by Malcolm Woods
It is no longer news that we are gradually losing our beloved environment to the cold claws of degradation.
Now, the way forward, the path that leads our earth to redemption is for every human being to retrace our steps back to adapting eco-friendly behaviors.
For anglers, it is substituting AC chargers for trolling motors with a more eco-friendly choice.
For instance, adopting solar-powered chargers would definitely reduce your carbon footprint. But, not every solar-powered trolling motor battery charger can give you the satisfaction you got from the AC chargers.
As a result, we have gathered a list of the best solar charger for trolling motor battery. We promise you'll like it. So, sit tight, and let's dive in.
Contents
Do You Want To Easily Choose A Product? Just Follow This Table
Product Image | Name | Editor's Rating | Price |
| Sunway Solar Battery Trickle Charger & Maintainer | 4.8 / 5.0 | Price Check |
| ECO-Worthy 12 Volt 10 Watt | 4.5 / 5.0 | Price Check |
| SUNER POWER 12Volt 2.4-14 Watt | 4.6 / 5.0 | Price Check |
| SOLPERK 12V Solar Panel | 4.8 / 5.0 | Price Check |
| DuraVolt Trolling Motor 24V battery charger gone | 4.8 / 5.0 | Price Check |
Imagine being in the middle of the ocean, and then, boom, your battery has been drained by the long fishing hours you spent on the sea. Trust me that could change a good day into a bad one and spiral a bad day into a much worse day. But guess what? You never have to experience the frustration that comes with having a flat battery again with this solar battery charger from Sunway.
Here's why!
First off, it uses a polycrystalline solar panel. Hence, you are assured of great performance and a large production of energy.
Then, it is perfect for your 12voltage batteries. Charge or top up your battery with this trickle charger.
Thanks to its overcharge protection, your battery is safe. Remember: solar charging is significantly slow. But, with this solar charger, you can leave it to charge without constantly monitoring it to see if it has fully charged your battery.
Once your trolling motor battery is fully charged, it disconnects itself as a form of protection on your battery lifespan.
What more?
It is a very flexible charger. Here's what I mean. Although a mid-range charger with 4watts power, you can use it to charge different batteries, including your car battery, trolling motor battery, tractor, trucks, snowmobiles, etc.
Let's also not forget that it has a compact and lightweight design.
The catch?
Regardless of its lightweight design, hanging it might be a struggle for you because of the hanging mechanism.
Aside from that, it is a great choice for you if you are looking to get a mid-range solar-powered trolling motor battery charger.
Features
Nobody likes awkward surprises. Sadly, battery problems are one of the greatest causes of awkward and inconvenient surprises.
They could just stop operating, and without any explanation at all. While you can't stop your battery from exhausting all the energy saved in it, you can be prepared for an impromptu battery break down episode.
Oh, and I forgot to add that you have to make sure that your impromptu savior is actually fit for the job (you know what I mean). Good thing, this solar charger savior is designed never to let you down.
For starters, you don't have to bother about maintaining this solar charger. You only have to install, and voila, you're good to go. And here's the fun part: installing it is very easy.
If you're the type of angler that sees fishing more as a hobby that you pick up once in a blue moon, you might find yourself in the habit of having to change it before you can take your boat out on a fishing spree.
Well, you can absolutely prevent this as the trickle charge feature of this solar charger helps to de-sulfate your battery. De sulfating it makes it last. It also saves you the stress, time, and money of having to always charge the battery before you use it.
More so, never fall victim to the reverse discharge problem. Thanks to the built-in blocking diode, you never have to experience the cold hands of reverse discharge at all.
Also, it is a polycrystalline solar-powered charger.
Features
Batteries can be delicate, especially when they are not in use for a long time or they go flat. They just would never remain the same and you'll be left with no choice than to replace them, right?
News flash: never again! With this solar charger from SUNER power, you do not have to experience a flat or damaged battery anymore. Watch your battery's lifespan elongate as it becomes durable, all thanks to SUNER Power solar charger.
SUNER Power can achieve this because they have made it their passion to provide a reliable and safe power supply for your batteries.
Hence, this solar charger is not just a charger but also a maintainer. Consider it as a woman who is more of a keeper than a player (lol)
Thanks to the Battery conditioning abilities, it can trickle charge to ensure that your battery stays charged whether you use it or not. When you use it, it tops up your battery.
Also, it disconnects once your battery is full, preventing it from getting damaged.
Perhaps our favorite feature yet is the fact that it doesn't allow the charger to drain your trolling motor battery. Franky, it is all thanks to the built-in diode.
The best part?
It is lightweight, and with the four suction cups that it has, you would find it incredibly easy to mount.
You could call it the best solar panel for charging 12-volts battery.
Features
All solar-powered chargers gain their superpowers from the sun. As a result, they probably would only be able to function well while they are underneath the sun.
However, some solar-powered chargers can function properly in any weather. For example, this solar panel from SOLPERK is quite fluid when it boils down to business.
Thanks to its thin-film nature, it will charge your battery even during cloudy days. You know, those days you really want to go fishing, but the sun seems to be missing in action? Yes! This solar panel would come through for you.
Like the other solar chargers, it does the work of charging and maintaining your battery life.
Fun fact: it is wind and rainproof. So, if you enjoy fishing in the rain, you can take this solar panel with you.
However, there's a but clause to the rainproof feature.
You should have noticed by now that the manufacturers said it is "rainproof" and not "waterproof."
In other words, while it can stand rain without getting damaged, you should never dip or immerse it in water. That would damage the panel entirely.
But there's a piece of good news: it comes with a one year extended warranty. Also, technical support runs for a lifetime.
I should also state that like all solar chargers, this charger charges slowly. So don't expect a flash charge. You still would need a lot of patience for it to charge your trolling motor battery.
But, you can boost the charging effect by exposing it to more than enough sunlight.
Features
Who doesn't love a solar panel that can multitask? By multitasking, I mean a solar panel that you can use for your boat and for other applications you would need for an outdoor experience.
With this solar panel from Duravolts, you don't need the help of a third party to install it. It is very to install and you don't need prior experience in "solar panel installation" to install it (lol). Simply use the mounting holes on it to easily install it.
Being a weatherproof panel, no weather condition can stop it from functioning well.
The best part is that it is lightweight. Easy to carry and easy to install. You almost won't feel any weight as it is almost as light as a feather.
The best part is that, unlike other panels, you don't have to worry about the panel heating up while charging your battery.
If you are prone to forgetting things such as leaving your battery charging without checking to see if it's fully charged, here's good news for you.
You can now leave your battery to charge for as long as it can. Once it is full, this solar panel would regulate itself by disconnecting itself once your battery is fully charged.
However, it charges slow. So, maybe leaving it to charge and even forgetting that you're charging your trolling motor battery is a blessing in disguise.
Also, you can leave it plugged In while you use your trolling motor. It wouldn't damage anything.
Features
Everything and everyone deserves a second chance, including trolling motor batteries. Rather than rush to change your trolling motor battery every once in a Blue Moon that you use it, you can save it. What do I mean? Keep reading.
This solar panel charger was designed to be the savior of trolling motor batteries that you do not use often. It preserves these batteries with its 1.8 watts power.
In addition, you don't have to bother about your battery discharging. This solar prevents your battery from draining, especially as a result of discharging.
Rather than for a discharge to occur, this panel ensures that it tops up the battery level. So, whenever it drains, the panel ensures that it stays charged.
Want to hear something cool about this solar panel? Yes?
Well, here goes nothing. This panel is entirely waterproof. Yes! You saw it correctly. Finally, you don't have to worry if falls into a bucket of water by mistake while you're trying to mount it. It would still work.
It is also weatherproof. Since it is a thin film, you can use it when the cloud is overcast. It would still extract the amount of light it needs to effectively get your battery charged, even though it charges slowly.
Nevertheless, it is designed to majorly maintain your battery than to charge it. It doesn't mean that this panel can't be used to charge your battery. You absolutely can. However, it works better as a battery maintainer.
Features
Sure nobody likes slow chargers. But, when they deliver the absolute best charge quality and also help us maintain our batteries, we just can't help but love it.
That's the story of the TP-solar panel battery charger. Yes, it charges slow. But, it protects, maintains, and preserves the lifespan of your battery.
As long as your battery is a 12Voltage battery, the TP-solar charger keeps it charged and maintains it well.
All you need to do is ensure that the solar panel is placed where it can directly absorb sunlight from the sun.
Even though it is slow, it doesn't discharge. It prevents the panel from discharging your battery.
When it comes to its weight, it is entirely lightweight and compact. Also, installing it won't stress you out as it is easy to install.
Anyone can install this solar panel. You don't need a professional to show you the rope.
Simply use the suction cups and the carabiner clips for installation and you are good to go. But, ensure that you mount it in the direction of sunlight.
It is made of durable material that is also water and heat-resistant. Now, you can fish without having to worry about the panel overheating or getting damaged because of water.
Features
Eco-friendly anglers entirely subscribe to the idea of powering your trolling motor battery with Solar powered chargers rather than the regular AC models.
Their reason is pretty obvious. The environment is changing. More precisely, degrading.
And the best way to save the planet is to use eco-friendly options. For example, Solar-powered Trolling Motor battery chargers are an eco-friendly option that other anglers can use.
However, with countless Solar Powered Trolling Motor Battery chargers on the market, it could be tough to tell which one is the best and would fulfill your need.
But, never mind. We show you how to choose the best solar charger for trolling motor batteries in this section. Keep reading
Of course, power is an important factor. I mean, we're talking about chargers, right? So yeah, you should check the power of the solar panel.
And the reason is this: you don't want to buy a charger that wouldn't charge your trolling motor battery at all. Or a charger that would charge it slowly. Trust me, that is excruciating.
But, now this begs the question: how much power should a solar charger have? While the question seems like a piece of cake, there is no single streamlined response.
However, when hunting for a solar-powered charger, ensure that the wattage starts from 100.
A solar charger with a 100watts panel is strong enough to charge your trolling motor battery.
We all want things that would last for a very long time.
Getting a charge controller would preserve the life of your battery, making it last longer.
But, you'll put the life of your trolling motor battery at risk if you connect the solar panel directly to your battery.
Basically, the charge controller will be the conduit that conveys electric power from the panel to your trolling motor battery.
A crucial point to bear in mind when charger hunting is that there are three types of solar chargers, and they have different capacities.
First is the Polycrystalline panels. This charger type is defined by its efficiency, corrosion resistance, the large amount of energy it can produce, and, of course, its ability to last long.
As its name suggests, it is made with the use of multiple silicon crystals. These multiple silicon crystals are possibly responsible for their stereotypical blue color.
The second type of solar charger is the monocrystalline charger. Yes, you guessed right. It is carved from one crystal. Hence, black in color.
Interestingly, however, the monocrystalline chargers have higher capacity and work better than the polycrystalline chargers.
Here's what I mean. While the polycrystalline chargers are efficient, monocrystalline chargers are found to be more efficient than its counterpart.
It also works well in situations with low light. And, when it comes to the energy it produces, it is undoubtedly more than a polycrystalline charger produces.
But there is a catch! Monocrystalline chargers are way more expensive than polycrystalline chargers. Surprised? Well, don't be.
Logically, since monocrystalline chargers seem to outperform polycrystalline chargers in certain key aspects, it is only normal for it to be more expensive. But, you sure would get value for money.
The thin film makes the third type of charger. When it comes to efficiency, the in-built semi-conductor gives it a boost.
Although this increased efficiency makes this narrowly designed charger seem promising, the fact that its absorbing layers are light greatly limits its performance.
This feature ensures that your battery is compatible with the charger. In clearer terms, for your battery to successfully charge, ensure that the charger's voltage equals your battery's voltage. It would promote your charger's efficiency.
Okay so, it's an established fact that Solar chargers are quite slow when it comes to charging batteries.
But, they still deliver a great charge performance. Hence, as a Human being, you might tend to leave your battery charging for long without attending to it.
As a result, you might not know when the battery is fully charged. Here is where the overcharge protection steps in to save your battery's life.
A solar-powered charger with overcharge protection ensures that your battery doesn't overcharge.
So, once your battery is full and you're not there to unplug, it automatically disconnects itself from the battery to prevent the battery from overcharging.
It does this until you can finally manually unplug the charger from the battery. Awesome right?
When Charger hunting, you should bear in mind the lifecycle of your battery.
In other words, ensure that the charger you're looking for won't damage your battery.
A great solar power charger that can help you prolong the lifespan of your battery is one that can de-sulfate it.
Note: these types of solar-powered chargers are definitely expensive.
But, trust me when I say that you would be happier with the charger.
You would be giving yourself a treat as an angler if the solar charger you buy has a really long warranty period.
Ensure that the brand you purchase has at least one to two years warranty and, at most, a lifetime warranty (if that's possible).
How Can I Use Solar Power for My Trolling Motor?
You can charge your trolling motor battery using a solar-powered charger.
Although charging your trolling motor battery with a solar-powered charger is one of the three ways to charge your battery, using a solar charger is easy and less dramatic.
What do you need? For starters, you need a solar panel. The other equipment you need includes a boost converter, relay circuit (if you're going to charge more than one battery), sun rays, and a truckload of patience.
Start by placing the solar panel in a way that sun rays can get to it. On days when sun rays are barely enough, the boost converter would prove useful.
What it does is to absorb the little or dim ray of light that it can get and effectively utilize it.
If you are going to charge more than one battery, a relay circuit would be useful. Once it starts charging your battery, you would need a lot of patience.
Reason? Solar charging is slow, but it is effective.
There is no generic and specific time frame for a trolling motor battery to charge. The reason is simple. A lot of factors affect the charge time of a trolling motor battery.
For example, the battery's reserve capacity, the output of the charger, how low the battery has gotten, the type of charger you're using, etc. If these factors, and more, are in good shape, then your battery shouldn't take too long to charge.
While this question is a good and thoughtful one, it has no single answer. Why? Different factors affect how long your trolling motor battery will last on the sea. Factors like the quality of your battery (are you using a deep cell battery? What type of deep cell battery are you using?), the age ( how long have you been using it? How long is it supposed to last?)
The battery percentage before taking it out on another fishing spree, and the battery's capacity. Once you have the answers to these factors, you should be able to know how long your trolling motor battery will last.
Not really. It depends on the type of charger you charge it with. Using a solar-powered charger with a battery conditioning feature would definitely not damage your Trolling Motor Battery.
Since solar chargers take time to fully charge your trolling motor battery, you might not know when it gets fully charged. Rather than overcharge the battery, the battery conditioning disconnects itself once the battery is fully charged. So, your battery is safe.
NOW 20 Watts. Trolling Motor 24V battery charger- 1/2 Amp Trickle Solar Charger - Self - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
Topsolar 20 Watt 12 Volt Solar Trickle Charger 20W 12V Solar Panel Car Battery Charger - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
SUNER POWER Waterproof 12V Solar Battery Charger & Maintainer Pro - Built-in Intelligent - Walmart, Etsy, Ebay
Solar Maintainer for 2 or More 12Volt Deep Cycle Marine Batteries Connected in Parallel - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
SOLPERK 5W Solar Panel,Solar trickle Charger,Solar Battery Charger and Maintainer, - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
UPGRADED DuraVolt Blue Trolling Motor Charger - 24 Volt Solar Charger - 60Watt 24V 2A - - Walmart, Etsy, Ebay
Luwint 36'' Diameter Elastic Fishing Gardening Folding Umbrella Hat Headwear, Silver - Walmart, Etsy, Ebay
AQUOS HASWING White 12V55LBS 48inch Bow Mount Trolling Motor with Remote Control, Wired - Walmart, Etsy, Ebay
WindyNation 100 Watt Solar Panel Off-Grid RV Boat Kit with LCD PWM Charge Controller + - Walmart, Etsy, Ebay
Newport Vessels NV-Series 62lb Thrust Saltwater Transom Mounted Trolling Electric - Walmart, Etsy, Ebay
Sun Energise Waterproof 12V 30W Solar Battery Charger Pro - Built-in MPPT Charge - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
ACOPOWER 100w Polycrystalline Solar Panel with PV Connectors for 12 Volt Battery Charging - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
So, the first thing you probably thought of when you saw "solar-powered chargers" is that it is limited by weather conditions. Maybe that is true.
But, the best solar charger for trolling motor battery would deliver a fantastic performance during the rain and when the sky is overcast. In short, these chargers have no limitations.
Aside from that, most solar chargers are water-resistant, corrosion-resistant, and heat resistant.
Thus, not only will you revel in the joy of using a pure and clean energy source, you would be saving the planet by reducing your carbon footprint and, you would experience zero limitation.
About Malcolm Woods
Malcolm Woods is a blogger who enjoys writing about technology and solar power. He has a passion for learning new things, and loves to share his knowledge with others. Malcolm is also an advocate for sustainable living, and believes that everyone has a responsibility to do their part in preserving our planet.
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