Charging batteries in the wilds.

[Sandfly]

Just found a couple of links for battery chargers handy for your camera etc when away on trips.
http://www.sunshinesolar.co.uk/cgi-bin/cp-app.cgi?usr=51F7112652&rnd=8100425&rrc=N&affl=&cip=82.40.13.93&act=&aff=&catstr=HOME:2&pg=ste_cat&ref=2

http://www.tantronics.co.uk/acatalog/Energizer_15_Min._Charger_-_Complete_Set.html


Davy.

[Traditionalist]

I bought a wind up torch from woolies it has a connection for charging a phone but I cant get a thing from it wound for 5 mins and nothing happened to charge rate of phone.

You will have to wind for a lot longer than five minutes in order to charge a cell-phone.

A friend of mine who is also an engineer, has set up the television for his kids ( I worked on the converter among other things), so that if they want to watch something, they have to get on a bike and pedal it.

Quite amazing how selective they have become in regard to TV programmes, and also they are now aware of how much actual energy is required in order to actually watch what they want to watch.

If you want to charge accumulators in the wilds, and don?t want to wind anything, then you need a solar generator. They are in the meantime quite efficient.

TL
MC

[sandyborthwick]

Hi Guys on my travels to Tanzania recently so bought one of these gizmo's from the local camping shop Green and just about bigger than a cigarette packet. Works well for the torch you wind it up and it gives good light for ages (we even managed to fix a vehicle at night in the bush - all the battery powered torches ran out). Charging the phones is easy also if you wind long enough and you have a small one IE Nokia, Ericson, or similar. As you wind approx two rotations per second the charging indicator starts on the phone. If you wind for 3-4 minutes you get about 2 mins talk time although this varies from model to model. I recently purchased a much larger LED torch after returning from abroad and this kicks out about 1500ma reason is the small torch just about managed to charge my PDA/Phone with the camera and nothing more. Will try and give you the name of small recharger/torch and the larger unit as below.

1500ma Large Unit:- 5-led Worksite torch = Torch Includes charger + Attachable Head Lamp + Phone Jacks.
Made by TCL Products of E.Sussex. Approx ?25.00 (they do other models also)

500ma Small Unit:- 5-LED Torch = Torch Includes charger + Phone Jacks.
Made by Eurohike, Available at camping shops. Approx ?10.00 (works fine for Nokia & small phones)

These are ideal for Fishing Lights and walking in the dark over rough ground - no chance of inconvenient battery failure or the bulb and not too heavy either. Both units are robust - I've dropped them a few times and the LEDs still work fine. The larger unit gives up to 75Hrs on a full charge but if you have a small phone and are keeping things small the 500ma Eurohike is ideal and also very reasonable in price. If however you are like me and have a techy do everything brick go for the bigger unit.