I have a single 20 watt (nominal) panel laying on top of my sliding
hatch. What it does, and does very well, is top up the charge of my
batteries during time when I am not on the boat to 100%, and hold them
there. Most people are never aware, but their batteries seldom get
charged that last 5-10% of capacity. Charging is far more complex than
just stuffing amps into the battery as fast as you can. Running the
engine for 20 minutes with batteries that are at 90% charge already,
won't do much at all. That last 5-10% requires a long slow charge to
achieve.
Bill Bina
On 9/27/2013 11:06 AM, Jim Watts wrote:
I bought two of the 20W amorphous panels on sale at Canadian Tire, and
wired them to a Coleman controller belowdecks. They retail for $120, I
got them on sale for $60 each. I figured they would be a good addition
for charging while at anchor.
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/SolarPortablePower/SolarEnergy/PRD~0112023P/Coleman+20W+Amorphous+Solar+Panel.jsp?locale=en
<http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/SolarPortablePower/SolarEnergy/PRD%7E0112023P/Coleman+20W+Amorphous+Solar+Panel.jsp?locale=en>
The most output I saw for the/pair/ was 1.8 A at high noon on a
cloudless day. They are heavy and not worth the hassle of dragging
them around at less than 1 Amp per panel. I can generate that much
power with 15 minutes of engine run time and make hot water at the
same time. Anyone who wants them can have them for $40 each.
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