Solar Charger - Mounting Location / Wiring / Type?

[barfwinkle]

GE evening to All

For anyone that might be interested the "Mock is Up" aboard Rhapsody and it is the exact size of a Kyocera 140w panel. Once I get the measurement I have requested we'll know if it clears the backstay. It fit quite well athwarftships.

The panel is 59.? by 26.3 and I think it'll work just fine IF I can get the support stabilized with braces.

Fair Winds.

[Andy Denmark]

Bill,

After our telecon & looking at this picture I believe you don't need bracing but can simply tie the legs of the "U-Bracket" to the vertical stanchions of the stern pulpit. Somewhere I've seen fittings that do just this. These essentially sister the two pieces of side-by-side 1" tubing together. Someone who works with fabrication of dodgers, biminis, etc. probably has a catalong showing these fittings. Four of them will do it.

I'd grab that long piece of stainless you mentioned and make the "U-Bracket" one piece. Once secured like this I think you'll be happy with the rigidity of this setup. Using three pieces of tubing with corner fittings won't be nearly as rigid, however, plus you'll have the cost of the additional two fittings.

To me this is he simplest, easiest approach and I think your mockup will show okay clearance from the backstay. You can get a profile drawing of the CD-25/D from literature and draw the whole solar panel/mounting thing in to scale to verify my educated guess.

Hope this helps,

Andy

[Andy Denmark]

Additional thoughts appended to the above posting:

(1) Using my suggested method, you can easily increase clearance from the backstay by a smooth (big radius) bend of the upright legs aft just above the top bar of the stern pulpit.

(2) I'd further suggest that the upright legs of the panel mounting bracket be inboard of the vertical pulpit legs.

73

[Northoceanbeach]

John, what did you use to attach the solar panels to the rail? I was think one 85 watt mounted to my CD28 stern rail.

I'm going to be away from shore power all the time

[John Danicic]

Ok, I finally took a photo of the clamps that hold my panels on the rail. They started off whiter but time has taken it's toll.






I augmented the power of the clamp by adding a screw that was tapped through the aluminum mounting plate. This screw, attached to a lever protrudes through the plate to the SS mounting rail and creates enough friction to hold the panels at any angle I want. A quarter turn of the level tightens or loosens it up. Each panel has two clamps but only one friction screw.
I am very satisfied by the results. The clamps came from Hamilton Ferris.http://www.hamiltonferris.com/products/ ... Systems/44