Solar 12v Battery Trickle Charger? - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Durwood101 · 09-16-2010, 11:16 AM

Not sure if anybody has happened upon this, but I was at Lowes looking for some heat shrink tubing and I happenned to run across this. It's a 12v "solar" trickle charger. On the package, it says good for use on rv's, boats, trucks, "weatherproof". Anyone thought of trying this out, it looked like it could be fit right across the bow, or even near the stern if you had some room.........might be kind of hard for a permanent install given the deck space most people have on kayaks..but, in an emergency situation, wonder how well it would work? Here is a pic of it.

Durwood101 · 09-16-2010, 11:39 AM

Nevermind.......West Marine has them. I guess this is "not" a new idea. So, for my own curiosity, has anybody here used them, and how would you wire this up to your existing 12V battery to keep it "topped off" as West Marine describes in their listing.

maui jim · 09-16-2010, 01:56 PM

weather proof does not make it water proof, My brother had a simular one on his boat and did not last a year, salt is hard on things. good for dry use off the water.

jbm · 09-16-2010, 02:59 PM

They also don't stand up to much abuse. I'd imagine it wouldn't survive long if you were trying to use it on the water and then keep it attached to your kayak during transport. Constantly removing and reinstalling it is also ripe with opportunities for damage.

Most of those little chargers only claim 1.5W, which at 12V is probably going to be less than 100ma. So your typical 9-10ah battery will take 90-100 hours for a complete charge in full sun. Consider a pump draws around 1 amp, you're still charging for 10x the time you ran your pump to replenish a battery.

StinkyMatt · 09-16-2010, 07:24 PM

Don't waste your money on changing your yak into a Powerboat, that little charger will be more of a pain in the ass than its worth. (I did it to a tent trailer, no salt water and still a pain in the butt! When you are done fishing put your batteries on the car battery and connect while you stow your gear, by the time you are ready to drive you are almost charged up.

dsafety · 09-16-2010, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StinkyMatt

Don't waste your money on changing your yak into a Powerboat, that little charger will be more of a pain in the ass than its worth. (I did it to a tent trailer, no salt water and still a pain in the butt! When you are done fishing put your batteries on the car battery and connect while you stow your gear, by the time you are ready to drive you are almost charged up.

Matt, please explain this process. It sounds like a great idea but I have never considered it. Exactly what do you do?

Bob

StinkyMatt · 09-16-2010, 07:58 PM

If you want the fastest( or at least what I think is the fastest way to charge up you battery, hook it up with jumpercables to a car battery. This will very rapidly recharge your battery. Yes, there is a small danger of recharging VERY run down batteries as they suck juice quicker and may heat up. I dont think anyone here drains their batteries completely running a FF.

Now, this set up is if you really are in a rush and need a good kick in the butt charge for your batteries. This works quickly in a bind if you need them up NOW.

I have done this with various batteries while camping and fishing.

The best way still is to use a smart charger that will charge up slowly. From my understanding (like some other poster said) slower charging cycles will likely prolong the life of your batteries.

09-16-2010, 01:56 PM	#3
maui jim Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Cypress, CA Posts: 789	weather proof does not make it water proof, My brother had a simular one on his boat and did not last a year, salt is hard on things. good for dry use off the water. __________________

09-16-2010, 07:58 PM	#7
StinkyMatt Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Under a bridge Posts: 2,169	If you want the fastest( or at least what I think is the fastest way to charge up you battery, hook it up with jumpercables to a car battery. This will very rapidly recharge your battery. Yes, there is a small danger of recharging VERY run down batteries as they suck juice quicker and may heat up. I dont think anyone here drains their batteries completely running a FF. Now, this set up is if you really are in a rush and need a good kick in the butt charge for your batteries. This works quickly in a bind if you need them up NOW. I have done this with various batteries while camping and fishing. The best way still is to use a smart charger that will charge up slowly. From my understanding (like some other poster said) slower charging cycles will likely prolong the life of your batteries. Last edited by StinkyMatt; 09-16-2010 at 10:45 PM. Reason: mental fart

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09-16-2010, 11:39 AM	#2
Durwood101 Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Poway, CA Posts: 54	Nevermind.......West Marine has them. I guess this is "not" a new idea. So, for my own curiosity, has anybody here used them, and how would you wire this up to your existing 12V battery to keep it "topped off" as West Marine describes in their listing.

09-16-2010, 02:59 PM	#4
jbm Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Escondido<->Carlsbad Posts: 81	They also don't stand up to much abuse. I'd imagine it wouldn't survive long if you were trying to use it on the water and then keep it attached to your kayak during transport. Constantly removing and reinstalling it is also ripe with opportunities for damage. Most of those little chargers only claim 1.5W, which at 12V is probably going to be less than 100ma. So your typical 9-10ah battery will take 90-100 hours for a complete charge in full sun. Consider a pump draws around 1 amp, you're still charging for 10x the time you ran your pump to replenish a battery.

09-16-2010, 07:24 PM	#5
StinkyMatt Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Under a bridge Posts: 2,169	Don't waste your money on changing your yak into a Powerboat, that little charger will be more of a pain in the ass than its worth. (I did it to a tent trailer, no salt water and still a pain in the butt! When you are done fishing put your batteries on the car battery and connect while you stow your gear, by the time you are ready to drive you are almost charged up.