Mobile phone charging

[billflat12]

+2 for the maplin £3 gizmo, both me an my bro use these we usually charge overnight using AA battries , rarely needed gps or mp3 functions full time though , also have a basic mono etrex legend for off road routes for when time is limited , the 2 aa batteries normally last in excess of 8 hrs , have also tried solar chargers before with poor results (yacht on the med ) . "nice idea that dynamo though ", but if you use a small netbook best plan is usually a campsite/pub or lunch break with a power source. I usually find most people are so helpful towards cycle tourists ,
( unless its me looking knackered ) so charging shouldn't be a problem to be honest.

 

[ufkacbln]

Actually the Power Monkey Solar and the "Freeloader Pro" are good solar devices. I have kept phones charged with both of these.

The problem is the sun in the UK isn't that reliable as a source!

Both do have the option though to charge from mains power.

 

[andym]

Just now i spotted something else on the maplin site
http://www.maplin.co...ModuleNo=227252
this uses windpower seemingly and can be used with a bike, and is very cheap.
quote
The HYmini is a portable, hybrid, universal power unit that stores energy to it''s built in 1200mAh rechargeable lithium polymer battery. The HYmini can be charged using wind power, mains power or via USB. It can charge a number of digital devices including MP3 players, digital cameras and mobile phones. On average, its fully charged battery can completely charge your mobile phone twice. It comes with a clamp for use on your bike, beach wind break poles, boat or car. It is a great alternative to solar for eco powering your devices, especially if there is generally more wind than sun!

I must admit my experience with this was very disappointing. Maybe I wasn't riding fast enough.

 

[subaqua]

Actually the Power Monkey Solar and the "Freeloader Pro" are good solar devices. I have kept phones charged with both of these.

The problem is the sun in the UK isn't that reliable as a source!

Both do have the option though to charge from mains power.

its not sun per se its light above a certain lux level

 

[headcoat]

I have opted for the Powerchimp, for two reasons, one is price, I got it for £11 includ postage, secondly, I can easily pick up more AA batteries en-route should I need to. I have used my phone on MP3 and GPS for 4 hours and still had power left, I recon I can easily get 8hrs just on GPS and then charge over night.

The ones with the built in power such as power monkey, although better in chargeing have the drawback, that once the power goes from them, I am stuck (and cost). I can at least try this out for a few weeks to see how it goes on my commute to work, if it fails not much lost.

Will keep you posted.

 

[Russell Allen]

I have been thinking about building a device to charge my phone and GPS while on the road. I have one of the 1.5W maplin solar panels which I use in the back window of the car to trickle charge the battery constantly. I am going to house a 12V 0.8 AH sealed lead acid battery in a small enclosure. The battery will be charged by the solar panel while riding, point the panel at the sky bungeed on top of my tent. In the enclosure which will be in my bar bag will be a 5v DC regulated supply built on a tiny PCB (25mm x 40mm) with glanded flying external leads for a Nokia charger (5V) and a USB female socket also 5V. If the battery is fully charged on departure and only kept topped up by sunlight it should be able to keep me going for a week or more, charging the phone and GPS by night. I think I will build one and see how well it works. All the parts come to about £20.00 (I already have the solar panel and some phone and USB leads I can cannibalise) The only fly in the ointment so to speak is the weatherproofness of the solar panel. However a little experimentation with clear plastic bags should do the trick. Total weight approx 1kg for panel, battery and enclosure.

Russell

 

[rich p]

My mobile phone lasts me almost 2 weeks with judicious switching on and off.

However I am old school and use maps to get me round Europe and enjoy the route finding experience en-route and in the bar/camp the night before.

Birdsong and my singing can compensate for the lack of music!

Sometimes less is more but each to his own. I quite like the idea of a device that tracks my route post ride but not enough to be arsed to charge it every night.

 

[Hop3y]

OP - Have a look online for a PowerMonkey, you can Orr charge it up and it holds the charge until you want to charge your phone.

You can charge the PM whilst on the go through Solar Panel attachment, providing your not cycling through Lancashire

 

[HelenD123]

OP - Have a look online for a PowerMonkey, you can Orr charge it up and it holds the charge until you want to charge your phone.

You can charge the PM whilst on the go through Solar Panel attachment, providing your not cycling through Lancashire

Or the Powerchimp is similar but charges up via a normal electric socket rather than solar. Make sure it has the right attachments for your gadgets.

 

[headcoat]

I go the Powerchimp today only £11.50, great set of attachements, packaging etc. I've charged the batteries that came with it and am waiting for my mob to die then charge it through the chimp to see how long it takes.

Will let you know.

 

[andym]

I go the Powerchimp today only £11.50, great set of attachements, packaging etc. I've charged the batteries that came with it and am waiting for my mob to die then charge it through the chimp to see how long it takes.

It charges at the same rate as plugging into the mains: the $64,000 question is how much the phone battery charges up before the voltage from the AA batteries falls off and your device stops charging (some devices are fussier than others). The batteries that come with the Powerchimp are 'long-life' which means you can keep them for weeks and they will still be charged up - however, the total capacity is less than 'normal' NiMh rechargables.

BTW please do post the link for where you got them from - £11.50 is a bargain.

 

[headcoat]

Got it off ebay Powerchimp includes postage as well.

Only planning on a 4 day trip so will take spare AA batteries with me.

 

[trickster61]

If anyone is interested in the Dynamo charger, Nokia have released one:
http://www.mobilefun...ogle%2Bproducts

Edit: Only seems to be for Nokia products though, Dang! Unless an adapter could be fitted?

 

[Gotte]

I've been looking at this for a while now. I'm after a dynamo charger for use on a HTC Hero android phone. From what I can gather here: http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=6672.0 the Nokia should work with a mini USB adaptor (or simple scissor and insulation tape hack). The charging amount seems right for my phone to charge via mini USB. It mean I should be able to use it for GPS and general charging on the bike. I have Kindle on my phone, and MP3s, and really like the idea of using it instead of taking books and a dedicated MP3 player. The other upside is that I think it could be hacked to fit a dynohub should I get one in the future. If you skip to the last few pages, you can see the questions and answers I asked about the Nokia.

The only thing that annoys me about the Nokia device is that it's original RRP is £17, but every stockist seems to sell it for about £30. Almost 50% mark up, and then if you buy the mini USB adaptor, it's another £10.

I do actually prefer the idea of a bottle dynamo, because I can swap it between bike of differing wheel sizes, and once the phone is charged, you can knock it off, which you can't with a dynohub, though the resistance is less with a dynohub.


There are various DIY ways of doing it, but I'm not that good an electrician to do it myself.

I'm also looking into whether a simple car USB charger can be wired up. I suspect not, but I wonder whether the car chargers work with the same principle - regulating the voltage to 5 volts and 500 mAs. Of course you'd need a 12v dynamo for this. There is actually a device which goes down this route, but I can't find anyone who stocks it. It's this:

http://www.ikonglobal.com/


There;s also this, which is the DIY route:

http://lifehacker.com/5580787/usb-bike-generator-charges-usb-devices-with-the-power-of-your-pedals

As for solar and the wind device, I've only read a few positive reviews. Most seem negative, stating that the solar chargers need direct, strong sun, and that the wind device is just useless.

 

[benb]

Reading books on a HTC Hero? You'll do your eyes in!