Member
I notice in the hints and tips page the photograph shows what looks like a small solar panel on the deck behind the mast. Has anyone any information on this or use one themselves to charge the battery?
Administrator
posted
13 November 2000 09:08 PM
The photo shows the solar panel that I fitted on "Pied Piper". They are simple to fit and can be trodden-on by crews. The output is small in typical British daylight but as long as you only use the battery for instruments and occasional lighting then you can completely forget about charging the battery, Summer or Winter. The only real snag is the cost.
Choose a panel that will bend slightly to follow the curve of the deck. If you have a large battery and a small panel then you won't need a regulator. However,purpose-built regulators are fairly cheap and usually incorporate an LED display to show if the battery is charging properly so they are a useful extra.
Jack Hardie
Member
Jack
Thanks for your reply to my question on solar panals
------------------
New Member
Jack,
Could you expand on "large battery / small panel".
What Amp/hr capacity battery -v- wattage solar panel combination do you
have on Pied Piper ?