Solar Pannels ?

[Glenn Basore]

Any one using these to keep your battery charged while not sailing for a week or two ?

I have a 2006 Eclipse and my battery will not stay charged after sitting for two weeks.  I want to use a Solar panel that I could hook up and may be just lay on the deck some place in full sun. when I'm ready to tow I would disconnect it and put it away.

Is there one or two batteries, I have one in the cockpit port locker area.

I don't know what size or brand to get ?

May be I should think about mounting it permanently some place, any suggestions (be nice !)

[mgoller]

Hey Glen,

I have used a solar panel for years.  The same one.  I bought it at Radio Shack for $20.  I mounted it on the deck just where the coaming ends on the CP19.  Its about five inches wide by 15 " long.  It is more a trickle charger (150ma).   But I never have to charge the battery!
I use the battery for CD player, depth, log, knot meter for several hours a week.  The solar charger keeps the deep cycle topped up.
I mounted it with a couple of spots of "goop".  If I change my mind I just scrape it off.
I masked the black plastic housing and shot it with white paint.  Honestly I never notice the thing.
If you really want to use electricity hard for lighting and long hours you'll need a monster solar panel which pretty much has to mount on top the companionway hatch.
When I use electrical that hard I bring two deep cycles and then at the end of the weekend take them out to charge.
Make sure to fuse the panel.
I am not fancy, I just run the small wire over the deck and under the locker hatch.  Haven't broken the wire yet.
Good Luck, happy sailing!

[Craig Weis]

Skip here, the solar panel used on my C-P 19 is the same size as the fwd hatch on the deck over the vee-birth...the panel has four screws holding it's assembly together, so I replaced these with longer ones...long enough to pop through four cane tips from the local drug store that are 'gooped' on to the hatch...what this does is raises the panel up above the hatch about 3/4 of an inch for some light, and allows cooling air under the panel. The wire from the panel goes through the hatch frame through a drilled hole and sealed up with 5200. Then run down the compression post, under the vee-birth and to the battery via the quarter births. So I never notice anything either.
Somewhere on the photos posted either here in the gallery or below the front page in the flapper stuff are pictures of the panel.
We trickle 300 mili-amps at about 16 volts, depends on the sun. Not much but enough. skip.

[Glenn Basore]

Great !

My biggest complaint about batteries is, You have to keep them charged which I usually let go until I need it and of course, its dead !

I think by adding the solar panel it would solve this problem.

I read some place there is an adapter you can buy to use your out board to charge the battery while your motor is running, I haven't found any info on this for my 2006 Mercury 4 hp.(owners manual)

Most likely I will be day sailing only, however, a late summer afternoon early evening would make for a nice sail so the lights would be a must.

May be an over night stay at the Chanel Islands off Ventura.

Also, I was thinking of an electric bilge pump, would the battery work for that ?

how do you determind the solar panel size for your batter ?

[Craig Weis]

Somewhere in my old posts is a complete listing of all electrical consumables on my 19. And yes if everything is on for a few hours I will deplete my 1000 cold cranking amp battery. I have resisted added a second battery as I don't need any more weight in the stern or on the boat.

For around $70 plus installation, which I would do myself, I could purchase a kit for my 2~cycle 5 hp Mercury O/B and charge my battery.

All old posts can be lined up and read simply by clicking on any post in the upper left hand top at 'skip' and then on next page in the upper left hand side at 'show posts' [by skip].

[Rick Klages]

Ask Gil.  He set up the solar system on "Steppin' Up" and it works great.  It includes a controller that connects the solar cell, Battery and the fuse panel.  Ready to go all the time!  I must remember to pull the battery over the winter!

ick

[Glenn Basore]

That sounds like what I need,

Not being very Electrically inclined, It would be great to get a simple block wiring diagram on how to do this.

I still have not found a Solar Panel that I like, some just look to cheap, others way to costly for what they are.

I was even thinking about permanently mounting the panel on the real rail assembly so its up and out of the way and would get most of the sun possible.

Now to look for Gil !

Hey Gil, are you out there ?

[Rick Klages]

Solar Panel on Steppin' Up 



The controller

   

http://www.morningstarcorp.com/products/SunGuard



http://www.hamcontact.com/unisolar/flex.html

And a 12 volt gell cell battery connected to the fuse/switch box. The directions included with the Sun Guard make this straight forward.

ick

[Glenn Basore]

Rick,

Very nicely done, thanks for the photos.

So this is a temporary set up or is it permanent ?

I will go to the link you provided.

Also, Are you able to run electric items off this panel while at sail or in a slip or is it to maintain the charge while you are not using the boat ?

I think this is a much better way to go rather than using the out board to charge the battery.

[Rick Klages]

for sail and the slip or mooring.  You need to ask Gil about how fast, how long and how much as I bought this boat already set up from him.  Seems to be enough for navigation and cabin use.  Perhaps also a small radio.

ick

[Glenn Basore]

Rick,

This looks like a pretty good set up.

I just want to maintain my battery at a full charge while she sits. Later on I would like to add a marine band radio so I would like to be able to add more panels or what ever it will take to run the few electrics I will have.

As a day sailor, I only get out a few times a month and sail in the ocean for a full day.

I do need a few basic things, radio, gps etc.Are you able to sail this week end ?

[Rick Klages]

Yes I'll sail this weekend, I replied to your post in the lounge.  My gps and marine vhf  (both hand held) are powered from conventional rechargeable batteries that I maintain at home.  The battery on the boat I reserve for navigation and cabin lighting.  I am considering adding a conventional lighter type outlet for the recharge of my collection of portable electronic devices.

ick

[Gil Weiss]

FYI . . .I used an 18 or 20 AMP hour Gel Cell, if my memory serves me correctly, in Rick's boat. This was light enough to manuever and lift into the chain locker behind the power panel on his CP16. You can run cabin lights and a radio or two on this during a weekend of sailing. The 5 watt solar panel always charged it back up during the week. I never ran out of power when I owned this set up.

If you need more power you could use a larger battery including a full size automotive battery if you can heft it into the cabin area. I felt the gell cell was a safe and good compromise. The 5 watt flexible solar mounted fit well on the foredeck. Always use a charge controller or you could cook your battery (and possibly your boat). Wiring is very easy and diagrams accompanied the charge controller. The solar panel hooks to the charge controller which connects to the battery that is hooked into the power distribution panel. Not complicated.

Regaridng a marine radio, most of the time it is on receive. When you do transmit you generally keep it at one watt output which does not take a lot of amperage. Even 5 watts is easy on the battery. The running lights didn't phase this set up either.

During winter storage I removed everything from the boat and kept the battery up by charging once a month with a small battery charger.

[Glenn Basore]

Gil,

Thanks, I got a pretty good idea on what I need starting with a 5 watt panel and controller. My battery is what came with the boat, I was told I have two but only see one case where the battery is kepted, may be there are 2 small batteries inside this case which is in the port cock pit locker. I will take a better look at it this weekend.

The set up you have sounds perfect for me and thanks on the radio information as well. I never had one before.

What kind of radio do you have ?

Also, are you using a hand held gps unit or do you have one mounted on your boat some place ?

Glenn