Jerry Atkiin wrote in news:Xns991CA281EDD1tayana272
@216.168.3.44:

Two questions... as the input I doubt would exceed the current used is
there any problem just hooking the panel direct to the house battery
without a regulator?



Not a 20 watt panel like you're looking at. 20 watts is NOTHING! 20
watts is an anchor light. Only problem with that is it's only 20 watts
at NOON on a bright, sunny day with no clouds and no obstructions shading
the panel. It's only 20 watts for a couple of hours. The anchor light
is from dusk to dawn, 10 hours to 14 hours.

Charging the battery with a 20 watt panel and the tiniest fridge running
off the batteries will kill the battery 2 hours later than without the 20
watt panel....if the sun is bright, of course.

We need KILOWATT HOURS, not watt hours....Big difference!

Larry
--

"Larry" wrote Charging the battery with a 20 watt panel
and the tiniest fridge running
off the batteries will kill the battery 2 hours later than without the 20
watt panel....if the sun is bright, of course.

We need KILOWATT HOURS, not watt hours....Big difference!


Larry,

What you say is true if the boat is continually in use, like a liveaboard.
Lets say it puts out, on average 1amp for 8 hours on a nice sunny day in
Michigan. If the boat has a fridge, it probably draws about 2.5A on
average, so the panel will provide 40% of this for 1/3 of each day. Total
is 8 Ah/day or about 16 minutes motoring (on our boat).

But, if the boat sits at dock a good part of the time, the 20 Watt panel may
do some good. Lets say 6Ah/day for 5 days between weekend cruises. This
will put back 30Ah, or about 30% of what is needed to recharge a 200Ah bank
that is 50% discharged.

I have been thinking about installing one 80 or two 40-Watt units. These
would have capacity to recharge our 200Ah bank between cruises. When it is
operating at peak while cruising, it will put out the 5Amps that the fridge
draws when running. It will need a regulator and I would connect it to the
input of our battery combiner (which is actually the alternator output).

Still need to do some research on which unit(s) to buy.

"Duffer" wrote in news:hgwXh.17676$Uq.6520
@read2.cgocable.net:

Still need to do some research on which unit(s) to buy.


A windcharger with a charge regulator. Then it doesn't matter how much
power you use....The wind always blows....24/7 if the damned boat is
anchored out so it can drag...(c;

You don't have to sit in the dark with the windcharger.....

Larry
--

Larry wrote:
"Duffer" wrote in news:hgwXh.17676$Uq.6520
@read2.cgocable.net:

Still need to do some research on which unit(s) to buy.


A windcharger with a charge regulator. Then it doesn't matter how much
power you use....The wind always blows....24/7 if the damned boat is
anchored out so it can drag...(c;

You don't have to sit in the dark with the windcharger.....

Larry
But you have to turn the sound up on the stereo!

krj wrote in news:weSXh.13859$vD4.1013@bigfe9:

But you have to turn the sound up on the stereo!



If you play your cards just right, she'll be makin' too much noise up in
the V-berth to hear the windcharger....(c;

If all you can hear is the windcharger, you'll know you screwed up!

Larry
--

"Larry" wrote in message
...
"Duffer" wrote in news:hgwXh.17676$Uq.6520
@read2.cgocable.net:

Still need to do some research on which unit(s) to buy.


A windcharger with a charge regulator. Then it doesn't matter how much
power you use....

Larry writes:

"The wind always blows...."

It does??? Not around here. That is why the solar chargers are needed.

"Duffer" wrote in news:huUXh.18987$Uq.7208
@read2.cgocable.net:

It does??? Not around here. That is why the solar chargers are needed.




Hope yours is a POWER boat....(c;
Sailing's awfully boring with no wind....


Larry
--

"Larry" wrote
Hope yours is a POWER boat....(c;
Sailing's awfully boring with no wind....

Mine's what you might call a hybrid. Got this fossil fuel unit on the back,
with the power of four horses.