Dobbler
Enlightened
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2007
- Messages
- 503
Portable Solar Chargers
- Thread starter Dobbler
- Start date
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Enzo Morocioli
Enlightened
I'm interested in this too, accept i was looking for a much larger energy load..
I was looking at the Brunton Solaris 6 watt
.. If anyone has first hand information on this type of stuff let us know..
Thanks!
I was looking at the Brunton Solaris 6 watt
.. If anyone has first hand information on this type of stuff let us know..
Thanks!
VidPro
Flashlight Enthusiast
glass cells of both types work better in clouds than the "flexable" paper thin cells.
but the flexable paper thin cells weigh practically nothing.
in full sun the plastic cells have to be about 2X the size of glass cells for the same relative output.
so when i wanted to put some cells on the top of my backpack the size was an issue (along with the weight) i couldnt have a big kite on the top of my pack, banging against the bushes.
BUT
some people only need to charge when camped, and they can lay them out on the ground, a good folding unit with the plastic cells would be good for that, because you wouldnt have to carry so much weight.
~1.8oz of plastic cells at 2x the square footage , will do the same as ~10.8 oz of glass cells on a very Lite container. in clouds your screwed with both, but you get almost 0 out of the plastic.
AND
some people only need a minor charging, have days to charge, and dont need major output, then it would fit easily on a pack.
so, how much space you have, how much weight you want, and how often you need it, and what the weather conditions are in the area you intend to use it. because if you put a strong frame around the 1.8oz of cells , they wont weigh 1.8oz anymore.
Glass cells can break, even contained, you cant crash them down, and have them work, if your a klutz or doing some major fall on your butt sporting, the plastic cells would survive much better. the lightweight glass cell containers try and keep them from breaking, but only a very heavy container for glass cells would make them impervious (heavy when your having to carry it)
Search for "expedition" weight solar cells.
the chargers for AAs Usually need much much more solar cell on them than they have, as trying to get a full charge on a 2500ma battery takes a lot of solar cell.
Sometimes they will say charges in 4-5hours, BUT that is full sun, and a 600ma battery
so find out the capacity of the cell they are actually using, or the rating on the package they are selling. because you aint using 600ma cells
BUT
if you have 4 days to get one set charged, then even the cheaper ones of them will work good.
glass cells can be in aluminum backed containers, with glass or plastic or epoxy tops, or on fiberglass or plastic sheets, with glass plastic or epoxy on top.
the fiberglass base, with epoxy on top, is lightweight, but still breakable, the aluminum backed epoxy topped were pretty stong.
Plastic cells can be tossed in about anything, even left loose, and as long as you dont bend them to far, they survive.
words like amorphous ,single-crystalline and poly-crystalline , and all that stuff you can learn from wiki but basically you got a plastic impregnated things, and glass things, glass things come in 3 styles that range from about 10-15% efficiency. the square inch total / watt total , can identify the better higher priced cells.
but the flexable paper thin cells weigh practically nothing.
in full sun the plastic cells have to be about 2X the size of glass cells for the same relative output.
so when i wanted to put some cells on the top of my backpack the size was an issue (along with the weight) i couldnt have a big kite on the top of my pack, banging against the bushes.
BUT
some people only need to charge when camped, and they can lay them out on the ground, a good folding unit with the plastic cells would be good for that, because you wouldnt have to carry so much weight.
~1.8oz of plastic cells at 2x the square footage , will do the same as ~10.8 oz of glass cells on a very Lite container. in clouds your screwed with both, but you get almost 0 out of the plastic.
AND
some people only need a minor charging, have days to charge, and dont need major output, then it would fit easily on a pack.
so, how much space you have, how much weight you want, and how often you need it, and what the weather conditions are in the area you intend to use it. because if you put a strong frame around the 1.8oz of cells , they wont weigh 1.8oz anymore.
Glass cells can break, even contained, you cant crash them down, and have them work, if your a klutz or doing some major fall on your butt sporting, the plastic cells would survive much better. the lightweight glass cell containers try and keep them from breaking, but only a very heavy container for glass cells would make them impervious (heavy when your having to carry it)
Search for "expedition" weight solar cells.
the chargers for AAs Usually need much much more solar cell on them than they have, as trying to get a full charge on a 2500ma battery takes a lot of solar cell.
Sometimes they will say charges in 4-5hours, BUT that is full sun, and a 600ma battery
so find out the capacity of the cell they are actually using, or the rating on the package they are selling. because you aint using 600ma cells BUT
if you have 4 days to get one set charged, then even the cheaper ones of them will work good.
glass cells can be in aluminum backed containers, with glass or plastic or epoxy tops, or on fiberglass or plastic sheets, with glass plastic or epoxy on top.
the fiberglass base, with epoxy on top, is lightweight, but still breakable, the aluminum backed epoxy topped were pretty stong.
Plastic cells can be tossed in about anything, even left loose, and as long as you dont bend them to far, they survive.
words like amorphous ,single-crystalline and poly-crystalline , and all that stuff you can learn from wiki
but basically you got a plastic impregnated things, and glass things, glass things come in 3 styles that range from about 10-15% efficiency. the square inch total / watt total , can identify the better higher priced cells.
Last edited:
SilverFox
Flashaholic
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2007
- Messages
- 650
hey dobbler - what about solar chargeable flashlights? any experience with them backpacking or otherwise?
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2007
- Messages
- 650
should also add that I have never been attracted to the solar chargers because i imagine they take too long - but if you are trekking and away from power for a long time I guess it could be different. On the other hand, with 50+ hour runtimes for many LED lights and also LED dynamo lights which are getting better .....
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