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 Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums
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 Cheap Solar Chargers		  New Topic  Topic Locked
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nebraskac25
Deckhand

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USA
15 Posts
Initially Posted - 04/06/2010 :  19:26:07  Show Profile  Visit nebraskac25's Homepage
I found these solar panels

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0064016523513a& type=product& cmCat=SEARCH_all& returnPage=search-results1.jsp& Ntk=Products& QueryText=solar& sort=all& Go.y=0& N=0& Nty=1& hasJS=true& _dyncharset=ISO-8859-1& _DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form23& Go.x=0

on the Cabela's Site and was wondering, what would a 1.8 Watt charger do for me? I sail a Capri 25 on an inland lake that I take out about two days a week, with a knot meter, depth sounder and radio. The reviews say you have to add some silicone sealant to make them waterproof, but at $19.99 that can't be a bad deal right?
Mike Kuhl
Capri 25 #443
Hobie 16 #102338
Branched Oak Lake, Nebraska
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DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2015 Posts
Response Posted - 04/07/2010 :  05:50:45  Show Profile  Visit DaveR's Homepage
The reviews are good. This panel is meant for protected use though, and for just keeping a battery topped off. Seriously I'd say you need at least a 10 to 20 watt panel to do a decent job.
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Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts
Response Posted - 04/07/2010 :  08:17:55  Show Profile
1.8 watts @ 12 volts is 150 milliamps at the optimal sun angle and your daily average would be lower. You could easily be looking at 30 hours of good sunlight at 4 - 5 hours a day to replace a couple of amp hours plus normal losses. A 15W would put you up around an average of 1 amp output.
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NautiC25
Admiral

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USA
957 Posts
Response Posted - 04/07/2010 :  08:33:52  Show Profile
I use a Coleman CL600 panel from Walmart for $70 shipped. I think it was 9 watts. Keeps both batteries topped.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v214/SharkRacer/Catalina/CIMG0148.jpg
Requires no controller and is for outdoor use.

Here it is on Amazon for $70 shipped.
http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-CL-600-15-Volt-Battery-Maintainer/dp/B000CP8744


I bought it on walmart.com but they have a slightly smaller version, the CL300 with 4.5 watts, for about $50 in their stores. Check their auto dept.
Edited by - NautiC25 on 04/07/2010 08:36:40
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Stu Jackson C34
Admiral

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844 Posts
Response Posted - 04/07/2010 :  09:56:40  Show Profile
As Dave said, you have to do the math to find out what you'd "get" from this small a charger. That small, it's throwing away good money. Buy a larger panel if you're going to go that way. West Marine Advisors have a good writeup on solar for starters, then try BoatUS, or this source:
http://store.solar-electric.com/linecard.html

and

http://www.freesunpower.com/designtools.php
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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5396 Posts
Response Posted - 04/07/2010 :  17:30:36  Show Profile
I have a 2W panel that I use to keep my portable radio charged up, but for the battery, I use an 18W and a 20W panel. I got the 20 watter from Amazon earlier this spring for approx $75.

For a single Group 24 battery, this combination will allow you to discharge the battery half-way over the weekend, and then recharge it back to full power within a week.

You could get by with a single 20W panel (depending on the amount of sun you get), if you don't completely discharge a group 24 battery 1/2-way, or if you also run your engine, and it has an alternator on it.

My oft quoted battery voltage - charge table from Don Casey:

12.6 V - 78 AH - full charge
12.4 V - 59 AH - 3/4 charge
12.2 V - 39 AH - 1/2 charge . . . . this is the minimum recommended discharge
12.0 V - 19 AH - 1/4 charge . . . never take it this low
11.8 V - 0 AH - fully discharged

If you discharge your battery to 1/2 charge, you need to replace approximately 40 AH. With a 1 Amp solar panel charging for around 8 hours during a typical sunny summer day, you will need five days to recharge it.

If you only discharge the battery by 1/4, then you'd be able to fully recharge with a 20W panel in about 2-3 days.
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