Boat and Batteries and Charging, Oh, my!
 

With spring almost here, it won't be long until the boat comes out of
its cocoon for its April shake down cruise.

The subject of taking the boat along with us to a family vacation out
in the Wisconsin Dells area came up, and that got me to thinking about
the battery situation.

Its just a small bowrider, so either I'll pull it out each night and
park it by the house, or I'd rent a slip for $15 a night and leave it in
the water for the three days we'd be up there.

Without an alternator, though, I'm worried about leaving it at a slip.
I have an accessory battery, so I'm not worried about getting
stranded, but running lights and a stereo take up juice.

Has anybody here ever used solar charging stations? I see them on
Amazon for between $40 and $200, at least for power levels I might
require. I want something that's easy to stow, so a 5w or 8w flex panel
(roughly 1' x 1') is probably the largest I could go.

I know those are more maintenance charge levels, but I'm thinking that
might be enough to compensate for the 4-5 hours of use the stereo would
get, assuming it has a good portion of the morning in full sun to charge.

Thoughts?

Boat and Batteries and Charging, Oh, my!
 

On Tue, 15 Mar 2016 09:04:03 -0500, "Ryan P."
wrote:

With spring almost here, it won't be long until the boat comes out of
its cocoon for its April shake down cruise.

The subject of taking the boat along with us to a family vacation out
in the Wisconsin Dells area came up, and that got me to thinking about
the battery situation.

Its just a small bowrider, so either I'll pull it out each night and
park it by the house, or I'd rent a slip for $15 a night and leave it in
the water for the three days we'd be up there.

Without an alternator, though, I'm worried about leaving it at a slip.
I have an accessory battery, so I'm not worried about getting
stranded, but running lights and a stereo take up juice.

Has anybody here ever used solar charging stations? I see them on
Amazon for between $40 and $200, at least for power levels I might
require. I want something that's easy to stow, so a 5w or 8w flex panel
(roughly 1' x 1') is probably the largest I could go.

I know those are more maintenance charge levels, but I'm thinking that
might be enough to compensate for the 4-5 hours of use the stereo would
get, assuming it has a good portion of the morning in full sun to charge.

Thoughts?

If you are just running the radio it should keep you going a few days
unless you have a pretty big amp and speakers

Boat and Batteries and Charging, Oh, my!
 

fire man wrote:
"Ryan P." Wrote in message:
With spring almost here, it won't be long until the boat comes out of
its cocoon for its April shake down cruise.

The subject of taking the boat along with us to a family vacation out
in the Wisconsin Dells area came up, and that got me to thinking about
the battery situation.

Its just a small bowrider, so either I'll pull it out each night and
park it by the house, or I'd rent a slip for $15 a night and leave it in
the water for the three days we'd be up there.

Without an alternator, though, I'm worried about leaving it at a slip.
I have an accessory battery, so I'm not worried about getting
stranded, but running lights and a stereo take up juice.

Has anybody here ever used solar charging stations? I see them on
Amazon for between $40 and $200, at least for power levels I might
require. I want something that's easy to stow, so a 5w or 8w flex panel
(roughly 1' x 1') is probably the largest I could go.

I know those are more maintenance charge levels, but I'm thinking that
might be enough to compensate for the 4-5 hours of use the stereo would
get, assuming it has a good portion of the morning in full sun to charge.

Thoughts?


Can you do without the stereo?

Most slips have power available. Especially where bass boats would slip.
Just take along a battery charger or buy a smart charger. Or pull the
battery and take to house and charge. More juice and cheaper than solar.

Boat and Batteries and Charging, Oh, my!
 

On 3/15/2016 10:56 AM, fire man wrote:
"Ryan P." Wrote in message:
With spring almost here, it won't be long until the boat comes out of
its cocoon for its April shake down cruise.

The subject of taking the boat along with us to a family vacation out
in the Wisconsin Dells area came up, and that got me to thinking about
the battery situation.

Its just a small bowrider, so either I'll pull it out each night and
park it by the house, or I'd rent a slip for $15 a night and leave it in
the water for the three days we'd be up there.

Without an alternator, though, I'm worried about leaving it at a slip.
I have an accessory battery, so I'm not worried about getting
stranded, but running lights and a stereo take up juice.

Has anybody here ever used solar charging stations? I see them on
Amazon for between $40 and $200, at least for power levels I might
require. I want something that's easy to stow, so a 5w or 8w flex panel
(roughly 1' x 1') is probably the largest I could go.

I know those are more maintenance charge levels, but I'm thinking that
might be enough to compensate for the 4-5 hours of use the stereo would
get, assuming it has a good portion of the morning in full sun to charge.

Thoughts?


Can you do without the stereo?


Of course, I *CAN* do without the stereo... :)

Boat and Batteries and Charging, Oh, my!
 

On 3/15/2016 11:56 AM, Califbill wrote:
fire man wrote:
"Ryan P." Wrote in message:
With spring almost here, it won't be long until the boat comes out of
its cocoon for its April shake down cruise.

The subject of taking the boat along with us to a family vacation out
in the Wisconsin Dells area came up, and that got me to thinking about
the battery situation.

Its just a small bowrider, so either I'll pull it out each night and
park it by the house, or I'd rent a slip for $15 a night and leave it in
the water for the three days we'd be up there.

Without an alternator, though, I'm worried about leaving it at a slip.
I have an accessory battery, so I'm not worried about getting
stranded, but running lights and a stereo take up juice.

Has anybody here ever used solar charging stations? I see them on
Amazon for between $40 and $200, at least for power levels I might
require. I want something that's easy to stow, so a 5w or 8w flex panel
(roughly 1' x 1') is probably the largest I could go.

I know those are more maintenance charge levels, but I'm thinking that
might be enough to compensate for the 4-5 hours of use the stereo would
get, assuming it has a good portion of the morning in full sun to charge.

Thoughts?


Can you do without the stereo?

Most slips have power available. Especially where bass boats would slip.
Just take along a battery charger or buy a smart charger. Or pull the
battery and take to house and charge. More juice and cheaper than solar.

I'll have to check with the marina. A small smart charger would be
better than solar, absolutely. I just don't remember seeing outlets on
all slips.

I don't really wanna pull the battery... The marina is literally
across the street from the rental house. That's a long walk carrying a
lead box. :)

Boat and Batteries and Charging, Oh, my!
 

On 3/15/2016 10:07 AM, wrote:
On Tue, 15 Mar 2016 09:04:03 -0500, "Ryan P."
wrote:

With spring almost here, it won't be long until the boat comes out of
its cocoon for its April shake down cruise.

The subject of taking the boat along with us to a family vacation out
in the Wisconsin Dells area came up, and that got me to thinking about
the battery situation.

Its just a small bowrider, so either I'll pull it out each night and
park it by the house, or I'd rent a slip for $15 a night and leave it in
the water for the three days we'd be up there.

Without an alternator, though, I'm worried about leaving it at a slip.
I have an accessory battery, so I'm not worried about getting
stranded, but running lights and a stereo take up juice.

Has anybody here ever used solar charging stations? I see them on
Amazon for between $40 and $200, at least for power levels I might
require. I want something that's easy to stow, so a 5w or 8w flex panel
(roughly 1' x 1') is probably the largest I could go.

I know those are more maintenance charge levels, but I'm thinking that
might be enough to compensate for the 4-5 hours of use the stereo would
get, assuming it has a good portion of the morning in full sun to charge.

Thoughts?

If you are just running the radio it should keep you going a few days
unless you have a pretty big amp and speakers


Nah, just a standard car stereo with two 4" speakers. No crazy sub
woofers or light shows. :)

Boat and Batteries and Charging, Oh, my!
 

On Tue, 15 Mar 2016 12:06:31 -0500, "Ryan P."
wrote:

On 3/15/2016 10:07 AM, wrote:
On Tue, 15 Mar 2016 09:04:03 -0500, "Ryan P."
wrote:

With spring almost here, it won't be long until the boat comes out of
its cocoon for its April shake down cruise.

The subject of taking the boat along with us to a family vacation out
in the Wisconsin Dells area came up, and that got me to thinking about
the battery situation.

Its just a small bowrider, so either I'll pull it out each night and
park it by the house, or I'd rent a slip for $15 a night and leave it in
the water for the three days we'd be up there.

Without an alternator, though, I'm worried about leaving it at a slip.
I have an accessory battery, so I'm not worried about getting
stranded, but running lights and a stereo take up juice.

Has anybody here ever used solar charging stations? I see them on
Amazon for between $40 and $200, at least for power levels I might
require. I want something that's easy to stow, so a 5w or 8w flex panel
(roughly 1' x 1') is probably the largest I could go.

I know those are more maintenance charge levels, but I'm thinking that
might be enough to compensate for the 4-5 hours of use the stereo would
get, assuming it has a good portion of the morning in full sun to charge.

Thoughts?

If you are just running the radio it should keep you going a few days
unless you have a pretty big amp and speakers


Nah, just a standard car stereo with two 4" speakers. No crazy sub
woofers or light shows. :)

A car battery should run that for days. If you can put a few dozen
watt hours in it you should be fine.

Boat and Batteries and Charging, Oh, my!
 

Ryan P.
- show quoted text -
*" I'll have to check with the marina. *A small smart charger would be
better than solar, absolutely. *I just don't remember seeing outlets on
all slips.

* I don't really wanna pull the battery... *The marina is literally
across the street from the rental house. *That's a long walk carrying a
lead box. *:)"


You'd need the proper cord to use shore power at a marina. Even then, it might be dangerous to plug in a normal household items like a portable battery charger. I have a light folding aluminum hand truck rated for 138 kilogram use when I don't want to have, awkward heavy items around...usually from the SUV to a store or home. That would be great for hauling a battery any distance for charging.

Boat and Batteries and Charging, Oh, my!
 

"
Without an alternator, though, I'm worried about leaving it at a slip.
I have an accessory battery, so I'm not worried about getting
stranded, but running lights and a stereo take up juice. "

Why no alternator? I'm not following...

Boat and Batteries and Charging, Oh, my!
 

On Tue, 15 Mar 2016 11:57:40 -0700 (PDT), Tim wrote:

"
Without an alternator, though, I'm worried about leaving it at a slip.
I have an accessory battery, so I'm not worried about getting
stranded, but running lights and a stereo take up juice. "

Why no alternator? I'm not following...

I'm glad you asked that. I was going to do so, but then thought it might somehow be a
real stupid question.
--

Ban liars, tax cheats, idiots, audiophools, and narcissists...not guns!