Portable solar panel for small accessories! Wow!
- deschutestrout
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Maupin, Oregon
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Portable solar panel for small accessories! Wow!
Just picked up a Goal Zero Guide 10 solar kit. A guide buddy of mine had one on the river last week and I say "I NEED one of those!" This thing is cool! Very compact and slim (great for camping or just having in your car/briefcase. Will charge my tablet, iPod, phone (working on that one...old simple phone), etc. And, it has a rechargeable battery pack (will charge any AA or AAA rechargeable battery) that you can then plug into and/or charge devices, or pull the batteries for flashlights, etc. Many rechargeable accessories available too. This baby's gonna get constant use while camping! Never again a dim flashlight! $120 ... GREAT camping/emergency investment!
"You're not always obligated to paint an outhouse." Ruckman 2011
- hambone
- Post-Industrial Non-Secular Mennonite
- Location: Portland, Ore.
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Re: Portable solar panel for small accessories! Wow!
This is like one of those ad bots!
I was wondering about one strong enuff to recharge a car battery, drained mine last camp from too much music, really need to wire an aux battery in there at least.
I was wondering about one strong enuff to recharge a car battery, drained mine last camp from too much music, really need to wire an aux battery in there at least.
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat
- Westy78
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Stumptown OR
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Re: Portable solar panel for small accessories! Wow!
I got that exact package from Woot a few months ago. Awesome set up. I've used it a couple times and it seems to work well. I like the LED light too. I paid $75 for it with the Woot special.
Chorizo, it's what's for breakfast.
- deschutestrout
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Maupin, Oregon
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Re: Portable solar panel for small accessories! Wow!
Hambone ... it comes with a 12v adapter ... Jasan, can you think of a way to hook this to a car battery to trickle charge? It "seems" like there'd be a way to make this work.
"You're not always obligated to paint an outhouse." Ruckman 2011
- Westy78
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Stumptown OR
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Re: Portable solar panel for small accessories! Wow!
I'm wondering if you could find a cig lighter plug with a mini USB at the other end. That might work to trickle charge.deschutestrout wrote:Hambone ... it comes with a 12v adapter ... Jasan, can you think of a way to hook this to a car battery to trickle charge? It "seems" like there'd be a way to make this work.
Chorizo, it's what's for breakfast.
- deschutestrout
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Maupin, Oregon
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Re: Portable solar panel for small accessories! Wow!
What about a male 12v adapter simply clipped to the battery?
"You're not always obligated to paint an outhouse." Ruckman 2011
- hambone
- Post-Industrial Non-Secular Mennonite
- Location: Portland, Ore.
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Re: Portable solar panel for small accessories! Wow!
Wondering if a solar trickle charge would be enough. Whattya need, 2 amps at least? Those big lead acid batteries are beasts.
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat
- Westy78
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Stumptown OR
- Status: Offline
Re: Portable solar panel for small accessories! Wow!
That would work. I forgot that there was a female 12v adapter in the kit. But like Hambone said it may not put out enough juice to keep a battery topped up. For maintenance just sitting it might keep the battery charged enough to start.deschutestrout wrote:What about a male 12v adapter simply clipped to the battery?
Chorizo, it's what's for breakfast.
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- IAC Addict!
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- Amskeptic
- IAC "Help Desk"
- Status: Offline
Re: Portable solar panel for small accessories! Wow!
I have a solar-powered battery trickle charger, the Lanval Commemorative Solar Battery Charger. It tried to help me run the dremel off Chloe's battery last summer . . . it was originally made to keep new Volkswagens charged while sitting in lots.Westy78 wrote:That would work. I forgot that there was a female 12v adapter in the kit. But like Hambone said it may not put out enough juice to keep a battery topped up. For maintenance just sitting it might keep the battery charged enough to start.deschutestrout wrote:What about a male 12v adapter simply clipped to the battery?
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles
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Re: Portable solar panel for small accessories! Wow!
@Colin ~
I was going to post something to that effect. Last I checked, you could get those for cheap on ebay; apparently the dealers have hundreds (one comes with each car from the factory, or something to that effect). I bought 4 for $25 at the time, now 5 years ago maybe. I'm sure they're still around. I still have 2, one went to Colin, and one went with Nathanael's old van.
It seems to keep the battery topped up.
ML
I was going to post something to that effect. Last I checked, you could get those for cheap on ebay; apparently the dealers have hundreds (one comes with each car from the factory, or something to that effect). I bought 4 for $25 at the time, now 5 years ago maybe. I'm sure they're still around. I still have 2, one went to Colin, and one went with Nathanael's old van.
It seems to keep the battery topped up.
ML
- ruckman101
- Lord God King Bwana
- Location: Up next to a volcano.
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Re: Portable solar panel for small accessories! Wow!
From what I've heard, if you know the right dumpster, you can salvage scads. All the new vstd sitting in the Swan Island yards fresh off the boat waiting for rail cars to take them to their dealerships have one on the dash, that they toss.
From what I've heard. No verification. I've been toying with the concept of a cigarette lighter in Bertha to charge the devices from, and not sure why plugging a solar panel into the same would trickle charge the battery.
neal
From what I've heard. No verification. I've been toying with the concept of a cigarette lighter in Bertha to charge the devices from, and not sure why plugging a solar panel into the same would trickle charge the battery.
neal
The slipper has no teeth.
- Amskeptic
- IAC "Help Desk"
- Status: Offline
Re: Portable solar panel for small accessories! Wow!
You can charge a battery from anywhere in the electrical system. It is how electron flow works.ruckman101 wrote: not sure why plugging a solar panel into the same would trickle charge the battery.
neal
If the charger creates an electron surfeit at the cigarette lighter ground and an electron deficit at the positive wire (it does just that), the excess electrons flow into the body metal to the negative of the battery, while the electrons get sucked out of the positive terminal of the battery. This reverses the chemical reaction that gave you battery juice, and refreshes the battery potential.
It is all amazing.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles
- hambone
- Post-Industrial Non-Secular Mennonite
- Location: Portland, Ore.
- Status: Offline
Re: Portable solar panel for small accessories! Wow!
Can you combine a bunch of those cheapy-chargers together, daisy chain whathaveyou? I'm not sure how it would work electrically, because each panel would have to supply the battery independently. But a few of those suckers would probably put out enough watts.
They may not have much longevity though. And it's cloudy a lot here!
It is probably a good idea to have an aux battery in your rig...that is on my next "must have" list. I don't want to keep worrying about 12 volts every camp trip.
They may not have much longevity though. And it's cloudy a lot here!
It is probably a good idea to have an aux battery in your rig...that is on my next "must have" list. I don't want to keep worrying about 12 volts every camp trip.
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat
- glasseye
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Kootenays, BC
- Status: Offline
Re: Portable solar panel for small accessories! Wow!
Frito has one; an auxilliary battery, that is. I just re-purposed the five-year-old original starting battery when I got a new one last year. I charge it up before a trip and I can run stuff, like forever. I do USB charging of phone, tablet, camera, power the fan in the roof vent, plus play music until I can't stand it any more.
Oh, sure, you can wire it to the alternator and it's always recharged ready for use, but it takes a little work and some electrical knowledge. If the loads are small, a full-sized battery lasts a long time. I take a "Battery Tender" along with me so if a 117VAC outlet presents itself, I'm ready. Never needed it yet.
Oh, sure, you can wire it to the alternator and it's always recharged ready for use, but it takes a little work and some electrical knowledge. If the loads are small, a full-sized battery lasts a long time. I take a "Battery Tender" along with me so if a 117VAC outlet presents itself, I'm ready. Never needed it yet.
"This war will pay for itself."
Paul Wolfowitz, speaking of Iraq.
Paul Wolfowitz, speaking of Iraq.