Battery Tenders

I keep a tender on my RV batteries all the time. I take 'em home when not in use and keep both hooked up.
After 20+ years of just turning off, I just started the same "tendering" with my boat this year, experimenting with two different ones to see which I prefer.
Testing one of those $6 tenders and one of those solar 1.5amp battery mantainence panels, both from harbor frieght. See this Spring how they each performed.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/19/edepenaz.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/19/8e2uqa4u.jpg
From my POS T-mobile thingie

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Originally Posted by Ziggy

I keep a tender on my RV batteries all the time. I take 'em home when not in use and keep both hooked up.
After 20+ years of just turning off, I just started the same "tendering" with my boat this year, experimenting with two different ones to see which I prefer.
Testing one of those $6 tenders and one of those solar 1.5amp battery mantainence panels, both from harbor frieght. See this Spring how they each performed.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/19/edepenaz.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/19/8e2uqa4u.jpg
From my POS T-mobile thingie

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Now the solar thing got me thinking.....I have a massive flat spot on the roof that starts right at the back wall of where I keep the boat. I was thinking a large panel on the roof dedicated to just the boat would be sweet.

How would one go about regulating the voltage after the battery is charged from a solar panel?

And since my windshields are pretty jacked....considering the cost of replacements....integrated solar panels instead of a windshield was my other "I wish I had more time" ideas. Fold them down to deflect wind for driving. Flip them up when you're parked.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cigalert

Now the solar thing got me thinking.....I have a massive flat spot on the roof that starts right at the back wall of where I keep the boat. I was thinking a large panel on the roof dedicated to just the boat would be sweet.

How would one go about regulating the voltage after the battery is charged from a solar panel?

And since my windshields are pretty jacked....considering the cost of replacements....integrated solar panels instead of a windshield was my other "I wish I had more time" ideas. Fold them down to deflect wind for driving. Flip them up when you're parked.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

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You wouldn't need a big panel to tender or just keep the battery up. You can get regulators for the solar panels.
The little 1.5amp solar panel I'm testing is sitting in the window facing east....so it does not get any direct sunlight after 9 or 10am. I will be curious to see if it keeps the battery up for the near 3 month hiatus.