UL Solar Battery Chargers

[Linsey Budden]

Check out http://www.solarworld.com for tiny light and cheap solar panels and chargers including one for button batteries ($13/.3 oz) and one that does 2, 3, or 4 AA or AAA's ($25/ 1.5oz). For me, this was the best lead out of Colin Fletcher's entire Complete Walker IV.

[Brett Tucker]

The SolLite-4AAE flexible panel solar battery charger:

http://www.siliconsolar.com/flexible-solar-battery-charger-sollite4aae-p-16200.html

Output: 6v at 150mA

Purely theoretical at this point, but what I really like about the concept of solar charging NiMH/Ni-CD batteries (vs less versatile storage devices like the Powermonkey) is that it's a true off-the-grid solution for all battery-operated trail gadgets. Cameras and GPS units need never run dead in the backcountry, or await extra $$ batteries at the next town stop. And paired with a AA-powered device charger, like Gomadic's battery backup ( 1.1 oz, http://www.gomadic.com/battery-backup-cat.html ), the same rechargeable batteries powering that camera and GPS can also be used to recharge a cell phone and iPod.

Total energy independence for 1.7 oz. (Most of my long hikes these days are in the sunny Southwest. YMMV.)

With one caveat: the ubiquitous AAA powered headlamp (and whatever else you'd care to name). I suppose a AAA-specific solar charger could be added to the mix. Or might it be possible to charge AAA in an AA-sized SolLite, as per the above link? (I mean, of course they *fit* but…)

Thanks to Linsey for moving this thread out of the dark recesses of Chaff and into the light of day!

[Eric Blumensaadt]

I like these links. My Garmin Colorado 400 GPS, SteriPen and PT Quad headlamp all need batteries. Now that they can be charged on the trail I'll be looking for the best solar charger. After all, I live in Nevada, the country's leader in solar power.

Eric

[Rog Tallbloke]

Says it's in stock on that page, but out of stock when you try to order. :-(

And they only do international by UPS :-((

My setup us a polycrystalline panel around 10" by 8". It weighs four ounces, but I can simultaneously charge a pda and a cellphone or gps unit, or a small usb battery charger which takes two aa's or aaa's. I soldered female usb connections onto the panel leads, and put diodes inline to prevent leakback.

Directly charging a pda or phone from the panel is way more efficient than charging aa's and then using those to charge the pda or phone. Most gadgets that charge from a usb cable use 3.7 volt batteries, so I charge those when the sun is bright, and aa's or aaa's in pairs when the sun is slightly obscured by light cloud, as the cheapo battery chargers don't have low voltage cutoff, and aa's/aaa's are cheaper to replace than cellphone or pda batteries.

[Brett Tucker]

Silicon Solar actually sent me the wrong model (4AA instead of 4AAE). The 4AAE is a somewhat larger panel and delivers twice the output of the 4AA. So I'm waiting for that to arrive, and in the meantime, the customer rep mentioned that the "out of stock" listing is simply because the product is currently on a made-to-order basis, as they assemble the panels to the respective battery compartments in-house.

Update 8/22/08: Based on the problems I (and apparently a fair number of other customers) have had in dealing with this company in the aftermath of botched order processing, I would strongly caution against doing business with them.

(See: http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/5577/ )

[James Roberts]

My favorite is the PowerFilm USB + AA charger. It charges 2 AA cells, and boosts their voltage to 5V for powering USB gear. It folds up to 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches and weighs 5 ounces. A bit expensive, but it works well with lots of nice little features.

— JD

http://www.diypvsystems.com

[drowning in spam]

Keep in mind that the Powerfilm should have charged AA batteries AND sunlight to charge external USB devices. It works though. I'll be bringing mine on a long hike next month.

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