Radar/Solar Panel Arch

[theoldsalt]

I would suggest forget about an arch unless you need to add radar and loads of antenna.

My solution is to have a good pair of davits fitted and add a solar panel to each davit. It should also work out much cheaper.

 

[oldsaltoz]

42 foot cat.

 

[TQA]

I have an ali arch on my 44 ft monohull. It's principal job is to be a mount for 400 watts of solar. It also serves to lift the 18 hp on and off the dink and to act as davits to lift the dink at night.

It is fabricated from 2 inch tube and is stiffer than a SS one of comparable weight.

I am happy with it and if something happened to it I would replace it with a copy.

On the subject of people fitting other stuff to an arch carrying solar how crazy is that. You spend big bucks on solar then make sure it only produces a fraction of it's potential output by shadowing it.

 

[ghostlymoron]

On the subject of people fitting other stuff to an arch carrying solar how crazy is that. You spend big bucks on solar then make sure it only produces a fraction of it's potential output by shadowing it.

Where do you fit a panel on a sail boat where it won't be shaded at times? Mine is on the coach roof just forward of the mast and it still produces a useful amount of power.

 

[macd]

Where do you fit a panel on a sail boat where it won't be shaded at times?

You can't: the rig will inevitably shade it at times. fitting kit such as antennae, radar domes, wind gens adjacent to the panels has a much greater effect and is avoidable.

 

[TQA]

Where do you fit a panel on a sail boat where it won't be shaded at times? Mine is on the coach roof just forward of the mast and it still produces a useful amount of power.

Well this is how I have done it on my old lady. Anchored out where the trades blow I get shadowed early morning but by mid morning they are clear and pushing out 20 + amps. I see max output a lot which is 24 amps.

 

[oldsaltoz]

Quote Originally Posted by ghostlymoron View Post
Where do you fit a panel on a sail boat where it won't be shaded at times? Mine is on the coach roof just forward of the mast and it still produces a useful amount of power.

As stated, we have a Cockpit cover and an arch, the 3 solar panels are on the cockpit cover, the cay is kust under 20 wide, so swinging the boom to one side means they get full sun all day when the cat is not in use. When in use the time taken to motor out of the marina and the inlet, then to anchor and retrieve plus return to the marina more than makes up for any shade effect during the time spent under sail.

Good luck and fair winds.

 

[temptress]

I looked at having an arch made in the UK when we were refitting there last year.

I got a quote from 2 companies the cheapest being about GBP 2k ex vat. In the end I built one myself for approximately 500 quid.

 

[ianabc]

We had an arch for solar panel ( 60 watt Kyocera covered in 1/2 inch lexan) and radar,

built from 2 1/2 inch dia thick walled aluminium.


Found the frame too flexible and started again in stainless steel schedule 40 pipe .....

 

[Koeketiene]

Where do you fit a panel on a sail boat where it won't be shaded at times?

On the guardrail?

 

[vyv_cox]

I made my arch from standard fittings plus inch tubing, although it is partly supported by the radar pole. It carries 125 watts of rigid panels but no davits. Although it is partly shaded by the radar scanner at times I do not find this to be a problem and always have adequate battery power. The great thing about having panels on the arch is that they are always working to pretty much their maximum potential, whereas on coachroof or guardwires there are inevitably times when they produce nothing.

This was the Mark 1 version. The triangulated support proved to be too flexible and the aft part was replaced by two struts extending down to the transom. This means that the panels no longer tilt but experience has shown this not to be necessary (in Greece).

 

[CET1]

Solar gantry

We made our arch from 25mm tube and fixed it to guard rails with propriety clamps. has worked better than we could have imagined as battery charger is now never used with 460amps of battery power. You could also have a look at http://www.hainzl-design.net/Engl.Gantry.htm for ideas.