Well back in May I purchased a small solar panel to trickle charge my house battery. I didn't install it until after returning from the Bay, but now it is in a "temporary" setting until I complete the process.
Anyway, what a great little unit. I love not having to worry about the house battery, and while it will not keep up with constant use, when I get to the boat after the work week, that puppy (battery) is full and waiting! Great.
Now the question is can I add a switch and have the option of sending the current to either battery? Like a small battery switch? Would a simple on/off/on toggle switch work or does it need to be something more significant?
Fair Winds and have a great day. I CANNOT BELIEVE that it is August in Oklahoma. The low this AM was 61°
Solar Panel
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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barfwinkle
- Posts: 2169
- Joined: Feb 6th, '05, 10:34
- Location: S/V Rhapsody CD25D
Solar Panel
Bill Member #250.
Solar panel
Hey, Bill. Glad to see you're going "High Tech!" 
I'm not sure how your panel is configured, but the small one I have has a power plug (like a cigarette lighter plug) and plugs into a receptacle to charge the battery. Instead of switches, you could install separate female power receptacles and then plug the solar panel into the one you want to charge. Then you could also use the receptacles to power or charge other electronic gear if you need to.
If not configured this way, sure, you could use switches to direct the charging to either battery. But I don't think there is enough "trickle" to direct the charge to both batteries at once, but you probably know that.
Anyway, have fun experimenting
Ed
I'm not sure how your panel is configured, but the small one I have has a power plug (like a cigarette lighter plug) and plugs into a receptacle to charge the battery. Instead of switches, you could install separate female power receptacles and then plug the solar panel into the one you want to charge. Then you could also use the receptacles to power or charge other electronic gear if you need to.
If not configured this way, sure, you could use switches to direct the charging to either battery. But I don't think there is enough "trickle" to direct the charge to both batteries at once, but you probably know that.
Anyway, have fun experimenting
Ed
Bill,
I've trickle charged in the past. What I did was plug the charger into the cigarette lighter socket and selected which battery I wanted to charge by using the battery switch (don't use "ALL", though). I did disconnect the little lamp that glows when the battery switch is not off so that no power is being used by the batteries.
Sorry we didn't see you while you were here in the Chesapeake. Yesterday we returned from our Maine cruise...out 75 days with 47 moving days.
Bob
I've trickle charged in the past. What I did was plug the charger into the cigarette lighter socket and selected which battery I wanted to charge by using the battery switch (don't use "ALL", though). I did disconnect the little lamp that glows when the battery switch is not off so that no power is being used by the batteries.
Sorry we didn't see you while you were here in the Chesapeake. Yesterday we returned from our Maine cruise...out 75 days with 47 moving days.
Bob
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Steve Laume
- Posts: 4127
- Joined: Feb 13th, '05, 20:40
- Location: Raven1984 Cape Dory 30C Hull #309Noank, CT
- Contact:
Am I messing up somehow?
I have my two house batteries connected to the main battery switch at the 1 terminal. My starting battery goes to 2. So that I do not discharge the house batteries back an forth between themselves I put in another selector switch before the number 1 terminal.
My solar trickle charger goes to the + post before it goes through the main selector switch. This is directed through a breaker to a lighter socket that is then hot even when the main selector switch is in the off position.
I generally leave the solar charger connected to both house batteries. I can divide them with the extra battery switch but have never felt the need since I installed the solar charger. The little trickle charger seems to keep them both topped up quite nicely.
I really didn't feel comfortable leaving the main selector switch on all the time.
Your situation is different. You would want to be very careful about running a light wire between your house batteries. It would have to be an either type switch so that they were never interconnected when you were drawing a load on one battery. If you had your main selector switch set on either 1 or 2 and they were interconnected by the solar charger any load would try to travel through the light wire. That could result in a smoke show of sorts. Not a good thing.
Someone else might have a good solution for you but do be careful. The amperage on the solar charger is very low but you could be putting your starting, or any other, load through that light wire if you do it wrong.
The solar charger is one of the better things I have done on Raven, Steve.
I have my two house batteries connected to the main battery switch at the 1 terminal. My starting battery goes to 2. So that I do not discharge the house batteries back an forth between themselves I put in another selector switch before the number 1 terminal.
My solar trickle charger goes to the + post before it goes through the main selector switch. This is directed through a breaker to a lighter socket that is then hot even when the main selector switch is in the off position.
I generally leave the solar charger connected to both house batteries. I can divide them with the extra battery switch but have never felt the need since I installed the solar charger. The little trickle charger seems to keep them both topped up quite nicely.
I really didn't feel comfortable leaving the main selector switch on all the time.
Your situation is different. You would want to be very careful about running a light wire between your house batteries. It would have to be an either type switch so that they were never interconnected when you were drawing a load on one battery. If you had your main selector switch set on either 1 or 2 and they were interconnected by the solar charger any load would try to travel through the light wire. That could result in a smoke show of sorts. Not a good thing.
Someone else might have a good solution for you but do be careful. The amperage on the solar charger is very low but you could be putting your starting, or any other, load through that light wire if you do it wrong.
The solar charger is one of the better things I have done on Raven, Steve.
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barfwinkle
- Posts: 2169
- Joined: Feb 6th, '05, 10:34
- Location: S/V Rhapsody CD25D
Thanks to all for the input.
Steve, I agree that the solar charger is absolutely one of the best boat units I have spent! I love it.
For now it is only connected to the house battery. It doesn't have a 12v plug, it is hard wired (or will be when I decided how to proceed) directly to the house battery.
All I was wandering was if I could put install a switch of some kind, like a on/off/on or a 1,2 both, to where I could send the trickle charge to which ever battery I chose. If i have to I'll just leave it on the house and let the engine take care of the start battery.
Thanks for all the input folks.
Fair Winds
Steve, I agree that the solar charger is absolutely one of the best boat units I have spent! I love it.
For now it is only connected to the house battery. It doesn't have a 12v plug, it is hard wired (or will be when I decided how to proceed) directly to the house battery.
All I was wandering was if I could put install a switch of some kind, like a on/off/on or a 1,2 both, to where I could send the trickle charge to which ever battery I chose. If i have to I'll just leave it on the house and let the engine take care of the start battery.
Thanks for all the input folks.
Fair Winds
Bill Member #250.