Solar battery chargers?

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Porktown
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2008/03/19 19:30:47 (permalink)

Solar battery chargers?

Anyone ever use a solar panel battery charger for their starter or marine battery?  My Dad showed me one that is 5 watts.  Says it compensates for small steady battery drains.  Looks like it would be pretty cool.
#1

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    The Ref
    Avid Angler
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    RE: Solar battery chargers? 2008/03/19 21:21:17 (permalink)
    never used one, onboard chargers are great
     
    what kind of marine batterys does everybody use?
    I use diehards but I need some new ones this season
    #2
    MuskyMastr
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    RE: Solar battery chargers? 2008/03/20 01:29:14 (permalink)
    How bout cranking amps for a 350?  What do you guys consider minimum?

    Better too far back, than too far forward.
    #3
    pghmarty
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    RE: Solar battery chargers? 2008/03/20 09:02:28 (permalink)
    Get one of the gel batterys that look like a big six pack.


    #4
    Carpet Bagger
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    RE: Solar battery chargers? 2008/03/20 10:26:08 (permalink)
    Musky you should probaly have a dual battery set up on your boat....This way you could use 2 dual purpose batts. that would give you plenty of cold cranking amps as well as the ability to deep cycle if need be....I run 2 group 31's (yes they are huge) on my boat and havent had a problem.  You could really get away with 24s easily.
     
    Nice thing is to get yourself a battery switch for when you turn the motor over put it on all, then once you are started assign the charge to the battery you want to charge while running the motor.  I have one battery that is charged by the main engine the other gets the juice from my kicker while trolling...
     
    Solar chargers do work though....

    CB
    I never thought I'd say this, but I love my Sport-Craft!
    #5
    MuskyMastr
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    RE: Solar battery chargers? 2008/03/20 13:13:18 (permalink)
    I have the perko switch and dual set up.  I just had a couple of wal-mart specials that I threw in there last year and am gettin ready to replace them.  Do you have any electrical accessories that bypass your switch?

    Better too far back, than too far forward.
    #6
    Carpet Bagger
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    RE: Solar battery chargers? 2008/03/20 13:47:52 (permalink)
    fishfinder, gps, riggers all hooked direct

    CB
    I never thought I'd say this, but I love my Sport-Craft!
    #7
    MuskyMastr
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    RE: Solar battery chargers? 2008/03/20 13:53:47 (permalink)
    direct to which battery?

    Better too far back, than too far forward.
    #8
    Carpet Bagger
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    RE: Solar battery chargers? 2008/03/20 17:24:01 (permalink)
    doesnt really matter.....lol they require such a low draw to operate that its really not a big deal...Get a hold of me on the other board musky...pretty good topic to discuss...

    CB
    I never thought I'd say this, but I love my Sport-Craft!
    #9
    chipmunk
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    RE: Solar battery chargers? 2008/03/20 19:06:24 (permalink)
    Never used solar chargers on the water but they maintain the batteries on our rarely used pieces of farm equipment pretty well so I imagine they would work.

    I had battery probs when I was leaving the livewell pump on overnight to keep my leftover bait fresh. Kept the bait well but several times I ended up with a dead battery in the morning.  Got tired of it and rigged up a sweet system using another battery and a phase charger.  All of my electronics that will ever be running with the engine off are rigged to the extra battery so they will never drain the main battery no matter what I leave on. And when the motor charges the main battery to full, the phase charger kicks in and charges the extra battery.   My only worry was that the phase charger might not be able to keep up with my electronics unless I made long runs all the time, but I have never had a single problem.  I don't know if this is a common setup since I thought it up on my own, but if not you guys should try it.

    Anyone else have a similar setup?

    #10
    MightyMidge
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    RE: Solar battery chargers? 2008/03/24 12:41:23 (permalink)
    I got a solar charger for my trolling motor batteries when I had my boat over at Lampe (didn't have a dock with power). Picked the chargers up a Northern tool supply. Got me through the summer until I could get to a dock with power. Tight lines.
    #11
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