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#1
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Small Portable Solar Charger for a Fly-in Trip?
I have always taken my Portable Humminbird Piranaha Max Sonar with me on all my fly-in trips but this time we have no electricity or generator to charge it up.Has anyone had an experience using the small portable Solar Chargers on a trip? Just wondering how many watts would be needed and do they work on cloudy days? Thanks.
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#2
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You can get a 30 watt panel for somewhere between $100 to $200 from most sporting goods retailers. Keep in mind that whatever panel you would like to purchase, the output rating is based on optimum conditions. This means a blazing sun and pointed in the right direction (azimuth and elevation) at all times. They will continue to generate power on cloudy days but may only work at 5 or 10% efficiency. So......a 30 watt panel could generate about 2.5 Amps @ 12 volts however that is not likely. A 30 watt panel probably will afford you about 1.5 Amps per hour when the sun is shinning. To charge your batteries for Fish Finder should be perfect because they usually don't consume that much power anyway. They will definitely charge your battery and as long as you don't consume more than you use you'll be in great shape. You could always buy a large panel too. Turn it into a bimini top on your boat.
Last edited by 3M TA3; 04-08-2015 at 07:39 PM. |
#3
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I don't think it's worth the expense to bother with a solar system. To do it properly you need at least a 15W panel with a controller and two 12V batteries (one in your sonar while the other is charging). At 15W, your typical 12V sonar battery would charge in about 7-8 hours of direct sunlight [probably 2 good days of sun]. Using a 10W panel would take about 12 hours of direct sunlight to charge the battery. I've seen 15W systems for ~$200 and 10W systems for ~$160. That's quite an added expense.
A 5W system would be cheapest at ~$60, since you don't need a controller. However, to charge your battery it would take from 18 to 23 hours of direct sunlight. However, I believe you could hook up a 5W solar panel to your battery even as you're running your sonar. At peak sunlight the 5W panel provides more current than your sonar is drawing. It may provide enough to power to keep your battery going for your trip. Assuming you have a Piranha Max 150/160/170 or 180, a fully charged 12V 7Ah battery should last ~70 hours. I think bringing your own solar is probably just not worth the added cost and hassle. So, I suggest these two options: 1) Bring two fully charged 12V batteries. I suggest buying new ones and pick up the 9A/h capacity batteries. 2) Using a battery pack with alkaline batteries. It's very easy to do, especially with a portable unit. Pick up a 12V battery holder for either 8 D-cells or 8 AA-cells. Get some Faston tabs and crimp those onto the battery holder wires. Assuming you have one of the units mentioned, a set of 8 AA's will last you ~20 hours, while 8 D's will last ~120 hours. Alternatively, you could start with a fully charged 12V AGM SLA battery and then switch to an alkaline battery pack when you need it. |
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#4
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Thanks
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#5
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Which PiranhaMax unit do you have? Is your flight chartered or owned by the outpost operator?
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#6
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Its the 150 Model. Hearst Air Services, Owner of Planes.
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#7
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I tried a high quality 15w solar panel on our last fly-in ..... I wanted it to keep an iphone charged for pics and videos.
It wasn't worth it. Like others said, it needs direct sunlight for extended periods of time. Multiple days to fully charge an iphone. Plus, if the phone is sitting back at camp getting charged, that means I don't have it in the boat for pics .... and it's exposed to any rain that comes through. |
#8
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They make flexible solar panels. I have one I use to supplement my battery on my finder/gps. It is just enough to get the whole day from one battery. We drive now but we always had solar lights at the cabin. We took an inverter and charged our batteries off the cabin battery bank.
Just do it over night. The battery banks will charge the next day while you are out fishing. Plus, it really doesn't take that much power. |
#9
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Ok, just wanted to confirm. That unit only draws 100mA of power, so the numbers I mentioned above are good estimates (~70 hours for the 7 Amp/hour battery and ~20 hours for the 8 AA alkaline batteries).
Also, it's not atypical for some flexibility in weight allowance if the air service is operated by the camp owners. So, I wouldn't worry about being a bit over weight too much. Especially with an operator like Hearst Air. |
#10
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Quote:
http://www.biolitestove.com/products/biolite-campstove http://powerpractical.com/products/powerpot10-thermoelectric-generator http://tesnewenergy.jugemcart.com/?pid=1004015 Last edited by adempsey; 04-09-2015 at 09:08 AM. |
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