Solar chargers

[Marco Panettone]

Does anyone have any experience of solar chargers, good or bad?

I'm off on an extended tour later in the year and will need an easy way of keeping my phone, camera (& possibly iPod) topped up without having to rely on a wall socket being readily available.

It needs to be able to be clipped on to a bike easily so I can use it during the day when the sun's at it's strongest and also be pretty robust so I've narrowed it down to either a Voltaic Fuse



or a Freeloader Globetrotter Pro.




The Fuse generates more power but the Globetrotter will charge my camera battery straight out the box using the supplied CamCaddy but as this is available separately and is compatible with the Fuse it isn't really a dealbreaker.

I'm not expecting to be able to power a plasma TV off one but has anyone used either and did it work as expected or was it nothing but expensive extra weight? Are there any others I should consider?

[snibgo]

There have been threads about solar chargers. IIRC the conclusion was: a hub dynamo is far better.

[rualexander]

Unless you're going to the tropics, forget solar power and get a dynamo.

[Raph]

I did 3 weeks trekking in the Pyrenees in October/November, and kept an iphone topped up fairly effectively with a Freeloader Globetrotter Pro (as pictured above, including the extra panel) strapped to the top of the rucksack. On dull days it didn't do very much but it was fine for sparse use of the phone, as in I wasn't using it for satnav, just collecting emails and checking messages.

When I tried to add charging up an mp3 after a few days of rubbish weather, it wasn't quite so great. I doubt it would be good with a camera unless the camera in question is extremely electrically frugal or you get lots of sunshine.

It charges up in 4 or 5 hours in direct sunlight, but can take a couple of days from flat to full if the sky is overcast. As mentioned above, unless you're going somewhere sunny I'd say you're better off sorting something out that'll run off your dynamo.

[rjb]

Did anyone else see the "kinetic energy" charger on the BBC click programme. About 1min 20 secs in.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/c ... efault.stm

[andrew_s]

From what I've seen reported, you need a square foot or more of solar cell to be useful for routine use.
Little ones like the Freeloader are only any good under ideal conditions - sunny, and with the panel kept aimed at the sun, rather than pointing in the sort of random direction they would attached to the back of your bike luggage.

[rollinbone]

I've done about 4 weeks on the road in the UK with one of these on my rear rack
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Solar-Aa-Batter ... 858&sr=8-1
You can get a small devise, from a phone shop that will transfer a charge from a AA battery to a phone

Charges 4 AA batteries in about 16 hours on cloudy days 8 hours on sunny days
Kept working through loads of rain and about 2000 miles

Can be fitted to rucksacks
It comes with suckers on straps so I now use mine stuck to my window for home use AA batteries

Recently installed a Sondelux dyanamo on bike - its less fuss, and these panels are getting quite expensive now
If you get a dynamo would advise getting the excellent EWerk - this has many connector and output setting
Will definately change anything that can be charged via USB ~ my camera(s) are different I'm still having to charge up in shower blocks etc