Battery conditioner/charger--must be solar

[sailor55330]

I've seen a few threads about battery conditioner/trickle charger/maintaners. I am looking for something to keep my batteries topped of during the winter months. The boat will winter on the lift (covered lift) and while I don't get a lot of cold weather--only a very few days at or nearfreezing, we do get a couple of months of mid 30's low 40's. I dont' want to lose the batteries and I don't have 110 at the dock yet. I made the mistake last year of not pulling the batteries while on the trailer thinking "it's only a couple of days and not too cold..", yeah, well, both batteries were dead this spring and I couldn't revive them. I could pull the batteries, but then I have to carry 2 lead acid batteries a pretty significant distance and hill and am trying to avoid that. I know it won't get cold enough for them to burst, but would like to try and keep them topped up.

I have 110v conditioners, but nothing solar. Does it even exist?

[DEcosse]

They certainly exist - have no personal experience of them, but here is example:
I just did a quick search on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Sunway-Solar-Mai ... JTN7Y&th=1
That was one of the first to come up - it has very good reviews including some with technical analysis
See also the 'compare with similar items' section, where there are other with good user ratings

The situation is, you are not looking at these for a bulk charge situation, just maintaining an already (hopefully!) charged battery.
So the current requirement should not be great - and that is exactly the target for these devices, NOT to supply high current for a depleted battery recharge.
A boat unlike a car or motorcycle is unlikely to have a standing drain current - like to maintain a clock or radio presets etc - so it should just be down to the std slow discharge through its own internal resistance; when you have the battery switch off, about the only thing that might be connected is the bilge pump in emergency situation if float sets it off - if on a lift with drain plug open this is a non issue.
With solar of course, it really depends on its location and how much light it actually gets.

I absolutely hear you about not pulling the batteries - never mind your tortuous trip, just getting them out of the boat for me is an ordeal, due to their weight and height they must be lifted in confined space!!

[bruceb58]

For my old boat and my F-150 that I don't drive much, I use a 50W flexible Rich Solar panel and an Epever MPPT solar controller. The 50W panel is around 2'x2'.

Between my travel trailer and maintainers for my truck and boat, have done a lot with solar if you would like to know more.

[ajcampen]

For my old boat and my F-150 that I don't drive much, I use a 50W flexible Rich Solar panel and an Epever MPPT solar controller. The 50W panel is around 2'x2'.

Between my travel trailer and maintainers for my truck and boat, have done a lot with solar if you would like to know more.

Hi Bruce, I am also interested in looking into a solar power panel that I could mount on a post and plug into the pro mariner charger on the boat. Any suggestion of what I could do?

[bruceb58]

The solar panel would connect to a solar controller. The solar controller output would then attach to the battery. Your Pro Mariner battery charger will have nothing to so with it.

The panel would depend on your post.
I use this one but I just had it mounted on my swim step. You might want a rigid solar panel depending on your set up.
www.amazon.com/Renogy-Extremely-Flexibl ... 150&sr=1-3

I use this solar controller:
www.amazon.com/EPEVER-Controller-Workin ... 48914&th=1