Yaw Know About Solar Chargers?

[Jdsk]

PS: I wouldn't expect it to damage the 'phone.

No more than it's going to damage a portable power pack, one suspects.
...

One of the many advantages of using USB battery packs is that they're cheap!

Probability x Impact!

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

...
It's output is given a 5v/2.4A. But not sure what that means in terms of a cloudy day. Do you get fewer volts or fewer amps, or both? But then again I don't know what a volt or an amp is.

Is that through a USB socket or some other type of connector?

As above USB will always be regulated. For ordinary USB charging standards it's 5 V and a maximum of 2.1 A, and you'll get that from better mains chargers. That's a useful point of comparison for sources such as solar panels and dynamos.

For the solar cells themselves and very roughly speaking the current increases with the incident light.

Power is voltage multiplied by current. If voltage is measured in volts and current in amps then power will be in watts.

Jonathan

[Psamathe]

Maybe a lot depends on the model of solar panel and model of phone.

My (good quality) solar panel changing phone suffers that any drop in Sun (as happens all the time) causes the phone to come out of sleep for its timeout period meaning screen comes on for a couple of minutes, times out and screen goes off then after a short time, screen activates again ... So whilst it is charging, much of the time the screen is on and screens are a massive power draw so charging becomes less effective.

Rather than mess around investigating, changing screen time-out when charging, etc. I find easiest to charge phone from USB power pack and charge power pack from solar panel.

iPad does not suffer the same, camera fine direct on solar panel, Kindle fine direct on solar panel, etc., etc. Just the iPhone but it's a very minor issue.

But that is the particular panel I have with an iPhone. I have no idea if your's is the same thing.

Over time I've found it best to carry two smaller rechargeable battery pack (2 x 10,000) so one can be connected to Solar panel and other used on devices (gives you more portability eg iPad being used on your lap connected to battery pack in your pocket vs having to use iPad close to solar panel proped-up somewhere facing Sun probably on ground ... (making using the device being charged a nuisance). Some devices not being used will be charged directly (most efficient) but using a device whilst charging and battery pack very useful.

Ian

[mjr]

As above USB will always be regulated. For ordinary USB charging standards it's 5 V and a maximum of 2.1 A, and you'll get that from better mains chargers.

No, the voltage drops on many cheap USB solar panels once the current falls too low. I've seen as low as 3.5v.

[Cowsham]

Just tested my new Big Blue solar charger yesterday ( first day with adequate sunshine ) In the evening sun ( around 5pm so guessing sun about 10° -- 15° elevation in March was quite pleasant -- for up here in NI ) it charged up my phone no problem.

I wanted to see exactly how many amps charge the phone was getting so I downloaded the ampere app -- I got about 1.8 to 2 amps which recon is pretty good from the Big Blue since it's top output is supposed to be 2.4amps and that was in evening sunshine.

[Cowsham]

Just tested my new BigBlue solar charger yesterday ( first day with adequate sunshine ) In the evening sun ( around 5pm so guessing sun about 10° -- 15° elevation in March was quite pleasant -- for up here in NI ) it charged up my phone no problem.

I wanted to see exactly how many amps charge the phone was getting so I downloaded the ampere app -- I got about 1.8 to 2 amps which recon is pretty good from the BigBlue since it's top output is supposed to be 2.4amps and that was in evening sunshine.

[Jdsk]

Thanks for adding the outcome, and especially for including the numbers.

Sounds good.

Jonathan

[Valbrona]

My new charger has two USB sockets - one marked with a hare, the other with a tortoise.

I don't understand the logic of a fast and a slow charger. I was assuming the electrical output from it would vary according to sunlight.

Maybe the fast socket is connected to more circuits/charging cells than the slow one? After all it is a three panel charger.

[Jdsk]

My new charger has two USB sockets - one marked with a hare, the other with a tortoise.

I don't understand the logic of a fast and a slow charger. I was assuming the electrical output from it would vary according to sunlight.

Maybe the fast socket is connected to more circuits/charging cells than the slow one? After all it is a three panel charger.

As above:

...
It's output is given a 5v/2.4A. But not sure what that means in terms of a cloudy day. Do you get fewer volts or fewer amps, or both? But then again I don't know what a volt or an amp is.

Is that through a USB socket or some other type of connector?

As above USB will always be regulated. For ordinary USB charging standards it's 5 V and a maximum of 2.1 A, and you'll get that from better mains chargers. That's a useful point of comparison for sources such as solar panels and dynamos.

For the solar cells themselves and very roughly speaking the current increases with the incident light.

Power is voltage multiplied by current. If voltage is measured in volts and current in amps then power will be in watts.

When there are two USB sockets used for power output it's pretty common for them to have different current (and consequently power) ratings. You see this on adaptors from mains and car cigar lighter sockets.

The hare is probably rated at 2.1 A, the maximum for ordinary USB-A charging. There probably isn't enough oomph somewhere in the panels or the regulated circuit that can't manage 2 x 2.1 A.

This is the maximum output for the socket. If there isn't enough light then there could be less or none.

The nominal output for each socket is probably described in the documentation. What's the make and model?

Jonathan

[Galactic]

My new charger has two USB sockets - one marked with a hare, the other with a tortoise.

My power brick has two USB sockets, one marked 2.1A, the other 1.0A. Some items will only charge from the 1.0A rated USB socket - if I plug them into the other they'll show charging then give up after a few seconds and pretend they're not plugged in. Conclusion: try out your various devices and remember which will work with the hare, which only with the tortoise. I suspect only (or mainly) devices with a USB-C connection will allow charging with hare juice.

[Jdsk]

My new charger has two USB sockets - one marked with a hare, the other with a tortoise.

My power brick has two USB sockets, one marked 2.1A, the other 1.0A. Some items will only charge from the 1.0A rated USB socket - if I plug them into the other they'll show charging then give up after a few seconds and pretend they're not plugged in. Conclusion: try out your various devices and remember which will work with the hare, which only with the tortoise. I suspect only (or mainly) devices with a USB-C connection will allow charging with hare juice.

We routinely charge devices from 2.1 A USB-A outputs: A, micro, Lightning.

What make is that USB battery pack, please?

Jonathan

[Valbrona]

... with hare juice.

I want some of that on my next bike ride.

[Cowsham]

My new charger has two USB sockets - one marked with a hare, the other with a tortoise.

My power brick has two USB sockets, one marked 2.1A, the other 1.0A. Some items will only charge from the 1.0A rated USB socket - if I plug them into the other they'll show charging then give up after a few seconds and pretend they're not plugged in. Conclusion: try out your various devices and remember which will work with the hare, which only with the tortoise. I suspect only (or mainly) devices with a USB-C connection will allow charging with hare juice.

We routinely charge devices from 2.1 A USB-A outputs: A, micro, Lightning.

What make is that USB battery pack, please?

Jonathan

My first big battery pack before USB C became a thing had two ports one 2.1 and the other 1 amp which charged my android phones via micro USB for about 5 years until I got a USB C phone this time last year. ( although it gets charged mostly wireless beside my bed each night which does all day. Camping via a power bank in turn hopefully charged by sunshine via the BigBlue ( 5v x 3 / 2.4amp USBs -- that's what it says but I'm aware of the 2.1 standard)

[Brucey]

FWIW most solar panels develop the correct (rated) voltage (open circuit) in weak sunlight or even when it is overcast. The big difference in bright sunlight is the capacity to deliver high current.

My understanding is that some USB devices need continuous delivery of high current in order to charge happily. If the current ever drops by more than a certain amount (eg. because a cloud has floated past your solar panels) some devices interpret this as 'being plugged into the wrong kind of socket' and quit charging altogether.

[Galactic]

What make is that USB battery pack, please?

Jonathan

No idea, the 'stenciled' label has long since rubbed off