/out/ - Outdoors » Thread #531715

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255KiB, 1000x1000, solar.jpg

Anonymous Tue 09 Jun 2015 10:11:10 No.531715 View View Reply Original Report

Quoted By: >>531738 >>531951 >>531964 >>531998 >>532011 >>532057 >>532070

Looked through the catalog and couldn't find an appropriate thread.
I'll be spending about three weeks camping around Colorado this summer and have been looking at solar chargers.
I have narrowed it down to the following charger and battery combos.
AllPower
Solar
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NGKPX4Y?colid=1XOIBMW70K8C&coliid=I16FKXV4PY04QG&psc=1&ref_=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl
Battery
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PMTTYHY?colid=1XOIBMW70K8C&coliid=IQ8L5HHTYN94I&psc=1&ref_=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl
Anker
Solar
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E3OL5U8?colid=1XOIBMW70K8C&coliid=I4M42ZLJKL3VT&psc=1&ref_=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl
Battery
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N2T7U90?colid=1XOIBMW70K8C&coliid=I26SXSGEPPJE3G&psc=1&ref_=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl

So, which combination would be a better choice?
Pic Related

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 09 Jun 2015 11:08:45 No.531738 Report

Quoted By:

>>531715
I bought
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E3OL5U8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01
and
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ITILPZ4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages01

I can't comment on their quality, but I bought the 14W 4 panel foldup due to the internal pouch and small carrying size, and the 10000 mAh because it was a decent size but also cheap, and slim. It fits very well in the pouch.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Wilesco-H50-300.jpg, 56KiB, 300x247

Anonymous Tue 09 Jun 2015 12:24:11 No.531770 Report

Quoted By: >>531779

I saw this little stirling engine that's powered by a tea candle and I always thought, why don't they scale this thing up and stick in a bon fire? Maybe it doesn't scale up well.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 09 Jun 2015 13:02:56 No.531779 Report

Quoted By:

>>531770
It's not simple enough. The Soviets had petroleum-fueled Seebeck-Generators for Transistor-Radios, used by arctic explorers. They are simple.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 09 Jun 2015 18:49:32 No.531951 Report

Quoted By:

>>531715
I'm getting the ravpower 15 watt folding panels and an anker 18,000 battery bank. All comes to 85 bucks on amazon. On phone so it's not amazingly easy to add the link. Check them out.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 09 Jun 2015 19:13:13 No.531964 Report

Quoted By:

>>531715
I bought that exact same anker battery, can't tell anything about it because it only arrives thursday

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 09 Jun 2015 20:15:32 No.531998 Report

Quoted By: >>532000

>>531715
Oh, also, i don't know if you have looked at some real use videos on YouTube but some of these folding chargers may say 2 amp or up to 2 amp or whatever but they are not capable of 2 amps to one device. Instead they can output 1 amp to 2 devices. I'm not sure which ones were the ones that had the iffy wording, but the allpower brand may have been one.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 09 Jun 2015 20:17:03 No.532000 Report

Quoted By: >>532005

>>531998
I've noticed it's a running theme with these solar chargers. It seems they are more intended to charge a large battery that would then be used to charge devices.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 09 Jun 2015 20:24:54 No.532005 Report

Quoted By:

>>532000
Yeah. It's easier on the phone. A phone May stop charging if the current dips below 500ma or even 1000 or so. But a battery pack should be fine.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 09 Jun 2015 20:35:59 No.532011 Report

Quoted By: >>532014

>>531715
Sorry op,realized i never addressed your question. I would personally go with anker over the other just because i would trust anker products while out more. I have used their batteries nd have no real complaints. I don't know about their panels, but i would trust them over the xdragon thing. I think it's fairly new. ..and an obvious goal zero design ripoff,so I'm hesitant to trust their product specs

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 09 Jun 2015 20:38:49 No.532014 Report

Quoted By: >>532017

>>532011
I'm also leaning toward Anker due to their smart charging deal. I figure combined with their battery it should charge quicker than on other panels.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Xiaomi_logo_svg.png, 9KiB, 1024x1024

Anonymous Tue 09 Jun 2015 20:41:03 No.532016 Report

Quoted By:

Xiaomi Mi is pretty popular

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Original-XiaoMi-MI-10400mAh-Power-Bank-Charger-for-iPhone-Samsung-HTC-Tablet-/331536781809?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item4d3121d1f1

example link. compare with different offers.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 09 Jun 2015 20:46:30 No.532017 Report

Quoted By: >>532020

>>532014
If you get it maybe make a thread on it. Tell us how it works out.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 09 Jun 2015 20:47:48 No.532020 Report

Quoted By: >>532032

>>532017
Will do, it's still a couple weeks till the trip so I hope to use it a couple times to see how well it works.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 09 Jun 2015 21:03:27 No.532032 Report

Quoted By: >>532033

>>532020
Nice. I'm ordering mine this Thursday so I'll do the same.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 09 Jun 2015 21:04:16 No.532033 Report

Quoted By: >>532077

>>532032
Which did you go for?

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO ausangate02.gif, 3MiB, 192x144

Anonymous Tue 09 Jun 2015 22:01:06 No.532057 Report

Quoted By: >>534035 >>538926

>>531715
I bought the GOALZERO Nomad 7 Solar Panel and tested it in the andes between 14,000 ft and 17,000 ft.
I charged my Smartphone, my GoPro Hero 2 and even my battery charger (12V) worked with it. I charged AA and AAA batteries with it.
One feature I did not tested but like to have the option is that you can chain these panels if you need more power or have less sunlight.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO batteryfordays.jpg, 32KiB, 556x417

Anonymous Tue 09 Jun 2015 22:34:04 No.532070 Report

Quoted By: >>532077 >>534122

>>531715

Buy a battery case. With removable cells that you can replace yourself if one goes bad. That way you can buy much higher quality, higher capacity cells than any typical closed pack comes with and you don't have to toss the whole thing out if a single cell dies.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 09 Jun 2015 22:56:58 No.532077 Report

Quoted By: >>532082

>>532033
Ravpower 15w>>532070
Those are good packs but not so much for hiking. A 20,000 anker pack takes up much less space and weight than a half dozen 18650 cells with charger.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 09 Jun 2015 23:13:32 No.532082 Report

Quoted By: >>532090

>>532077

It's about serviceability, and the quality of the cells.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 09 Jun 2015 23:37:11 No.532090 Report

Quoted By:

>>532082
Thats fine for your desk. And fine for car camping. I own several of the things so I'm not saying they are bad. But for hiking they are not optimal. And the quality of power packs with samsung quality batteries are vastly improving.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO goal zero.jpg, 98KiB, 720x720

Anonymous Fri 12 Jun 2015 15:42:35 No.534035 Report

Quoted By: >>534117 >>534576 >>536775

>>532057

Is there a cheaper alternative to the GoalZero Nomad 7 guide 10 combo? Pic very related
For $140 Canadough I can't help but think there is a cheaper but just as good version?

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 12 Jun 2015 18:31:42 No.534117 Report

Quoted By:

>>534035
>Canadough
I like that.
>cheaper but just as good
I've heard good thing about Anker.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 12 Jun 2015 18:39:25 No.534122 Report

Quoted By:

>>532070

are those li-polymer batteries?
thats a pretty dumb setup, considering you can just get any panel which outputs 5-12v @ 0.1 - 2amps (depending on light)
and just hook up a chinese lypo power bank to it
they hold a bunch of power and cost nothing

so you can just buy another if it "dies"
but they last a very long time

the only time you really need specialized individual cell type units is for extreme cold weather, which will drain or ruin most batteries

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 13 Jun 2015 09:33:21 No.534576 Report

Quoted By:

>>534035

I had that exact setup, 120 Euros on amazon, works great/10, but then i forgot it with my camera and lenses (all of this stuff was in it's own pack) in a train.

Goddammit.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Capture.png, 44KiB, 662x289

Anonymous Mon 15 Jun 2015 21:27:32 No.536003 Report

Quoted By: >>536024 >>536777

OP Here
I ended up going with pic related. I leave in a week and will post a thread on how this combination performs over the three weeks.

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 15 Jun 2015 22:20:35 No.536024 Report

Quoted By:

>>536003
Sounds good. I'm interested to see the panels perform in the real world instead of on paper.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO image.jpg, 59KiB, 960x285

Anonymous Wed 17 Jun 2015 04:46:14 No.536775 Report

Quoted By:

In response to this

>>534035

just ordered pic related with a goal zero guide 10. Will let you know how it works out on my upcoming out/venture

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 17 Jun 2015 04:47:58 No.536777 Report

Quoted By: >>536780 >>536877

>>536003
Shouldn't have gone with a 26000 mAh battery brah, that's way overkill.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 17 Jun 2015 04:55:56 No.536780 Report

Quoted By:

>>536777
Not for the number of people I have to support.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 17 Jun 2015 10:22:52 No.536877 Report

Quoted By:

>>536777
I guess what I trying to do with such a large battery is have enough power that I won't have to worry about running out since it'll be on the panel from sun up to sun down. The panel has no hope of fully charging the battery in a single day but over a couple days it should charge it just fine.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 17 Jun 2015 11:11:04 No.536885 Report

Quoted By: >>536886

Few tips. ...use as short a charging cable as you can. And don't factor 100% off a battery. As in don't assume a 26000mah battery will charge a2600mah battery 10 times. I would figure the battery at 70%. They aren't perfectly efficient and there is loss between every connection to the phone. I'm sure some anon knows the exact math.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 17 Jun 2015 11:14:39 No.536886 Report

Quoted By: >>536994

>>536885
According to the manual, the battery loses 9% from the battery to the USB port. They also recommended a short cable due to an estimated loss of 10-15% due to the cable. I expect to get around 21-22Ah out of it with a 6" charge cable.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 17 Jun 2015 17:45:47 No.536994 Report

Quoted By:

>>536886
That sounds reasonable. I have some cheaper power banks, maybe 2500mah that will only charge about 1200 ma. But they were about 5 bucks.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 91TjMY0fF5L._SL1500_.jpg, 305KiB, 1500x1461

Anonymous Sun 21 Jun 2015 02:37:56 No.538926 Report

Quoted By:

>>532057
I have one of the big Goalzero's for my cpap.
Works great, but goddam that thing is heavy..

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