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Solar Charger!!!

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Beth

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I just had to share my new purchase. I use rechargable NiMH batteries in my E10 and am going on vacation soon. Wanted a way to charge batteries on the fly. I ordered a Brunton solar battery charger. It came yesterday and I'm pretty excited.

This little portable contraption will allow me to recharge not only my AA's, but my cell phone, my laptop AND car battery with one neat little solar unit. It weighs under 2 lbs. and has a space to charge one set of AA's while storing another!

I think I have a way to keep myself 'plugged in' no matter where I am!
Beth

--
Olympus E-10, TCON, MCON, WCON and Fl-40
Gallery: http://www.pbase.com/galleries/cokids
 
Beth:

Would you take a quick picture of it so I can get an idea. I am curious. Also let us know how it works after some field use. You may be on to something here.

Haynes
Beth said:
I just had to share my new purchase. I use rechargable NiMH
batteries in my E10 and am going on vacation soon. Wanted a way to
charge batteries on the fly. I ordered a Brunton solar battery
charger. It came yesterday and I'm pretty excited.

This little portable contraption will allow me to recharge not only
my AA's, but my cell phone, my laptop AND car battery with one neat
little solar unit. It weighs under 2 lbs. and has a space to charge
one set of AA's while storing another!

I think I have a way to keep myself 'plugged in' no matter where I am!
Beth

--
Olympus E-10, TCON, MCON, WCON and Fl-40
Gallery: http://www.pbase.com/galleries/cokids
Click to expand...
 
Yes, tell us more. What did it cost? Where is it from? Manuf.'s Webiste?

Does it work on cloudy days? This would be great for outback and traveling in nations with no/less energy outlets. : )
 
Ok Haynes,
Here it is...

The first shot is of the charger and the cords that come with it. I have my Powerex plugged in cause it's charging. Obviously it doesn't come with the charger. Sorry for the quality. I must have had somthing in front of the flash which caused the shadow.



This next shot shows the charger from the back. It can be tilted at different angles to catch the sun better and has a place to charge 4 AA's and store 4 more. It also has a recepticle for a car charger so that you can charge your cell phone with any car charger! Neato!



Sorry for the quality of the shots. They were real quickies! Oh, and it can be set to 6volt or 12 volt!!
Haynes said:
Would you take a quick picture of it so I can get an idea. I am
curious. Also let us know how it works after some field use. You
may be on to something here.

Haynes
Beth said:
I just had to share my new purchase. I use rechargable NiMH
batteries in my E10 and am going on vacation soon. Wanted a way to
charge batteries on the fly. I ordered a Brunton solar battery
charger. It came yesterday and I'm pretty excited.

This little portable contraption will allow me to recharge not only
my AA's, but my cell phone, my laptop AND car battery with one neat
little solar unit. It weighs under 2 lbs. and has a space to charge
one set of AA's while storing another!

I think I have a way to keep myself 'plugged in' no matter where I am!
Beth

--
Olympus E-10, TCON, MCON, WCON and Fl-40
Gallery: http://www.pbase.com/galleries/cokids
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
Olympus E-10, TCON, MCON, WCON and Fl-40
Gallery: http://www.pbase.com/galleries/cokids
 
Hi Doug,

I bought it from BackcountryStore.com for $36.00 plus $4.00 shipping. After I purchased it, I found it on another site for less...I think it was Amazon. Anyway, Brunton (the manufacturer) makes two versions...one for AA's only and this one that does all kinds of batteries. I wanted something that would do my laptop, cell phone and camera! I love it.

I have it set up and it's cloudy here today. The light that indicates that it IS charging is on..even in cloudy weather. I suspect that you don't get as strong a charge in cloudy conditions...would take longer to charge batteries, but it's working. It takes about 10 hours to charge 4 AA's.

Oh, you can connect this to a radio and run the radio right from the charger! That was another selling point for me!

I was interested in back country use AND electrical interruption situations that could become more frequent with terrorism. I want a way to stay in touch! Sometimes when the electricity goes, the phone lines continue to be viable. Let's hope! (I hate to be alarmist.)
doug said:
Yes, tell us more. What did it cost? Where is it from? Manuf.'s
Webiste?

Does it work on cloudy days? This would be great for outback and
traveling in nations with no/less energy outlets. : )
Click to expand...
--
Olympus E-10, TCON, MCON, WCON and Fl-40
Gallery: http://www.pbase.com/galleries/cokids
 
Whats the current output of the solar cells? The only problem with solar cells etc is that the output is small, you may find it takes a long time to charge a set of NiMH's..But then again, if you live in CA, it may not be a problem!

Chris
Beth said:


This next shot shows the charger from the back. It can be tilted at
different angles to catch the sun better and has a place to charge
4 AA's and store 4 more. It also has a recepticle for a car charger
so that you can charge your cell phone with any car charger! Neato!



Sorry for the quality of the shots. They were real quickies! Oh,
and it can be set to 6volt or 12 volt!!
Haynes said:
Would you take a quick picture of it so I can get an idea. I am
curious. Also let us know how it works after some field use. You
may be on to something here.

Haynes
Beth said:
I just had to share my new purchase. I use rechargable NiMH
batteries in my E10 and am going on vacation soon. Wanted a way to
charge batteries on the fly. I ordered a Brunton solar battery
charger. It came yesterday and I'm pretty excited.

This little portable contraption will allow me to recharge not only
my AA's, but my cell phone, my laptop AND car battery with one neat
little solar unit. It weighs under 2 lbs. and has a space to charge
one set of AA's while storing another!

I think I have a way to keep myself 'plugged in' no matter where I am!
Beth

--
Olympus E-10, TCON, MCON, WCON and Fl-40
Gallery: http://www.pbase.com/galleries/cokids
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
Olympus E-10, TCON, MCON, WCON and Fl-40
Gallery: http://www.pbase.com/galleries/cokids
Click to expand...
 
Chris:
Check this one out!
http://www.outdoorelectronics.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/solarport.htm?E+scstore
SolarPort 2.2 Specifications
Output
12 or 6 volt DC
290 mAmp @ 7.6 volt
145 mAmp @ 15.2 volt
Temp Range - -40 to 176 F
Size - 7.25" x 4.5" x 1.25"
Weight - 11 Ounces
Jim
Chris Charlton said:
Whats the current output of the solar cells? The only problem with
solar cells etc is that the output is small, you may find it takes
a long time to charge a set of NiMH's..But then again, if you live
in CA, it may not be a problem!
Click to expand...
 
Thats pretty darn impressive, they must have improved the technology a lot since the last time I looked.

I might have to consider one myself, although I use the LiPO now, $79 isn't cheap, but then again you save electricity and it helps the environment.

:O)
jrdii said:
Chris Charlton said:
Whats the current output of the solar cells? The only problem with
solar cells etc is that the output is small, you may find it takes
a long time to charge a set of NiMH's..But then again, if you live
in CA, it may not be a problem!
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
In addition to being concerned about electrical interuption from terroists attacks, there is also the very real concern of natural disasters. Down here in the South, along the Gulf of Mexico, we are entering hurricane season. Hope it never happens, but a solar recharger would keep me up and running through the rebuilding stages after such a disaster. This would be a valuable time for journalism photography. A solar recharger is not a bad idea at all.

Haynes
Beth said:
Hi Doug,
I was interested in back country use AND electrical interruption
situations that could become more frequent with terrorism. I want a
way to stay in touch! Sometimes when the electricity goes, the
phone lines continue to be viable. Let's hope! (I hate to be
alarmist.)
Click to expand...
 
I doubt that this device will fill up 4 AA NiMh with ample capacity in significantly less than 48hrs. By that time, your vacation might well be over. :-)

But it´s nice to see "green" devices such as yours are making progress. Filling up AA´s to please a E-10 is hard enough for any charger, let alone a solar one. Good luck!

If you do end up unsatisfied with it, you might want to check out these Lead-Gel universal power supplies with built in charger and transformer, widely available at car parts places. Basically all-in-one devices with switches, plugs and gauges and a molded handle. They have a capacity of 8-9 Ah, deliver voltages between 4,5 and 12 V (can be fine tuned) and charge on 110V as well as 12 V (car plug included). Sure, they weigh in excess of 6 pounds, but that´s not more than two long lenses some people carry around. If you go on a hiking tour with serious photography in mind, these power stations are bearable, if you pack your backpack sensibly.

Cheers Matthias

Cheers Matthias
 
info...
for those that dont know
as a general rule for charging rechargable batteries..... nicad etc

if you divide the battery capacity in
amps or milli amps by 10 that will give

you the charging current one needs for about a 10 hour charge..... of course using the right voltage output.
so a 2000 ma battery would require
200 ma charger..
also 2000 ma is same as 2 amp..
battery.
hope this may help someone...
 
Mr_Ed said:
info...
for those that dont know
as a general rule for charging rechargable batteries..... nicad etc

if you divide the battery capacity in
amps or milli amps by 10 that will give
you the charging current one needs for about a 10 hour charge.....
of course using the right voltage output.
so a 2000 ma battery would require
200 ma charger..
also 2000 ma is same as 2 amp..
battery.
hope this may help someone...
Click to expand...
i forgot to mention one should not
charge rechareable at more than the batterry capacity divided by 10.
ie

2000 ma charge with 200 ma charger or less do not charge with a 500 ma charger..could over heat and damage the cellls....

of course if you charge your 2000ma battery with a 100 ma charger it will take twice as long to charge them fully .......
 
by the way beth
your solar charger will probably work
with just your front room lamp or any lamp you have available.....anyway
40 or 60 watt bulb...... if you get a
chance try it and let me know..ed
 
Yes, Mr. Ed, it continues to charge when set under a light. Not sure how straongly it charges, but it DOES charge.
Beth
Beth said:
I just had to share my new purchase. I use rechargable NiMH
batteries in my E10 and am going on vacation soon. Wanted a way to
charge batteries on the fly. I ordered a Brunton solar battery
charger. It came yesterday and I'm pretty excited.

This little portable contraption will allow me to recharge not only
my AA's, but my cell phone, my laptop AND car battery with one neat
little solar unit. It weighs under 2 lbs. and has a space to charge
one set of AA's while storing another!

I think I have a way to keep myself 'plugged in' no matter where I am!
Beth

--
Olympus E-10, TCON, MCON, WCON and Fl-40
Gallery: http://www.pbase.com/galleries/cokids
Click to expand...
--
Olympus E-10, TCON, MCON, WCON and Fl-40
Gallery: http://www.pbase.com/galleries/cokids
 
beth................ i just ordered the
solar charger from the place where you purchased yours....... you are a bad

influence............ so now if i ever come to your fair town you own me a cup of coffee..........and a note on

lifium polymer batteries........ as you know they are very expensive oly charges about 250 dollars and of course you need the charger and that just happens to be another 250 dollars

from oly............. so if i were you i would stick with aa's........and i feel you have already come to this conclusion.......the reason polymer batteries cost so much is because of the new tech' on the process of building these units expensive materials........ and of course the lastest type on the market...and i think they put out about 4800 ma
so that's about double or triple the out put of alk or nicad aa...
so how many batteries can we buy for 500 dollars...aa that is a
hole lot.......... cu have fun
ed
 
Mr_Ed said:
Mr_Ed said:
hope this may help someone...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
sure ed, why don´t you keep your pants on until you have actually tried it out and checked how long your E-X0 will actually run from a set of AA´s? Usually you need a microprocessor controlled charger to get your cells to fill up well enough for decent battery life in a E-XO, that´s all I am saying...

as i said before, i am just as excited about these solar devices, but if you don´t mind, i would like to remain sceptical until proven wrong. thank you.
 
mattigol said:
Member said:
Member said:
hope this may help someone...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
sure ed, why don´t you keep your pants on until you have actually
tried it out and checked how long your E-X0 will actually run from
a set of AA´s? Usually you need a microprocessor controlled
charger to get your cells to fill up well enough for decent battery
life in a E-XO, that´s all I am saying...

as i said before, i am just as excited about these solar devices,
but if you don´t mind, i would like to remain sceptical until
proven wrong. thank you.
Click to expand...
mattigol... i dont understand your

reply directed to me ...did i direct a statement to you... i dont think so...... and why should i keep my pants on........ why would one want to carry a 6 pound battery anywhere to suppy his or her camera ....... doesnt make sence to me.........two small aa packs will take hundred's of pic..... at least on my camera it will e-10 but then again maybe you use a lot of attachments when you shot....and one doesnt need a microprosser device to charge nicads to a full charge........ i dont know where you got that idea......you are probably thinking of recycle the batteries so that they will take a full charge...... of course these hold true to nicad's and not nimh
nicad have memory but nimh do not ... anyway have a good day..
 
My brother used a larger solar panel to charge batteries during a long raft trip down the grand canyon. He reported getting hot AA batteries.

I've had the same experience after a brief power outage at home: AAs in the Maha charger pluged into 110 got extremely hot, to the point causing the wrapper to deform some.

This causes me to think that the power fluctuations in a solar panel can defeat the charger's usual sensing mechanism which knows when to stop charging AAs.

With a really small solar panel, this might not be a problem, if the max current is similar to just a slow trickle charge. But I'm not sure where that line is drawn.

If you're considering a solar panel as an alternate power source during times of domestic power interruption, the fluctuations could be modulated by using a car battery in parallel with the panel.

Personally, I find that 110v AC (from the wall) supplemented by occasional 12v DC (from a truck) powering a Maha charger with a few sets of NiMH AAs cover my power needs an home and on vacation.
Beth said:
I just had to share my new purchase. I use rechargable NiMH
batteries in my E10 and am going on vacation soon. Wanted a way to
charge batteries on the fly. I ordered a Brunton solar battery
charger. It came yesterday and I'm pretty excited.

This little portable contraption will allow me to recharge not only
my AA's, but my cell phone, my laptop AND car battery with one neat
little solar unit. It weighs under 2 lbs. and has a space to charge
one set of AA's while storing another!

I think I have a way to keep myself 'plugged in' no matter where I am!
Beth

--
Olympus E-10, TCON, MCON, WCON and Fl-40
Gallery: http://www.pbase.com/galleries/cokids
Click to expand...
 
Beth wrote:

Sorry to intrude with this again, but wanted to share Steve's Digicam review of this unit...
http://www.steves-digicams.com/icp_solar.html
Beth said:
I just had to share my new purchase. I use rechargable NiMH
batteries in my E10 and am going on vacation soon. Wanted a way to
charge batteries on the fly. I ordered a Brunton solar battery
charger. It came yesterday and I'm pretty excited.

This little portable contraption will allow me to recharge not only
my AA's, but my cell phone, my laptop AND car battery with one neat
little solar unit. It weighs under 2 lbs. and has a space to charge
one set of AA's while storing another!

I think I have a way to keep myself 'plugged in' no matter where I am!
Beth

--
Olympus E-10, TCON, MCON, WCON and Fl-40
Gallery: http://www.pbase.com/galleries/cokids
Click to expand...
--
Olympus E-10, TCON, MCON, WCON and Fl-40
Gallery: http://www.pbase.com/galleries/cokids
 
I think you can rest easy Forester... According to the specs it only puts out 140ma. @ 6Vdc. Considering that's likely an optimistic full output and the fact that with that little headroom(6Vdc to charge 4 batteries to about 1.414Vdc) there isn't much to worry about since NiMHs are rated to withstand a continuous overcharge of C/10 or 140 maH for a 1400mah battery. With 1500mah and up batteries there is likely no danger of ever overcharging or problems with the peak detection circuit in the charger because there likely isn't one... we're talking a germanium or other low voltage drop diode to prevent backflow of current and that's it. Well, that and a switch wired to connect the two banks of cells in parallel or series depending on whether you want 6 or 12Vdc. I doubt there is much more in the way of sophistication... whoops, I forgot the LED. :-)
 
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