Next message: David & Louise: "[world-cruising] Re: Stolen Boat"
--- In , "Baumgart, James"
<james dot baumgart at s dot dot dot > wrote:
>
>
>
> Hi All,
> I have read about cruisers having laptops onboard. Is anyone using
> solar power to keep the batteries charged? Is setting this up a
big
> deal? How big of a panel do you need?
>
>
> Solar panels augment the engine alternator on my very modest
vessel. 3, 11
> watt, flexible solar panels meet my needs on SUNNY DAYS. This is
enough to
> charge batteries, which are used for my laptop and charging the
digital
> camera (via invertor), and for interior lighting. These 3 panels
are tied
> to the boom when at anchor and put out about 4 amps in direct
sunlight (25
> volts DC). A small wire leads down to a voltage regulator which
limits this
> to 14.1 volts. The regulator plugs into my electric charging
circuit and
> keeps 2, 75 amp hour gell batteries charged. By far, interior
lighting uses
> the greatest amount of power. All cooking, water heating, etc. is
propane.
> My anchor light is an ultra low draw Davis mini anchor light.
Note that
> these panels only provide about 25 amp-hours on a good, sunny,
summer day.
> Fixed panels are more efficent than the flexible (flexible panels
are so
> tough they can be walked on). Panels for boats MUST be diode
protected so
> that shadows (or darkness) does not drain the batteries.
>
> These panels cost about $95 and the regulator cost $30.
>
> You would have to determine the total amp-hours you need and buy
enough
> panels to exceed that. If all you had was a laptop computer and
used it 2
> hours per day a single 11 watt panel would probably be enough.
Running a
> DVD uses a lot more power! On cloudy days your boat batteries will
be drawn
> down because the panels won't put much out and you may have to run
your
> engine for an hour or so.
>
> Solar Electric Inc. has great prices, ship world wide, and they
will help
> you determine what you need. http://www.solarelectricinc.com/
> <http://www.solarelectricinc.com/> (no affilation, just a
satisfied
> customer). Cheaper than West Marine or Sailnet.
>
> HI THERE ALL, I USE 2 SOLAR PANELS TO KEEP BATTERIES UP. THEY ARE
EACH 125 WATT AND SEEM TO PUT OUT ABOUT 16 AMPS DURING THE DAY AND I
AM IMPRESSED WITH THEM. I PUT THEM ON A BAR ON THE STERN SO THEY CAN
CHANGE ANGLE SOMETIMES FOR BETTER PERFORMANCE. I ALSO HAVE A WIND GEN
AEROGEN 6 WHICH HELPS KEEP THINGS WORKING. I USE A TOSHIBA PENT 2 SAT
COMPUTER AND IT RUNS ON 12 VOLTS RIGHT OUT OF THE BATTERY. I DO USE A
SMALL FUSE TO PREVENT SPIKES, BUT EVEN WITH A 130 AMP ALT, HAVE NOT
HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT. IT DOES ALSO HELP RUN THE TV AND DVD/VHS
MACHINE ON THE INVERTER.
I GOT THE PANELS FROM E-MARINE AND WAS SATIFIED AT 512 A PIECE
FOR THEM.
JOHN
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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