Solar Panels on the Road.

[jimmy_jack_jam_flam]

Does anyone have any experience with using portable solar panels to recharge

their digital equipment?. I?m looking for info / manufacturers / web links, to

learn if these products can be used for charging cameras. i.e. if and where can

i get adapters to charge the camera batteries. What size panel would it require,

etc....

Any info is appreciated.

Thanks

[michaelging]

There is a backpack that has solar cells built into it ,that will recharge a computer or camera.

 

http://www.gizmag.com/go/4883/

[tom_jenner1]

I use 2 five watt flexible water sealed solar panels mounted on top of my '81 Volkwagen Westphalia camper van that's hooked into a 20 amp 12 volt gel cell battery.

 

It's mainly used to run my lap top that has been modified to run strait off the battery. The laptop is an old 266 MHz Toshiba Portege that runs an old copy of Photoshop Elements. The laptop draws only 1.2 amps (when the hard drive isn't running) so I can run the computer for 3-4 hours per day in the summer.

 

I also trickle charge NiMH batteries and am going to modify my Nikon lithium battery charger to run off the 12 volt battery (I'm an electronics engineer). It should be a simple mod, relativley speaking, although I'll be examining the data sheet to the charging chip first (most have a wide input voltage).

 

The solar panels saving me a few years ago when I drained my car battery in the middle of the woods. After about three hours of using the solar panels wired to the car battery I had enough of a charge to start my van.

 

You can buy a lithium battery charger designed for running off 12 volt batteries here:

 

http://www.centralhobbies.com/Electrical/chargers/Chargers.html

 

You'll need to rig up you own adapter.

 

Good luck!

[darren_cokin]

Here you are; 3 choices all set up for recharging nikon batteries:<br>

<a href="http://store.sundancesolar.com/sobachforni.html">http://store.sundancesolar.com/sobachforni.html</a>

 

<br><br>

Browse the rest of the website if you want something more powerful; for more than just your Nikon...<br><br>

 

Note, I am not recommending any of these products; I haven't used them, it's just a link I had that seemed to be what you were looking for.<br><br>

 

Good luck.<br><br>

 

Darren

[tom_jenner1]

Good find Darren!

[jimmy_jack_jam_flam]

Thanks Michael, Tom Darren. im looking into those links you sent now.

cheers,

Brian