Tom Vallois
Has anyone else tried to fit a solar panel on. I am hoping to do so but I am unsure which one is best for the job. I want to fit in ontop of the hatch way, so a small ish square is going to be best. The local shipyard will have some in Janruary but wasnt sure what the U.K has on offer. All advice welcome
Tom V (Jersey)
Chris Fritot
Has anyone else tried to fit a solar panel on. I am hoping to do so but I am unsure which one is best for the job. I want to fit in ontop of the hatch way, so a small ish square is going to be best. The local shipyard will have some in Janruary but wasnt sure what the U.K has on offer. All advice welcomeTom V (Jersey)
Hi Tom
I have just purchased a Sunsei se-500 to do a similar job, ordered from a company called CPC, I have added a link if you are interested.
“www.cpc.farnell.com”cost around
Tom Vallois
Hi TomI have just purchased a Sunsei se-500 to do a similar job, ordered from a company called CPC, I have added a link if you are interested.
“www.cpc.farnell.com”cost around
Robert Davis
You may need to fit a regulator to control the voltage of the solar panel particularly if like me you have a small battery designed to do little more than power the instruments and want to connect the panel so that it is working when the instruments are turned on.
My son and I checked a very small panel on a sunny, but not brilliant day and found that it was putting out 22 volts. This was within the range acceptable to my Garmin 152 GPS but not the Clipper instruments.
We have put ours on the inside of the transom just below the tiller. Seems to be about the least kicked about part of the boat. The panel is very light (0.5Kg) so I am not too worried about the weight in the end of the boat.
Tom Vallois
You may need to fit a regulator to control the voltage of the solar panel particularly if like me you have a small battery designed to do little more than power the instruments and want to connect the panel so that it is working when the instruments are turned on.My son and I checked a very small panel on a sunny, but not brilliant day and found that it was putting out 22 volts. This was within the range acceptable to my Garmin 152 GPS but not the Clipper instruments.
We have put ours on the inside of the transom just below the tiller. Seems to be about the least kicked about part of the boat. The panel is very light (0.5Kg) so I am not too worried about the weight in the end of the boat.
Thanks for that. I dont suppose it would be to much hassle for you to send me a picture of what you have done. That way I can see, with ease which one you have aswell as the size. If its not easy to take a picture (in Jersey we are never more than 20mins from the harbour so cant make excuses) soon or at all dont worry.
Tom V
email; divingwild@hotmail.com
Robert Davis
Will do. Hopefully will get to the boat next weekend.
BobD
Tim Owen
Hi,
I put a semi flexible panel (about a foot square) on my Sonata between the mast and the hatch about 3 years ago. It is mounted by 4 M6 screws through the corners of the stainless backing plate and spaced off about 3mm with neoprene grommets. It bends to follow the coachroof. It is connected directly into the 2 cheap, old 60 amp car batteries run via a 1,2, 0r 1+2 switch. I don’t use the boat very heavily but the arrangement works well – I haven’t done anything to it in all the time its been on the boat except top up the water in the batteries in the spring and at the end of the season. The solar panel is exposed during the winter and the batteries have never needed charging. I use a vhf, a small chart plotter, autopilot and nav lights occasionally plus cabin lights. I leave it on 1+2 except when sailing off-shore at night when I run from a single battery so I know when I’ve used half my power. I was prepared to install a more complex system with a regulator and charger but it seems to work perfectly as it is and I’ve never run it down yet.
Unless you have a very small battery or a large solar panel (more than 20Watts) I wouldn’t bother with a regulator.
To avoid damaging your instruments with overvoltage make sure the solar panel and battery are always connected before the instruments are connected, then it can’t go over about 16 volts.
Tim
Robert Davis
Agree with batteries of that size it is not likely to be a problem. The small battery on my boat is only 7 Amp Hours designed for use in models.
It is enough to run the instruments for a day’s racing and ought to get the nav lights through the night when I have fitted the LED version this winter. I have a couple of spare batteries that I can take with me if I am nervous about running out of juice.
anthony tinsley
we use a big flexible panel. it charges the battery really quick and we roll it up when not in use . can’t remember the brand name but an internet search should yeild results.
mark_herrington
Hi,
I was just wondering whether anyone had picture(s) of the solar panel fitting? Looking to fit one and would welcome some visual advice.
Thanks
Mark
jonpanda
GBR 8088N
Rob Little
Interesting thread. I’m pondering fitting a solar panel myself, as I have two batteries onboard, and I’ll be on a swinging mooring this season. One of my batteries powers radio, gps, cabin lights, nav lights, depth sounder, and the other purely powers the diesel inboard (yes, it does have an inboard). Does anyone have any pics of their setup, or advice on fitting?
Regards,
Rob
Tim Owen
Hi,
Attached is a pic of the 10 or ?20W semiflex panel just in front of the fwd position of the hatch. It is fixed with 4 stainless M6 screws onto rubber grommets with nuts inside, sealed with CT1 or silicone. I put a cable gland through through the fibreglass and wired it via a spare switch and fuse on the switch panel directly into the 12V wiring. On my boat the 2 batteries are normally in parallel so both charge together, but you could put in a 5A Shotky diode to each of your 2 batteries. As was mentioned before, you don’t need a regulator if you have 2 decent sized batteries. This year I’ll get round (winter optimism?) to putting in a +/-5 Amp meter on the main power wire from the batteries so I can see the charge rate, and maybe a new switch board.
The solar panel isnt a problem there – its pretty tough, even survived graunching the kicking strap lever into it while lowering the mast – you can certainly kneel on it. It keeps my batteries charged all year round.
If you have any more specific questions, please ask.
Tim
Rob Little
Tim, that’s great, many thanks for that. Do you recall who manufactured the panel? I’m also interested how you got the cable through the coach roof, this is my first boat…and I’m absolutely paranoid about drilling holes through the outer skin!
Rob
Tim Owen
Hi Rob,
Sorry, I can’t remember the make – it was some time ago and its probably changed anyway. The boat is some way away so I can’t get at it to measure – but you can get a pretty good idea from the picture – its wider than it is afore and aft.
There are several makes – you need a semi-flexible panel as it will bend to the shape of the deck.
I drilled 4 holes of 6mm for the corners – the panel came with rubber grommets – and just bolted it down with a bit of silicone sealant around the grommets, in the holes and on the nuts. Fix down with M6 x 25mm button head stainless screws.
The cable can go through a nylon cable gland – I think my panel came with a suitable wire tail. You can get cable glands from RSWWW.com or similar electronic suppliers – they have a rubber sleeve that compresses round the cable and a threaded part that goes through the deck. I’ve got a black one on my desk that takes 4 to 6 mm cable and needs an approx 13mm hole – it needs the glass thinned on the inside a bit as there isn’t much thread length – about 4.5mm. It sticks up about 25mm above the deck.
Alternatively you could feed the cable under the panel and through a small hole and seal it with a good blob of silicone sealant that filled the gap under the panel. It would only need a small hole and would be neater – it shouldn’t leak as its well protected.
If you email me your address I’ll mail you the cable gland and a set of screws.
You’ll get more blase about holes as time passes – up there on the cabin top is about the best place to start …….
Tim
Rob Little
Hi Rob,
Sorry, I can’t remember the make – it was some time ago and its probably changed anyway. The boat is some way away so I can’t get at it to measure – but you can get a pretty good idea from the picture – its wider than it is afore and aft.
There are several makes – you need a semi-flexible panel as it will bend to the shape of the deck.
I drilled 4 holes of 6mm for the corners – the panel came with rubber grommets – and just bolted it down with a bit of silicone sealant around the grommets, in the holes and on the nuts. Fix down with M6 x 25mm button head stainless screws.
The cable can go through a nylon cable gland – I think my panel came with a suitable wire tail. You can get cable glands from RSWWW.com or similar electronic suppliers – they have a rubber sleeve that compresses round the cable and a threaded part that goes through the deck. I’ve got a black one on my desk that takes 4 to 6 mm cable and needs an approx 13mm hole – it needs the glass thinned on the inside a bit as there isn’t much thread length – about 4.5mm. It sticks up about 25mm above the deck.
Alternatively you could feed the cable under the panel and through a small hole and seal it with a good blob of silicone sealant that filled the gap under the panel. It would only need a small hole and would be neater – it shouldn’t leak as its well protected.
If you email me your address I’ll mail you the cable gland and a set of screws.
You’ll get more blase about holes as time passes – up there on the cabin top is about the best place to start …….
Tim
Tim,
Sorry for the delay getting back to you. That’s really helpful, and very kind, I’ll email you my address!
Many thanks,
Rob
PAUL H CULLEY
hi tom, try ebay , the blokes goes under name of sarlaurinco, he may have what you are looking for, regards paul.