(Probably quite basic) Touring tech advice needed

[smith4188]

Interesting -I didn't know the tech was that good these days. Can I ask which model it was? How did you collect the charge? - with it strapped to the top of your rack as you cycled? You used it to charge a powerbank on the bike? Sorry (and more questions may follow) but kinda fair enough - you ask for advice, we folks ask it of you

all the best,look forward to the book

No problem. For Britain and my previous £1-a-day tour (Britain, France, Spain and Portugal) I used a foldable 3-panel solar charger, which had disappeared from Amazon when I wanted to buy a second one. So last summer I bought this - RAVPower UK RP-PC005(B) 24W - which is foldable and four or five panels but folds smaller than the original one. So far it seems to work as well as the other. I need to buy another powerbank and so far, with the new panel, I've just charged the phone/Kindle directly. When cycling with the three-panel I sometimes fastened the panel to the back rack but generally just charged it pointing in the perfect direction whenever I stopped. If the phone was full or nearly full then I charger the powerbank. Any more questions, fire 'em this way.

 

[Blue Hills]

. When cycling with the three-panel I sometimes fastened the panel to the back rack but generally just charged it pointing in the perfect direction whenever I stopped. If the phone was full or nearly full then I charger the powerbank. Any more questions, fire 'em this way.

ah, maybe you described this in your book, though I know that you deliberately avoid the techy nerdy stuff in the body of the books. Would it give you enough charge just strapped to the rack for the day? Reason I ask is by the time I have stopped there very often won't be a lot of sun left

 

[smith4188]

ah, maybe you described this in your book, though I know that you deliberately avoid the techy nerdy stuff in the body of the books. Would it give you enough charge just strapped to the rack for the day? Reason I ask is by the time I have stopped there very often won't be a lot of sun left

I think if it was sunny all day you'd probably get enough charge during the day for a phone. On both the Britain trip and the £1-a-day I/we were taking it quite leisurely and so there was plenty of time during the day to charge. This year I'm going to be going for it a bit more, although it will be through countries with more reliable sunshine. I'm hoping it's all going to be enough because I can't afford many hotels in the western Europe part of the trip.

 

[Blue Hills]

Look forward to following your tech experience with this since I take it that you aren't using a dynamo hub?

If you aren't, can I ask why?

 

[smith4188]

Look forward to following your tech experience with this since I take it that you aren't using a dynamo hub?

If you aren't, can I ask why?

Money's tight and so where possible I'm trying to make do with what I have. Since this year offers some off-roading I'm leaving my better touring bike at home and using my old mountain bike, and I didn't want to spend too much on it since I've not worked out how to get it back from where I'm going and one possibility is just to abandon it (it's not worth much). Also, on the last two tours the solar panel worked well enough and so I wasn't looking for a different solution. Finally, to be honest, the thought of using a dynamo hub simply didn't enter my head. I rest my case ;-)

 

[smith4188]

Thank you everyone for the advice. I now have the added dilemma that my Canon EOS1000D seems to have sprung mysteriously back to life after its recent drowning. Mmm. I'll take all you've said on board. Cheers!

 

[Gravity Aided]

No effect on picture quality?

 

[smith4188]

No effect on picture quality?

Seems not to have. The camera was in a bag that got damp last May. After the event, it wouldn't even switch on. I just left it and retried every month or so. In stages, it would switch on but would produce an error that required it to be restarted after every shot, then shooting worked but supposed full batteries would drain after two or three shots, but now all is well. Hopefully I got lucky and it doesn't die on the road.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

I washed a phone on a wool cycle. It lived in a bag of the finest Green Dragon fragrant rice in the airing cupboard for some time before being taken down to the Apple Store.

It was the first iPhone they had witnessed come back to life and the techie nerds were dancing and whooping around the shop. Man those guys know how to party.

Over time though, corrosion got the better of the insides of the phone and it eventually died.

That would be my main worry as well as the affect a broken camera would have on your general upbeat demeanour.

 

[smith4188]

Good point but I'll chance it. I'll be passing through some sizeable cities, especially in the first half of the trip, and so if it buggers up again, I'll be able to replace it on the road.