Solar panel for touring
-
- Posts: 1
- Joined: 18 Aug 2018, 11:15am
Solar panel for touring
any up to date recommendations for a solar panel for charging usb devices, preferably lightweight and robust, that would fit under bungees?
Re: Solar panel for touring
a couple of comments;
1) you might want to have a cache battery in the system (some solar chargers have one built in). The reason for this is that some gadgets automatically go 'off charge' as soon as the output of (say) a solar panel drops off for whatever reason. This can mean that (say) whenever the sun goes in, your gadget can stop charging and won't resume automatically when the sun comes out again.
2) If you are charging directly (i.e. without a cache battery) there is arguably little point in having a solar panel that produces a lot more current than the device you are charging will happily consume. When making the determination, you need to allow for the fact that the solar panel won't (e.g. if it is strapped to the back of a bike) generate its full output when it is not directed squarely towards the sun, or it is hazy etc.
Some folk just charge a large cache battery and then later use that to charge (or run) the gadgets in question. If charging gadgets using a cache battery, overall efficiency is reduced, but it is 'worth it' for the convenience and flexibility it affords, some say.
cheers
1) you might want to have a cache battery in the system (some solar chargers have one built in). The reason for this is that some gadgets automatically go 'off charge' as soon as the output of (say) a solar panel drops off for whatever reason. This can mean that (say) whenever the sun goes in, your gadget can stop charging and won't resume automatically when the sun comes out again.
2) If you are charging directly (i.e. without a cache battery) there is arguably little point in having a solar panel that produces a lot more current than the device you are charging will happily consume. When making the determination, you need to allow for the fact that the solar panel won't (e.g. if it is strapped to the back of a bike) generate its full output when it is not directed squarely towards the sun, or it is hazy etc.
Some folk just charge a large cache battery and then later use that to charge (or run) the gadgets in question. If charging gadgets using a cache battery, overall efficiency is reduced, but it is 'worth it' for the convenience and flexibility it affords, some say.
cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: Solar panel for touring
I lived on a boat for 12 years. I spent a long time learning about solar PV for battery charging.
I reckon that anything worth having would be extremely expensive. Most little solar devices are basically toys.
Even if you're going somewhere really remote, having a couple of spare batteries and recharging them at an obliging cafe is going to simpler and more reliable.
I reckon that anything worth having would be extremely expensive. Most little solar devices are basically toys.
Even if you're going somewhere really remote, having a couple of spare batteries and recharging them at an obliging cafe is going to simpler and more reliable.
Re: Solar panel for touring
I'm not much use for recommendation on what to buy, as the PortaPow 11w charger we use is no longer available. I can say though in reasonably sunny climes, using a powerpack as an intermediary power store the principle works fine. Myself and the Mrs have done two 3 month tours around Europe, and with the solar charger on the back of her bike charging a powerpack every day it provided enough power to keep our two large screen smartphones operational for the whole of the trips.
-
- Posts: 2645
- Joined: 2 Jul 2007, 9:47pm
- Contact:
Re: Solar panel for touring
random37 wrote:I lived on a boat for 12 years. I spent a long time learning about solar PV for battery charging.
I reckon that anything worth having would be extremely expensive. Most little solar devices are basically toys.
.
You need to update your knowledge then.
Solar panels are a good option for charging now.
I've had a 3.5w Goal Zero panel for about six years and it works well in good sunlight
Last two years it has been a better option for me than charging from my dynamo, due to hilly terrain reducing the charge generated by the dynamo system.
A larger panel of say 12 or 15 watts would probably work well on less sunny days too. They can be bought for £30-£40 or thereabouts.
Re: Solar panel for touring
I'd suggest a hub dynamo setup instead. Several dynamo headlights have usb charging ports built in,and you get lights as well.
Modern hub dynos especially Shimano are not heavy,very reliable and no noticeable drag in use.
Modern hub dynos especially Shimano are not heavy,very reliable and no noticeable drag in use.
Re: Solar panel for touring
gazza_d wrote:I'd suggest a hub dynamo setup instead. Several dynamo headlights have usb charging ports built in,and you get lights as well.
Modern hub dynos especially Shimano are not heavy,very reliable and no noticeable drag in use.
Defo.
I don't like mobile devices, but if I did have one, I'd rather not have something complex and fragile. A hub dynamo is just there.
Re: Solar panel for touring
random37 wrote:gazza_d wrote:I'd suggest a hub dynamo setup instead. Several dynamo headlights have usb charging ports built in,and you get lights as well.
Modern hub dynos especially Shimano are not heavy,very reliable and no noticeable drag in use.
Defo.
I don't like mobile devices, but if I did have one, I'd rather not have something complex and fragile. A hub dynamo is just there.
But if you aren't cycling for a few days, it is doing nothing. I've got a 15W Anker folding panel which will keep my phone & garmin charged, via a powerbank which the solar panel will keep fully charged even over 5 day or so in North Wales or North Yorkshire (I've not used it yet on a longer trip). If you are moving on every day then yes a dynamo is probably a better, or at least an equal, option. If you are camped in a single location for a few days, & not necessarily cycling on those days, the balance probably shifts. A solar panel is also bike agnostic - I've got 3 bikes which I can't interchange the wheels on so would need 3 dynamo wheels where I can use the solar panel in combination with any (or none - if I, say, go walking off grid).
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
An interesting link on the web...
Ok I appreciate all I have done is use Google but this looked like an interesting comparison
https://www.cycletourer.co.uk/cycletour ... gets.shtml
I already have a dynamo wheel on my touring bike, (errmm actually I have 4 dynamo wheels!!) and have bought an expensive B+M Luxos front light for it... this includes a handlebar USB connector for phones, but I have not yet fitted it or tried it out. I will post back when I have some real experience of using this, although the B+M E-werk discussed in the article above looks more flexible (and expensive!).
Given I also go backpacking on foot though the solar panel option looks interesting and I would be keen to understand any experience people have with them. It looks like they are a real option now ? I met someone on holiday who had an e-bike trike with a "roof" (and trailer) of solar panels he used to charge it with !!!
In the meantime I use an "old skool" Samsung Galaxy S5 phone that still has changeable batteries (£7 each) so I take a load of these batteries along with me at present, and just swap batteries. The kids (17 and 22 years old) have iPhones though so they are pretty quickly onto "airplane mode"
https://www.cycletourer.co.uk/cycletour ... gets.shtml
I already have a dynamo wheel on my touring bike, (errmm actually I have 4 dynamo wheels!!) and have bought an expensive B+M Luxos front light for it... this includes a handlebar USB connector for phones, but I have not yet fitted it or tried it out. I will post back when I have some real experience of using this, although the B+M E-werk discussed in the article above looks more flexible (and expensive!).
Given I also go backpacking on foot though the solar panel option looks interesting and I would be keen to understand any experience people have with them. It looks like they are a real option now ? I met someone on holiday who had an e-bike trike with a "roof" (and trailer) of solar panels he used to charge it with !!!
In the meantime I use an "old skool" Samsung Galaxy S5 phone that still has changeable batteries (£7 each) so I take a load of these batteries along with me at present, and just swap batteries. The kids (17 and 22 years old) have iPhones though so they are pretty quickly onto "airplane mode"
Re: Solar panel for touring
As an alternative why not consider going cold turkey and leaving all the electronic stuff at home? A kind of detox. It leaves you with practical issues, but people used to survive without devices.
Re: Solar panel for touring
I took the plunge last year and bought a cheap system from Lidl. (£30 IIRC)
In full sunlight it's great, quickly charging my phone or power stick.
On the down side, in less than full sun it doesn't manage much power - even a shadow on part of the screens will seriously lower it's performance. It's also quite big and heavy, i've not tried using it on the move but I can't imagine it would work particularly well in typical UK / north Euro conditions.
I need a new dyno light so i'll be getting one with a USB charge port. Even if I don't ride for a day I can get enough power for my needs from a power stick charged on a ride day.
So for now at least, solar is still a 'toy' for me.
In full sunlight it's great, quickly charging my phone or power stick.
On the down side, in less than full sun it doesn't manage much power - even a shadow on part of the screens will seriously lower it's performance. It's also quite big and heavy, i've not tried using it on the move but I can't imagine it would work particularly well in typical UK / north Euro conditions.
I need a new dyno light so i'll be getting one with a USB charge port. Even if I don't ride for a day I can get enough power for my needs from a power stick charged on a ride day.
So for now at least, solar is still a 'toy' for me.
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
- Tigerbiten
- Posts: 2503
- Joined: 29 Jun 2009, 6:49am
Re: Solar panel for touring
I now use both a hub dynamo and a solar panel for the best of both worlds.
As for a solar panel, the bigger the better.
While a small panel with charge happily in ideal conditions, once it gets a little sub optimal then it stops charging.
I use a 20 watt panel on my trailer and an e-Werks voltage regulator to step the output down to 5 volts.
With that even in a light overcast, I can get a useful charge.
Cache batteries are a bit more iffy, but a must.
You can either go cheap and just accept that it won't be very efficient.
Or get a good one that does bypass charging. If you go panel-> battery-> device then the electronics bypass the battery to charge the device directly as that's the most efficient mode.
I've gone the cheap route as I don't need a lot of power, sat nav and kindle only.
Luck ........
As for a solar panel, the bigger the better.
While a small panel with charge happily in ideal conditions, once it gets a little sub optimal then it stops charging.
I use a 20 watt panel on my trailer and an e-Werks voltage regulator to step the output down to 5 volts.
With that even in a light overcast, I can get a useful charge.
Cache batteries are a bit more iffy, but a must.
You can either go cheap and just accept that it won't be very efficient.
Or get a good one that does bypass charging. If you go panel-> battery-> device then the electronics bypass the battery to charge the device directly as that's the most efficient mode.
I've gone the cheap route as I don't need a lot of power, sat nav and kindle only.
Luck ........
Re: Solar panel for touring
katieonthebike wrote:any up to date recommendations for a solar panel for charging usb devices, preferably lightweight and robust, that would fit under bungees?
Go somewhere sunny.........
Re: Solar panel for touring
I met some touring cyclists form Germany this summer. They had a solar trailer. They packed all of their stuff in a trailer that had a solar panle on top. It was a reasonable sized trailer; maybe the size of a Bike Friday trailer. They said it charged two phones, a laptop, their Garmins, and their electric bike batteries (I think they were always charging some bateries for the bikes). I didn't ask how much it weighed! One of them pulled the solar trailer & the other pulled the kiddie trailer. It looked like a good arrangement.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Re: Solar panel for touring
Brucey wrote:a couple of comments;
1) you might want to have a cache battery in the system (some solar chargers have one built in). The reason for this is that some gadgets automatically go 'off charge' as soon as the output of (say) a solar panel drops off for whatever reason. This can mean that (say) whenever the sun goes in, your gadget can stop charging and won't resume automatically when the sun comes out again.
cheers
Brucey spot-on as usual. Gagets such as smartphone and tablets will test a power supply when first connected to see how much current the supply will provide. If the supplied current subsequently drops, the gadget will stop charging. However, if you have a cache battery and a well designed charging circuit, all of any (variable) current supplied by the panel will be used to continuously charge the cache battery.
If the solar panel does not have a built-in battery, you can achieve a similar result by connecting the panel to a power-bank.
I wanted a lightweight system for hiking and made one myself, better than anything available commercially (200g for a 5W panel with a 4000mAh battery).