Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

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Cunobelin
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by Cunobelin »

The UK
The Sun

That about says it all for these solar chargers

They are fine, and if like last year you have a really good spell than you can keep an Iphone or Ipad topped up, but that is about it.

I use a Power Gorilla for trips as this will top up the Iphone and Ipad all week. Then if you go to a pub or similar ask and plug in to top up

I Also have a Mini-Gorila which does for days out where I might want to extend the use of an item
mrjemm
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by mrjemm »

Cunobelin wrote:The UK
The Sun...


The Sun's not to be trusted with mobile phones!

Oh, not that Sun... :wink:
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bigjim
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by bigjim »

My phone battery will last about a week if I keep it switched off between the odd text or photo session. I take a spare fully charged battery for it. I can usually get a charge somewhere keeping them both topped up. Restaurants will charge it for you as you eat. I generally mix my camping up with a B&B stop so I've never been caught out. I don't use the phone for navigation.
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bikes4two
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by bikes4two »

For those who what to try something a bit cheaper than the Tecknet battery pack, this 12,000mAh unit at £13 delivered is good value and mine is still working well one year on.
bat1.jpg


For keeping the phone charged up and if I know I'm going to get to a mains socket at sometime, I have a spare phone battery which I put into one of these wall chargers which I don't mind leaving in the toilet block etc (cry your eyes out iPhone users and others who have sealed in batteries :cry: )
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Sweep
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by Sweep »

Interesting bikes4two

is the second item from the same supplier?
Sweep
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bikes4two
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by bikes4two »

Sweep wrote:......is the second item from the same supplier?


Not that I'm aware of. The photo of the phone battery charger shown was just the first one I came across. The one I have is specific to my phone's battery but I couldn't find an example so used this one instead (being lazy..... )

Hang on, let's look, oh yes, here's mine (Xperia Arc S) - the UK plug but slides off leaving two prongs that would go into a US type socket, but I bought a two-pin adapter to fit French/Spanish sockets.
bat4.jpg


Whilst searching I also spotted this little box - so you put your phone battery in the box and charge it from a separate power source via a standard USB lead - might be handy if you are trying to cut down on the number of chargers being carried.
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sandman
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by sandman »

I have opted for the Adafruit minty to charge my phone and gps, its small and very light using two AA batteries and a little voltage boosting circuit, my reasoning is that I can get AA batteries anywhere and not be reliant on finding mains electric.
regards
John
gloomyandy
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by gloomyandy »

Does it work? how many charges do you get from a set of batteries?
sandman
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by sandman »

It does what it says on the tin, so far in testing it about 1.5 charges per set is what I have got so far but battery quality plays a big part,you could of course use larger batteries but then weight goes up as does the cost ,so for regular use not the most cost effective solution but as I dont expect to be out of range of a store to replace batteries for more than a day and it is just for a camping trip the advantage of not needing to plug in outweigh its limitations.
khain
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by khain »

sandman wrote:I have opted for the Adafruit minty to charge my phone and gps, its small and very light using two AA batteries and a little voltage boosting circuit, my reasoning is that I can get AA batteries anywhere and not be reliant on finding mains electric.
regards
John

I just googled it and they look great. Where did you get it as I can only see US retailers?

I've got something similar that I picked up in Sweden in a sale but it's poor quality. I use it with a Silva Solar 1 panel which is excellent - it even works in Scotland and is virtually indestructible. I can charge a small phone every few days but I tend to use a larger battery for the phone and the AAs for my Garmin.
sandman
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by sandman »

Sorry for late reply, got it on amazon from a store in Oxford ( last one in stock,I phoned and they dont plan ordering more at the moment)
I have to say it suits my purpose well but if you have access to mains power then there are more cost efficient systems all be it heavier.
regards
John
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Vantage
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by Vantage »

Whilst I save for a dynamo hub and its lights with usb port and whatnot (sick and tired of flippin batteries) I've bought one of these to charge the cameras and mp3 player while on longer rides.
I'll report back when its delivered and had some use. Cheap though for the power output.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00C ... UTF8&psc=1
Bill


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Sweep
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by Sweep »

I'm no expert on these things (will doubtless get one in the end - I tend to get techie gear when I really need it/have a use - no point buying ahead and watching stuff get cheaper/better)

but this on offer today/at the moment.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/eton-boost-bl ... gn=15P3-14

If anyone has any views on it, feel free to post - I might learn something.
Sweep
b1galus
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by b1galus »

[quote][/quote] no expert on these things (will doubtless get one in the end - I tend to get techie gear when I really need it/have a use - no point buying ahead and watching stuff get cheaper/better)

but this on offer today/at the moment.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/eton-boost-bl ... gn=15P3-14

If anyone has any views on it, feel free to post - I might learn something.

my son got me something similar from ebay for a tenner and charges my iPhone five four times so not really that good a deal
Psamathe
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Re: Charging your phone or tablet on camping tour…

Post by Psamathe »

Sweep wrote:I'm no expert on these things (will doubtless get one in the end - I tend to get techie gear when I really need it/have a use - no point buying ahead and watching stuff get cheaper/better)

but this on offer today/at the moment.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/eton-boost-bl ... gn=15P3-14

If anyone has any views on it, feel free to post - I might learn something.

No idea about this particular device. However in recent years I have found Maplin very poor quality and very expensive. The few things I have purchased from them have been taken back for refund as they were just terrible quality. I wont use them any more (I flush money down the toilet and don't have to waste my time and petrol driving to and from their store).

Ian
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