On 2007-04-08 19:19:13 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"
said:

3) A twelve-watt panel will output about 3/4 amp max. This means it
will take about 100 hours ideal sun conditions to charge a fully
discharged 85 amp hour battery and more than 150 hours to charge your
120 amp hour battery.

It still measures about 1.2 amps in good sunlight after 3 seasons --
panels are rated for what they'll deliver when they're something like
8-10 years old. They do better new.

I said I had enough of a charge to start the Yanmar, not that the
battery was 100%. Doesn't take much with big, short battery leads.

AND, I am not talking theory, but experience.

YMMV, but that's to be expected in all installations.

--
Jere Lull
Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's new pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI pages: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

"Jere Lull" wrote in message
news:2007041002411316807-jerelull@maccom...
On 2007-04-08 19:19:13 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"
said:

3) A twelve-watt panel will output about 3/4 amp max. This means it
will take about 100 hours ideal sun conditions to charge a fully
discharged 85 amp hour battery and more than 150 hours to charge your
120 amp hour battery.

It still measures about 1.2 amps in good sunlight after 3 seasons --
panels are rated for what they'll deliver when they're something like
8-10 years old. They do better new.

You must be measuring no-load, dead short, amperage. You will find your
amperage at the 14-15 volts needed to charge your batteries is perhaps
half that figure.


I said I had enough of a charge to start the Yanmar, not that the
battery was 100%. Doesn't take much with big, short battery leads.

AND, I am not talking theory, but experience.

Sounds more like talking ignorance to me . . .


Wilbur Hubbard