Re: M_Boats: M17 Hatch sizes for solar panel
Hi Bill, I use a 30 watt portable solar panel for my M17. It is built like a brief case and unfolds. I set it up in the cockpit while I'm slipped or at anchor. Plugs into a DC jack in the cockpit. It has a built in regulator as well. The panel came from Goal Zero. Nice thing about this setup is that you can easily move it from boat to boat to campsite to RV etc....... Bones ____________________________________________________________ The #1 Worst Carb Ever? Click to Learn #1 Carb that Kills Your Blood Sugar (Don't Eat This!) http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/54d3820dbda4520d6e36st03vuc
Thanks Bones. Was originally looking at a portable unit. Actually a rollup unit from PowerFilm to put out when anchored when cruising or cabled to the main sail cover when the boat is stored on the trailer in the boat yard. Looks like Goal Zero now makes a maximum 20 watt foldable. Which is plenty good. Have decided to slip the boat this coming season, so looking at a more permanent (semi perm?) solution to keep the battery up during the week. Bill On Thu, Feb 5, 2015 at 9:44 AM, bownez@juno.com <bownez@juno.com> wrote:
Hi Bill,
I use a 30 watt portable solar panel for my M17. It is built like a brief case and unfolds. I set it up in the cockpit while I'm slipped or at anchor. Plugs into a DC jack in the cockpit.
It has a built in regulator as well.
The panel came from Goal Zero.
Nice thing about this setup is that you can easily move it from boat to boat to campsite to RV etc.......
Bones
Bones, Will a regular 12 volt plug type ala a dashboard cigarette lighter type plug work to tap from the solar panel into the battery below decks? Sounds like you have "the answer" to topping off a battery on an extended cruise. Tom B On Thu, Feb 5, 2015 at 8:44 AM, bownez@juno.com <bownez@juno.com> wrote:
Hi Bill,
I use a 30 watt portable solar panel for my M17. It is built like a brief case and unfolds. I set it up in the cockpit while I'm slipped or at anchor. Plugs into a DC jack in the cockpit.
It has a built in regulator as well.
The panel came from Goal Zero.
Nice thing about this setup is that you can easily move it from boat to boat to campsite to RV etc.......
Bones ____________________________________________________________ The #1 Worst Carb Ever? Click to Learn #1 Carb that Kills Your Blood Sugar (Don't Eat This!) http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/54d3820dbda4520d6e36st03vuc
If you are a freshwater only sailor, you can get by with that. Not recommended though. Hard to find plug and socket that are of quality materials, most are cheap cheap, will rust quick even from fresh water. Connection quality is mediocre, not as positive as other options. Also only good for low current (OK if you're just trickle charging a battery, running a tiny inverter under ~200W, but nothing over a couple amps). If you are saltwater, you need a saltwater ready connection - marine quality plug and socket. Anything else will corrode to uselessness very quickly. Also if you are saltwater, use only high quality marine grade wiring materials, connectors, etc.. Especially for anything that is not dead easy to access and replace. It will cost more time and money replacing cheap materials than installing the good stuff up front, in the long run. cheers, John S. On 02/05/2015 07:41 AM, Thomas Buzzi wrote:
Bones, Will a regular 12 volt plug type ala a dashboard cigarette lighter type plug work to tap from the solar panel into the battery below decks? Sounds like you have "the answer" to topping off a battery on an extended cruise. Tom B
On Thu, Feb 5, 2015 at 8:44 AM, bownez@juno.com <bownez@juno.com> wrote:
Hi Bill,
I use a 30 watt portable solar panel for my M17. It is built like a brief case and unfolds. I set it up in the cockpit while I'm slipped or at anchor. Plugs into a DC jack in the cockpit.
It has a built in regulator as well.
The panel came from Goal Zero.
Nice thing about this setup is that you can easily move it from boat to boat to campsite to RV etc.......
Bones ____________________________________________________________ The #1 Worst Carb Ever? Click to Learn #1 Carb that Kills Your Blood Sugar (Don't Eat This!) http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/54d3820dbda4520d6e36st03vuc
-- John Schinnerer - M.A., Whole Systems Design -------------------------------------------- - Eco-Living - Whole Systems Design Services People - Place - Learning - Integration john@eco-living.net - 510.982.1334 http://eco-living.net http://sociocracyconsulting.com
Good points, thanks for the reply, John. On Thu, Feb 5, 2015 at 2:03 PM, John Schinnerer <john@eco-living.net> wrote:
If you are a freshwater only sailor, you can get by with that. Not recommended though. Hard to find plug and socket that are of quality materials, most are cheap cheap, will rust quick even from fresh water. Connection quality is mediocre, not as positive as other options. Also only good for low current (OK if you're just trickle charging a battery, running a tiny inverter under ~200W, but nothing over a couple amps).
If you are saltwater, you need a saltwater ready connection - marine quality plug and socket. Anything else will corrode to uselessness very quickly.
Also if you are saltwater, use only high quality marine grade wiring materials, connectors, etc.. Especially for anything that is not dead easy to access and replace. It will cost more time and money replacing cheap materials than installing the good stuff up front, in the long run.
cheers, John S.
On 02/05/2015 07:41 AM, Thomas Buzzi wrote:
Bones, Will a regular 12 volt plug type ala a dashboard cigarette lighter type plug work to tap from the solar panel into the battery below decks? Sounds like you have "the answer" to topping off a battery on an extended cruise. Tom B
On Thu, Feb 5, 2015 at 8:44 AM, bownez@juno.com <bownez@juno.com> wrote:
Hi Bill,
I use a 30 watt portable solar panel for my M17. It is built like a brief case and unfolds. I set it up in the cockpit while I'm slipped or at anchor. Plugs into a DC jack in the cockpit.
It has a built in regulator as well.
The panel came from Goal Zero.
Nice thing about this setup is that you can easily move it from boat to boat to campsite to RV etc.......
Bones ____________________________________________________________ The #1 Worst Carb Ever? Click to Learn #1 Carb that Kills Your Blood Sugar (Don't Eat This!) http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/54d3820dbda4520d6e36st03vuc
-- John Schinnerer - M.A., Whole Systems Design
- Eco-Living - Whole Systems Design Services People - Place - Learning - Integration john@eco-living.net - 510.982.1334 http://eco-living.net http://sociocracyconsulting.com
How about alligator clips directly to the battery Sent from AOL Mobile Mail Get the new AOL app: mail.mobile.aol.com On Thursday, February 5, 2015, John Schinnerer <john@eco-living.net> wrote: If you are a freshwater only sailor, you can get by with that. Not recommended though. Hard to find plug and socket that are of quality materials, most are cheap cheap, will rust quick even from fresh water. Connection quality is mediocre, not as positive as other options. Also only good for low current (OK if you're just trickle charging a battery, running a tiny inverter under ~200W, but nothing over a couple amps). If you are saltwater, you need a saltwater ready connection - marine quality plug and socket. Anything else will corrode to uselessness very quickly. Also if you are saltwater, use only high quality marine grade wiring materials, connectors, etc.. Especially for anything that is not dead easy to access and replace. It will cost more time and money replacing cheap materials than installing the good stuff up front, in the long run. cheers, John S. On 02/05/2015 07:41 AM, Thomas Buzzi wrote: > Bones, > Will a regular 12 volt plug type ala a dashboard cigarette lighter type > plug work to tap from the solar panel into the battery below decks? Sounds > like you have "the answer" to topping off a battery on an extended cruise. > Tom B > > On Thu, Feb 5, 2015 at 8:44 AM, bownez@juno.com <bownez@juno.com> wrote: > >> Hi Bill, >> >> I use a 30 watt portable solar panel for my M17. >> It is built like a brief case and unfolds. >> I set it up in the cockpit while I'm slipped or at anchor. Plugs into a DC >> jack in the cockpit. >> >> It has a built in regulator as well. >> >> The panel came from Goal Zero. >> >> Nice thing about this setup is that you can easily move it from boat to >> boat to campsite to RV etc....... >> >> Bones >> ____________________________________________________________ >> The #1 Worst Carb Ever? >> Click to Learn #1 Carb that Kills Your Blood Sugar (Don't Eat >> This!) >> http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/54d3820dbda4520d6e36st03vuc >> >> -- John Schinnerer - M.A., Whole Systems Design -------------------------------------------- - Eco-Living - Whole Systems Design Services People - Place - Learning - Integration john@eco-living.net - 510.982.1334 http://eco-living.net http://sociocracyconsulting.com
If it's a removable system that you will take on and off frequently, that will work fine if you have reasonably easy access to the battery terminals. The clips are easy to clean and easy to replace if they get rusted/corroded. cheers, John S. On 02/05/2015 01:51 PM, eisenee--- via montgomery_boats wrote:
How about alligator clips directly to the battery
Sent from AOL Mobile Mail Get the new AOL app: mail.mobile.aol.com
On Thursday, February 5, 2015, John Schinnerer <john@eco-living.net> wrote:
If you are a freshwater only sailor, you can get by with that. Not recommended though. Hard to find plug and socket that are of quality materials, most are cheap cheap, will rust quick even from fresh water. Connection quality is mediocre, not as positive as other options. Also only good for low current (OK if you're just trickle charging a battery, running a tiny inverter under ~200W, but nothing over a couple amps). If you are saltwater, you need a saltwater ready connection - marine quality plug and socket. Anything else will corrode to uselessness very quickly. Also if you are saltwater, use only high quality marine grade wiring materials, connectors, etc.. Especially for anything that is not dead easy to access and replace. It will cost more time and money replacing cheap materials than installing the good stuff up front, in the long run. cheers, John S. On 02/05/2015 07:41 AM, Thomas Buzzi wrote: > Bones, > Will a regular 12 volt plug type ala a dashboard cigarette lighter type > plug work to tap from the solar panel into the battery below decks? Sounds > like you have "the answer" to topping off a battery on an extended cruise. > Tom B > > On Thu, Feb 5, 2015 at 8:44 AM, bownez@juno.com <bownez@juno.com> wrote: > >> Hi Bill, >> >> I use a 30 watt portable solar panel for my M17. >> It is built like a brief case and unfolds. >> I set it up in the cockpit while I'm slipped or at anchor. Plugs into a DC >> jack in the cockpit. >> >> It has a built in regulator as well. >> >> The panel came from Goal Zero. >> >> Nice thing about this setup is that you can easily move it from boat to >> boat to campsite to RV etc....... >> >> Bones >> ____________________________________________________________ >> The #1 Worst Carb Ever? >> Click to Learn #1 Carb that Kills Your Blood Sugar (Don't Eat >> This!) >> http://thirdpartyoffers.j u no.com/TGL3141/54d3820dbda4520d6e36st03vuc >> >> -- John Schinnerer - M.A., Whole Systems Design -------------------------------------------- - Eco-Living - Whole Systems Design Services People - Place - Learning - Integration john@eco-living.net - 510.982.1334 http://eco-living.net http://sociocracyconsulting.com
-- John Schinnerer - M.A., Whole Systems Design -------------------------------------------- - Eco-Living - Whole Systems Design Services People - Place - Learning - Integration john@eco-living.net - 510.982.1334 http://eco-living.net http://sociocracyconsulting.com
participants (5)
-
Bill Wickett -
bownez@juno.com -
eisenee@aol.com -
John Schinnerer -
Thomas Buzzi