Best camping set up for electronics

[brianleach]

Personally I would still take a device which could be used to charge from AA batteries. As I said they are not environmentally friendly but could be useful on the odd occasion. They seem to be harder to find these days and those I have googled don't seem to like Apple technology which won't be much use for many.

[Carlton green]

As an observer it appears to me that all the options available are in some way flawed; and that whilst they can all be made to work the only option guaranteed to give some power for immediate and necessary use on the road is a dynamo - preferably one coupled to (additional) battery storage. The other systems provide easier alternatives to making the power yourself, and options to use more power too, but actually being able to (always) take advantage of those options is uncertain - it’s likely but still uncertain. Just an observation and, if my logic is sound, maybe an identification of the least worse of the options.

My emboldening. The following is about power for devices.

I tour with hub dynamos on the bikes and USB charging from one and a single USB battery pack for two people. The lamp with the built-in USB charging has failed twice, and killed the headlight as well as the charging.

On that preferably, which describes two completely different approaches...

A dynamo without a battery pack is a very poor solution.

A dynamo with USB charging and a battery pack compared to a battery pack alone is more expensive and has an additional point of failure.

If a battery pack fails or is lost or stolen you can buy another.

I wish that I'd understood this better before I bought what I bought.

Jonathan

That’s interesting though it sounds to me like you have bought expensive but inadequately robust lights.

If someone rides with just a battery pack then what items might fail? The battery charger, the battery itself and whatever electronics take power from the battery and deliver it to the device at the correct voltage. Of course there may be no mains supply to power the charger so that’s another failure route.

If someone rides with just a dynamo then what items might fail? The dynamo and the charger taking power from the dynamo and delivering it to the device at the correct voltage. So a reduced list of failure possibilities?

If someone rides with just a buffering battery connected (to the dynamo and charger) in place of a device the failure route is again simplified.

Between a hub dynamo working and mains power being available and working which is more likely to fail? I’d suggest that dynamos are exceedingly reliable and large top-up batteries might be unneeded, whereas getting access to mains power is something that normally happens and (sort of only) isn’t an issue if you carry big enough batteries. Of course I could be completely wrong, I claim no expertise, maybe some electrical expert could ‘chip-in’ and suggest the more robust routes.

[Jdsk]

Take the Raven and just keep your power bank/s. charging as you ride. I ride a heavier Nomad with a hub dynamo (son 28) and a Belkin 20k powerbank
from John Lewis & Partners.

Additionally I was able to charge my Garmin GPS directly from the hub dynamo via a sine wave inverter

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/dynamos/sin ... ng-device/

Thanks for that: we need more real-world reports of USB charging adapters.

What's your experience of powering the Garmin straight off that? I can do that with my B+M USB headlamp to the Garmin Edge 1000. But as the power cuts in and out according to road speed the Garmin automatically switches in and out of charging mode. This is a nuisance as I want to be in navigation mode!

Because of this I charge the USB battery pack on the road and then everything else, including the Garmin, from that when we're stopped.

Thanks

Jonathan

[pjclinch]

Between a hub dynamo working and mains power being available and working which is more likely to fail? I’d suggest that dynamos are exceedingly reliable

Hub dynamos are extremely reliable. In > 20 years of regular use with 3 units I've had one fail electrically and one fail mechanically with both repaired rather than replaced. That's pretty damn good.

But... wiring from hub dynamos is as variably reliable as any other wiring, and lamps and other gizmos plugged in to them are also variably reliable at considerably lower levels of certainty than the hubs themselves. (Which reminds me, the standlight on the back of the Brom has stopped doing its stuff )

Also the case that hub based charging of batteries appears to be something that has got much better over the last few years than it was first tried, but it's still got a way to go before it's approaching as "fit and forget" as the hub itself.

Pete.

[in4time]

Re powering Garmin direct using sinewave inverter.
It works very well indeed. I used it for my Chester UK to Lagos PT ride last year. Recommended.

[Jdsk]

Re powering Garmin direct using sinewave inverter.
It works very well indeed. I used it for my Chester UK to Lagos PT ride last year. Recommended.

Thankyou

Which model of Garmin, and do you not get that problem with charging mode?

Jonathan

[in4time]

Garmin 530. No charging problems at all. The only issue I’ve found is that it’s quite easy to ‘knock’ the micro usb cable and stop the unit charging. This can happen when riding over rough, bumpy surfaces.
I might experiment with a means of securing the cable in the unit a tad more securely perhaps with an elastic band or one of those things people use to gather their hair ( scrunchy?!)

Other than that it works well.

I also charge a Belkin power bank via er USB A to USB C. That works well although it’s obviously a different proposition in terms of time needed, the power bank weight and where you locate it when charging ( I don’t like it in my Ortlieb bar bag as it’s quite heavy)

[Jdsk]

Thanks again.

Jonathan

[freiston]

What are people doing now- power banks seem to be smaller and lighter?
*Should I add a second lighter bank to my set up- any recommendations?
*is it worth getting a solar charger and if so which one?
*My raven has a hub charger so I could take that but I'll probably take my kona- is there a good dynamo charger or alternative system I can now add?
*Anything else I've missed that might help

I like a two powerbank solution* because not only does it double your power reserve, but when using solar or dynamo, you can charge one whilst using the other to charge a device - also, if you get the opportunity to use mains electricity, you can charge both powerbanks up at the same time - meaning that as well as doubling your power reserve, you're also halving the time to accumulate that power.

Regarding dynamo chargers, I have no complaints with my Cycle2Charge chargers - they're much cheaper than alternatives and can be mounted on the top of the steerer too.

* Most of my trips are short and my power requirements are easily met with a single large capacity powerbank, charging via mains when the opportunity arises - but I still like the peace of mind afforded by the ability to fall back onto my dynamo charger and top up my powerbank in the daytime from it.

[Psamathe]

What are people doing now- power banks seem to be smaller and lighter?
*Should I add a second lighter bank to my set up- any recommendations?
*is it worth getting a solar charger and if so which one?
*My raven has a hub charger so I could take that but I'll probably take my kona- is there a good dynamo charger or alternative system I can now add?
*Anything else I've missed that might help

I like a two powerbank solution because not only does it double your power reserve, but when using solar or dynamo, you can charge one whilst using the other to charge a device...

I agree and particularly for security. Campsites often have trees which provide shade so often your solar panel might not be beside you but some distance away. I'd rather not leave my solar panel with phone or expensive camera at the edge of my pitch beside the road (both more vulnerable to being stolen plus it shows the world your expensive electronics). But leave it charging a power pack and it's lower risk.

Plus, on one occasion (in Laon, France campsite) my solar panel charging power pack was edge of pitch beside a road and I glanced-up and it was gone. Quickly rushed to road to somebody hot footing it into his van ... confronted him and got it back but highlighted the risk where gear further away. I still leave panel charging in direct sunlight more distant from me but nearer other people, more likely to be just charging a power bank.

Ian

[Pinhead]

You can see the date I bought these, and as a professional journalist they have been REALLY used, recharging camera batteries for D4s, D810, many times over weekends, used for lights, powering my telescopes, dew heaters, laptop and printer and are as good today as the day I bought them

I go nowhere without them in the car, I have 2, expensive but after 10 years work that out, £1 a month at todays prices and still 100%

https://veho-world.com/product-category ... ble-power/