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Does anybody knows wich solar panel or array of panels will be the best ones to be mounted permanently in our boat to recharge the two batteries ?
I tried to connect a small solar panel 5 W from Harbor Freight ($30), with a Xantrex charge conroller that I already have and performed the experiment for 1 week and cant recharge and even loose stored power.
Then I fully recharged the batteries at home (The boat is on the trailer at the ranch (No electricity)), and I'm going to redo the experiment to know if this panel/charger array can at least mantain a floting charge on my batteries (Nothing connected consuming power).
But my next thing to do is to buy the best solar pannel possible with marine exposure caractheristics, the smaller with more power and with the best price. And I'm planning to mount it in a fabricated mount above the transom, clearing the bimini aft, in a support similar to a Mac M mast support (My boat is a 2000 X).
I dont know if it will be a good idea to usee the same Xantrex charger or try to get another one with marine carachteristics.
I will be looking with solar panels vendors like Affordable Solar, or Solar depot( I already bought from them for my ranch array), and at West Marine and Defender also.
Any ideas ?
Thank you
Hector
RGV, TX

To answer we need to know what the drain is going to be and how the boat will be used.
To simply keep the batteries topped off while not in use or to replenish after a day of draining them down.

I tried one of those 5w deals on my runabout to keep the battery topped off during the week. I think it actually drained it down.

--Russ

Batteries are fully charged after two seasons. Even with the bitter cold winter the batteries are full up.

We purchased the 10W unit with regulator. There is a cutoff switch to connect the two batteries together during solar charging.

This unit will charge your batteries

http://www.e-marine-inc.com/products/so ... 0Chrg.html

Victor

When I got my boat a couple of years ago I got a 20 watt flexible solar panel and a charge regulator. The nice thing about a flex panel is that you can step on it without harming it. I have mine mounted on my sliding hatch cover. I haven't checked the battery since I got the solar panel. I decided it would be a good idea to top it off with an electric battery charger this spring before using it a lot. The battery charger immediately cut off and the full charge light came on. The battery was fully charged. I use one battery and I changed all my lighting to LED, so I probably only need a 10 watt panel.

I have the harbor freight 5 watt mounted aft of the transom on ss pipe and had great luck with it last year. I did not use any thing else except what came in the package. Ran wiring that came with panel to my accessory battery to experiment and it done a good job keeping that battery fully charged setting on the slip. Then I switched my perco switch to both batteries and leave for the week and then come back and everything was fuly charged.

Maintaining and recharging are two different things.



Let nature's infinite power source keep your battery fully charged.

* Use with auto, marine, truck, RV - any 12 volt battery
* Compensates for small, steady battery drains
* Mounts to dash or visor

At 5 watts, that's less than a half an amp during sunny times of the day I guess it could keep your batteries from running down over a long period of time. However, sitting for a several weeks, my batteries never showed any significant loss without a charger.

The one I had was this 1.5 watt piece of garbage. I came down to the boat once to find the battery drained and I had to use a jumper pack to start it.



To recharge a drained battery, that takes more power. I just bought an 80w solar panel that I hope will help recharge what I take out of the batteries.

--Russ

I used also a 5 watt Solar panel (Norther tools) on my Compac 19 while in a slip and it always keeped the twin 6 volt Golf Cart Batteries fully charged. I had no means of chargeing and the twin batteries never went below 12.2 volts on a 5 day cruise and at the slip would bring them back up to fully charge by the next weekend. You never have to worry about it over chargeing on twin batteries and don't need a diode.
Dave

oldman wrote:I have the harbor freight 5 watt mounted aft of the transom on ss pipe and had great luck with it last year. I did not use any thing else except what came in the package. Ran wiring that came with panel to my accessory battery to experiment and it done a good job keeping that battery fully charged setting on the slip. Then I switched my perco switch to both batteries and leave for the week and then come back and everything was fuly charged.

So if I have two Group 24 batteries will a 5-watt solar panel charger keep the batteries topped up...or possibly even bring them back up to full charge after a good weekend of use if given enough time? And if the panel has one set of battery clips can I clip it to one battery and let my Yandina Combiner "share" the charge with second battery?

I normally leave the boat sitting on the trailer or tied up at the pier with no shore power.

Don't think I would need a big solar panel set up as I have no fridge or big power draws.

Thanks,
Jim

Jim,
I have 2-group 27 house batteries that are connected as one (cables connecting two are positive to positive and negitive to negitive) these are Marine Deepcycle Batteries, my Starter Battery is a 24 group that is not Deep Cycle.
To Charge all three batteries one needs a Isolator as the Deep Cycle is full charged at 12.8 volts and the Starter Battery at 13.2 volts. The Isolater will seperate the House batteries from the Starter battery and the Alt. from motor will charge equal and when shut down the Starter Battery won't discharge your house Battery and Vise virsa.
Batteries should be of same type and age (if in series) and seperated from the starter and House Batterys.
One can just use 3 batteries of same kind and have one of the for starting from a select switch.(you don't need a Isolater if you do it this way.
David

c130king wrote:So if I have two Group 24 batteries will a 5-watt solar panel charger keep the batteries topped up...or possibly even bring them back up to full charge after a good weekend of use if given enough time? And if the panel has one set of battery clips can I clip it to one battery and let my Yandina Combiner "share" the charge with second battery?

I normally leave the boat sitting on the trailer or tied up at the pier with no shore power.

Don't think I would need a big solar panel set up as I have no fridge or big power draws.

Thanks,
Jim

c130king wrote:............. And if the panel has one set of battery clips can I clip it to one battery and let my Yandina Combiner "share" the charge with second battery?........

I would read this link.....

Combiner cycles

I have a feeling that a 5 watt panel is not going to work with that combiner and it will cycle unless you change something. If a person is going to permanently mount a panel on the transom I would put the largest panel I had money for and one that would fit and take advantage of what it could do for you besides just keeping the batteries up. If you want to recharge then you have a load so why not try and take care of the load?

I've gotten two panels and two charge controllers from....

http://www.solarblvd.com/

and they have good pricing and good service. For instance the 40 watt I got from them was $135 and the 80 watt was $237,

Sum

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Sumner wrote:I have a feeling that a 5 watt panel is not going to work with that combiner and it will cycle unless you change something. If a person is going to permanently mount a panel on the transom I would put the largest panel I had money for and one that would fit and take advantage of what it could do for you besides just keeping the batteries up. If you want to recharge then you have a load so why not try and take care of the load?

I don't want a permanently installed solar system. I want something that I pull out when putting the boat away for a week or more to trickle charge the batteries. Once I get the boat ready to go out on the water or trailer down the road I put the solar trickle charge panels down below somewhere.

I am pretty sure there are systems out there specifically set for that. But I have to consider two batteries connected by a yandina combiner. I will keep researching.

Appreciate all the great info that all of you guys post on this topic and all the others. What a great site...must be time for me to make another contribution to Heath's efforts.

Thanks,
Jim

c130king wrote:.......I don't want a permanently installed solar system...........I am pretty sure there are systems out there specifically set for that. But I have to consider two batteries connected by a yandina combiner. .............Thanks, Jim

Sorry about that I was thinking you were the one who started the thread and I remembered reading about a transom mount .

For what you want I'd call the yandina tech guys and ask them. To keep it simple just get two of the 5-10 watt panels that seem to work for the guys in the posts above and put one on each battery.

Good luck,

Sum

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The 5 watt solar charger should easy keep the twin batteries fully charge without any type of regulator. Batteries sulfate over a period of time due to no chargeing. That 5 watt solar charger will prevent that and keep your batteries fully charge.
Dave

c130king wrote:So if I have two Group 24 batteries will a 5-watt solar panel charger keep the batteries topped up...or possibly even bring them back up to full charge after a good weekend of use if given enough time? And if the panel has one set of battery clips can I clip it to one battery and let my Yandina Combiner "share" the charge with second battery?

I normally leave the boat sitting on the trailer or tied up at the pier with no shore power.

Don't think I would need a big solar panel set up as I have no fridge or big power draws.

Thanks,
Jim

Thanks Dave. I will look for a system similar to that.

Cheers,
Jim

Harbor Freight or Northern Tools will have it
Dave

c130king wrote:Thanks Dave. I will look for a system similar to that.

Cheers,
Jim