Gentlemen: I have a Hunter 22.5 with one 12volt battery to run all the electricals on the boat. No AC, no refrigerator, no big power guzzler. However, when on an extended sail, I can see where the battery may not be sufficient to power such things as running lights, interior lights, radio. I'd like to install a solar panel that would keep the 12 volt battery full. What wattage should I get? What information is available that would show me how to make the connection to the battery?
Solar Pannels
- Thread starter Tony23670
- Start date
- Status
solar panels
Tony, Sounds like you don,t need alot and depending on your type of battery and the AH rating, A small trickle charger might do the trick. you might consider a deep cycle battery and also figure out what your power needs are. here is a link to help with power loads.
Tony, Sounds like you don,t need alot and depending on your type of battery and the AH rating, A small trickle charger might do the trick. you might consider a deep cycle battery and also figure out what your power needs are. here is a link to help with power loads.
Try Camping World
Try campingworld.com The 6 watt solar panel at West Marine is about $100. 5 watt like at bought at West Marine the older version 1 watt less is $60 at Camping World. They also have 15 watt panel for $109. With that you may need Charge controller for $25. I feel West Marine is very over priced.
Try campingworld.com The 6 watt solar panel at West Marine is about $100. 5 watt like at bought at West Marine the older version 1 watt less is $60 at Camping World. They also have 15 watt panel for $109. With that you may need Charge controller for $25. I feel West Marine is very over priced.
Cheap is Cheap
Whenever I see someone present a "Cheap" way to do things I just have to look. If for nothing else than a good chuckle. Cheap is Cheap, and cheap looks cheap. It also performs cheap and holds up cheap. There used to be a publication called the TIGHT WAD GAZETTE. It was great for a chuckle. Full of tips on how to re-use dental floss, how to make furniture from crap out of the dump. They used a lot of Duct Tape. The subscription cost $29.95 a year and taught cheapskates how to scrimp and do without quality so they could save $32.00 a year. Sorry Capt'nJack, but your solar solution looks like crap. But thanks for the chuckle!
Whenever I see someone present a "Cheap" way to do things I just have to look. If for nothing else than a good chuckle. Cheap is Cheap, and cheap looks cheap. It also performs cheap and holds up cheap. There used to be a publication called the TIGHT WAD GAZETTE. It was great for a chuckle. Full of tips on how to re-use dental floss, how to make furniture from crap out of the dump. They used a lot of Duct Tape. The subscription cost $29.95 a year and taught cheapskates how to scrimp and do without quality so they could save $32.00 a year. Sorry Capt'nJack, but your solar solution looks like crap. But thanks for the chuckle!
Cheap Solar
Nothing is for free, and not much for cheap. I don't know what Capt.Jack has for electrical, but a 30watt solar panel will only keep a battery up if you don't use any electricity. Check the "mili" amp hours of that charger. Thats not enough to run a decent radio. Figure your power usage first. Total watts if everything on board. Divide by 12 and you will have the amps consumed. Of course you need to figure how much each is used per day. This will give you an idea of what you need to keep up with it. Just remember that all solar panels are rated at their max output, and you can reasonably expect half of that. If you don't have a lot of electronics, and you don't overnight a lot, I would just get a good, big deep cycle battery.
Nothing is for free, and not much for cheap. I don't know what Capt.Jack has for electrical, but a 30watt solar panel will only keep a battery up if you don't use any electricity. Check the "mili" amp hours of that charger. Thats not enough to run a decent radio. Figure your power usage first. Total watts if everything on board. Divide by 12 and you will have the amps consumed. Of course you need to figure how much each is used per day. This will give you an idea of what you need to keep up with it. Just remember that all solar panels are rated at their max output, and you can reasonably expect half of that. If you don't have a lot of electronics, and you don't overnight a lot, I would just get a good, big deep cycle battery.
You wouldn't sell over priced solar panels for a living?
Listen sonny - a fool and his money are soon parted. We here in Vermont pride ourselves on our ingenuity! I used the solution shown in the link last season and it produced a more than satisfactory result.
Listen sonny - a fool and his money are soon parted. We here in Vermont pride ourselves on our ingenuity! I used the solution shown in the link last season and it produced a more than satisfactory result.
these panels are 4 watts each
If u do the math correctly, two of the panels in your link equals 8 watts. I knew you guys in Vermont were ingenious but what exactly is it you power with 8 watts for the limited sunlight hours you have way up there?
If u do the math correctly, two of the panels in your link equals 8 watts. I knew you guys in Vermont were ingenious but what exactly is it you power with 8 watts for the limited sunlight hours you have way up there?
This sonny will be 70 years old in a couple of months. So, sonny is it.
Watch It Don!
Hey - we are up to four hours of light a day! And don't forget we have a three week sailing season. I know the panels I have produce enough power to keep my batteries charged between weekends. I do a lot of overnights on the weekends and I am on the hook so I need something to keep me juiced. I get enough power to run my anchor light, cabin lights, water pumps, radios, and a DVD player. So I guess it depends on what your needs are. I did buy two more panels so will double my solar output. I also bought a wind generator since I am planning a two week trip this season.
Hey - we are up to four hours of light a day! And don't forget we have a three week sailing season. I know the panels I have produce enough power to keep my batteries charged between weekends. I do a lot of overnights on the weekends and I am on the hook so I need something to keep me juiced. I get enough power to run my anchor light, cabin lights, water pumps, radios, and a DVD player. So I guess it depends on what your needs are. I did buy two more panels so will double my solar output. I also bought a wind generator since I am planning a two week trip this season.
I wasn't knocking
I wasn't knocking the little solar panels. Four 4 watt panels will at their max, put out one amp + a smidge. This will keep batteries charged, if you don't have much, or any power usage. Like when the boat is moored. My point was, they will not put out enough power to replace any usage. You cannot run a decent radio/CD player on one amp+a smidge. Add to this the fact that under normal circumstances they put out less than the rated wattage, and you only have daylight half the time. He wants to keep the batteries charged, using nav lights, anchor lights, radio etc. Granted, he doesn't have a fridge, radar, and other high usage items, but one amp.+a smidge, will not replace what a radio, nav lights and an anchor light will draw.
I wasn't knocking the little solar panels. Four 4 watt panels will at their max, put out one amp + a smidge. This will keep batteries charged, if you don't have much, or any power usage. Like when the boat is moored. My point was, they will not put out enough power to replace any usage. You cannot run a decent radio/CD player on one amp+a smidge. Add to this the fact that under normal circumstances they put out less than the rated wattage, and you only have daylight half the time. He wants to keep the batteries charged, using nav lights, anchor lights, radio etc. Granted, he doesn't have a fridge, radar, and other high usage items, but one amp.+a smidge, will not replace what a radio, nav lights and an anchor light will draw.
Vermont Ingenuity
Hey Captian Jack, I guess that is why Vermont is best known as a hub of innovation and technological breakthroughs! Please know that I am just having fun and mean no harm to you personally or to your fine state. My sense is that if I could buy a pitcher of beer to share with you, we would have a great time together. All the best, Liam.
Hey Captian Jack, I guess that is why Vermont is best known as a hub of innovation and technological breakthroughs! Please know that I am just having fun and mean no harm to you personally or to your fine state. My sense is that if I could buy a pitcher of beer to share with you, we would have a great time together. All the best, Liam.
Question
Have you ever read about that sailing guy you'd really like to sit and drink a few with simply so some of that saltyness may rub off on you? I've been sailing off and on for over 30 years+ and finally met that guy. We called him Nice N Easy.
Have you ever read about that sailing guy you'd really like to sit and drink a few with simply so some of that saltyness may rub off on you? I've been sailing off and on for over 30 years+ and finally met that guy. We called him Nice N Easy.
From Another senior
You have a small boat with moderate loads in an area with lots of sun, so a solar panel would probably help you a lot, but any panel thats not outlandishly large for your boat will probably not supply your demand. A series of panels necessary to supply all your needs would probably look outlandishly terrible, and affect your boats sailing properties. I assume that you don't keep your boat at a dock where you can use a trickle charger, and if that is so, and you are only trying to recharge your battery from one weekend to another, get a reasonably sized panel that mounts so that it looks like it belongs, and it will probably do the job. No solar panels on boats are expected to replace battery capacity and supply all of your loads, and they do not work at night when you use lights and radios, and work poorly in rain and overcast. If you are worried about your battery capacity during your weekend cruises, get higher capacity deep cycle batteries, and plan on using your solar panel for recharging.
You have a small boat with moderate loads in an area with lots of sun, so a solar panel would probably help you a lot, but any panel thats not outlandishly large for your boat will probably not supply your demand. A series of panels necessary to supply all your needs would probably look outlandishly terrible, and affect your boats sailing properties. I assume that you don't keep your boat at a dock where you can use a trickle charger, and if that is so, and you are only trying to recharge your battery from one weekend to another, get a reasonably sized panel that mounts so that it looks like it belongs, and it will probably do the job. No solar panels on boats are expected to replace battery capacity and supply all of your loads, and they do not work at night when you use lights and radios, and work poorly in rain and overcast. If you are worried about your battery capacity during your weekend cruises, get higher capacity deep cycle batteries, and plan on using your solar panel for recharging.
small boat experience
My h23 has had a 5w solar panel for over 15 years. Its a trickle charger that keeps the battery up, and will, over the course of a work week in summer, restore the battery from the limited demands of daysailing/limited night sailing. The guys on the bigger boats don't seem to realize that boats don't need electricity to go. Radio and depthsounder, maybe a few hours of nav. lights at the most. If you analyze your personal habits and power useage, you will have a better idea of your needs. Frankly, I am skimpy on power useage, partly because I dont' want excessive noise. A friend with an S23c uses two 10w panels and swears he needs it. The thing about larger panels is that you have to check every few days to avoid overcharging your battery. I cannot always get out there that often. A 5w is incapable of over charging anything. I haven't read it, but I hear the 12v Bible is helpful. Jim Kolstoe, h23 Kara's Boo.
My h23 has had a 5w solar panel for over 15 years. Its a trickle charger that keeps the battery up, and will, over the course of a work week in summer, restore the battery from the limited demands of daysailing/limited night sailing. The guys on the bigger boats don't seem to realize that boats don't need electricity to go. Radio and depthsounder, maybe a few hours of nav. lights at the most. If you analyze your personal habits and power useage, you will have a better idea of your needs. Frankly, I am skimpy on power useage, partly because I dont' want excessive noise. A friend with an S23c uses two 10w panels and swears he needs it. The thing about larger panels is that you have to check every few days to avoid overcharging your battery. I cannot always get out there that often. A 5w is incapable of over charging anything. I haven't read it, but I hear the 12v Bible is helpful. Jim Kolstoe, h23 Kara's Boo.
Probably and maybe just aren't answers
Do an energy budget and find out what you need, translate that to the wattage (and therefore amperage) output of the panels you select and you will KNOW. Guessing makes no sense.
Do an energy budget and find out what you need, translate that to the wattage (and therefore amperage) output of the panels you select and you will KNOW. Guessing makes no sense.
- Status