Portable solar charger?

TheAlex

Has anyone used one? I've looked at Powertraveller and Uniross branded solar chargers (for around £30 - £50).

It would be used on holiday and wild camping trips where there is no other power source. I'd be looking to charge a maximum of four AA 2700 Nimh batteries a day for use in my digital camera. If it was good enough I'd use it at home too.

What is your experience of a solar chargers performance in hot sunny weather, and cold cloudy weather?

I hope this is the right place to post this; I was torn between this forum and the travel one...

Thanks for any help.

angel13

TheAlex wrote: »

Has anyone used one? I've looked at Powertraveller and Uniross branded solar chargers (for around £30 - £50).

It would be used on holiday and wild camping trips where there is no other power source. I'd be looking to charge a maximum of four AA 2700 Nimh batteries a day for use in my digital camera. If it was good enough I'd use it at home too.

What is your experience of a solar chargers performance in hot sunny weather, and cold cloudy weather?

I hope this is the right place to post this; I was torn between this forum and the travel one...

Thanks for any help.

not sure of the make of ours but we have one and it works fine. we just keep it on a sunny bedroom windowsill and put batteries in ad hoc and they charge well.

A_fiend_for_life

Not sure how quick you'll get a decent recharge.

Maplin should be worth a try.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?menuno=11931

I would hold fire for for more comments as there has been discussion in the past on these.

A_fiend_for_life

Sounds like you'd need a good solar source for a high drain:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/04/why-do-rechargeable-batteries-suck.php?dcitc=daily_nl

Recommended seems to be good batteries, a fast charger and .... freezing the batteries.

Grandmama

I am a Motorcaravan owner and about ten years ago started using small Solar powered chargers for my phone, camp lights , radios , cameras etc. They do work on light overcast days as it is the actual light that charges them up not necessarily direct sunlight. I love solar power and over the years have collected a few items. Chargers, lights, radios, fountain, camp lights and even a camp mosquito killer thing. I now have also graduated to a large solar panel on the roof of my Van to charge up the leisure battery. The equipment shows that it is charging even on a dull day, proved by showing no charge at night although I have not checked on moonlight!
The cost of solar panels is still quite high so it is a lifestyle choice rather than a cost effective choice but to be able to charge your phone up when camping out near nowhere is a real boon.
Get a really good small Solar charger and experiment with what it can do.

Eco_Girl_2

I liked a Solar Battery Charger that a friend took on a camping trip over the bank holiday weekend. His charged batteries and other gadgets too, and my mobile phone. He said it was less than £15 and he got it online from Ecotopia.

Sirbendy

I've got 2 12v/5w solar panels at home...cost me about £40. Hitched up to a car battery in a container. They charge the battery, battery has a series of plugs on it...one runs a 12v in car AA fast charger for batteries, one runs my in-car phone charger, and the last is spare for now. Eventually to have a cheapie 12v/240vAC inverter hitched up.

Quite handy.

tbs624

Eco_Girl wrote: »

I liked a Solar Battery Charger that a friend took on a camping trip over the bank holiday weekend. His charged batteries and other gadgets too, and my mobile phone. He said it was less than £15 and he got it online from xxxxxxxx.

Eco girl seems to get her whole life from this company ...sniff...sniff..:spam:?

tarranty

They're not cheap but either the Solar Gorilla or the !!!!!!!!!! Globetrotter are very powerful chargers, they're available all over the place.