Recommend a 100 watt Solar Setup for my C-22

[Carl Wonderful]

Hello,

Looking for a recommendation or links to a full 100 watt solar setup for my catalina 22. No fridge, no power hungry anything... Just the usual simple necessities for multiple night stays (2 to 4 days) on the boat. Don't need anything fancy.

-An inverter would be nice.
-Also like the charge controller option to see how many Volts I'm at.

There is so many and its really confusing and so many options at a huge range of prices???

Can I get a decent full kit setup for around $300 to $400? Or will I just end up with junk that I'll need to replace in a year or two?

I have 1 brand new, good quality regular Lead acid car battery right now...but nothing else. I would be open to getting another battery in the near future.

Thanks

 

[Davidasailor26]

I have 1 brand new, good quality regular Lead acid car battery right now

Car batteries are not really the best for what you’re looking to do. Car batteries are designed to give a relatively high amperage for a short period of time, like you need for starting a car engine. They aren’t designed for giving low amperage over a long period of time, and they don’t tolerate being deeply discharged very well at all. You’re much better off with a proper deep cycle lead acid battery, or better yet a LiFePO4 lithium battery.

-An inverter would be nice.

Consider what you really want the inverter to and whether you could do the same thing with just 12V connections. Many things, like charging electronics, are doable with just 12V, and skipping the inverter saves complexity and cost.

-Also like the charge controller option to see how many Volts I'm at.

The de facto standard for this is a Victron Smart Shunt. This tracks voltage and the amps in and out of the battery to give a more accurate state of charge than voltage alone. The smart shunt has Bluetooth so you can see the data from your phone without needing to wire an additional display.

 

[dlochner]

-Also like the charge controller option to see how many Volts I'm at.

A Victron Smart Controller with Blue Tooth will provide the info you want and is programmable. Coupled with the Victron Smart Shunt you can have all the information you need on the phone.

I have 1 brand new, good quality regular Lead acid car battery right now...but nothing else. I would be open to getting another battery in the near future.

Consider buying a medium grade (i.e. not the cheapest) LiFePO battery. A 100 amphour battery will give you plenty of power for a few days especially with some solar charging. Many LFP batteries now have Bluetooth so you can directly monitor the battery's condition.