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gerryjn
Member
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Posted: Mon Mar 8th, 2010 08:53 am |
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I am looking to fit two semi-flexible solar panels on the coachroof of my IP380. These fit neatly either side of the central saloon hatch. However I am struggling to find a good cable route back to the house batteries.
I thought about a shrouded cable grommet through the coachroof, but have disbanded this as I cannot get a draw wire through the double skinned roof.
Has anyone else positioned solar panels on the coachroof ?
Any suggestions for a cable route would be most welcome.
Gerry
Attachment: Solar Panrels.jpg (Downloaded 178 times)
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Gerry
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grainne
Super Moderator
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Posted: Mon Mar 8th, 2010 11:47 am |
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Gerry:
Do you have any other place you can mount these - on a spray hood, bimini etc?
Bobby
Marin, Martinique
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wowbbadmin
Dockmaster
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Posted: Mon Mar 8th, 2010 02:13 pm |
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Wow, that seems like prime real estate for any number of reasons, like having some place to stand while dealing with tangled halyards, reefing, sorting out the sail cover, etc. I'm with Bobby; I'd be looking for other options that weren't so potentially disruptive to foot traffic.
Solar panels in the UK? Really? 
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Webmaster, IP Home Port
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gerryjn
Member
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Posted: Tue Mar 9th, 2010 08:24 pm |
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Thanks for the comments.
Yes solar panels in the UK ! Bright sunshine to-day, but only a few degrees above freezing !
This is for planned travel towards the Med later this year.
The panels are semi-flexible and designed to be stood on ! But I do understand the advice on positioning.
In Europe, it not normal to keep the Bimini in position all year around and mounting solar panels on the coach-roof is quite common. But I will reconsider.
regards
Gerry
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Gerry
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grainne
Super Moderator
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Posted: Thu Mar 11th, 2010 09:37 pm |
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Gerry:
Have better WiFi now so wanted to ask you what your intent with the panels is?
Are you looking to keep the batteries topped up while the boat is sitting unused or do you intend to make up for daily DC usage?
Bobby
St Lucia
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gerryjn
Member
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Posted: Sat Mar 13th, 2010 11:06 am |
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Hi Bobby, The basis is every little helps !
We intend sailing to the Mediterranean over the next two years, often at anchor or in harbours without shore power. So it would be good to have some top up for the batteries when we are in port for a few days. Also next winter we will probably leave the boat afloat in Portugal for the winter again with no guarantee of shore power, so would help to keep the batteries topped up over winter.
Gerry
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Gerry
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Judith L. Jacobsen
Member
| Joined: | Fri Jul 30th, 2010 |
| Location: | Karlebo, Denmark |
| Posts: | 6 |
| Model: | IP380 | | Hull #: | 147 ... | | DSC ID: | |
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Posted: Wed Aug 11th, 2010 10:29 pm |
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Hi Gerry,
What did you end up doing? Our IP380 is not far from you - in Swanwick for now. We also plan to add solar panels.
We have always had solar panels, even when we had a boat in Denmark. They're great for keeping batteries topped up and even for additional DC use. And you'll love the freedom they provide in the Med (have sailed there the past 6 years). We never had to run the engine to charge batteries.
Thought the same thing about not leaving the Bimini up all year. So where did you end up placing them and how did you run the wires?
Thank you
Judith
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Judith L. Jacobsen
SY Touché
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gerryjn
Member
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Posted: Fri Aug 13th, 2010 03:55 pm |
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Hi Judith,
I did manage to install Solar panels on the Coach roof (picture attached)
I installed the cables by squeezing them through a small hole in the rubber collar at the mast base and then down the back of the mast to under the salon floor and then to the batteries.
I will do a sketch and send it to you.
Regards
Attachment: SolarPanels.jpg (Downloaded 56 times)
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Gerry
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Judith L. Jacobsen
Member
| Joined: | Fri Jul 30th, 2010 |
| Location: | Karlebo, Denmark |
| Posts: | 6 |
| Model: | IP380 | | Hull #: | 147 ... | | DSC ID: | |
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Posted: Fri Aug 13th, 2010 04:14 pm |
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Excellent! Thank you!
And you manage not to introduce a leak by the mast collar?
BR Judith
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Judith L. Jacobsen
SY Touché
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gerryjn
Member
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Posted: Sat Aug 14th, 2010 02:50 pm |
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The cables were installed as the attached sketch. The cavity between the inner rubber collar & the outer Plastic collar was then filled with silicon. So far no leaks !
GerryAttachment: Mast Collar.jpg (Downloaded 37 times) Last edited on Sat Aug 14th, 2010 02:53 pm by gerryjn
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Gerry
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