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Name:	Mack -	Reply
Subject:	Watertight Solar Charger??
Date:	2/13/2009 6:17:55 PM

All of the Solar Battery Chargers I have found, those between $30 and $60 at least, clearly warn that they are not waterproof.
2 boats and 4 batteries, and they are not charged or used for sometimes 3 or 4 months when water is down. And, I am a regular at the Battery Store for replacing them in the Spring at a hefty cost each.

Question #1- Has anybody tried a way to seal up a $30 charger, and how did it work??

Question #2- Rather than have 4 chargers for 4 batteries, is there a way to charge more than 1 battery with the same solar charger without getting into expensive gizmo's.

Question #3- Is there an issue with Overcharging a battery via solar without some type of controller involved?? The idea of a steady trickle charge on a battery for 2 or 3 months sounds like a misfire?

Your input on this critical issue will be appreciated, as long as it has nothing to do with Politics or the Economy, thank you. Mack

Name:	CAT BOAT -	Reply
Subject:	Watertight Solar Charger??
Date:	2/13/2009 10:02:27 PM

Hello there MACK!! For what it is worth, I have a $50.00 solar charger on my pontoon boat that lives in my pond here at home. It has two batteries that are hooked together. They crank the engine and also operate the trolling motor. I have charged the batteries only ONCE in three years. I have run them down to nothing, and within a couple of days they are good to go again. I hope this helps in your decision. I mounted my charger on the top of the pontoon boat. All seems too good to be true, but it works.

Name:	Kizma Anuice -	Reply
Subject:	Watertight Solar Charger??
Date:	2/15/2009 8:12:51 AM

I have 4 boats three seadoos a bunch of vehicles and forklifts a bobcat and a backhoe (i can't find the backhoe and don't know who currently borrowed it) I never buy batteries. This guy who works for me knows the battery guy and he got batteries that have a 1 year replacement warranty.
After 10 or 11 months this guy does something with an arc welder to the batteries and gets new ones for free.
Before this guy started this program we were buying about 20 batteries every year

Name:	CAT BOAT -	Reply
Subject:	Watertight Solar Charger??
Date:	2/15/2009 11:19:36 AM

Sounds a little dangerous to me.....

Name:	Kizma Anuice -	Reply
Subject:	Watertight Solar Charger??
Date:	2/15/2009 4:58:07 PM

this guy doesn't care. he built a cannon out of steel pipe and he and some of the other guys shoot O2 and C2H2 into it stuff it with rags and bearing balls and fire it into the woods and at railroad cars.

last summer they brought it to Wind Creek and were firing it on the 4th. they also filled garbage bags with the O2 and C2H2 and strung about 20 of them together floated them down the river and fired bottle rockets and roman candles at them. It was quite a site. When one bag would explode it would set off a chain reaction.

Name:	Mack -	Reply
Subject:	Ain't it Great!!
Date:	2/15/2009 8:02:48 PM

I love this Forum.
I asked about Solar Power and wound up talking about Canon Fire and Depth Charges. You just never know.
I love this Forum!

Name:	Rooster -	Reply
Subject:	Ain't it Great!!
Date:	2/18/2009 11:19:09 AM

I have a friend that has a hunting cabin @ Kelly Cross Roads. Has solar charger for pump that runs water from a 100 gallon tank. This charger is located on top of cabin and stays hooked up to battery 24/7. Replaced battery once in three years.

Name:	Pontoonfisher -	Reply
Subject:	Watertight Solar Charger??
Date:	2/18/2009 2:43:56 PM

Mack,

Good practice is to remove your batteries during the winter months if you don't have them on a trickle charger. A dead battery will freeze and be permantly damaged. A properly cared for battery can last ten years. Below is info from an article

"It would actually be better to leave the trickle charger on the
battery. The freezing point of the electrolyte varies directly with the charge on the battery and therefore the concentration of
sulfuric acid in the electrolyte. At full charge, the freezing
point is very low, lower than -10 deg F, if my scratchy memory
serves. As the battery (self) discharges, the acid concentration is reduced until at full discharge the concentration is very weak and the freezing point rises to approach the 32 deg F FP of water. When the freezing point and the outdoor air temperature intersect, a frozen and almost always ruined battery results.

Name:	Mack -	Reply
Subject:	Great! Great Info...
Date:	2/18/2009 9:34:10 PM

None of my boat batteries are protected from freezing for months in Winter. The results you posted makes good sense!
I'm gonna' order several solar chargers, grease them with silicone, play with the housings, and see what happens.
Again, this was good information. Thanks
Mack

Name:	John boy -	Reply
Subject:	Watertight Solar Charger??
Date:	3/1/2009 11:15:49 PM

I have a couple of the cheap Harbor Freight ($15.00) solar chargers, one on my pontoon boat and one on my tractor at the farm and they seem to work OK. It said in instructions to run a bead of silicone around the edge to keep out water.

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