Solar battery charger

[Valerie Perreault]

I'm going camping soon and i'm looking for a solar charger that won't take 8 hours to charge my istick 30w.

Any recommendations?

 

[stevegmu]

You'd probably need one with a panel that folds out to 12 square feet or more for 'fast' solar charging...

 

[Rixsta]

I remember exhale doing one, not sure if they still do....

 

[Rixsta]

Would this work ??

7W Solar USB Charger - PortaPow

 

[jandrew]

A 7.5w or 10w panel with usb output should be sufficient. Get a high capacity powerbank (5,000 - 10,000mah) and use the panel to keep it topped off, then charge your device(s) from the powerbank in the evenings (remember, while the solar panel obviously needs good sun, the device or powerbank connected to it should be well shaded or they can get dangerously hot).

 

[zoiDman]

I'm going camping soon and i'm looking for a solar charger that won't take 8 hours to charge my istick 30w.

Any recommendations?

How long are you going to be gone?

The Big problem with Solar Panels is to get one that charges "Fast", you have to spend a Lot of $$$.

It might be Cheaper to buy a Batter Bank or 2?

Here is an Old Photo of a 9,800mah Battery Bank have used before.

 

[InTheShade]

A 7.5w or 10w panel with usb output should be sufficient. Get a high capacity powerbank (5,000 - 10,000mah) and use the panel to keep it topped off, then charge your device(s) from the powerbank in the evenings (remember, while the solar panel obviously needs good sun, the device or powerbank connected to it should be well shaded or they can get dangerously hot).

I second this advice.

I think you're going to struggle to find a solar charger that can output enough to fast charge your device. If I am traveling I take two of these with me Amazon.com: Anker 2nd Gen Astro E4 13000mAh 3A High Capacity Fast Portable Charger External Battery Power Bank with PowerIQ Technology for iPhone 6 Plus 5S 5C 5 4S, iPad Air 2 Mini 3, Samsung Galaxy S6 S5 S4 Note Tab, Nexus, HTC, Motorola, Nokia, PS Vita, Gopro, more Phones and Tablets and More (Black): Cell Phones & Accessories which provide ample battery capacity and power to charge my iStick 20W every day for more than a week (I don't know exactly how many charges I get from each pack as I use them to charge my phone, my wife's phone and an ipad as well) I usually keep the packs topped off with a car charger as I haven't found a reliable solar charger with the necessary power output.

 

[zoiDman]

I'm going camping soon and i'm looking for a solar charger that won't take 8 hours to charge my istick 30w.

Any recommendations?

BTW - Whatever you decide on, Heed one of the Fundamental Rules of Camping.

Never Test Critical Gear in the Field.

Test whatever you buy BEFORE your Jump-Off date. And consider having a Backup.

 

[somdcomputerguy]

You might be going 'for real' camping and not have a vehicle nearby. I have a DC/AC inverter that plugs into my vehicles' 12VDC outlet. Into that I plug either one of my AC/USB 'wall warts' or a power cord for another charger I use.

 

[Train2]

Yeah, I was looking too - but then realized it was going to be "iffy" and expensive to find a solution. I decided instead, since I typically camp just a few days at a time, to pack a bunch of batteries.
Even getting a rechargable 18650 charged from a powerpak is more complex than it should be. Something with a USB charger is good - but I never did pick up an iStick or whatever...lol.

 

[2buildawall]

This is the one I use and it works great! I charge my phone and a external battery during the day (and whatever else I need to charge). At night I run a light off the battery. You can hook this to the back of your pack and charge your gear while hiking also.

Amazon.com: Anker® 14W Dual-Port Solar Charger with PowerIQ™ Technology: Cell Phones & Accessories

 

[Valerie Perreault]

I second this advice.

I think you're going to struggle to find a solar charger that can output enough to fast charge your device. If I am traveling I take two of these with me Amazon.com: Anker 2nd Gen Astro E4 13000mAh 3A High Capacity Fast Portable Charger External Battery Power Bank with PowerIQ Technology for iPhone 6 Plus 5S 5C 5 4S, iPad Air 2 Mini 3, Samsung Galaxy S6 S5 S4 Note Tab, Nexus, HTC, Motorola, Nokia, PS Vita, Gopro, more Phones and Tablets and More (Black): Cell Phones & Accessories which provide ample battery capacity and power to charge my iStick 20W every day for more than a week (I don't know exactly how many charges I get from each pack as I use them to charge my phone, my wife's phone and an ipad as well) I usually keep the packs topped off with a car charger as I haven't found a reliable solar charger with the necessary power output.

How long does it take to charge it?

 

[InTheShade]

How long does it take to charge it?

I'm sorry, haven't logged in for a while and just saw this.

Assuming you meant how long to charge the battery pack, from dead, it takes a good 8 hours on wall socket.

I have a 4.8 amp car charger that will keep it topped off from a full charge with minimal time. I'll say less than 30-45 mins per day on the charger keeps the pack with full bars (it has 4 lights on it to show how much reserve power remains) even with moderate daily use.

These packs have a lot of reserve power - I think there are 4 X 18650 batteries inside. If I don't charge it at all I can get almost 3 complete charges from less than 10% battery on an iPhone 6+ before it dies on me.

If you meant how long does it take to charge the iStick, then sorry for my ramble, and I'll say about 45 minutes to an hour from dead to fully charged.

 

[zoiDman]

I'm sorry, haven't logged in for a while and just saw this.

Assuming you meant how long to charge the battery pack, from dead, it takes a good 8 hours on wall socket.

I have a 4.8 amp car charger that will keep it topped off from a full charge with minimal time. I'll say less than 30-45 mins per day on the charger keeps the pack with full bars (it has 4 lights on it to show how much reserve power remains) even with moderate daily use.

These packs have a lot of reserve power - I think there are 4 X 18650 batteries inside. If I don't charge it at all I can get almost 3 complete charges from less than 10% battery on an iPhone 6+ before it dies on me.

If you meant how long does it take to charge the iStick, then sorry for my ramble, and I'll say about 45 minutes to an hour from dead to fully charged.

With a User Name like yours, I can see why you Didn't Go the Solar Charging Route.

 

[Thrasher]

The newer solar cells have reduced the need for massive panels quite a bit. Any that you see that still have extremely low output and large area are the older cells still.

I use this
Amazon.com: Instapark® 10 Watt Solar Panel Portable Solar Charger with Dual USB Ports for iPhone, iPad & all other USB Compatible Devices: MP3 Players & Accessories

I have charged camera, phone, mp3, egos and 18650's using the xtar usb single channel charger.

The new models are even more powerful for cheaper. (as are already posted)

The battery bank is a great idea, but you will be surprised what the new panels can do now.

 

[bussdriver]

A 10 watt panel should be plenty sufficient. 10 watts at 5 volts is 2 amps. That's as much power as most USB wall warts or car chargers can deliver, so in full sun it should charge just as fast as anything you hook it up to at home. As others have said, it is sufficient for just about anything else such as a phone or tablet.