Mobile phone charging

[Gotte]

I did my eyes in when I was younger. I won't say how

 

[vsmith1]

Of course making sure that all of the other non-essential things are turned off or down will make the batteries last longer: WiFi, Bluetooth, Screen brightness, but GPS is a power hog.

I got a TechNet iEP380 USB battery pack that can recharge a number of items with supplied adaptors. It can be recharged with a USB cable to a car adaptor, main adaptor. It is 5000mAh so has quite a bit of juice. Though I have yet to try it in the field.

 

[byegad]

I have a power monkey explorer. The Solar charger is only good for a trickle charge but a fully charged (At home on the mains.) Monkey will recharge any phone using less than 1A to charge some three or four times without top up. For 3/4 days two spare phone batteries and a Power Monkey should keep you topped up.

 

[peelywally]

i use a freeloader mini , it sits on top of my pannier while im on the bike and my phones always got juice you can get them on ebay for under a tenner or argos for £20 ,

i used a wind up gizmo until i got it and havent used the wind up one since , the freeloaders effortless works on overcast days btw .







http://www.gadgetlite.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/icharge-eco-iphone.jpg

 

[smithyandco]

PowerMonkey with SolarNut... Best small charger I've tried so far...

PowerGorilla has been the best overall I've tried... but at 700g it's not light... and it's £150-ish

 

[ttony002]

I have been looking at either of these small and lightweight


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120677168451&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110629830330&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT



But you need dynamo.

 

[LexMad]

I realize it may be too late...few months past and all, but there is a product you may like if you are considering another tour. My wife and I purchased it recently for a 100 kilometer ride. It is called Spinpower S1. We rode about 6, 6.5 hour each day, used pretty much everything on my phone - I got HTC, and my wife iphone - and the battery dropped maybe 5%.

I used GPS app, made a few calls, my wife was listening to an audio book, than she was running a fitness app. Basically, we used our phones non-stop for 2 days, 7 hour riding each day, and did not have to charge either phone.

You may have heard of Nokia Bike Charger - some people mentioned it in other posts. Well, unlike the Nokia, this one is compatible with any smarphone and iphone. It charges your phone by using your own pedal power. The website is Bike2Power.com. Check it out if you like. Price is about £32.

Happy riding!
Lex

 

[J-Lo]

I had thought about fitting a dynamo but seems quite expensive. I have previously bought them cheap 'portable usb chargers' from amazon for a few quid, but they're no good, and im sure there not even safe for your devices.

So ive bought one of the powerchimps and will see what that is like - I dont think taking a supply of AA batteries is that difficult on a tour...

 

[headcoat]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Not sure if I updated anyone on this, I had a successful ride around the Isle Of Man (great riding area and courteous drivers, no problems at all), anyway I got the powermonkey explorer, which was successful, although this was interspersed with charging at the camp site (which had power).

One gripe with it is the charger is not very secure in the phone, so if the phone is trickle charging while riding it comes loose all the time.

All in all, next time I will need to test it out a bit more as I don't think it will be too successful without occasional power, but I think its just a case of getting used to.

 

[LexMad]

I had thought about fitting a dynamo but seems quite expensive. I have previously bought them cheap 'portable usb chargers' from amazon for a few quid, but they're no good, and im sure there not even safe for your devices.

So ive bought one of the powerchimps and will see what that is like - I dont think taking a supply of AA batteries is that difficult on a tour...

Hey J-Lo:

I think you are talking about the hub dynamo that requires retrofitting one of the wheels, which is fairly expensive. I opted out of that option as well. The device I mentioned actually uses a bottle dynamo which takes about 5 minutes to install, or 30 second to remove DIY style.

Yes, carrying batteries is no big deal, but I rely on my smart phone for navigating and for my stats tracking. The spinpower charges it as I cycle which is what I do anyway. So why carry batteries when I do not have to? Or rely on power outlets? Also, I found it liberating not to have to rely on the batteries, or sporadic powerstops.

I also tried a USB charger for bike lights - that was trash - but spinpower works well for me. I find it pretty reliable.

Happy Riding!
Lex