Use Strong Magnets to Mount Flexible Solar to Bimini??

[Kolchac]

I believe you are not going to use a compass or autopilot on your boat.
Anyway, it is a bad idea.
I used hook-and-loop tapes but later switched to the zipper.

[john manning]

I have motor cycle tank bag which is mounted this way. I have ridden that bike at 130km/Hr without any problems.

Despite that I would never even dream of mounting my yacht solar panels that way.

[dfelsent]

It is definitely possible to securely attach the panel with magnets. Corrosion, and interference with navigation systems are issues.
The nav system interference will be very different with the panel attached than with it apart and elsewhere.
The interference will also change depending on how well centered the attached magnets are. If the panel slides your compass will vary.

Corrosion can be managed. You can buy the magnets nickel plated.

I have worked with extremely powerful magnets in the past. The kind you need are not inexpensive, and are dangerous.
They are very brittle and if you do not handle them correctly they slam together. When they slam little shards fly off. Safety glasses are mandatory when dealing with these.
They will also pinch you hard enough to bleed.
Be careful.

David

[BoatBumm]

I used twist lock fasteners to fasten a semi-flexible solar panel to my bimini. It was a 110 watt Solara panel. There was enough room (just) on the plastic edge of the panel to install the oval grommets. I put 4 on each side, 8 total. Then laid the panel on the bimini, lined it up carefully and used a Sharpie pen to mark where the twist lock fasteners had to be on the bimini. Works fine. My concern with either Velcro or magnets (although that’s an interesting idea) is that once the wind is strong enough to start to lift one corner of the panel, then quickly there’s enough air pressure underneath to lift the entire panel. My panel has stayed put it some pretty strong gusts. It even allows me to easily move the panel to a different boat that I use sometimes.

[Rothblum]

Originally Posted by Clivevon

As AndyEss said - what about your compass?? Your chartplotter & autopilot will work off a fluxgate compass tucked away safely (hopefully) down below somewhere - but your (main, last resort when all else fails) cockpit compass needs to be at least a metre away from anything metal (like an engine) & sticking powerful magnets within a couple of metres (just over 6 feet) of the compass is not a good idea...

I think if the magnets are placed plus to minus, as they would have to be to anchor the panels, the flux fields would cancel out. It should be easy to check to see just how much residual magnetic field remains after two magnets are joined by just holding a cheap little hand compass nearby.

[Briggers]

I secured my 100w soar panel with Dyneema cord from the corners to strategic points on the bimini.
It worked well - easy to fix, easy to take down and it was tight enough to allow an air gap underneath.
It survived some pretty rough weather in the Adriatic

[Icarus]

Originally Posted by TJ11

Good Day! We are considering using strong rare earth magnets to mount flexible solar panels to our bimini. We will use Reflectix between the Sunbrella and the panels to keep the heat down and protect the canvas. This will be a temporary mount until proper zippers or Velcro can be sewn in later, or perhaps we will just stick with the magnets if they work well.


Any experience out there using rare earth magnets for flexible solar? Thanks!

Velcro?

[hycslim]

Hi

We have 2 rigid panels over our davits and will be adding 2 flexible panels to our Bimini this year that will be held in place by magnets. Check out Marine Solar.com, they explain how to install the magnets and where to buy them. I have already purchased the magnets and they are super strong and easy to install. They will allow some airflow around the panels, unlike the panels that are held in by Velcro tabs. Also while at anchor they can be easily moved to avoid shading.

Allan

[donradcliffe]

Originally Posted by Briggers

I secured my 100w soar panel with Dyneema cord from the corners to strategic points on the bimini.
It worked well - easy to fix, easy to take down and it was tight enough to allow an air gap underneath.
It survived some pretty rough weather in the Adriatic

Your attachment method produced a bikini in flames on this boat.

[Briggers]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Your attachment method produced a bikini in flames on this boat.Attachment 228707Attachment 228708

As I mentioned in my post, the panel was suspended above the Bimini, not on it. Air could flow freely underneath the panel

[CarlF]

I thought about this and researched it. The magnets are quite fragile. Best to get the kind that are mounted in a metal jacket. Rust can be handled by simply spray painting them with Rustoleum. Here's a place offing a kit on Amazon. But I decided against doing it worried that they might let go in a blow. https://www.amazon.com/Powered-Magne.../dp/B07TK2YL8B

Skip the Reflectix idea. It will just heat up the back of the panel causing it to produce much less electricity. I used twin wall polycarbonate plastic panels sold for green house glazing. They are light as a feather. I cut little 1" bits of 3M VHB 4941 tape to stick the flexible panels to the polycarbonate. Using these panels provide airflow and obviously insulate the canvas. They also allow you to lay the panels across the bimini bows without risk of hurting the panel. They flex enough to follow the bimini without creating a hard spot in the panel. As for attachment, I had a canvas maker sew little loops canvas to the bimini that I can thread cord through. I drilled a hole in the edge of the solar panel, through the polycarbonate and just thread a thin dyneema cord through and tie it. The panels don't lift in the wind. Been through 50knot without any problem. I used the 8mm thick clear panels like the link below. Cut the same size as the solar panels you really don't notice them at all. It's also easy to take them off ahead of a storm. Just cut the dyneema cords.

https://www.eplastusa.com/twin-multi...MaAgieEALw_wcB

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by BoatBumm

I used twist lock fasteners to fasten a semi-flexible solar panel to my bimini. It was a 110 watt Solara panel. There was enough room (just) on the plastic edge of the panel to install the oval grommets. I put 4 on each side, 8 total. Then laid the panel on the bimini, lined it up carefully and used a Sharpie pen to mark where the twist lock fasteners had to be on the bimini. Works fine. My concern with either Velcro or magnets (although that’s an interesting idea) is that once the wind is strong enough to start to lift one corner of the panel, then quickly there’s enough air pressure underneath to lift the entire panel. My panel has stayed put it some pretty strong gusts. It even allows me to easily move the panel to a different boat that I use sometimes.

Well that seems like a cool idea

[TJ11]

Originally Posted by CarlF

I thought about this and researched it. The magnets are quite fragile. Best to get the kind that are mounted in a metal jacket. Rust can be handled by simply spray painting them with Rustoleum. Here's a place offing a kit on Amazon. But I decided against doing it worried that they might let go in a blow. https://www.amazon.com/Powered-Magne.../dp/B07TK2YL8B

Skip the Reflectix idea. It will just heat up the back of the panel causing it to produce much less electricity. I used twin wall polycarbonate plastic panels sold for green house glazing. They are light as a feather. I cut little 1" bits of 3M VHB 4941 tape to stick the flexible panels to the polycarbonate. Using these panels provide airflow and obviously insulate the canvas. They also allow you to lay the panels across the bimini bows without risk of hurting the panel. They flex enough to follow the bimini without creating a hard spot in the panel. As for attachment, I had a canvas maker sew little loops canvas to the bimini that I can thread cord through. I drilled a hole in the edge of the solar panel, through the polycarbonate and just thread a thin dyneema cord through and tie it. The panels don't lift in the wind. Been through 50knot without any problem. I used the 8mm thick clear panels like the link below. Cut the same size as the solar panels you really don't notice them at all. It's also easy to take them off ahead of a storm. Just cut the dyneema cords.

https://www.eplastusa.com/twin-multi...MaAgieEALw_wcB

Thank you Carl! Interesting solution you came up with. Do you have a picture you could share by chance? Thank you for the tip on the twin wall polycarbonate plastic panels. If I can source them here in the Caribbean, that looks to be a better solution over Reflectix. My installation idea will look similar to this, with the exception of adding the twin wall polycarbonate as a spacer / air gap between panels and the fabric, and I suppose also adding some plastic washers to account for the twin wall buffer: https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/916...=1579268323705

[TJ11]

Originally Posted by hycslim

Hi

We have 2 rigid panels over our davits and will be adding 2 flexible panels to our Bimini this year that will be held in place by magnets. Check out Marine Solar.com, they explain how to install the magnets and where to buy them. I have already purchased the magnets and they are super strong and easy to install. They will allow some airflow around the panels, unlike the panels that are held in by Velcro tabs. Also while at anchor they can be easily moved to avoid shading.

Allan

Thank you Allan! Yes, the approach at MarineSolar.com is very similar to what I have in mind https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/916...=1579268323705


The only variation I would like to implement is to add a Reflectix, or even better, perhaps a twin wall polycarbonate plastic panel as suggested by Carl below to provide for a 'air gap' between the canvas and the solar panels. I suppose I will need some plastic washers to account for the thickness of the twin wall spacer.


Please let me know how your magnet installation goes and share a pic when you have one!

[Scrimshaw4]

Am I missing something? Isn't the bimini frame made out of stainless steel? If it is then how do you use a magnet to attach something to it? Also, what is the solar panel frame made from? Are the magnets being screwed into the frames of both? Wouldn't that approach create holes in the bimini fabric?