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 Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums
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 Solar trickle charger question:		  New Topic  Topic Locked
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AADIVER
Admiral

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USA
966 Posts
Initially Posted - 03/27/2007 :  19:58:18  Show Profile  Visit AADIVER's Homepage
Do I have to disconnect my Sunforce 5 watt solar trickle charger from the battery when I'm running my Tohatsu 9.8 electric start outboard that also charges, or can it stay connected, especially when I'm motoring on long windless cruises?
Frank Farmer
Long Beach, CA
aa.diver@verizon.net
http://mysite.verizon.net/aa.diver

PRETTY PENNY
'01 C-250 WK, Hull #558
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jkoeh
Deckhand

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USA
14 Posts
Response Posted - 04/23/2007 :  04:42:51  Show Profile
Most panels are not protected against the transients produced when the motor is started and many panels specifically reccomend disconnecting when starting. Once its running, your Tohatsu has an alternator and that will by far exceed the ability of the panel to charge the batteries.
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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3448 Posts
Response Posted - 04/23/2007 :  05:26:57  Show Profile  Visit OLarryR's Homepage
I cannot say what you should do. I think it depends on the safeguards built into your trickle charger. I have a Morningstart Pro15M solar controller which for my 20watt solar panel is sort of an overkill but it has a lot of buil-in safeguards, some of which are common to most solar controllers but not all. My controller prevents backward flow of electricity through it. I have my controller and my Honda 9.9 hooked into the battery switch. they are in parallel. I never turn off either one and my panel and my motor always charge accordingly. i can tell they are both working since when just my solar panel is juicing the batteries, i can see the amp charge and the current battery voltage on my digital solar controller. When my motor starts up, my solar controller goes to zero on the amps showing no charge from the solar panel but my solar controller still registers the battery voltage and it always reads much higher when the motor is charging than when just the solar panel is charging. if the battry is fully charged, then the solar controller has a light that blinks on the battery charge level showing that it is fully charged. I have had this hookup going now on 1 1/2 years and it works without a hitch.
Right or wrong, i never turn off my battery switch. I always have batery 1 or 2 or both turned on.

There may be some very inexpensive solar controllers that just ensure the battery does not continue to get charged by the panel once the battery is fully charged. I would think that many of the inexpensive controllers also have diodes to prevent backward flow but not sure about that and so best to read the controller's literature.

Supposedly the no-no is to hook up the solar controller and the motor in series with the battery. In most instances, if you hook them up in parallel, there will be no problems. But in series, I thought I read somewhere that this can be harmful to either the solar hookup or the motor alternator or both.
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britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts
Response Posted - 04/23/2007 :  06:41:39  Show Profile  Visit britinusa's Homepage
Larry, you are correct in your last statement. That would cause the charging current from the motor to flow through the panel... goodbye panel!

paul
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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.