AA battery charger for Samsung smartphone

[ricksavery]

Initially, doesn't look bike related I admit, but I am hoping to do LEJOG this August and because I am mainly camping, need an AA based charger for my phone.

I have a 3 battery version from PortaPow which I found to be useless, but strangely am prepared to try their 4 battery version (good money after bad?), if it is any good.

Anyone recommend a good charger of this type please? Ideally has to work with disposable batteries that I can buy along the route. really appreciate any advice.

 

[the_mikey]

The 4 battery version should just about work ok. Many of these devices provide enough juice to power a phonecall, but will never be able to charge the battery. A samsung galaxys S4 for example has a battery capacity of 2.6Ah @ 3.8v , to achieve this using AA cells you'd need at least six alkaline AA cells worth of power.

 

[ricksavery]

The blurb from the manufacturers of the chargers I have seen suggest that the S3 can be charged at least once from a set of batteries.

Not doubting your figures at all, but I would appreciate it if you could, very simply, explain how you get 6 AAs. I have no idea about battery capacity and it would be useful to know. All I do know is that AAs are 1.5V . . ?

Edit Should mention that my phone is the galaxy S3, which has a 2.1Ah standard battery - not sure at what voltage, but presumably at 3.8V as well.

 

[numbnuts]

Why not go for an extended battery and rear case

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-6000m...970?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item461afa0e32

 

[JamesTaylor02]

I assume that you are requiring a portable charger that uses batteries for the convenience of swapping the batteries over?

What I can suggest, is having a look at the link I will provide at the bottom of my post. The company in question is called Power Traveller, they produce a wide variety of portable chargers. Most, if not all, of them are USB rechargeable so if you aren't concerned about needing to find a mains power point [stopping at hostels etc.] then these are the best things to go for.

I have a Power Monkey, IME they are awesome. They've charged my iPhone 5 up pretty nicely and you should get a couple of respectable charges out of it in one charging of the Power Monkey. So they get 5 * off me.

What they do also sell are solar panels which charge up the battery units. I would go to say that they are photovoltaic, which means that they use the solar radiation to charge the batteries rather than sunlight itself. The panels, as well as larger charging devices, can be on the pricier end of the scale but may be worth it in the long run.

Here's the link: https://www.powertraveller.com/en/shop/portable-chargers/

EDIT: The charger I have and I assume it includes the others, it charges more than just one specific device – you require a separate USB cable [your USB phone charging cable for example] for your device. So these should charge any other devices you have. The Power Monkey I have could charge my phone, my mp3 player, my head torch. The higher spec ones can provide charge to iPads, laptops and the sort.

 

[ricksavery]

Why not go for an extended battery and rear case

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-6000mAh-Extended-Battery-with-Blue-Back-Cover-for-Samsung-Galaxy-S3-I9300-/301100305970?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item461afa0e32

Thanks numbnuts. Nice idea. I may go for this as well, but I'm still left with the problem of having to charge it, admittedly probably less often.

 

[ricksavery]

I assume that you are requiring a portable charger that uses batteries for the convenience of swapping the batteries over?

What I can suggest, is having a look at the link I will provide at the bottom of my post. The company in question is called Power Traveller, they produce a wide variety of portable chargers. Most, if not all, of them are USB rechargeable so if you aren't concerned about needing to find a mains power point [stopping at hostels etc.] then these are the best things to go for.

I have a Power Monkey, IME they are awesome. They've charged my iPhone 5 up pretty nicely and you should get a couple of respectable charges out of it in one charging of the Power Monkey. So they get 5 * off me.

What they do also sell are solar panels which charge up the battery units. I would go to say that they are photovoltaic, which means that they use the solar radiation to charge the batteries rather than sunlight itself. The panels, as well as larger charging devices, can be on the pricier end of the scale but may be worth it in the long run.

Here's the link: https://www.powertraveller.com/en/shop/portable-chargers/

EDIT: The charger I have and I assume it includes the others, it charges more than just one specific device – you require a separate USB cable [your USB phone charging cable for example] for your device. So these should charge any other devices you have. The Power Monkey I have could charge my phone, my mp3 player, my head torch. The higher spec ones can provide charge to iPads, laptops and the sort.

Thanks JamesTaylor02. Not wishing to sound unappreciative, but I don't see how these help me out. The solar panels may well do it, but they are out of my league price-wise. The chargers sold by them still have to be charged from the mains via USB, or have I got it wrong ?
I may, at times be able to use a power point at a campsite etc, but I really can't, and don't want to, rely on that. They might work if I knew I was able to recharge it every few days, but I can't, as I say, rely on that.

 

[ricksavery]

Why not go for an extended battery and rear case

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-6000m...970?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item461afa0e32

Out of interest numbnuts, have you used this battery yourself? Is it any good, holds it's charge etc? Cheers

 

[JamesTaylor02]

Thanks JamesTaylor02. Not wishing to sound unappreciative, but I don't see how these help me out. The solar panels may well do it, but they are out of my league price-wise. The chargers sold by them still have to be charged from the mains via USB, or have I got it wrong ?
I may, at times be able to use a power point at a campsite etc, but I really can't, and don't want to, rely on that. They might work if I knew I was able to recharge it every few days, but I can't, as I say, rely on that.

They charge from the mains via USB. The solar panels are used to charge a battery pack, they don't have the power output required to directly charge devices.

They are great – but you do obviously need to find time to give the actual thing itself a charge. Like you've said, that might be a problem and that's where these might not actually help. I just thought I'd point you in this direction as I know they're good and they may have helped you.

 

[ricksavery]

I didn't sound it in my post, but I am really grateful for the link. I think for a shorter trip or where I know I can charge them every few days something like this would be perfect. I like the idea of charging them via the solar charger. Will certainly look at them again for other trips.

 

[sight-pin]

How about one of these from Lidl?
SILVERCREST Solar Charger
http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?action=showDetail&id=13715

 

[ricksavery]

Had a look at this. At that price might be worth a punt to see how well it works. Thanks a lot sight-pin.

 

[jarlrmai]

2200mah might not charge your phone fully given losses etc.

 

[HorTs]

I took 2 spare batteries and a battery charger with me, I now have a extended battery as per posts above - it works really well.