Solar battery chargers?

[Bass-A-Holic]

I was looking for something to keep my battery charged because my motor doesnt have a alternator, i was wondering if these solar chargers would be a good idea and it they would keep up with a trolling motor.

http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ...parentType=index&indexId=cat600057&hasJS=true

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Solar battery chargers?

There are three versions listed (1.8W, 5W and 15W). If all three were connected in parallel they would not replace in many hours, the power a trolling motor would suck out of a battery in five minutes. These are battery maintainers at best and definitely not intended to "re-charge" a deeply discharged battery. I use one in my shed to keep my tractor battery topped off but that's all its good for.

 

[drJ]

Re: Solar battery chargers?

You would need a really big panel to keep up with the trolling motor draw and for that much money you could carry around a couple of extra batteries. http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200306869_200306869null

the one that you mentioned will take a long time to recharge the battery

figure it this way

10 watt output of the panel / 12 volts = .834 amps per hour
a 40 lb pound trolling motor consumes about 40 amps per hour at top speed
you probably have about 9 hours of sunlight so
9 * .834=7.506 amps for all day charging
40 amps /60 = .667 amps per minute
.667 amps * 7.5 amps from your solar panel = about 5 minutes of running time on your motor


Small panels like thoose are really just maintainers

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Solar battery chargers?

I stumbled onto a web site today that showed some high power solar panels. A 173 watt panel was five feet long and two feet wide. No prices were given but I suspect they were well into four figures. They would work fine a pontoon where a bimini top would normally be used. But there simply isn't enough available realestate for something that size on an open boat. Plus it would be a target for thieves when the boat was unattended.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Solar battery chargers?

about the only thing these are good for, is maintaining the battery on moored boats that burn an led anchor light every night. saw a sail boat recently that had those home depot, solar malibu garden lights lining has deck.