Association Forum - Solar Panels

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Solar Panels

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Randolph G. Wilson
1st Mate

Member Avatar

USA
64 Posts

Initially Posted - 12/17/2002 : 17:50:09

Is anyone using a solar panel to keep his batteries on charge? A friend of mine tells me that a 12 by 12 panel is available from West Marine for about $90. I would appreciate anyone's experience with these before I make the leap. Thanks.

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 12/17/2002 : 20:33:59

Randy,

I suggest that you read up on solar panels at West marine's [url="http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/WestAdvisorDisplayView?advisor=478.htm"]West Advisor[/url], as well as other solar power-related websites, if you haven't already done so.

I used an 11 watt Unisolar FLX-11 solar panel on a group 24 deep cycle flooded cell battery for about 5 years with good results. I now use two such 11 watt panels to help recharge a pair of group 27 batteries when away from the dock. I haven't yet used that more recent setup on enough long trips to say for sure how well it works. For keeping batteries charged between weekend sailing trips, it should be fine.

-- Leon Sisson

Edited by - on

Bryan Beamer
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1038 Posts

Response Posted - 12/17/2002 : 21:51:35

Randolph,

Here is a link to a thread about battery charging that took place about a month ago.

www.catalina25-250.org/forum/topic.asp?topic_id=2188

Bryan Beamer
Daylight Again
C250wk #495

Edited by - on

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 12/18/2002 : 11:20:49

Randy,

I purchased a Siemans 12 volt rigid panel from West Marine. They come complete with wiring, ss mounting screws, and in-line regulator. A nice kit for $90.00. I haven't installed it yet but it will be linked to my house battery, which runs my anchor light, or through the 4-position battery switch to both batterys.

Dimensional size is not important. Check out a good article in this months Sail magazine regarding panel selection.

Al
GALLIVANT #5801

Edited by - on

MikeM
1st Mate

Members Avatar

72 Posts

Response Posted - 12/19/2002 : 10:49:58

I am also using the Uni-Solar Felxible Solar panel. It is the 11W version connected to a deep cycle 12V battery, using a charge controller (ICP Global Technologies/West Marine) to avoid over charging and losing any energy.

The charge controller will also tell you when the battery is completely charged.

My boat is on a morring so I rely solely on this setup and it worked all summer until I kept the CD player on all night and completely drained the battery. Starting from a dead battery is rough for a solar panel, its worth recharghing on land and then using the solar panel as a trickle for the charge.

Good luck

Mike M
Marblehead, MA
C25 #1212

Edited by - on

EricCS
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
40 Posts

Response Posted - 12/20/2002 : 09:47:26

Randy,

I've had a five-watt UniSolar panel for several years. It was sufficient to my year-round needs until I got a RayMarine ST1000+ Tiller Pilot a couple of years ago. Now I've added a 32-watt UniSolar panel and it's been sufficient to keep my single 85-AHr battery charged all summer.

The five-watt panel was not large enough to over-charge the battery, so it was simplicity itself: tie the panel to a handrail on the cabin top, attach the battery-end wires to the battery, and plug the panel into the battery wire socket.

The 32-watt panel is strong enough to over-charge the battery, so I bought a charge controller. I also bought a Link-10 E-meter so I can see what the state of the system is at any time. The 32-watt panel is significantly larger than the five-watt panel, but still mounts on the cabin top with bungee cords to the handrails, and uses exactly the same wiring. I did not have to replace the battery-end wiring, just unplug the smaller panel and plug in the larger.

Now it's winter here in New England (At least The Old Farmer's Almanac says it will be tomorrow, but right now the temperature's in the mid-fifties!) and Charm is on the hard. The five-watt panel is hung in a cabin window facing south. It's just a bungee cord to the curtain rod, but it works for me. Last year I found the battery at nearly full charge in the spring. With the panel inside, there's no danger of wind damage. And now, with the charge controller, there's no risk of over charging.

HTH

Eric Spitzner, AP (eric@snet.net)
Catalina 25 #4445 "Charm"
41°16.18'N 72°54.03'W

Edited by - on

Randolph G. Wilson
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
64 Posts

Response Posted - 12/23/2002 : 17:36:06

Thanks to all of you that responded. I've decided to go with a 5 watt 13 by 13 trickle panel from West Marine. I'll let you know how that works out. Thanks again.

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.