Solar Panel Charging 12v --> MinnKota 30-55

[masoct3]

Hi there,

I was wondering if I bought a solar panel, say 10watts or less, would I be able to charge a 12v battery connected to a simple rear minntoka trolling motor when not using the motor?

Thank you in advance.

[fivebucks]

I charge my 2 deep cycles with solar. It doesn't charge fast but it does charge them up. Boat is at the cabin so it will have a week or two between visits, if it was less they would not charge batteries fully. Be sure to get a solar controller to eliminate overcharging the battery.

[jentz]

10 watts divided by 12 volts = .8 amps going to a battery.Not very much.Then you need some other equipment to control a charge.Look at harborfreight and solar charging systems.They have one with all the needed equipment and it has 3-15 Watt pannels which would be 45 watts divided by 12 volts =3.75 amps to a battery. Still not much amperage but at 3.75 amp output it can charge a battery while someone who is a weekender.

[masoct3]

Yeah, HFT is awesome. I was actually there yesterday.

[Tom7227]

Solar is great for the occasional use. The problem with it is what do you do with the panel when you use the boat. I have a setup that I put on top of my canopy on the boat lift and it works really well. But it would be a real pain to deal with it if I had to move it every time I took the boat out. If you could mount it on the dock or a boat lift then go for it. I got mine at Northern about 6 years ago and it is about 15 inches by 36 inches. I don't know what the output is but it does the job.

[BobT]

Something else to keep in mind. Latest recommendations for deep cycle battery charging is to recharge as soon as possible and as quickly as possible within the limits of the battery. Using a slow trickly charge all the time will probably reduce the useful life of the battery. How much is up for debate but at $100.00 a pop or more for a good new battery, I want to get all the life I can out of it.