Solar Powered Float Charger"

[cbavier]

Re: Solar Powered Float Charger"

BruceB58

On the system that you own that you sent me the EBAY link to at the beginning of this thread.
Wouldn’t I still need the Solar panel?

No Bruce 50mA of current wouldn’t do the job. It’s has to be much bigger than that.

The second one you sent me from EBAY is much better it’s 4,0 watts The ICP one.

As I stated the Boat would never sit for more than three days unused unless it rained for a week
And all I am trying to keep the battery strong enough to start the engine with an Auto bilge pump.
Sometimes we come home 40 miles or go away for a couple days downstate and leave the boat and
Trailer in the campground.
Probably cycling no more than three or four times in that time frame because I would cover the boat
Bow and cockpit cover to keep out anything if I was going to be gone for a day or two or I knew a storm
was coming. Otherwise we just leave the Bimini top up to keep the morning dew off the seats and keep
them nice and dry. We can still fish out of the front and back of the boat with the Bimini top up.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Solar Powered Float Charger"

The second one you sent me from EBAY is much better it?s 4,0 watts The ICP one.

As I stated the Boat would never sit for more than three days unused unless it rained for a week.

4 watts is still nothing as far as charging a battery is concerned. 4 watts is the rating only under ideal conditions - like standing in the mojave desert at high noon. Under normal conditions a solar panel will not produce it's rated output, and if the sun isn't shining, it will produce almost nothing. If it's raining for a week it won't charge at all, and you'll come back to a dead battery and a sunken boat.

What you really need is a second battery. Spend 50 bucks on a deep cycle and charge it with your engine. Forget solar, it is NOT going to help you unless you spend a lot of money and buy a panel too large to mount in your boat.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Solar Powered Float Charger"

I would have to agree with the original poster. My horse trailer will sit for weeks without being used so it has plenty of time to build up a charge with no draw on the battery.

I would buy a second battery and add a combiner so that your alternator will charge both batteries. Put in a Perko switch so that you can turn off the batteries as well as setting them to "Both" for starting when you need the help of a second battery. Put your bilge pump on the second battery and use the first battery for starting.