Small Solar Chargers

[Antipodean Bucket Farmer]

Hi Everybody,

Being on a low budget, I am interested in starting
small.

Does anyone ave experience/comments on those little
solar chargers that take NiCad AA batteries? And
example is...

http://www.dse.co.nz/cgi-
bin/dse.storefront/42eec2a101bef2e02740c0a87f99077e/Pro
duct/View/O3320

ICP Global Technologies
"Power rating : 0.5 Watt (140mAmps @ 3.75 Volts)"
4 Battery Slots
About NZ$20

The idea here is to charge up torch batteries for small
lights, radio, etc, especially in an extended power
outage.

Also, DSE has:

http://www.dse.co.nz/cgi-
bin/dse.storefront/42eec2a101bef2e02740c0a87f99077e/Pro
duct/View/A9168

Solio Solar iPod Charger
"Compatible with current and future portable electronic
products including mobile phones, PDAs, music players,
iPods, digital cameras, GPS systems and game consoles.
With the Solio intelligent internal circuitry and
patented interchangeable tip system, mobile devices can
be charged at the same rate as their specified wall
charger."

"The world's smallest solar charger with a fully
integrated Lithiumion battery; it achieves maximum
solar array at a minimum size, thanks to its patented
technology and proprietary design."

About NZ$200

I don't have an iPod, but I was thinking in terms of
keeping up a cell phone battery.

Does anyone in Wellington, NZ, know where I could get a
version of Item #1 that accommodates larger (C, D, 9v)
batteries? Dick Smith discontinued their old model
that did so.

Any comments or other ideas, sources/prices, etc?

Thanks...

 

[Landline]

The first URL ICP Solar Powered charger "Charges up to 4 x AA size NiCad
batteries in as little as 12 hours of direct sunlight" Well in New Zealand
12 hours of direct sunlight in winter could be 5 days to charge 4 x AA -
USELESS
Actually, if you check out the power rating of the unit, and you were
charging 4 x 2300mAh NiMh it would take substantially longer than 5 days.

The second URL the Solio do not even give you any specifications of the
solar panel wattage or the battery capacity. An overpriced yuppie device of
dubious usefulness and damned expensive.

The reason why they discontinued the old model, was a quality and
performance issue.

What I use for portable use that is truly useful is a 12w crystalline solar
panel $AU100.00, regulator $AU25.00 and 12v 18AH SLA lead acid battery
$AU45.00 Total $170.00. From that I power a 12v fluoro for fishing, power
Casio LCD TV and radio, charge my mobile phone and NiMH AA batteries etc.
etc. That is truly useable power, with a solar panel that is going to last
a minimum of twenty five years plus.

If you are concerned about power outage, you could run a 11w U tube fluoro
off the above battery for ten hours safely without charging.

 

[Landline]

On the URL for the ICP it states - Online Store: Out of stock, no further
stock is due.
I would say the product was unsuccessful due to the miserable charging
current and time taken to charge 4 x AA batteries.

 

[Richard]

On the URL for the ICP it states - Online Store: Out of stock, no further
stock is due.
I would say the product was unsuccessful due to the miserable charging
current and time taken to charge 4 x AA batteries.

I have a warehouse solar light outside here, has a single 600ma AA cell in it.

I fully charged it in my proper battery charger and got 5 and a bit days use out
of the light (was charging during the day) - now its flattened out, the light
runs for about 2-3 hours each night before it goes so dim its even more useless
and then starts flashing.

So useless charge times doesnt mean something wont be sold

 

[Antipodean Bucket Farmer]

What I use for portable use that is truly useful is a 12w crystalline solar
panel $AU100.00, regulator $AU25.00 and 12v 18AH SLA lead acid battery
$AU45.00 Total $170.00. From that I power a 12v fluoro for fishing, power
Casio LCD TV and radio, charge my mobile phone and NiMH AA batteries etc.
etc. That is truly useable power, with a solar panel that is going to last
a minimum of twenty five years plus.

That sounds good. With that setup, can you recommend a
specific make/model of regulator? Or comments on
selecting a regulator for rating/capacity?

Also, how do you connect your panel to a NiMh torch
battery charger? Through a 12v-to-mains-inverter?

Thanks...

 

[Landline]

You have a Jaycar in NZ and the solar regulator is part number AA0258
$AU22.95
You charge the AA batteries in a 12v NiMh charger MB3535 $24.95

 

[no]

I have a warehouse solar light outside here, has a single 600ma AA cell in it.

I fully charged it in my proper battery charger and got 5 and a bit days use out
of the light (was charging during the day) - now its flattened out, the light
runs for about 2-3 hours each night before it goes so dim its even more useless
and then starts flashing.

So useless charge times doesnt mean something wont be sold

I got one of the warehouse jobbies as they where so cheap. I am
looking at putting in into the loo, but putting the led on a long
wire.

I think the best deal I was a sola powered car charger, with
overcharge protection. With 12V I could wire up some nice led
clusters around the house.

Brett

 

[-=rjh=-]

I got one of the warehouse jobbies as they where so cheap. I am
looking at putting in into the loo, but putting the led on a long
wire.

I think the best deal I was a sola powered car charger, with
overcharge protection. With 12V I could wire up some nice led
clusters around the house.

Brett

It is interesting to see these solar lights "pushing the envelope" (more
accurately seeing what they can get away with before the customer
realises the product is so useless they won't buy any more).

I bought a solar light from TWH a couple of years ago, it had a large
solar panel (~70x70mm) and two AA Nicads - and it ran for most of a
night in summer. It was bloody good. Unfortunately a ladder fell on it :-(

Replacement unit has a much smaller panel (~50x50mm), one AA Nicd, runs
for maybe 3 hours max in summer. It is useless.

And now I see even cheaper lights with panels the size of a postage
stamp - image how useless these are going to be.

 

[Paul]

It is interesting to see these solar lights "pushing the envelope" (more
accurately seeing what they can get away with before the customer realises
the product is so useless they won't buy any more).

I bought a solar light from TWH a couple of years ago, it had a large
solar panel (~70x70mm) and two AA Nicads - and it ran for most of a night
in summer. It was bloody good. Unfortunately a ladder fell on it :-(

Replacement unit has a much smaller panel (~50x50mm), one AA Nicd, runs
for maybe 3 hours max in summer. It is useless.

And now I see even cheaper lights with panels the size of a postage
stamp - image how useless these are going to be.

Here in California, at the home improvement stores, the solar lights
go for as low as $60 for 12 or around $5 a piece. I don't know how
much of a cell, battery and light they can provide and still profit.

 

[Nicholas Sherlock]

Here in California, at the home improvement stores, the solar lights
go for as low as $60 for 12 or around $5 a piece. I don't know how
much of a cell, battery and light they can provide and still profit.

You can get them individually from the Warehouse here for 3 or 4
dollars, last time I was down there.

Cheers,
Nicholas Sherlock

 

[Paul]

You can get them individually from the Warehouse here for 3 or 4 dollars,
last time I was down there.

Cheers,
Nicholas Sherlock

That is the point. Someone on here (maybe this thread) was
looking for a super low cost PV for battery charging. I would
say just find out where the solar light people get theirs.

 

[Roger Johnstone]

That is the point. Someone on here (maybe this thread) was
looking for a super low cost PV for battery charging. I would
say just find out where the solar light people get theirs.

China.

(I don't know this for a fact, but for any super low-cost product sold
by the millions there's a 99% chance I'm right )

--
Roger Johnstone, Invercargill, New Zealand
http://vintageware.orcon.net.nz/
________________________________________________________________________
No Silicon Heaven? Preposterous! Where would all the calculators go?

Kryten, from the Red Dwarf episode "The Last Day"

 

[Richard]

Here in California, at the home improvement stores, the solar lights
go for as low as $60 for 12 or around $5 a piece. I don't know how
much of a cell, battery and light they can provide and still profit.

Now that its getting sunnier here its lasting till about 11pm before its dim,
and about midnight before it starts flashing on and off.

Theres no mention on the box of it lasting all night so I guess they are off the
hook. If I paid more then NZ$3.80ish for it I would be somewhat pissed off.