Charging via deck connector. Vic?

[Ru88ell]

I recently acquired a NASA 10w solar panel which I don't intend to fix permanently. My plan is to mount it to some thin marine ply and bungee over the coach house as and when.

I was pondering how to run the cables today, when I had a thought. Since I'll only use it during the day, could I use the deck fitting for the steaming light? I'd only need to buy another dri-plug if so - or am I looking at this too simplistically?

I have a 65ah battery and successfully run a NASA BM1 Compact.

 

[VicS]

I recently acquired a NASA 10w solar panel which I don't intend to fix permanently. My plan is to mount it to some thin marine ply and bungee over the coach house as and when.

I was pondering how to run the cables today, when I had a thought. Since I'll only use it during the day, could I use the deck fitting for the steaming light? I'd only need to buy another dri-plug if so - or am I looking at this too simplistically?

I have a 65ah battery and successfully run a NASA BM1 Compact.

Mine is permanently fitted and wired direct to the battery........ It recharges the battery while I am not there. I don't think you will get enough out of the panel if you restrict its use to when you are on board and presumably not sailing
But
No reason why you should not use existing wiring and connector but you will have to remember to switch on the relevant circuit. The circuit you use must be separately switched direct from the battery ... it would not work on my boat because the steaming light cannot be switched on unless the side lights are already switched on.

Personally Id prefer not to be forever unplugging and reconnecting my mast lights deck plug. I plug it in at the start of the season check it all works and then dont touch until the end of the season.

In a similar situation I might use the socket for the h/h spotlight in the cockpit.

 

[Ru88ell]

I guess I should say its more likely that the solar panel would be the main use. I'd rarely have the mast top steaming light on - it draws 0.9amps and I have a separate anchor light drawing 0.1amps.

 

[VicS]

I guess I should say its more likely that the solar panel would be the main use. I'd rarely have the mast top steaming light on - it draws 0.9amps and I have a separate anchor light drawing 0.1amps.

Fair enough. I just hope you get enough juice out of your panel in a limited time to keep the battery charged.

I have no inboard engine and the outboard provides next to nothing so the solar panel is the main power source. I need a panel fitted so that it recharges the battery while I am not there. 5 watts was the largest I could fit but it does what I want it to and I have not had to take the battery home for charging during the season since I fitted it.

If i was doing more than weekend sailing with just the occasional longer period I would get something bigger ( a 30 watt briefcase panel perhaps) and plug it in via the spotlight socket or the autohelm socket or the outboard socket.

 

[TQA]

I recently acquired a NASA 10w solar panel which I don't intend to fix permanently. My plan is to mount it to some thin marine ply and bungee over the coach house as and when.

I was pondering how to run the cables today, when I had a thought. Since I'll only use it during the day, could I use the deck fitting for the steaming light? I'd only need to buy another dri-plug if so - or am I looking at this too simplistically?

I have a 65ah battery and successfully run a NASA BM1 Compact.

Nope that will work. I would include a fuse though if you are going to run it directly to the batterry.

 

[VicS]

Nope that will work. I would include a fuse though if you are going to run it directly to the batterry.

Good point but hopefully the light circuit is already fused.. with luck it'll be a suitable value if the light only takes 0.9 amps

 

[Ru88ell]

Thanks guys. I'll let you know how I get on.

 

[ghostlymoron]

What's your objection to having the panel permanently installed? If it's your main source of charging, you need to squeeze as much out of it as you can.

 

[Fantasie 19]

What's your objection to having the panel permanently installed? If it's your main source of charging, you need to squeeze as much out of it as you can.

Hmm... my thoughts to.... even mounting it inside the cabin in a side window would allow it still to work when you're not on board?

 

[ghostlymoron]

Hmm... my thoughts to.... even mounting it inside the cabin in a side window would allow it still to work when you're not on board?

Upto a point it will generate something but not nearly as much as having it flat on deck. There's always the risk that someone will nick it but I had one on deck on a drying, swinging mooring with public access for several years with no problem. The battery was reassuringly charged each weekend after 5 days charging.

 

[Ru88ell]

What's your objection to having the panel permanently installed? If it's your main source of charging, you need to squeeze as much out of it as you can.

My boat is very much a trailer sailer, and only sees action for maybe 4 or 5 weeks of the year. I'll do long BH weekends, maybe Easter week, and maybe a couple of other weeks, etc. The rest of the time she lives under cover in an old pig shed in the West Midlands.

For shorter trips the battery will have enough power without any problem. If I can get into a marina on the longer trips I'll recharge via shore power. I wanted the panel for when I know I won't have access to re-charge. I also don't want to make holes to fix permanently, hence only using it on longer trips when it may be necessary.

Also, by having it loose I can put the panel outside of the pig shed and keep the trickle going between trips - something I couldn't do if it was fixed. I hope this makes sense.