight to the battery terminals, ergo nothing else is actually hooked up. No running lights, mast light, bilge pump, etc...I found a wiring diagram online, but it just shows the routing of the wire throughout, and not anything specific on how the panel is wired. Almost all of the wires running off the panel behind the battery have tape labels, but I don't know which ones go where on the actual switch panel that controls everything. Anybody have a diagram of sorts so I can get this baby running? Would greatly appreciate it. Also, to Brian, did you by chance see the "mini-boat parade" going around our marina today? Was rather interesting, to say the least, LOL
Okay, I think I found the root of one of the major power issues I was having. After looking over everything, and unscrewing the switch panel, I discovered that the master switch has no wires connected to it at all. There's 4 wires just hanging loose inside the compartment behind it not even taped off or anything, and I have no clue which one goes where. I guess the only reason that my cabin lights were even working long enough to dim out, was because even though they are running through an accessory switch panel behind the battery, and THEN to the main switch panel, the lines had been spliced, and run straight to the battery terminals, ergo nothing else is actually hooked up. No running lights, mast light, bilge pump, etc...I found a wiring diagram online, but it just shows the routing of the wire throughout, and not anything specific on how the panel is wired. Almost all of the wires running off the panel behind the battery have tape labels, but I don't know which ones go where on the actual switch panel that controls everything. Anybody have a diagram of sorts so I can get this baby running? Would greatly appreciate it. Also, to Brian, did you by chance see the "mini-boat parade" going around our marina today? Was rather interesting, to say the least, LOL
- Status