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snowkiwi said: ↑
Has anyone seen this little beauty . I’ve been looking into it for a couple months now and couldn’t resist so I pulled the handle just now and bought one. [IMG]
It’s called solar paper on kickstarterBasically you magnetically attach up to 5extra solar panels to a controller/solar panel for total of 6panels and 15W (max, in good sunlight )
From memory the controller is about 10mm thick at the top with a voltage/current LCD and 2 USB outlets (upto 2amp charge rate)
with the panel part and each attachable panel only 1.5mm thick and each offering 2.5watt max per panel.It will auto reconnect to device after sun goes behind a cloud. Most smart devices often need a minimum current / or power input before they will charge – drop below that threshold and they will not charge and won’t restart after power increases past threshold again. Usually you need to inline a storage buffer like I do with my nomad 7 solar into a guide 10 battery pack into my iPad. No need with this unit apparently just charge phone directly from solar, ie less losses.
BTW If you interested get in quick. it only has about a half day left before they end the campaign. Ends about end of today – 20th August
Sent from my iThing
Click to expand…This look indeed very neat. Will surely keep a look out, just incase you decide to post more about it in your personal thread.
snowkiwi said: ↑
Has anyone seen this little beauty . I’ve been looking into it for a couple months now and couldn’t resist so I pulled the handle just now and bought one. [IMG]
It’s called solar paper on kickstarterBasically you magnetically attach up to 5extra solar panels to a controller/solar panel for total of 6panels and 15W (max, in good sunlight )
From memory the controller is about 10mm thick at the top with a voltage/current LCD and 2 USB outlets (upto 2amp charge rate)
with the panel part and each attachable panel only 1.5mm thick and each offering 2.5watt max per panel.It will auto reconnect to device after sun goes behind a cloud. Most smart devices often need a minimum current / or power input before they will charge – drop below that threshold and they will not charge and won’t restart after power increases past threshold again. Usually you need to inline a storage buffer like I do with my nomad 7 solar into a guide 10 battery pack into my iPad. No need with this unit apparently just charge phone directly from solar, ie less losses.
BTW If you interested get in quick. it only has about a half day left before they end the campaign. Ends about end of today – 20th August
Sent from my iThing
Click to expand…This look indeed very neat. Will surely keep a look out, just incase you decide to post more about it in your personal thread.
Yeah I do, got it from Amazon. I think it’s 22500mA I get a couple of charges for phone and one and a bit for my iPad.
This may interest some wanting to charge a laptop on the go
[IMG]It’s a portable variable output DC power supply
It takes these high drain 18650 rechargeables[IMG]
And examples of charging and outputs are
[IMG]Google
85W Emergency Portable 18650 Battery Mobile phone Power BankSent from my iThing
PaTom said: ↑
…A few bulges but we all have that problem….
Which is why I’m on a zero-sugar / Low-Carbs diet 😉 OH! The BAGS! D’OH!Going to spend 1 week in the woods without a Power outlet.
I have 2 banks at 16000 mah, and a 15 watt solar panel. Gonna be fun!snowkiwi said: ↑
This may interest some wanting to charge a laptop on the go
[IMG]It’s a portable variable output DC power supply
It takes these high drain 18650 rechargeables[IMG]
And examples of charging and outputs are
[IMG]Google
85W Emergency Portable 18650 Battery Mobile phone Power BankSent from my iThing
Click to expand…
Wow that’s enough to power my house!smokingfish said: ↑
Wow that’s enough to power my house!
🙂I’m not sure if I would be buying this because I haven’t read any claims on how much energy it gives from one set of batteries – no Ah ratings. All they have is blurry pic of an inline USB power meter, displaying about 96725 mAh at almost 5VDC. And maybe expect us to believe it’s the USB output from this device. Hmm if my maths is correct that’s about 500Watt hours!!! Yeah right! :nah_disagree:
Sent from my iThing
483.625 Watts, to be precise 😉 I can’t see how such a small stack of rechargeable batteries could possibly supply that high a wattage, either. Granted, there are ways of increasing amperage at the expense of voltage, and vice-verse, but not increasing both at the same time.
(Amps times Volts equals Watts, for those who don’t know basic electrical maths theory 😀 )
RogerStenning said: ↑
483.625 Watts, to be precise 😉 I can’t see how such a small stack of rechargeable batteries could possibly supply that high a wattage, either. Granted, there are ways of increasing amperage at the expense of voltage, and vice-verse, but not increasing both at the same time.(Amps times Volts equals Watts, for those who don’t know basic electrical maths theory 😀 )
Exactly! There is no way on this earth that unit could produce almost 500Whrs of energy.They are very careful not to state the output energy, they just mention the units capacity = upto 24,000mAh, without mentioning what the voltage at that amperage is or whether that’s at the batteries or at the output.
Then they show a pic of a power meter reading almost 100,000 mAh 🙁Isn’t advertising a wonderful thing :nah_disagree:
As Roger above said
Power = Watts = amps x volts.Also I’m sure many of you here know the following but it crystallises my rusty 30 yo memory in writing it down, so humour me 🙂
Max-power = maximum current a device (battery or electrical source) can deliver in a short circuit x its voltage. This is limited by the devices design, ( resistance (load and internal ), age, charge level, temp etc)
Capacity = Amp Hrs (Ah) usually listed on device or determined by testing current delivered from a device over a period of time eg 2100mA over 1 hr for AA eneloop theoretically = 2.1Ah
This is not a measure of energy or power.Energy = Watt Hrs (Wh), Power delivered for a specified time = volts x AmpHrs
the voltage will drop off as the battery discharges. However for most the voltage drop off isn’t too steep. So Volts x Ah is fairly accurate for energyEdit: I found this graph of how voltage drops off over time as the batteries discharge .
[IMG]
Non rechargeable batteries usually have a steeper discharge curve ie the voltage drops off more as the battery dies.
The dotted lines below are non rechargeable batteries.
[IMG]Zinc carbon. = old single use AA, C, D batteries
Zinc manganese dioxide =,Single use AlkalineEdit 2: last thing
a “cell” produces a set voltage depending on its chemistry. Eg about 1.2V for a NiMH cell.
a “battery” is made up of at least 2 cells. Eg a 9volt old zinc carbon battery is made up of six 1.5 volt cells.But we call cells “batteries” nowadays so who cares really. 🙂
Ok if you are still awake thanks for humouring me 😀
Any electricians, engineers, Boffins out there let me know if I need to take a hammer to my memory will ya :pSent from my iThing
Nope; your analysis looks good to me (Licenced UK Radio Amateur for thirty years, G1LIW); I would add that as portable battery storage capacity has increased with a roughly corresponding decrease in physical volume (traditional Lead-Acids and Ni-cads vs the current crop of Li-Po & Li-ion), it has become increasingly difficult to decide on which back-up battery tech to go with: It seems as if every six months or so, a new twist on this old problem crops up. As a result, I am VERY leery of claims of high storage versus small size – TANSTAAFL is the very byword of caution in this regard.
Because of the problem in identifying reliable back-up power tech, my personal preference for expensive or mission-critical equipment is to shop locally; I’ve found it safer, more reliable, and a LOT easier on the long-term wallet. Local sources are subject to reliable advertising regulation, local sales laws, and tend, as a result, to be much easier to deal with, and simplicity and reliability are good attributes I have a great deal of time for 😉 Thus, I use larger chains or places I’ve dealt with before, for my essential tech purchases 😀
By way of example, my current power bank (fitted with Li-ion cells) was bought from Mobile Fun here in the UK (I’ve bought a LOT of stuff from them over the last ten-plus years), is branded Kondor, and is rated to 10.4Ah, with two USB output sockets, one rated to 2.1A, the other for 1.0A. It’s four years old and due for replacement soon, but still good kit (so much so that it’s always in my EDC kit). It’s also UNDER-stated on the wattage; my maths works out the Wh at roughly 52 (10.4A x 5Vdc = 52 Wh), but the plate on the back says 38Wh – that speaks to caution by the manufacturer, which I LIKE :bounce: (suggests responsibility).
Needless to say, I’m happy with the device 😉
RogerStenning said: ↑
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By way of example, my current power bank (fitted with Li-ion cells) was bought from Mobile Fun here in the UK (I’ve bought a LOT of stuff from them over the last ten-plus years), is branded Kondor, and is rated to 10.4Ah, with two USB output sockets, one rated to 2.1A, the other for 1.0A. It’s four years old and due for replacement soon, but still good kit (so much so that it’s always in my EDC kit). It’s also UNDER-stated on the wattage; my maths works out the Wh at roughly 52 (10.4A x 5Vdc = 52 Wh), but the plate on the back says 38Wh – that speaks to caution by the manufacturer, which I LIKE :bounce: (suggests responsibility).Needless to say, I’m happy with the device 😉
Click to expand…
It’s a sad sign of the times, in almost every industry (except maybe mil spec).
They seem to list every system at maximum theoretical on-a-good-day (or in their dreams) 100% capacity ratings. Who needs safety margins.
Or under promise, over deliver ethos.
BTW My background in days of yore, was Nav systems (inertial not radio)Good you found a legit under rated power bank.
Sent from my iThing
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