Solar powered rechargeable flashlight

[KingGlamis]

Sorry if this has been posted before, but as you know, the search function here has issues. I was searching YouTube for flashlight videos and came across one for the BogoLight, which has rechargeable batteries charged by a solar panel built into the light.

Link: http://bogolight.com/index.php

While I doubt I will buy one it brings up an interesting thought... are there any solar powered battery chargers available? I would certainly buy one of those for our camping trips where power is often not available.

 

[TorchBoy]

The only ones I've seen (for AA cells) haven't impressed me. They would take too long to fully charge one set of cells.

http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=MB3502 for example says in reasonable sunlight it'll charge NiCd cells in about the same time as a normal charger. (Um... that's 16 hours isn't it?) But NiMH cells are 3 or 4 times the capacity. Also, if it ever got them fully charged this particular charger won't terminate. (Perhaps it would be better to buy some solar garden lights and disconnect the LEDs.)

I don't know of any good ones.

 

[bfg9000]

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=165611

 

[SilverFox]

Hello KingGlamis,

As Bfg has indicated, we have been discussing this light for awhile.

I would recommend that you get one. It's a great way to help some underprivileged people in Africa. As you know Bogo stand for buy one give one. It's not a bad light, but it does take a couple days of charging to fully charge the batteries.

Tom

 

[TorchBoy]

At another electronics shop web site I looked up the specs for a similar sized solar panel to the NiCd charger and for a 2V panel it would possibly be putting out as much as 350mA or so in bright sunshine. That's more than I thought.