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Anybody ever used solar panels for...
recharging trolling motor batteries?
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Anybody ever used solar panels for...
On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:02:05 -0400, Gene
wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:51:30 -0400, Tom Francis - SWSports penned the following well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats: |recharging trolling motor batteries? No... but I'd like to hear other folks experiences using solar float charging... Solar float charging seems to work well. I haven't tried it myself but have heard a lot of success stories. A small, inexpensive panel is all you need unless there is a lot of leakage in the electrical system. Recharging a trolling motor is a different matter since serious amps are required. You have to calculate how many amp-hours need to be replaced, and how much daylight time you have available. Most people also recommend derating the panel capacity by at least 50% to allow for all the inefficiencies that creep in to the process. |
Anybody ever used solar panels for...
On Sep 9, 7:12*am, Wayne.B wrote:
On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:02:05 -0400, Gene wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:51:30 -0400, Tom Francis - SWSports penned the following well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats: |recharging trolling motor batteries? No... but I'd like to hear other folks experiences using solar float charging... Solar float charging seems to work well. *I haven't tried it myself but have heard a lot of success stories. * A small, inexpensive panel is all you need unless there is a lot of leakage in the electrical system. Recharging a trolling motor is a different matter since serious amps are required. * You have to calculate how many amp-hours need to be replaced, and how much daylight time you have available. * Most people also recommend derating the panel capacity by at least 50% to allow for all the inefficiencies that creep in to the process. There's a local guy who has a jon boat with some small 8 or 9 hp. two stroke with no charging system, ...pull rope and mag. He has a trolling motor and one battery. I dont' knwo f its a trolling battery or a car job, but he got tired of stringing an extension cord out to his boat shed and hooking a battery charger on the thing, so he got a cheap harbor freight solar panel and clipped it onto the posts. I though, "this'll never go" but he's said he hasn't' put a charger on his battery yet. and says it's always "hot" OK, this guy goes fishing about every saturday afternoon. But I dont' know how much of a serious workout his trolling motor and battery go through. But........ |
Anybody ever used solar panels for...
On Sep 9, 8:41*am, Gene wrote:
On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:12:56 -0400, Wayne.B penned the following well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats: |You have to calculate how many amp-hours need to be |replaced, and how much daylight time you have available. Voltage might also be an issue. A lot of the larger trolling motors are either 24V or 36V and that might drive the price of the solar panels, plus any necessary isolation hardware, through the roof.... Say, $3000 for 2 panels delivering 270W (@ 12V) times 2. That should yield about 45 Amps.... that might even be enough to just run the motor! However, that doesn't account for any power loss or control and isolation hardware.http://tinyurl.com/ml6h6v Things would be easier for a 12V application, but I suspect that the Amps required would be proportionally higher. -- Agent 5.00 Build 1171 Grady-White Gulfstream, out of Oak Island, NC. Homepagehttp://pamandgene.tranquilrefuge.net/* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * I use a 15 watt solar panel to recharge a deep cycle battery on my sailboat and to keep it topped up between uses. This works well for charging between uses but when running the boat, the diesel does most of the charging if the battery is heavily used. |
Anybody ever used solar panels for...
On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:12:56 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:02:05 -0400, Gene wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:51:30 -0400, Tom Francis - SWSports penned the following well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats: |recharging trolling motor batteries? No... but I'd like to hear other folks experiences using solar float charging... Solar float charging seems to work well. I haven't tried it myself but have heard a lot of success stories. A small, inexpensive panel is all you need unless there is a lot of leakage in the electrical system. Recharging a trolling motor is a different matter since serious amps are required. You have to calculate how many amp-hours need to be replaced, and how much daylight time you have available. Most people also recommend derating the panel capacity by at least 50% to allow for all the inefficiencies that creep in to the process. I found a few websites - look the figures from my 24Vdc motor, added a few things up and it comes to roughly $4,000 and that's conservative. Think I'm going in a different direction. :) |
Anybody ever used solar panels for...
Tom Francis - SWSports wrote:
On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:12:56 -0400, Wayne.B wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:02:05 -0400, Gene wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:51:30 -0400, Tom Francis - SWSports penned the following well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats: |recharging trolling motor batteries? No... but I'd like to hear other folks experiences using solar float charging... Solar float charging seems to work well. I haven't tried it myself but have heard a lot of success stories. A small, inexpensive panel is all you need unless there is a lot of leakage in the electrical system. Recharging a trolling motor is a different matter since serious amps are required. You have to calculate how many amp-hours need to be replaced, and how much daylight time you have available. Most people also recommend derating the panel capacity by at least 50% to allow for all the inefficiencies that creep in to the process. I found a few websites - look the figures from my 24Vdc motor, added a few things up and it comes to roughly $4,000 and that's conservative. Think I'm going in a different direction. :) A $100 battery charger? :) -- Birther-Deather-Tenther-Teabagger: Idiots All |
Anybody ever used solar panels for...
Tom Francis - SWSports wrote:
On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:12:56 -0400, Wayne.B wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:02:05 -0400, Gene wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:51:30 -0400, Tom Francis - SWSports penned the following well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats: |recharging trolling motor batteries? No... but I'd like to hear other folks experiences using solar float charging... Solar float charging seems to work well. I haven't tried it myself but have heard a lot of success stories. A small, inexpensive panel is all you need unless there is a lot of leakage in the electrical system. Recharging a trolling motor is a different matter since serious amps are required. You have to calculate how many amp-hours need to be replaced, and how much daylight time you have available. Most people also recommend derating the panel capacity by at least 50% to allow for all the inefficiencies that creep in to the process. I found a few websites - look the figures from my 24Vdc motor, added a few things up and it comes to roughly $4,000 and that's conservative. Think I'm going in a different direction. :) Yeah, like a Wal-Mart battery charger!!!!! |
Anybody ever used solar panels for...
On Sep 9, 11:27*am, NotNow wrote:
Tom Francis - SWSports wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:12:56 -0400, Wayne.B wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:02:05 -0400, Gene wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:51:30 -0400, Tom Francis - SWSports penned the following well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats: |recharging trolling motor batteries? No... but I'd like to hear other folks experiences using solar float charging... Solar float charging seems to work well. *I haven't tried it myself but have heard a lot of success stories. * A small, inexpensive panel is all you need unless there is a lot of leakage in the electrical system. Recharging a trolling motor is a different matter since serious amps are required. * You have to calculate how many amp-hours need to be replaced, and how much daylight time you have available. * Most people also recommend derating the panel capacity by at least 50% to allow for all the inefficiencies that creep in to the process. I found a few websites - look the figures from my 24Vdc motor, added a few things up and it comes to roughly $4,000 and that's conservative. Think I'm going in a different direction. *:) Yeah, like a Wal-Mart battery charger!!!!!- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - You mean one 'o them thar "Treenkle" chargers? ?;^ Q |
Anybody ever used solar panels for...
Tim wrote:
On Sep 9, 11:27 am, NotNow wrote: Tom Francis - SWSports wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:12:56 -0400, Wayne.B wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:02:05 -0400, Gene wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:51:30 -0400, Tom Francis - SWSports penned the following well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats: |recharging trolling motor batteries? No... but I'd like to hear other folks experiences using solar float charging... Solar float charging seems to work well. I haven't tried it myself but have heard a lot of success stories. A small, inexpensive panel is all you need unless there is a lot of leakage in the electrical system. Recharging a trolling motor is a different matter since serious amps are required. You have to calculate how many amp-hours need to be replaced, and how much daylight time you have available. Most people also recommend derating the panel capacity by at least 50% to allow for all the inefficiencies that creep in to the process. I found a few websites - look the figures from my 24Vdc motor, added a few things up and it comes to roughly $4,000 and that's conservative. Think I'm going in a different direction. :) Yeah, like a Wal-Mart battery charger!!!!!- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - You mean one 'o them thar "Treenkle" chargers? ?;^ Q Exactly!! |
Anybody ever used solar panels for...
On Sep 9, 11:36*am, NotNow wrote:
Tim wrote: On Sep 9, 11:27 am, NotNow wrote: Tom Francis - SWSports wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:12:56 -0400, Wayne.B wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:02:05 -0400, Gene wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:51:30 -0400, Tom Francis - SWSports penned the following well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats: |recharging trolling motor batteries? No... but I'd like to hear other folks experiences using solar float charging... Solar float charging seems to work well. *I haven't tried it myself but have heard a lot of success stories. * A small, inexpensive panel is all you need unless there is a lot of leakage in the electrical system. Recharging a trolling motor is a different matter since serious amps are required. * You have to calculate how many amp-hours need to be replaced, and how much daylight time you have available. * Most people also recommend derating the panel capacity by at least 50% to allow for all the inefficiencies that creep in to the process. I found a few websites - look the figures from my 24Vdc motor, added a few things up and it comes to roughly $4,000 and that's conservative. Think I'm going in a different direction. *:) Yeah, like a Wal-Mart battery charger!!!!!- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - You mean one 'o them thar "Treenkle" chargers? ?;^ Q Exactly!!- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Yep, thot so. Thems work purdy gud! |
Anybody ever used solar panels for...
H the K wrote:
Tom Francis - SWSports wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:12:56 -0400, Wayne.B wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:02:05 -0400, Gene wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:51:30 -0400, Tom Francis - SWSports penned the following well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats: |recharging trolling motor batteries? No... but I'd like to hear other folks experiences using solar float charging... Solar float charging seems to work well. I haven't tried it myself but have heard a lot of success stories. A small, inexpensive panel is all you need unless there is a lot of leakage in the electrical system. Recharging a trolling motor is a different matter since serious amps are required. You have to calculate how many amp-hours need to be replaced, and how much daylight time you have available. Most people also recommend derating the panel capacity by at least 50% to allow for all the inefficiencies that creep in to the process. I found a few websites - look the figures from my 24Vdc motor, added a few things up and it comes to roughly $4,000 and that's conservative. Think I'm going in a different direction. :) A $100 battery charger? :) Run it off the generator. Yup! Thats the ticket. WAFA&WAM |
Anybody ever used solar panels for...
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Anybody ever used solar panels for...
On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:27:25 -0400, NotNow wrote:
Tom Francis - SWSports wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:12:56 -0400, Wayne.B wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:02:05 -0400, Gene wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:51:30 -0400, Tom Francis - SWSports penned the following well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats: |recharging trolling motor batteries? No... but I'd like to hear other folks experiences using solar float charging... Solar float charging seems to work well. I haven't tried it myself but have heard a lot of success stories. A small, inexpensive panel is all you need unless there is a lot of leakage in the electrical system. Recharging a trolling motor is a different matter since serious amps are required. You have to calculate how many amp-hours need to be replaced, and how much daylight time you have available. Most people also recommend derating the panel capacity by at least 50% to allow for all the inefficiencies that creep in to the process. I found a few websites - look the figures from my 24Vdc motor, added a few things up and it comes to roughly $4,000 and that's conservative. Think I'm going in a different direction. :) Yeah, like a Wal-Mart battery charger!!!!! Well, that's kind of the problem - no power to run the charger. I have an on-board charger. |
Anybody ever used solar panels for...
Tom Francis - SWSports wrote:
On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:27:25 -0400, NotNow wrote: Tom Francis - SWSports wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:12:56 -0400, Wayne.B wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:02:05 -0400, Gene wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:51:30 -0400, Tom Francis - SWSports penned the following well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats: |recharging trolling motor batteries? No... but I'd like to hear other folks experiences using solar float charging... Solar float charging seems to work well. I haven't tried it myself but have heard a lot of success stories. A small, inexpensive panel is all you need unless there is a lot of leakage in the electrical system. Recharging a trolling motor is a different matter since serious amps are required. You have to calculate how many amp-hours need to be replaced, and how much daylight time you have available. Most people also recommend derating the panel capacity by at least 50% to allow for all the inefficiencies that creep in to the process. I found a few websites - look the figures from my 24Vdc motor, added a few things up and it comes to roughly $4,000 and that's conservative. Think I'm going in a different direction. :) Yeah, like a Wal-Mart battery charger!!!!! Well, that's kind of the problem - no power to run the charger. I have an on-board charger. Buy a Honda generator. -- Birther-Deather-Tenther-Teabagger: Idiots All |
Anybody ever used solar panels for...
|
Anybody ever used solar panels for...
NotNow wrote:
Tim wrote: On Sep 9, 11:27 am, NotNow wrote: Tom Francis - SWSports wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:12:56 -0400, Wayne.B wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:02:05 -0400, Gene wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:51:30 -0400, Tom Francis - SWSports penned the following well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats: |recharging trolling motor batteries? No... but I'd like to hear other folks experiences using solar float charging... Solar float charging seems to work well. I haven't tried it myself but have heard a lot of success stories. A small, inexpensive panel is all you need unless there is a lot of leakage in the electrical system. Recharging a trolling motor is a different matter since serious amps are required. You have to calculate how many amp-hours need to be replaced, and how much daylight time you have available. Most people also recommend derating the panel capacity by at least 50% to allow for all the inefficiencies that creep in to the process. I found a few websites - look the figures from my 24Vdc motor, added a few things up and it comes to roughly $4,000 and that's conservative. Think I'm going in a different direction. :) Yeah, like a Wal-Mart battery charger!!!!!- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - You mean one 'o them thar "Treenkle" chargers? ?;^ Q Exactly!! There are different kinds. Some know when to shut off - others don't. |
Anybody ever used solar panels for...
On Wed, 9 Sep 2009 14:04:06 -0700, "Calif Bill"
wrote: Unless you are using the batteries everyday, you do not need a 45 amp panel. A 6 amp from Harbor freight is about $200. I believe that would be for a 12 volt battery. For a 24 volt battery you'd need two panels in series and a 24 volt charge controller. http://store.solar-electric.com/ss-20l.html |
Anybody ever used solar panels for...
"D 2" wrote in message ... Calif Bill wrote: "Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in message ... On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:04:21 -0400, wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:54:22 -0400, Tom Francis - SWSports wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:12:56 -0400, Wayne.B wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:02:05 -0400, Gene wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:51:30 -0400, Tom Francis - SWSports penned the following well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats: |recharging trolling motor batteries? No... but I'd like to hear other folks experiences using solar float charging... Solar float charging seems to work well. I haven't tried it myself but have heard a lot of success stories. A small, inexpensive panel is all you need unless there is a lot of leakage in the electrical system. Recharging a trolling motor is a different matter since serious amps are required. You have to calculate how many amp-hours need to be replaced, and how much daylight time you have available. Most people also recommend derating the panel capacity by at least 50% to allow for all the inefficiencies that creep in to the process. I found a few websites - look the figures from my 24Vdc motor, added a few things up and it comes to roughly $4,000 and that's conservative. Think I'm going in a different direction. :) It really depends on how often you use the motor and how much sunshine you have between uses. Base that against how much money you are willing to spend. Dollar for dollar, it is very hard to compete with utility power, no matter what you do and copper, averaged over it's life, is cheap. Running shore power down to the dock is usually the cheapest option, even if it is pretty far away. Solar is for those who can't do that. This is more a matter of where the boat is located at the moment - it's on a trailer stored in a marina and it's a distance from any electrical power. I thought that I'd be able to at least put a little juice into the batteries by using solar, but the dollar cost just isn't viable. I've heard mixed results with the on-board chargers - some like them some don't. Unless you are using the batteries everyday, you do not need a 45 amp panel. A 6 amp from Harbor freight is about $200. $200? Was going from memory of last trip to HF. Was a 45 watt panel for $219. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=90599 |
Anybody ever used solar panels for...
"Wayne.B" wrote in message ... On Wed, 9 Sep 2009 14:04:06 -0700, "Calif Bill" wrote: Unless you are using the batteries everyday, you do not need a 45 amp panel. A 6 amp from Harbor freight is about $200. I believe that would be for a 12 volt battery. For a 24 volt battery you'd need two panels in series and a 24 volt charge controller. http://store.solar-electric.com/ss-20l.html Or an inverter to your charger. |
Anybody ever used solar panels for...
On Wed, 9 Sep 2009 22:52:20 -0700, "Calif Bill"
wrote: http://store.solar-electric.com/ss-20l.html Or an inverter to your charger. More complexity, an extra 12 volt battery to drive the inverter, much higher system losses. Not a good plan in my opinion. |
Anybody ever used solar panels for...
Calif Bill wrote:
"D 2" wrote in message ... Calif Bill wrote: "Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in message ... On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:04:21 -0400, wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:54:22 -0400, Tom Francis - SWSports wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:12:56 -0400, Wayne.B wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:02:05 -0400, Gene wrote: On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:51:30 -0400, Tom Francis - SWSports penned the following well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats: |recharging trolling motor batteries? No... but I'd like to hear other folks experiences using solar float charging... Solar float charging seems to work well. I haven't tried it myself but have heard a lot of success stories. A small, inexpensive panel is all you need unless there is a lot of leakage in the electrical system. Recharging a trolling motor is a different matter since serious amps are required. You have to calculate how many amp-hours need to be replaced, and how much daylight time you have available. Most people also recommend derating the panel capacity by at least 50% to allow for all the inefficiencies that creep in to the process. I found a few websites - look the figures from my 24Vdc motor, added a few things up and it comes to roughly $4,000 and that's conservative. Think I'm going in a different direction. :) It really depends on how often you use the motor and how much sunshine you have between uses. Base that against how much money you are willing to spend. Dollar for dollar, it is very hard to compete with utility power, no matter what you do and copper, averaged over it's life, is cheap. Running shore power down to the dock is usually the cheapest option, even if it is pretty far away. Solar is for those who can't do that. This is more a matter of where the boat is located at the moment - it's on a trailer stored in a marina and it's a distance from any electrical power. I thought that I'd be able to at least put a little juice into the batteries by using solar, but the dollar cost just isn't viable. I've heard mixed results with the on-board chargers - some like them some don't. Unless you are using the batteries everyday, you do not need a 45 amp panel. A 6 amp from Harbor freight is about $200. $200? Was going from memory of last trip to HF. Was a 45 watt panel for $219. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=90599 45W - That makes sense. |
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