Solar Chargers

[Tootsall]

A while back there was some discussion regarding the various types of solar chargers and their applications (camera batteries, dedicated and otherwise; mp3 players; phones; radios & gps). Just wondering if there are any updates or "revelations/recommendations" in recent months on the subject?

 

[nhk750]

I have done a lot of studying on the solar chargers and have used a few. When I get an extra $500 these guys look to be the ones to buy from. A lot of professional photographers and movie makers use this system.

http://www.goal0.com/

 

[KayDubbya]

Solar chargers are only as good as the sun landing on them. There are a wide range of products (Solio Classic, Brunton Inspire) that are adequate for charging MP3 players and smart phones if you have a full day of BRIGHT direct sunlight. If you are likely to have overcast days you should plan on having 3-4x your expected capacity and a means to store the charged power. (i.e. bigger panels than you think and more battery storage than you think)

The set up I use to keep my Smartphone charged (has GPS, mapping, phone, txt, email and MP3 functionality) is a Powerfilm 7 flexible solar panel (http://www.modernoutpost.com/gear/detai ... lm_R-7.php) and a Brunton Inspire battery pack (http://www.modernoutpost.com/gear/detai ... 000007.php). This give me about 3 days of careful usage, and the ability to charge it fully in 1 day of bright sunshine. I also have a small USB adapter that I can plug into the Inspire to recharge my Sony camera battery.

I like the Powerfilm product because it is marine grade with water proof connectors. This allows me to mount it on my kayak with the battery pack in a pelican case or waterproof deck bag. If you are base camping, this feature might not be necessary.

I dealt with Modern Outpost for my system and they really know their stuff. Great company to deal with.

 

[Tootsall]

Thanks for the info & etc. guys. I'm still considering whether to get one or not for our next trip (Glover's Reef in Belize). I expect the sun to be nice and shiny!!! The travel company does say that they run a gen set for a couple of hours each evening (with questionable voltage regulation) and I do carry a bunch of camera batteries with me (for both cameras) which I'll charge just before leaving the mainland so I anticipate having sufficient power except for the mp3 player.

I "really" looked hard at the Freeloader Pro from "thinkgeek.com" but they'll only ship courier and that means I'll need to pay them about $15 just to cover the $3 GST charge coming across the border (couriers really "euphamism for helical fastening device" us when it comes to these service charges). They won't ship USPS which I'd prefer. Can't find a Canadian distributor for the Freeloader (out of UK) neither. The Solio doesn't have the appropriate adaptor for dedicated camera batteries (that I can find).

So.......until I "really" need to be self-sufficient on a long trip maybe I'll just spend that loot on something else during the trip. Oh, and the information about a gen set availability came up since the initial post.

 

[Astoriadave]

Don't know doodly about the options here, but I do have a data point on the functional side. When camping at Gibraltor in the Broken Group last September in mixed conditions (overcast but not terribly rainy), a woman and her husband used a solar array strung over their tarp to maintain the charge on her CPAPS unit. Probably keeping a power supply similar to this one going: http://www.cpap.com/cpap-power.php They said they could go about a week, using the output from what looked to be a 4 ft by 4 ft system, losing a little ground each day, but still having enough after six nights to keep her going.

A friend of mine died one night in her home because she "forgot" to connect to her machine, so I know this couple was really committed to the task. They did have backup at the Sechart lodge if they needed a quick recharge, so they were not foolhardy.