solar charger

[oldboat1]

opportunity to leave a meaningful Amazon analysis. $15 ticket cost (free shipping if you qualify). Go for it.

 

[ondarvr]

I would say most people leaving opinions on Amazon don't know the difference between watts, amps, volts or kilograms.

 

[oldboat1]

and could say that on Amazon too. Fifteen bucks. :joyous:

 

[bruceb58]

F26 batteries are fully charged by the onboard shore power charger. Main and house batteries are topped off as needed. Starting battery for the troller (battery at issue) gets fully charged, drops to about 80-90% after flash charge, and like to maintain around there -- separate from the onboard system.

If you have an onboard charger, why would you need a solar charger?

 

[ondarvr]

B58, He says the battery drops to 80% when on the water for a day and not being used.

You said you did a "flash charge" and the battery charge meter say's 80% shortly after that.
Have you fully charged the battery and had it tested to know it's good?

Those cheap little light bar meters don't reliably indicate exactly what's going on, just a possible rough estimate of some sort of discharge. Test the battery when fully charged, and then a few hours later with a digital meter. Do this with it connected in the boat, and disconected out of the boat, see if the results change.

 

[oldboat1]

Thanks for the input. I'll go with what I have for the rest of the summer, and maybe a new smaller/lighter battery next launch. I do keep a pair of jumper cables stowed onboard, so if the stern battery ever let me down I could just jump it.

 

[Silvertip]

Some folks need to be shown how little current these things produce. So here is a test that proves it. Take any 12 volt bulb from your car and attach it to the solar panel. See any light? And because someone on the internet said this is a great charger -- it MUST be true eh?

 

[oldboat1]

Let it go, Silvertip. It's a forum -- point made.

 

[BillP]

Thanks for the input. I'll go with what I have for the rest of the summer, and maybe a new smaller/lighter battery next launch. I do keep a pair of jumper cables stowed onboard, so if the stern battery ever let me down I could just jump it.

Hey oldboat1, you can probably add more 2w panels to the one you have if your setup doesn't keep it topped off. Down here in florida the 2w panels are used sucessfully on jetski rigs with the smaller ah batts.

For what its worth, I've been using a sunsei ( I think coleman is related) 400, 400Ma @18V (6w) continuously for 10 yrs and had great results on battery charge and life. The first battery I put it on was already 3 yrs old and went another 7 yrs with the solar plugged in the entire time. I let it sit 3 yrs in storage untouched with the panel hooked up and it cranked the engine like a new battery. I encourage you to check you panel output, it its like mine it exceeds the published rates by a large margin. Solar charging has basically taken away any and all concerns of finding a dead battery for me.

Good Luck,
bp

 

[oldboat1]

Thanks, bp. One of the earlier posters suggested (accurately, I'm sure) that I would need a surface as large as my boat for a proper solar charge -- so told my wife I needed a bigger boat. She offered to get me a smaller battery. Woman is quick.