Solar charger mounted on boat allow more trolling time ?

[pecheux]

Always wondered so asking question: would a small solar charger mounted on a boat and permanently connected to the electric motor battery allow more time of usage ? (considering one battery on one motor and no other source)
thank you and happy Easter y'awl.

 

[mxcarne]

Re: Solar charger mounted on boat allow more trolling time ?

Im near electrically retarded, but I happened across this a few hours ago.

http://www.shortypen.com/projects/battery-for-trolling-motor-and-small-outboard/

It has some maths but makes sense

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Solar charger mounted on boat allow more trolling time ?

you will need a really big pannel. a 50 watt panel is about 18" x 40". that is only about 4 amps. you would need 5 of these to match the output of your trolling motor.

 

[Lyle29464]

Re: Solar charger mounted on boat allow more trolling time ?

unlikely it will put out enough charge to offset it's weight.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Solar charger mounted on boat allow more trolling time ?

The actual answer to your question is a resounding NO. You'd need to by a much bigger boat to hold a panel big enough but then you need a bigger troller, and that requires a bigger panel and --- well --- I hope you get the point. Call the folks at Solyndra and ask them about solar panels. Oh yes -- that's right they are bankrupt.

 

[robert graham]

Re: Solar charger mounted on boat allow more trolling time ?

What Silvertip said, and I believe most of these "Solar Battery Chargers" are really "Solar Battery Maintainers", so they're really just to keep a battery "up" from it's small amount of drain, just sitting there. Good Luck!

 

[pecheux]

Re: Solar charger mounted on boat allow more trolling time ?

Thank you all for your feedback, I like to learn new "thangs" every day. LOL Never owned an electric trolling motor. I remember when they first came out they would run on a small "demon" batery. Now a days the batteries required are heavier than a small petrol outboard motor.
Have a great day.

 

[pecheux]

Re: Solar charger mounted on boat allow more trolling time ?

The actual answer to your question is a resounding NO. You'd need to by a much bigger boat to hold a panel big enough but then you need a bigger troller, and that requires a bigger panel and - well --- I hope you get the point. Call the folks at Solyndra and ask them about solar panels. Oh yes -- that's right they are bankrupt.

Too bad. So I guess we are now about to turn our back on foreign petrol huh ?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Solar charger mounted on boat allow more trolling time ?

Too bad. So I guess we are now about to turn our back on foreign petrol huh ?

We should -- we have enough oil under our own soil but are not allowed to harvest it. Doh!!!!

 

[pecheux]

Re: Solar charger mounted on boat allow more trolling time ?

We should -- we have enough oil under our own soil but are not allowed to harvest it. Doh!!!!

Agreed .. same here in Canada "We owe our soul to the company store" (as per Tennesse Ernie Ford) LOL

 

[huntxtrm]

Re: Solar charger mounted on boat allow more trolling time ?

I am actually in the business of installing PV. I use a small 25w panel on my boat when i go out for a weekend at the lake. When im not using my trolling motor, it will charge my battery over the course of the day. And i don't have to trailer my boat out every time i am through fishing. I just pull it up to the bank, at my campsite and let the sun charge it. But, Like they have been saying, it will not keep up with the load of the trolling motor while it is running. The panel i use, is like what you would use on a gate opener. Charges the same kind of battery in a electric gate opener.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Solar charger mounted on boat allow more trolling time ?

Sure, you can increase your run time. By a couple of seconds.:facepalm:

We should -- we have enough oil under our own soil but are not allowed to harvest it. Doh!!!!

Agreed .. same here in Canada "We owe our soul to the company store" (as per Tennesse Ernie Ford) LOL

Uh oh.
Let's not go down that road, gents.

 

[pecheux]

Re: Solar charger mounted on boat allow more trolling time ?

I am actually in the business of installing PV. I use a small 25w panel on my boat when i go out for a weekend at the lake. When im not using my trolling motor, it will charge my battery over the course of the day. And i don't have to trailer my boat out every time i am through fishing. I just pull it up to the bank, at my campsite and let the sun charge it. But, Like they have been saying, it will not keep up with the load of the trolling motor while it is running. The panel i use, is like what you would use on a gate opener. Charges the same kind of battery in a electric gate opener.

That is a smart usage of solar power. What is the size and weight of this 25 watt panel ?

 

[huntxtrm]

Re: Solar charger mounted on boat allow more trolling time ?

Its about 12" x 12" guessing. It is just a panel for charging a gate opener battery. Think they are about 150 bucks at Home depot. you can find them on ebay also. Just dont' leave one hooked up all the time, with out a charge controller. You can get a rv type kit from places like Northern tool, or ebay. The kit will should have a matched charge controler with it. You can get varying wattages and voltages to meet your needs also.