Hunter 29.5 Owner Modifications and Upgrades

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Solar and Batteries

posted 04-24-2019 by ericbjr1


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Solar panels: 2-150 Watt Flexible Monocrystaline panels wired in series to a Victron 100/30 Mppt Charge Controller. Typically we see about 10amps from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This runs our refrigerator, Autopilot, Stereo with amplifier, instruments, water pump, and bilge pump all while still adding about 1-3 amps to the batteries during full sunshine. We typically arrive at our anchorage after a full day of sailing without the use of the engine with 100% of our house battery available. After a recent overnight trip, we sailed off of the anchor around 1 p.m. and when we reached our channel two hours later, we were at 88% battery power. The percentages are based on a Victron BMV-712 battery monitor I installed. Currently I feel this was the smartest addition Ive made to the boat.

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This is our Victron 100/30 MPPT Charge Controller, below it is a 30amp fuse which I also use as a switch. I believe I need to replace this with a 40amp fuse. I havent seen any problems, but I read that it should be 40amp minimum. Below that is the shunt for the Victron BMV-712 battery monitor, and the monitor itself is found just below and to the right of the fuel guage. I mounted this out of sight, since the module is Bluetooth and I can see the data from my phone. There is also a negative bus bar. Great for organizing all of the wires. I decided not to install a positive bus bar, as the West Marine 105amph AGM batteries have two lugs. It is recommended not to have more than four lugs on any post, and I managed to keep it below that limit by using the screw terminal for the main large gage cables and a clamp on the other lug. Our house bank is now 210amph AGM Sealed Lead Acid. Contemplating LifePo4, but the prices need to come down first.

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This is our solar usage since the installation of the panels. You can see the spike where we went out for a three day cruise. For clarification, when we are at the dock, the shore power charger is a ProSport20 which is always connected and charging the batteries in concert with the MPPT.

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