15amp solar trickle charger

[02ProstarSammyD]

So looking at the 15watt battery tender solar setup for the summer. We usually chill in our cove for a few hours before we leave the lake and then take it straight to storage after washdown. My lovely hoa got really pissy about me charging the boat overnight in the driveway. This might be an answer

http://compare.ebay.com/like/3905277...Types&var=sbar

So 2 part ?

1) would this work well for for charging my tunes batteries during the week
2) think it has enough juice to give us some extra float time?

Can't figure out how much 2 apx720 clarion amps would be soaking up.

And sadly i call myself an electrician

[EricB]

15 watt charger (not amps).

Check with Harbor Freight. Deals may be better and you can get an extended warranty.

[02ProstarSammyD]

I don't really buy stuff from HF that requires long term use lol. Most of the cheapo units Ive seen have no controller units. Would rather spend the extra $ and have some security but will check them out. Also good call out. Guess writing this while looking at a electrical 1 line don't work well haha

[Sodar]

I looked heavily at these, but they did not offer enough power to charge, more of just a maintainer, so I installed a plug in charger that has worked awesome.

[02ProstarSammyD]

I looked heavily at these, but they did not offer enough power to charge, more of just a maintainer, so I installed a plug in charger that has worked awesome.
Reply With Quote

thanks for squashing my dreams. No plugs at my storage place

[EarmarkMarine]

Yes, 0.83 amps is just a maintainer once the tractor, motorcycle, third car, jetski, ATV/UTV, etc is placed into storage with a full charge already. Plus you are not charging overnight. That wouldn't be enough current to erase the affects of sulfation when deeply discharging. Each 100 amp/hour deep cycle battery deserves 10 amps minimum & 13 amps maximum of AC shore power charging if you want the maximum performance and maximum longevity from your batteries. Don't screw around with an emergency garage charger. You don't want to turn your back on these for very long. Get a 3-stage dual-bank true marine 'smart' charger.

David
Earmark Marine

[FrankSchwab]

A 1 amp charger (1 amp * 14.4V = 14.4W) won't be enough to charge your batteries if they are significantly discharged - the 100 amp-hour capacity battery David refers to above would take at least 100 (and probably closer to 120) hours at full output to charge the battery. A solar charger only puts out it's rated power in full sunlight - meaning at noon, in June, with the panel oriented to directly face the sun. At other times and in the winter, the panel will generate less power. So, let's assume summer, and 6 hours a day of "equivalent full sun". That 100 (or 120) hours of charging is going to take 2 to 3 WEEKS to accomplish.

If you want to solar-charge, your best bet is going to be something like this mounted at your storage area. Even then, it'll take several days to charge the batteries from full discharge. You'd need several panels (and a 20Amp charger) to get it down to a one-day charge.

It's hard to beat wall power running 24 hours/day for battery charging. Too bad you don't have that.

/frank

[02ProstarSammyD]

yea not going there haha. My party has been pooped. Third battery here I come

[EarmarkMarine]

You can add ten more batteries but how are you going to recharge them once they are depleted?
So let's say the boat ignition/operations pull 20 amps. The stereo pulls 35 amps (with the transient nature of music). Two big capacity batteries depleted to 11.5 volts, well below half capacity which is bad for the batteries...even a consumer grade deep cycle, and initally demand 20 amps each. That's all of your alternator at high rpms and well beyond capacity at lower rpms. Hmmm.

David

[02ProstarSammyD]

best solution then?