Are you done stocking up?

[Ed Brown]

I would suppose it's this:
Patriot Power Cell®

Unless I've missed something, there's no spec on the solar cell(s) that are part of the device, so no way to know much "off grid" capability it really has.

Yes. That's it. Thanks Rossum.

I agree. There's no spec on the solar cell. I'll try them out when they get here and try to quantify the results.

One point of reference, I have a 20,000 mAH power block. It will charge my phone to 100% once, then to the mid 90's the next time, and around 90% the third time. That's without charging the power block in between. that's as far as I've pushed it.

The solar unit has a battery that is 8,000 mAH. I'm guessing that won't be enough to completely charge two 3,000 mAH 18650's, because once the voltage equalizes no more charging occurs.

This could turn into quite the research project, as it's useful to know what things can do. But on the other hand, it's probably too much work.

 

[zoiDman]

...

The solar unit has a battery that is 8,000 mAH. I'm guessing that won't be enough to completely charge two 3,000 mAH 18650's, because once the voltage equalizes no more charging occurs.

...

Your Solar Power Bank should be able to charge Two 3,000mAh 18650's.

I'm confused by what you mean when you say "once the voltage equalizes no more charging occurs". It has a Constant Output Voltage of 5 Volts going thru the USB Ports. Right?

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

I wonder if you can charge a battery from a series of potatoes. Would work even on a cloudy day.

 

[BillW50]

I wonder if you can charge a battery from a series of potatoes. Would work even on a cloudy day.

Yes it would. Each potato equals to about 1.5v using zinc and copper as plates. Although the potato is only the electrolyte part of the battery. And due to the high internal resistance of a potato, you will need a lot of potatoes in series and parallel. But it is doable!

 

[hittman]

Yes it would. Each potato equals to about 1.5v using zinc and copper as plates. Although the potato is only the electrolyte part of the battery. And due to the high internal resistance of a potato, you will need a lot of potatoes in series and parallel. But it is doable!

Or you could make fried potatoes and buy a charger. I like fried potatoes.

 

[Rossum]

I like fried potatoes.

Carbs are bad, mm'kay?

 

[Rossum]

Your Solar Power Bank should be able to charge Two 3,000mAh 18650's.

I'm confused by what you mean when you say "once the voltage equalizes no more charging occurs". It has a Constant Output Voltage of 5 Volts going thru the USB Ports. Right?

mAh is actually a dumb way to rate a power bank. Is that 8000 mAh at the 5V that should be coming from its USB ports? Or is that 8000 mAh at the nominal voltage (3.6 or 3.7?) of the cells inside it?

Watt-hours would be far more informative.

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

Or you could make fried potatoes and buy a charger. I like fried potatoes.

But I want potato power!

 

[zoiDman]

mAh is actually a dumb way to rate a power bank. Is that 8000 mAh at the 5V that should be coming from its USB ports? Or is that 8000 mAh at the nominal voltage (3.6 or 3.7?) of the cells inside it?

Watt-hours would be far more informative.

No Arguments here. Watt Hours is a Much Better Unit of Measure for something like this.

But given that this Solar Power Bank only Outputs in 5V DC, it would not be too far fetch to assume that the mAh were at 5V.

BTW - Why do we think the Battery in that Solar Power Bank has a Nominal Voltage of 3.6 ~ 3.7V ? Did I miss that?

Because if the Working Voltage of the Solar Power Bank Battery is Higher than 5V, then only a Buck Circuit would be needed to make a Constant 5V Output at the USB Ports.

 

[tj99959]

Carbs are bad, mm'kay?

As I sit here eating carbs for breakfast.

 

[Rossum]

BTW - Why do we think the Battery in that Solar Power bank has a Nominal Voltage of 3.6 ~ 3.7V ? Did I miss that?

Well, mAh are totally useless/meaningless without knowing (or assuming) a voltage. Since those "power banks" almost certainly use Li-ion cells that are nominally rated 3.6 ~ 3.7V, my guess is that's what they base the 8000 mAh on.

Because if the Working Voltage of the Solar Power Bank is Higher than 5V, then only a Buck Circuit would be needed to make a Constant 5V Output at the USB Ports.

Right, if they used two 4000 mAh pouch cells in series, they could claim 8000 mAh of "capacity".

Personally, if I was going to try to keep my vape-stuff charged on solar power alone, I'd get a 12V deep-cycle battery (either lead-acid or LiFePO4) in the 50-100 Ah range and something like a 200 watt solar panel to charge it.

 

[zoiDman]

Well, mAh are totally useless/meaningless without knowing (or assuming) a voltage. Since those "power banks" almost certainly use Li-ion cells that are nominally rated 3.6 ~ 3.7V, my guess is that's what they base the 8000 mAh on.

Right, if they used two 4000 mAh pouch cells in series, they could claim 8000 mAh of "capacity".

Personally, if I was going to try to keep my vape-stuff charged on solar power alone, I'd get a 12V deep-cycle battery (either lead-acid or LiFePO4) in the 50-100 Ah range and something like a 200 watt solar panel to charge it.

I really have No Clue what inside that Power Bank. This is all I saw for Tech Specs...

Technical Specs

Each Patriot Power Cell has the following specs:*

• Battery Capacity (mAh): 8,000mAh
• Battery Type: Lithium-Polymer
• Battery Life Cycles: Approx. 500 (5 to 6 years of average use)
• Input: DC5V / 1.6A
• Output: DC5V / 1A and DC5V / 2.1A
• Product Weight: 6.81 ounces
• Package Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Product Size: 5.4” x 2.9” x .74”

Maybe it is 3.6v Cell Packs in Series? Or maybe it is 7.2v's in Parallel? Or maybe it is just a single 11.1V 8000mAh Li-Po. I Dunno?

I would just think that the Working Voltage of the Battery(s) would be Higher than the 5V of the USB Output.

But I'm Not a Battery Bank Designer. LOL

 

[hittman]

Carbs are bad, mm'kay?

Bbbbut, I’ll use olive oil.

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

Bbbbut, I’ll use olive oil.

Olive oil, that magic oil. It cancels out all the bad in the food you put it on! But only if its extra virgin! Olive oil and a glass of water, it's like the ultimate cure-all!

 

[hittman]

Olive oil, that magic oil. It cancels out all the bad in the food you put it on! But only if its extra virgin! Olive oil and a glass of water, it's like the ultimate cure-all!

That’s what I was thinking. Just like salads are healthy no matter how much dressing you put on them.

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

That’s what I was thinking. Just like salads are healthy no matter how much dressing you put on them.

Aw man, you can just drink it if you want. I mean, assuming you have some water and olive oil to wash it all down.

 

[BillW50]

extra virgin! Olive oil

I'm not sure where extra virgin olive oil comes from. But a comedian from the 60's once said that virgin wool comes from the sheep who runs the fastest.

 

[hittman]

Aw man, you can just drink it if you want. I mean, assuming you have some water and olive oil to wash it all down.

Oh, I’ll have to go buy some of that miracle vitamin water. That cures everything.

 

[hittman]

I'm not sure where extra virgin olive oil comes from. But a comedian from the 60's once said that virgin wool comes from the sheep who runs the fastest.

Was that George Carlin?

 

[BillW50]

No hittman, it wasn't George Carlin. But that was a good guess. As it is something Carlin would say. This guy always wanted to be a comedian. But his parents wanted him to be a psychiatrist. So he grew up as the comedian psychiatrist.