Search found 20 matches

by Northumberlander
4 Jun 2020, 3:31pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Device charging off the bike, long trip
Replies: 30
Views: 1834

Re: Requesting tech advice on Power Bank for touring

Thank you, all, for your patient help and contributions here. I do now have a clearer idea of the features I'm looking for, which is what I hoped to achieve in asking. I appreciate your help.
Will definitely check out the PowerAdd brand - always good to have user experience, thanks.
Time to get away from this screen now - going out for a spin along the beautiful Northumberland coast! Cheers...
by Northumberlander
4 Jun 2020, 3:24pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Device charging off the bike, long trip
Replies: 30
Views: 1834

Re: Requesting tech advice on Power Bank for touring

mercalia wrote:here is an interesting idea

http://allaboutwindowsphone.com/reviews/item/23888_RAVPower_PD_Pioneer_20000_AC.php

has an inbuilt inverter to produce 240v mains


Amazing. Would need to make the Bob trailer the de facto luggage-carrying option though...
That review did point me to the Tronsmart PB20, which the reviewer advocated inline. I like the accurate 'what's left in the tank' digital readout. Was discounted on Amazon as recently as last month I see, but now doesn't look to be available anywhere.
by Northumberlander
4 Jun 2020, 2:09pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Device charging off the bike, long trip
Replies: 30
Views: 1834

Re: Requesting tech advice on Power Bank for touring

st599_uk wrote:It's a minefield (like most to do with USB). USB has so many optional capabilities that it's hard to find what each device can do.

There's "Quick Charging" which is a trademark of Qualcomm who make some USB chips.

Other brands call it "Fast Charging". Both require about 2-3A.

Then there's a new standard, which only 2020 models have, which is beyond the capabilities of any battery bank I've seen.

I would go for 2 decent brand battery packs - the one I have can provide 5.5A split across 3 outputs.

Beware of the size though. A 26800mAH battery is 26.8 AH, if you provide it with a 2A charge, it will take 13.4 hours at least to charge.


Thanks for your help, in staying with me on this... I'll take your advice; so I'm looking for 2 separate banks, c10000-15000mAh, capable of providing 5.5A across at least two outputs. This getting definitive, at last!

I have a couple of other questions, if you don't mind;

    what does 'PD' mean, and is it an important feature? The way it's often written I'm guessing it's a particular protocol (like QC3 which presumably refers to Qualcomm quick charge, as you wrote above).
    It looks like the 'Qualcomm quick charge' is worth having - because even though I don't know whether my devices use QC chips and therefore may or not benefit from it, if the power bank uses it then it is likely to have a faster recharge time (than the example you gave above). Or, am I misunderstanding this?
    some power banks are described as 'airline friendly'; what breaks such a friendship apart?
    different output voltages are specified - is this relevant, or is it just the total Amps which matters?
    If 2.4A is the number many/most devices seem to look for, and the bank can provide 5.5A across 3 outputs like yours - what happens then?!

Sorry to take advantage... It is indeed a minefield, as you say. Cheers.
by Northumberlander
4 Jun 2020, 11:58am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Device charging off the bike, long trip
Replies: 30
Views: 1834

Re: Requesting tech advice on Power Bank for touring

st599_uk wrote:
Northumberlander wrote:So, I started with only one criterion in mind before I got all confused, and that was the mAh number - not too small, not too big. Is this the only important thing, as far as you're concerned?


You also need to ensire the power bank can output a high enough current for each device.

Most modern ones will.


Thanks - but this illustrates the problem I ended up with once I started researching. What is 'a high enough current'? How does one work out what's high enough? Most of my devices - even phones and iPad - don't provide me with information about the spec of any current it needs to be recharged efficiently, as far as I can see.
by Northumberlander
3 Jun 2020, 8:12pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Device charging off the bike, long trip
Replies: 30
Views: 1834

Re: Requesting tech advice on Power Bank for touring

PH, Jonathan, thanks. Good advice - two is a good idea, I see that. I can share the weight across both bikes :wink:
So, I started with only one criterion in mind before I got all confused, and that was the mAh number - not too small, not too big. Is this the only important thing, as far as you're concerned?
by Northumberlander
3 Jun 2020, 6:43pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Device charging off the bike, long trip
Replies: 30
Views: 1834

Requesting tech advice on Power Bank for touring

Having tried to research my specific needs by reading around, I'm now totally confused about power bank specs - so thought I'd come here to ask for advice. I see one or two other refs to power banks in the forum, but not found any to untangle my confusion.

    I want a powerbank to take bicycle touring. I don't expect to be off-grid for many days at a time, so it could be recharged regularly on tour.
    I think I want something around 20000maH (but, convince me otherwise, by all means)
    I want one which will sit between a hub dynamo and my devices, so that a stable charging current is delivered to devices whilst on the move. In other words, it needs to output a charge whilst receiving a charge.
    The devices on tour needing sporadic but regular charging would be: (maybe two) mobile phones, (HTC and Samsung) both with USB-C inputs; multiple and various USB lights with micro-usbB sockets; two rear lights which plug directly in to the USB output (female) socket. I have all cables etc for charging.
    I don't expect to be charging super-hungry devices like a computer - although an iPad is possible on longer/European trips, and I'm toying with taking a proper (but small/light) camera instead of just using the phone.
    I want (at least) two intelligent USB output ports
    I want to be able to 'fast charge' it when eg stopping for a few hours in a pub/cafe, rather than always requiring a 15 hr overnight charge or whatever. Does this require a separate purchase/charging unit - with a particular spec?
    I don't know any of the other questions and considerations I should be asking about here...

I've read so much stuff about specs, capabilities, standards, output types, reliability, brands etc that I'm actually quite confused about what features I really 'need'. I'm hoping that some tourers with tech understanding might have solved this issue for themselves - and if so, I'd be very glad for advice.

Getting the right bank with the right spec(s) is more important than sourcing a super-cheap discount deal, for me. Although, I'd be pleased to be pointed towards a particular brand or unit that would do the job.

Hope someone here can help. Cheers!
by Northumberlander
11 Oct 2018, 8:12pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: A Holland-touring newbie seeks wisdom...
Replies: 33
Views: 3083

Re: A Holland-touring newbie seeks wisdom...

Having received so much helpful advice here, I felt I should come back to say what a really great week I had. Everything you hear - about the brilliant infrastructure, the easy route-planning, the friendly people - is true. Oh, and the bit about the wind too... :shock:

I had a lovely tour, did not encounter a single drop of rain for a week, and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. It is so convenient, from here in Northumberland, to ride to the boat in Newcastle and arrive next morning ready to tour, that we will be doing it again - and perhaps regularly.

My main (only?) significant route-planning 'mistake' was that on leaving the ferry terminal I set out to locate the nearest numbered waypoint, to begin my navigation northwards. 93, or 96 I think. This led me into town - and got me lost, within minutes of beginning. Quite discouraging! At the end of my tour, back at the ferry with time to spare, I rehearsed it again and found that (to head north, which was my plan) one should turn hard left on exiting the terminal, and simply follow the south bank of the canal to the ferry across to Velsen Nord. Easy! I know for next time.

I rode each day with a simple list of numbered node points, and rarely consulted the map except in the evenings, when planning the next day's route.

I had joined the Vrienden op de Fiets, but this did not work for me. Maybe I was unlucky. I made three calls from home, in advance of my trip, and always began by explaining that I was a member calling from England and asked if they could speak English please. Three times I was met with a brusque 'No' and the phone went down! Maybe I just sounded dodgy... My fourth call did yield a booking for my first night, but as I left the boat that morning I picked up a message from the host saying "You cannot stay tonight. I wish you good luck for another stay." Not great. I reverted to B&Bs, and won't be trying the Vrienden again. Which is a shame, because I liked the idea...

Anyway - my week was a delight, and I thank those who gave advice and encouragement here in the forum.
by Northumberlander
20 Sep 2018, 9:14pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Needing some help with https://en.routeplanner.fietsersbond.nl/
Replies: 4
Views: 508

Re: Needing some help with https://en.routeplanner.fietsersbond.nl/

I chose to buy the Basiskaart set of maps (full set covering the whole of the Netherlands), rather than the specific Zuiderzee-only route map. This was because the postage cost was almost as much as the single route map, whereas it was only half of the full set - which therefore looked like the better buy ;-)

I've just read online that the Zuiderzee-specific map contains a distance table - which is exactly what I need... If anyone here reading this has that map, and would be willing to send me a clear picture of that table, I would owe them a number of beers... or cakes... and would happily find a way to deliver my due.
by Northumberlander
20 Sep 2018, 9:02pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Needing some help with https://en.routeplanner.fietsersbond.nl/
Replies: 4
Views: 508

Re: Needing some help with https://en.routeplanner.fietsersbond.nl/

willem jongman wrote:You can set a distance when you do a circular tour, but not for a one way trip, I think. What you can do, of course, is pick a destination that you expect to be roughly how far you want to go, ask the system to design a route, and then see how far this actually is. I agree it would be nice to have some distance parameter that you can set, just like a more convenient 'via' option where you drag the route would also be nice.


Thank you! You're proposing one of the 'lumpy' workarounds I've been using. But when more than one LF route is available for the route you propose, and the one the tool chooses is the 'other' one - what then? I can't make it use the one I want to ride...
by Northumberlander
20 Sep 2018, 7:03pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Exeter to Dover
Replies: 4
Views: 605

Re: Exeter to Dover

Sorry, this is not helpful - at all - with regard to your original question, but the word 'Topsham' has me responding... Our daughter has recently relocated there (400 miles from 'home') and a couple of weekends ago we visited her. We rented bikes from Route2 Bikes, and spent a lovely Sunday tootling around the Exe Estuary Trail, including a couple of ferry crossings! It was just lovely. I was very impressed with the engineering infrastructure which has been put in place to make the route possible, by completing the circuit. Refreshingly, well... refreshing. Topsham's lovely! Hope you get your route sorted.
by Northumberlander
20 Sep 2018, 4:11pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Needing some help with https://en.routeplanner.fietsersbond.nl/
Replies: 4
Views: 508

Needing some help with https://en.routeplanner.fietsersbond.nl/

I'm planning my upcoming tour in the Netherlands, and have found the fietsersbond.nl route-planning tool to be absolutely excellent. Except for one thing...

I can't find a way to measure distances along the route (in my case the Zuiderzee LF route.) Suppose I want to plan a 100km day (or in fact, any length of day) and I'm setting off from Amsterdam (or in fact, anywhere...) Which town or village should I be 'aiming for' in order to sort accommodation? This seems to me a crucial piece of information, and I felt sure it must be there, somehow. But I can't find a way to easily plan my days. (I should also say that I cannot find any 'table' of distances along the route online either - this would remove this problem too!)

Of course, there are some lumpy workarounds which will kind-of get me the information I'm looking for, but not always easily or reliably. For example, if I choose to plan a route from A to B, and set the routing preferences to use LF routes, it doesn't necessarily propose the Zuiderzee LF route, and I can't find a way to force it to do so...

The tool is fantastic in so many respects, and I'm concluding that this frustration must be the result of operator error.

Can anyone suggest how it might be done please?
by Northumberlander
9 Sep 2018, 9:43pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: A Holland-touring newbie seeks wisdom...
Replies: 33
Views: 3083

Re: A Holland-touring newbie seeks wisdom...

Thehairs1970 wrote:
Buy a map. Use the fiets planner. Be prepared for wind. It can get really blowy.

Have fun.


Thanks! I've ordered the basiskaart set of maps. I have mastered the fiets planner tool, I think - it's great. I'm working on a sail attachment for my bike :lol: And I'm looking forward to some fun.
by Northumberlander
9 Sep 2018, 7:36pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: A Holland-touring newbie seeks wisdom...
Replies: 33
Views: 3083

Re: A Holland-touring newbie seeks wisdom...

Ron wrote:I found it interesting to visit Schokland, an ex-island!
https://www.werelderfgoed.nl/en/world-h ... rroundings


This does look interesting! Thanks for the pointer.
by Northumberlander
6 Sep 2018, 12:35pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: A Holland-touring newbie seeks wisdom...
Replies: 33
Views: 3083

Re: A Holland-touring newbie seeks wisdom...

Psamathe wrote:
m-gineering wrote:
Psamathe wrote:I did the Houtribdijk but not the Afsluitdijk (I was surprised that the Houtribdijk was only a couple of miles shorter than the Afsluitdijk) and I expected it to be really dull, but I actually enjoyed the ride; maybe because it was a sunny calm day and there were quite a few boats out.


The dike is being reinforced and the cyclepath is unavailable. The contractor runs a shuttle service, works will continue till july 2019

Which dike? I cycled across the Houtribdijk 17 Aug this year and there were quite a few piles of rocks on the bank (water side of the cycle path) but not closed and no signs of closure and I was not the only cyclist.

Ian


This page talks of a 'diversion' on Afluitsdijk, but not closure: https://www.nederlandfietsland.nl/lf-ro ... -info/lf21

This is the page showing the 'closure' on Houtribdijk: https://www.nederlandfietsland.nl/lf-ro ... -info/lf15
I guess it must be intermittent closure, if you cycled by on August 17!