Does anyone have any tips for using solar to keep power boat batteries charged?
 

What are the best panels. What is the best battery configuration. What
is the cost vs. staying with shore power charger?

Does anyone have any tips for using solar to keep power boatbatteries charged?
 

tomdownard wrote:
What are the best panels. What is the best battery configuration. What
is the cost vs. staying with shore power charger?


My setup probably won't help you very much.
I don't have a huge power budget aboard.

The only thing I run is my nav lights at night (2 or 3 hours)
and my VHF (Apollo 55) to get the weather report -
not transmitting much - if at all.

Single house battery
Single 5 watt solar panel from Harbor Freight - on sale for $30.

So I haven't hooked up to shore power now for the last three months
and the battery is in better shape than ever. (adn my shore power
is free with the slip.

My cabin lights are mostly Sylvania Dot-Its.
These are powered by 3 AAA cells each - which I recharge via an iSun
BattPak - plugged into the solar panel - when needed.
I can recharge 9 AAA cells at a time with this rig.
The Hand Held and CD player use AA cells - recharged the same way.

Don't have GPS, Loran, or a color chart plotter.
Don't have a TV or refrigerator.
Don't have an air conditioner either.

Like I said, I doubt my se up will work for many people here.
But it works fine for me.

For what it's worth...


Richard

Does anyone have any tips for using solar to keep power boat batteries charged?
 

On Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:48:32 -0000, tomdownard
wrote stuff
and I replied:

I think that cavelambhimself's answer hits the nail; you need to be
more specific about your power needs.

What are the best panels. What is the best battery configuration. What
is the cost vs. staying with shore power charger?

Human bevaviour: Bestiality with a brain

Does anyone have any tips for using solar to keep power boat batteries charged?
 

On Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:48:32 -0000, tomdownard
wrote stuff
and I replied:

Sorry, it's also really handy to know where you live. The tropics are
best, and the higher latitiudes gernerally worse as you go higher.
Cloud really stufffs things up.

What are the best panels. What is the best battery configuration. What
is the cost vs. staying with shore power charger?

Human bevaviour: Bestiality with a brain