solar panels and charge controllers

[no way]

If you want the really good oil on boat solar look at/speak to www.solar4rvs.com.au. Also www.solarquotes.com.au has some great tech info. It mainly applies to domestic solar but the technology is the same

[Andrew]

Thanks Luke, i reckon solar quotes would be good for setting up a house with 5-10 kilowatt systems and getting the best installers. It's definitely worthwhile.

I'm trying to keep Teria's DIY system as small as needed. It's toward the low end of the RV/4WD range of gear.

Today my watt meter said the panel was inputting 21volts and 1 to 1.5 amps (about 20 to 30 watts) to the controller. The battery/systems voltmeter was on 14V while solar charging (and presume the MPPT was outputing about 2 amps continuously) .

It looks like time to replace battery too..

[Ozzie]

I think it’s probably a good plan to keep the set up basic Andrew. Solar is great stuff but if you set up big panels particularly up high you are creating a lot of windage which while most of the time won’t matter, in a big blow could cause a lot of issues.

I note many of the vessels that pull up at Valentine jetty on the lake have lots of panels as I think they may be stealth live aboards. They generally have them on the cabin sides or roof. Not ideal for getting sunlight but I guess a lot less windage and at least one of the panels is getting sun depending on which way they are facing. Looks like in some cases though it’s making it more difficult to move around the boat. Solar blankets put out while they are on the jetty are becoming popular too as I assume they are getting cheaper and more efficient.

Amazing how many power banks were selling in department stores lately. You can get them with enough reserve to charge a phone three times apparently. All reduces your need for bigger house batteries I guess.

[no way]

Solarquotes more about the technical side. Testing of panels and controllers and batteries. The science applies regardless of the size of installation

[Andrew]

Yeria Dome LED , MPPT solar controller

The "load" terminals on the controller? are vacant. from utubers seems like it has a "cutout" function, to prevent further batt draw if the critical low voltage is reached..eg 50% 12.0v batt? Guessing that non-essentials could be wired through this. To save batt longevity..?.

To conserve main batt watts. thinking of taking my 18v ryobi lantern (also a good workshop light, 800 lumens max) and 4" cooling fan with lithiums along. independent system, charge at home, have 4 x 5ah = 20ah of these click on batts.

Have recently installed two LED dome lights, wow do they put out allot of lumens! They are white or red light (night vision)

[Andrew]

The new LED dome lights are good. (new photos on the way)

(Had to move the forepeak dome light from centerline to the side, as not enough headroom. )

[Peter T]

Absolutely brilliant Andrew. LED is certainly the way to go due to their very small power consumption. Also, the red light makes it so much easier at night especially if you are under way whereas the white light tends to blind you from external nav markers etc.
Love the way you have mounted it all. Great lob mate.

[Andrew]

Cheers, Hope the LED's power draw is less, guessing 3 Watts? Mounted the lights on 10 or 12mm thick plywood circles glued on by silastic sealant.

My method. Put light on ply, pencil around light edge, jigsaw (on outside of line, cut exit groove for wire in ply with hand saw, sand, paint, screw light onto ply, cutoff extra long 15mm screw pointy ends.
Silicone around outer edge, hold up to ceiling with cloth tape and extendable hiking pole until sealants dry (overnight)
Installed red bullet connectors to red and black wires, and onto rest of system. Silicone twin cable (7.5 and 10amp) to ceiling etc (hold up with cloth tape until dry)

The two LED lights are wired in parallel, so if one stops the others still (hopefully) works. (but they are on the same fuse/switch board)

(also left the original bulb dome lights on their separate circuit (and fuse) as backup, and have a nice traditional glow).

[Andrew]

I think it’s probably a good plan to keep the set up basic Andrew. Solar is great stuff but if you set up big panels particularly up high you are creating a lot of windage which while most of the time won’t matter, in a big blow could cause a lot of issues.

I note many of the vessels that pull up at Valentine jetty on the lake have lots of panels as I think they may be stealth live aboards. They generally have them on the cabin sides or roof. Not ideal for getting sunlight but I guess a lot less windage and at least one of the panels is getting sun depending on which way they are facing. Looks like in some cases though it’s making it more difficult to move around the boat. Solar blankets put out while they are on the jetty are becoming popular too as I assume they are getting cheaper and more efficient.

Amazing how many power banks were selling in department stores lately. You can get them with enough reserve to charge a phone three times apparently. All reduces your need for bigger house batteries I guess.

Agree Ozzie, windage and seaworthiness a big issue with panels. I might keep my panel as a "tie on" for awhile and experiment with its positioning. The 40w is much smaller size and easier to move about that my old 37w one. Also it's monocrystalline (vs polycrystalline old one). At anchor it could lean against cabin sides, or ontop of furled main boom, at sea aft rail, below in a gale (again stow easy size)

Those "power bricks" of all sizes could be an option for some sailers, (eg day sailing, single overnighters) they do all the wiring for you but are way more moolah per watt than my system.

Yes, solar blankets might be an option for anchoring. my controller can take 100W-200W blankets plug and play. (but awaiting budget allocation)

[Ozzie]

Andrew:
“also left the original bulb dome lights on their separate circuit (and fuse) as backup, and have a nice traditional glow). “

True, sometimes I miss the old fluorescent ( I couldn’t spell it j tube that was originally in Spritzig II. The swivel LED tubes I’ve got now are great but just don’t create the same feeling . I have a small candle lantern with citronella candles for ambience. I’m just getting old. You can still buy 12volt fluoro stuff, I just checked. One day it will be rare.

Great thread Andrew!