Solar Panel

Posts regarding the electrical systems and electronics on a Telstar.
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andrewm
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Solar Panel

Post by andrewm »

I'm about to install a solar panel (40W) and have a couple of questions I'm hoping someone can help me with. I plan to mount it over the stern arch, and feed the wires through the rail and then along the same path that takes the power to the stern light. Does anyone know of an easy way to drill holes in the stainless steel tubing? I'm guessing I need some sort of drill press to do that, but don't have one.

Secondly, I'm wondering what is the best way to hook it up to the batteries. I was planning on having a three-way switch after the charge controller, essentially running a parallel circuit to the main battery switch, that would allow charging 1, 2, or off. That way I can be running on 1 and charging 2, etc.

Any help appreciated.
Andrewm #365
Dan

Solar Panel

Post by Dan »

Andrew—

I'd highly recommend you read my blog, where I've got a fairly decent primer on Solar Power on Boats.

As for drilling stainless.... get cobalt coated bits and go slow, use oil or cutting fluid, and a fair bit of pressure. If you can't see the individual drill bit flutes rotating, you're going too fast.
gary green
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Solar Panel

Post by gary green »

Dan is correct about drilling through the stainless steel. It was a real challenge for me becuase I sent my wiring from the galley to the fuel locker and through the bottom of the stanchion mount, then drilled through the bottom of the arch rail. Enclosed is a picture of the way I wired up to a charge controller to a panel to decide which battery or batteries to charge. Mine is a 75watt panel.

gary g.

PS: Still have not finished the mount for the panel. Too much to do, too little time.
Attachments
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Gene
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Location: "Tri Again" Plash Island, AL
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Solar Panel

Post by Gene »

I mounted a solar panel in the same manner. I had a machine shop drill the new hole at the top of the arch... cost me maybe $10 tops. The headache, I found, was that the arch mounting base at the hull was not a "donut" but a solid disc with only a small hole drilled for the stern light. I opted to use a dremel tool to enlarge the hole enough for both wires to pass through. My boat came with just a group 24 marine battery. I opted to add an AGM group 31 as a house battery. My electrical panel was a simple 6 circuit panel... really just an auxiliary panel. I added this:
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This is now my main battery switch. The engine charges the starter battery directly. My solar panel (Kyocera) is regulated through a Blue Sky controller and monitoring panel. I was impressed that this sytems doesn't simply bleed off (heat sink) "overvoltage" during peak sun hours, but converts it so that the "extra voltage" is transferred into higher amp output. So far so good... (YES... I do know that mixing battery chemistries is not ideal....)
I also added a Westmarine battery combiner which combines the two battery banks whenever voltage exceeds a certain amount... (I forget exactly what... probably something around 13.2 volts???)
Last edited by Gene on Wed Feb 20, 2013 5:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
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drsm
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Solar Panel

Post by drsm »

I just wrap my solar panel wire around the stanchion to the base where there is a plug for the solar panel.
Gene
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Re: Solar Panel

Post by Gene »

drsm wrote:I just wrap my solar panel wire around the stanchion to the base where there is a plug for the solar panel.
Just as effective, for sure! I had no idea my install would be quite as much work initially... but in the long run I wanted a permanent install "as pretty as possible." Now I just endure the "what is that, a spoiler on back" comments ;-). When I was on a mooring right on the bend of the shipping channel into Hyannis inner harbor it was comforting knowing I could leave my anchor light.... and refer with 12 pack on at all times (photo cell on anchor light). Even so, my mooring ball got smashed once. Luckily for me, it was during the prevailing SW winds....
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Bill
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Re: Solar Panel

Post by Bill »

I recently mounted a Solarland 55 watt panel on the port aft rail, above the outboard, a single strut for bracing runs diagonally down to the vertical arch support tube. Made the 3 mounts from an old carving board, as ss mounts from West would be over $50 each, mine somewhat similar to the mounts under the aft seats. Used a 3 way switch to direct power from a Genasun MPPT charge controller to either battery. Seems to be working fine. Ran wires down and through the aluminum stiffener under the port aft seat, then in through the same fitting as the cables running to the outboard. Did this on the mooring, may rework the wiring after I haul in the fall.
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