I have a few gizmos which need to be charged and I am always looking for a portable solution to keep the juice flowing so a few years ago I picked up
a solar charger which also has an internal Li-Po 2,600 ma battery. The internal battery can be charged by plugging it into a computer USB or by using the supplied 110v adapter, or by putting it into the sunlight.
It came with 2 USB cables and you notice that the 4 LED status lights indicates that the internal battery is holding a FULL charge
I plugged my iPhone into it so I could charge the battery. Over the past week I have charged my iPhone 2 other times. This is a Cheap unit from China, the battery is 2,600 ma and it outputs 5v @ around 700 ma, so it is able to bring an iPhone up to a full charge from nearly empty in about 2 hours
Now my battery is not really that low and here it is showing 79% on the battery gauge. I wasn't checking the time but when I looked next it was 11:00 am and
It was now at 100% being fully charged
I also have a Mophie battery pack attached to my iPhone which which doubles the capacity of the iPhone battery and it also has LED status lights. 4 LED s shows that it is up to full charge. Each LED accounts for approx 25% battery power. I have had this particular solar charger for a few years but have never really used it. I notice now that the battery does not go to full capacity so basically I don't trust it anymore
I wanted to have charging options for this summer when I go on my bike vacation. There may be times where I will not have access to power and I wanted to have options to keep my gizmos charged. Many things nowadays are charged using a simple USB cable. Things like my GoProHero3, my Sena SMH10 Bluetooth headset,and my iPhone so I bought a new
Verbatim Power Bank. You notice that this is a 10,000 ma (10 amp) Hi capacity unit and it can output 5V at either 2A or 3A which means that it can charge my iPhone in under an Hour, or my Sena BT headset in about half an hour. I can also charge this Power Bank from 110V or by plugging it into the 12v power of my bike as I am riding across the Country
It comes with 2 USB cables
and uses standard USB output plugs. (2A and 3A), so this unit can also recharge an iPad which requires a 3A source
It also has LED status lights which show battery capacity which is left, and also charging . It also has "smart" detection circuitry. As soon as it detects that your gizmo that is being charged, no longer requires anymore input, it goes into standby mode to conserve battery power. Being slim and not very heavy I think I am going to put it into good use this Summer
Moto content below: I have been riding my Wee to work but my R1200R is not yet insured. I washed it last week and I still need to do a few maintenance items before it will be ready for the road.
It is Victoria Day this weekend which means that Monday is a Statutory Holiday here in BC and I was going to insure my Beemer on Saturday, but the forecast is not looking so good, so we'll see . . .
I Hope the forecast is wrong!
ReplyDeleteNikos:
DeleteI may insure my "R" anyway as I have to get some riding experience on her. I haven't ridden my Beemer much as I only purchased it last September. I have to find a new seat as it is too close to the ground. I also have some maintenance items to take care of and without insurance I can't bring it anywhere
Forecast is for mixed rain, cloud and sun, so it may not be as bad as it may seem
Yeah, about the Beemer got some exercise eh?
ReplyDeleteI have a few usb devices now (GpPro, phone and one of my cameras) and I'm also considering a bluetooth intercom (and a dongle so I can get stereo sound from my Zumo to a bluetooth intercom) so could be looking at mobile charging solutions.
I'm thinking about rigging something up that could fit in my little tank bag (a usb charger and perhaps also another 12v socket) but also hopefully set up so I can swap it between bikes.
There's a thread on Adv biker where a guy put a solar cell on his top box to charge stuff inside - it was a bit ugly but a neat idea.
Andrew:
DeleteI also have a A2DP compliant dongle and can stream Stereo music to my bluetooth headset. I have two BT headsets: the Sena & the Camos which I have had for a couple of years. The Dongle also needs to be charged.
My bike is also set up for mobile charging. I have a standard 2 pin SAE plug which I also use for my heated vest and battery tender. I have a cigarette lighter type female plug where I can plug in my battery chargers and I put all of this into my tank bag and can be moved to my other bike, as all of my bikes have this plug.
I am able to charge all of my 3.8v batteries using my system but my Canon dSLR needs 12V which is a double cell Li-Po, and my laptop needs either an inverter (which I have a small 75W one), or AC power. I think an inverter uses too much power off the bike so I would only plug it in when I am on the highway at higher RPMs . I worry that I may forget to unplug it when I stop.
I was thinking of buying ** THIS ** , which has an USB and 12v outlet, and perhaps ** THAT ** as I also have some portables which use either AA or AAA type batteries. This unit can also function as a Battery Bank/Pack
I saw that thread on ADVrider with the solar cells, but I worry that the vibrations would break the panel. I think the Goal Zero is a better option, and of course I can also charge Off my bike whilst riding.
I ended up picking up a 130WH capacity battery pack for my electronics. It'll recharge my phone or iPad numerous times and my laptop a couple of times and will output anything up to 24v plus has a high power USB port (BTW, the high power USB port required for the full size iPad is 2.1amps (12W) not 3 amps. A normal USB port is 5W or 1 amp and some as low as 500ma). I was seriously considering the solar chargers and even building panels into the top case. But another project another day. For now the BatteryGeek pack works fine.
ReplyDeleteActually, I think my numbers are doubled. Most USB ports are 500ma and the high power ports are 1 amp. USB3 ports are 900ma. There are chargers available that provide up to 2.1 amps for faster charging including the iPad chargers.
DeleteRichard:
DeleteI wished I had your 24V battery pack which I saw last year in Joseph, OR. I still have to find a way to charge my laptop on the bike. It needs 18V input and the bike is only 12V. I think an inverter uses too much power draw. Most of my 110v chargers output USB 5v 1amp. My power bank says specifically that the new iPad requires 3amps, so I guess it charges faster
My iPad (newer one) came with a 2.0 amp charger and Apple now offers a 2.1 amp charger for slightly faster charging. The new iPads will charge from the 900 ma USB3 ports as well as older 1 amp high power USB2 ports. With a 500ma USB port, it will not indicate that it's charging but will still charge albeit, slowly. So the PowerBank docs are not presenting accurate information.
DeleteMost cheaper, consumer inverters that output a modified sine wave have about a 90% efficiency with the remaining going to heat. That isn't to bad and your newer bike may have that much power to spare. Since it is just powering a transformer frequency control and waveform probably aren't too much of a problem.
DeleteRichard:
DeleteI may be okay with enough alternator power with my R1200R. Specs show it has a 600W 3 phase power. My Vstrom only has 400 watts of power. So perhaps I could use my small 75 watt inverter to charge my small laptop. It would solve a lot of problems if I don't have electricity for a day or two
Wow, 600 watts! My bike only has 280 watts stock and there are a couple of aftermarket companies that make 450 watt units. So either one would power a small inverter as long as you put some sort of relay to cut power if the bike is shut down. The Beemer would be more of a hassle due to the Can-bus network and the limited number of amps from the accessory plug.
DeleteThanks for the overview of charging options. I am looking into getting one of those solar battery chargers since I like to spend a lot of time camping and finding a free plug can be troublesome. Last year, I was riding in Northern Ontario and my wife was not too pleased that I didn't call her for two days. Apparently, "my cell phone battery was dead" is not a good excuse. One of your solutions should solve my problem.
ReplyDeleteDavid:
DeleteI can charge my phone while riding. Get a 12v plug wired to your bike, or a 2 pin SAE and make a cable to plug into it.
That Power Bank will come in handy this year. I have already used it to charge my iPhone. It will also charge my GoPro and Sena BT unit, and if necessary I can recharge it while riding
If you don't wish to be found, or you don't want to come home right away, there's nothing wrong with your excuse that your "cell phone batter was dead" My excuse is I can't answer the phone whilst riding
This looks to be a great option to seriously consider. Even if not for the ride, but for emergency situations too. Thanks for this!
ReplyDeleteKT:
DeleteIt would be good even for emergencies, or traveling, or for extending your phone's battery life, or when you have a power outage. I was going to use it to charge my phone. I have weather apps, and apps for finding accommodation and also I can charge my BT communicator, or GoPro. I have planned a trip for this Summer and I won't always have power
Lots of good info here guys, I may have to rethink my charging needs in the future. For now, my SAE/Cig. Lighter socket are taking care of everything I need. So far, I've been leaving my Netbooks home unless I plan on motel stops. If I ever start taking longer duration trips again, that will probably need to be adjusted.
ReplyDeleteCoop:
DeleteI can't survive without a small computer as I take a lot of video and I need a way to transfer data from the memory cards to an external hard drive. I just need a way to recharge my computer battery, that's why I was thinking of that 12V solar panel
Thanks for cluing me in on solar. The things I learn from this blog . . .
ReplyDeleteJohn:
DeleteI am a hobbyist so I experiment and I try to make most of my own cables. If you are away from power, then solar is the way
Bobskoot has more gadgets than I have socks.
ReplyDeleteGary:
DeleteI don't have that many gadgets. I have toned down a bit and buy less, but I do buy what I NEED and crave. Socks are only for work, otherwise you don't need them
This question may have already been asked, but since I am eager to get out and ride I am forgoing all the comments and going straight to the source. Ball park figure...what would one of those handy chargers put me back. Since you're so savvy about them, maybe you can recommend the least expensive one that would keep my iPhone 5, 2 cameras, and laptop going. I have a set up on my bike that I can plug into. It is the standard cigarette lighter type.
ReplyDeleteBB:
DeleteExcept for my laptop, I can charge everything I have with ONE charger,
http://www.lenmar.com/web/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=BCUNI3
It can work on AC, or 12V power from a car lighter socket, or on your bike with a 12v plug. All of my cameras and my phone can be charged, as well as AA and AAA sized rechargeable batteries. If you motel it then this is the only charger you need.
This charger will charge your iPhone with the lightening cable, plus both cameras. You will need an inverter on your bike to charge your laptop