Battery Charging
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I am planning a three week cycling trip and will take with me a number of battery operated
electronic devices such as mobile phone, digital camera, GPS receiver, PDA all of which will need
recharging several times during the trip. I can take various battery chargers/AC adapters and charge
up the devices at camp sites along the way but I know from experience this is not always practical.
And the GPS, in particular, drains a lot of power and is likely to need charging everyday even if
I'm very careful about how much I use it.
I was wondering if anyone had experience using alternative methods of charging such as dynamo or
solar power, whether they're likely to be any good and, if so, are there any on-line sources?
Rik
On Sun, 18 Jan 2004 00:08:59 +0000 (UTC), in
<01jj00dfq8mf852b192059o97irue92vmg@4ax.com>, Rik
<rt100@bikerider.com> wrote:
>I am planning a three week cycling trip and will take with me a number of battery operated
>electronic devices such as mobile phone, digital camera, GPS receiver, PDA all of which will need
>recharging several times during the trip. I can take various battery chargers/AC adapters and
>charge up the devices at camp sites along the way but I know from experience this is not always
>practical. And the GPS, in particular, drains a lot of power and is likely to need charging
>everyday even if I'm very careful about how much I use it.
>
>I was wondering if anyone had experience using alternative methods of charging such as dynamo or
>solar power, whether they're likely to be any good and, if so, are there any on-line sources?
>
>Rik
I have found www.mark-ju.net very informative on dynamos/solar chargers, home-made electrical
power stuff ...
--
I remember when the internet was only in black & white. It only had a few pages but at least they
all worked. Email: Put only the word "richard" before the @ sign.
"Rik" <rt100@bikerider.com> wrote in message
news:01jj00dfq8mf852b192059o97irue92vmg@4ax.com...
> I was wondering if anyone had experience using alternative methods of charging such as dynamo or
> solar power, whether they're likely to be
I saw a feature on solar panel chargers for mobile phones in a Sunday supplement a couple of weeks
ago. The solar array was in a fold up wallet and kits were available for popular models.
Unfotunately I can't remember the supplier.
Pete
"Rik" <rt100@bikerider.com> wrote in message
news:01jj00dfq8mf852b192059o97irue92vmg@4ax.com...
> I was wondering if anyone had experience using alternative methods of charging such as dynamo or
> solar power, whether they're likely to be any good and, if so, are there any on-line sources?
A good online resource is www.google.co.uk which came up with these amongst others:
http://www.unlimited-power.co.uk/solar_mobile_phone_charger.html
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=%22solar+charger%22&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-
8&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&meta=cr%3DcountryUK%7CcountryGB
Pete
Rik wrote:
> I am planning a three week cycling trip and will take with me a number of battery operated
> electronic devices such as mobile phone, digital camera, GPS receiver, PDA all of which will need
> recharging several times during the trip. I can take various battery chargers/AC adapters and
> charge up the devices at camp sites along the way but I know from experience this is not always
> practical. And the GPS, in particular, drains a lot of power and is likely to need charging
> everyday even if I'm very careful about how much I use it.
>
> I was wondering if anyone had experience using alternative methods of charging such as dynamo or
> solar power, whether they're likely to be any good and, if so, are there any on-line sources?
>
I thought about rigging up a dynamo to charge a mobile, but even ignoring losses in rectification,
the 3W output is barely adequate to charge my (small) phone.
"Rik" <rt100@bikerider.com> wrote in message
news:01jj00dfq8mf852b192059o97irue92vmg@4ax.com...
> I am planning a three week cycling trip and will take with me a number of battery operated
> electronic devices such as mobile phone, digital camera, GPS receiver, PDA all of which will need
> recharging several times during the trip. I can take various battery chargers/AC adapters and
> charge up the devices at camp sites along the way but I know from experience this is not always
> practical. And the GPS, in particular, drains a lot of power and is likely to need charging
> everyday even if I'm very careful about how much I use it.
>
> I was wondering if anyone had experience using alternative methods of charging such as dynamo or
> solar power, whether they're likely to be any good and, if so, are there any on-line sources?
I've been looking at this website recently ... http://www.icpglobal.com/html/isun.asp
In news:01jj00dfq8mf852b192059o97irue92vmg@4ax.com,
Rik <rt100@bikerider.com> typed:
> I am planning a three week cycling trip and will take with me a number of battery operated
> electronic devices such as mobile phone, digital camera, GPS receiver, PDA all of which will need
> recharging several times during the trip. I can take various battery chargers/AC adapters and
> charge up the devices at camp sites along the way but I know from experience this is not always
> practical. And the GPS, in particular, drains a lot of power and is likely to need charging
> everyday even if I'm very careful about how much I use it.
>
> I was wondering if anyone had experience using alternative methods of charging such as dynamo or
> solar power, whether they're likely to be any good and, if so, are there any on-line sources?
>
There's the bikecurrent mailing list on topica.com, which discusses this kind of thing. I'll try and
dig you out a link. ...
Easy:
it's http://www.topica.com/lists/bikecurrent/
Ambrose
On Sun, 18 Jan 2004 08:32:44 +0000, Zog The Undeniable <ggg@hhh.net>
wrote:
>I thought about rigging up a dynamo to charge a mobile, but even ignoring losses in rectification,
>the 3W output is barely adequate to charge my (small) phone.
I have a pack of NiMH batteries connected to my dynamo to provide a standlight. When I want to
charge the phone, I simply disconnect the dynamo and hook up the phone's car charger to the battery
pack. (I found that my phone car charger accepts 6v input - Sony Ericsson,
5.2v @450mA charge) OK it drains the batteries, but as they're only providing standlight and the
occasional second front beam it doesn't really matter.
Chris
------------------------
I have no sympathy for idiots. I have every sympathy for the innocent.
Rik <rt100@bikerider.com>typed
> I am planning a three week cycling trip and will take with me a number of battery operated
> electronic devices such as mobile phone, digital camera, GPS receiver, PDA all of which will need
> recharging several times during the trip. I can take various battery chargers/AC adapters and
> charge up the devices at camp sites along the way but I know from experience this is not always
> practical. And the GPS, in particular, drains a lot of power and is likely to need charging
> everyday even if I'm very careful about how much I use it.
> I was wondering if anyone had experience using alternative methods of charging such as dynamo or
> solar power, whether they're likely to be any good and, if so, are there any on-line sources?
I bought a solar charger from the Gadget Shop and a dynamo charger from Carphone Warehouse, both for
my Nokia 3330, on a camping trip. Neither seemed to work properly and I have since given them away.
--
Helen D. Vecht: helenvecht@zetnet.co.uk Edgware.
Reply to Helen Deborah Vecht
> Neither seemed to work properly and I have since given them away.
>
>
To people you didn't like? ;-)
--
Mark, UK. If you give me six lines written by the most honest man, I will find something in them to
hang him. - Richelieu
> I am planning a three week cycling trip and will take with me a number of battery operated
> electronic devices such as mobile phone, digital camera, GPS receiver, PDA all of which will need
> recharging several times during the trip.
[Tongue in cheek mode - ON]
Jeez! Whatever happened to cycling tours that you need all that electronic stuff?
Map, compass, notepad (a PAPER one!)and pencil, 35mm camera and some change for the phone is
all you need.
Get away from all that stuff for a while, the phone rays have obviously affected your brain.
Have a great trip anyway and be sure to write up a report for us when you get back.
[Tongue in cheek mode - OFF] Robert
Robert McDonald wrote:
> Map, compass, notepad (a PAPER one!)and pencil, 35mm camera and some change for the phone is all
> you need.
Map ? that would be a luxury touring then ? ;-)
--
The Reply & From email addresses are checked rarely. http://www.mseries.freeserve.co.uk (http://www.mseries.freeserve.co.uk/)
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