Solar Battery Charger

spicetrekker

Dear friends

I think this is a problem many of you may have faced on long treks - how to keep charged the battery of your camera, I-pods etc. I believe that there are protable solar packs available which can be clipped on to your back-pack and at the end of the day you can use it to charge your electronic devices.

I need some solution to this desparately as my Camera uses Lion battery and not NiMH or AA batteries.

Has anyone used this type of chargers ? If so what was the experience and can they be bought in India?

thanks

praks

I have been using a Brunton Solarport for quite a while now and have found it to be very good. It charges even during overcast conditions though it takes a little longer. In India, Solar chargers are available with outdoor product stores like Adventure 18.

spicetrekker

Praks thanks. Did u ever charge a camera battery with it - reason being that some people have told me that while it is easier to charge I-pod etc, the cameras have more stronger batteries and may not charge easily. BTW how much does it cost

praks

I haven't as yet charged a camera battery with it. At the Adventure18 store in Mumbai, they were quoting Rs.9000/- for a Brunton Solarport 4.4, Rs.20,700/- for a Brunton Solar Pad and Rs.33,000/- for a Brunton Solar Roll.

spicetrekker

Wow that is a lot - I can for that kind of money carry two extra batteries (for INR 3000) which should last me for more than 1000 shots

Thanks any way

vistet

I used this last time : since the output is 12 V , I could use it with my camera charger , that runs on both standard mains and 12 V . Surprisingly useful , esp. during three days of power outage in Tabo. Last days of low altitude trekking in Nepal , with constant clouds and rains gave nothing though.

With 12 V you can get adapters/chargers for practically everything : iPod , cell phones etc. This panel cost me about Rs 8000.

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Almoraboy

good thread...very informative. this time i will also carry one of these gizmos with me. batteries conking out in the middle of a wonderful snowfall is a real nightmarish scenario.

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spicetrekker

Vistet - Thanks for the info- is there anyway I can hang the solar panel on my backpack so that it charges while I trek during the day. Also how hardy is it - can it be exposed to some light rain etc

Almoraboy

ok guys, i have never really used this stuff, so would like to know how it works.
i have Lion batteries (the one that is used with Canon Rebel cameras). They are usually put in a charger and the charger is connected to the power source. So basically, when trekking, i can put them in the charger and connect the charger to this equipment. right? will it connect? i mean, are the pin and plug sizes compatible. woudl the pins fit in the sockets? my camera battery charger has those indian size round pins. whereas, stuff in the UK uses square pins and square pin sockets. would i need some converter plugs also?

vistet

There are two versions of this Silva panel. I´ve also used the smaller AA model , which is really rugged : double O-rings for the battery compartment etc.

Both comes with strap holders to put on top of pack ( and suction thingies for windows ) but the 12 V model has two inbuilt vulnerabilities against water : the output adapter , and the hinges. I´ll probably try to find a large map case for it the next time , and some kind of elastic strap to maintain contact with charger.

I´ve had the smaller panel outside in rain , no probs.

Sailaway

Interesting thread. Just out of curiosity, how heavy are these? I'm asking because even my laptop breaks my back after several hours of walking ...

vistet

AA model : 190 grams
12 v model : 300 grams

Sailaway

Wow that's pretty light! I should give it a try Thanks vistet!

Nick-H

Your charger is going to want 240/110V AC input... you are not going to get that from a solar cell thingy.

Perhaps if a car charger is available for your camera battery, and you can find a charger with 12 volt output, you can use those together.

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vistet

Worked like a charm for me in Tabo and elsewhere with my Pentax DSLR. The trick involved is to ditch the charger that comes with the camera , and replace it with a generic dual input charger , that accepts both 240/110 and 12 volts. These chargers work with different insert plates that connect with the battery : with two plates you can charge two different cameras without having to lug two wall warthogs and chargers.