What Are You Doing Right Now
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@scottalanmiller said:
We need to invest in a bunch of batteries. Not sure where you can buy those around here, though.
Any chance to add a mini solar charger to the gear list? they aren't the fastest to charge,.. but they will function as a stop-gap measure:
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Great idea, I'm going to look into that. Something large enough to charge a laptop, maybe! That would be good to use full time, actually. Electricity down here is super expensive and anything to offset it would be good.
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If we end up buying down here, which we are seriously considering, we will be investing heavily in solar.
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@scottalanmiller said:
If we end up buying down here, which we are seriously considering, we will be investing heavily in solar.
So I take it that the link you posted earlier that mentioned that gun crime is rampant there doesn't concern you?
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@scottalanmiller said:
Great idea, I'm going to look into that. Something large enough to charge a laptop, maybe! That would be good to use full time, actually. Electricity down here is super expensive and anything to offset it would be good.
You will need more to power the laptop. 15w solar panels are great for mobile devices, but laptops need more than that. And solar is only good when the sun is strong enough.
If you decide to make this area more 'permanent' you should look at the option of both Solar and Wind.
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As someone who used solar for a year. Powering a laptop is sticking with Solar, you need a good inverter, batteries that the soloar panel is charging (we used huge Truck batteries).
Battery backups are better (get a couple laptop batteries and charge one and then do the next) Always keep one fully charged (a lot easier to carry in luggage).
Charging things via battery packs and solar power etc. does kill your battery prematurely.
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@Minion-Queen said:
As someone who used solar for a year. Powering a laptop is sticking with Solar, you need a good inverter, batteries that the soloar panel is charging (we used huge Truck batteries).
Battery backups are better (get a couple laptop batteries and charge one and then do the next) Always keep one fully charged (a lot easier to carry in luggage).
Charging things via battery packs and solar power etc. does kill your battery prematurely.
Would it not be easier to skip the inverter and get a DC matching converter to go from the solar batteries to the device? Almost nothing plugs directly into 110 anymore.
Almost everything non-apple is still a stand center positive DC power plug.
Mobile devices are USB, and there should be tons of choices there. -
We learned very quickly not doing that burned batteries out quickly. The inverter is the safest route. You can get them with USB charging plugs in them and that was fine.
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@JaredBusch said:
@Minion-Queen said:
As someone who used solar for a year. Powering a laptop is sticking with Solar, you need a good inverter, batteries that the soloar panel is charging (we used huge Truck batteries).
Battery backups are better (get a couple laptop batteries and charge one and then do the next) Always keep one fully charged (a lot easier to carry in luggage).
Charging things via battery packs and solar power etc. does kill your battery prematurely.
Would it not be easier to skip the inverter and get a DC matching converter to go from the solar batteries to the device? Almost nothing plugs directly into 110 anymore.
Almost everything non-apple is still a stand center positive DC power plug.
Mobile devices are USB, and there should be tons of choices there.I hear what you are saying, but having a regulator between the batteries and the laptop/device is still probably a good idea.
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@Minion-Queen said:
We learned very quickly not doing that burned batteries out quickly. The inverter is the safest route. You can get them with USB charging plugs in them and that was fine.
You just need a circuit to filter the power, an inventor and then a power adapter is just wasting 50% or more or the energy. The home Solar panels (for whole house) are usually done at 24v and then go into a battery bank to store and a capacitor. Then you have a buck or boost circuits for your devices that don't run at 24v, since some will be 12v and some 48v.
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@Dashrender said:
I hear what you are saying, but having a regulator between the batteries and the laptop/device is still probably a good idea.
An inverter and regulator are two different things. and inventer will waste a lot of engery but may include a regulator. you don't need one to have the other. You can get inventors without regulators. and regulators without inverters.
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@Dashrender said:
@JaredBusch said:
@Minion-Queen said:
As someone who used solar for a year. Powering a laptop is sticking with Solar, you need a good inverter, batteries that the soloar panel is charging (we used huge Truck batteries).
Battery backups are better (get a couple laptop batteries and charge one and then do the next) Always keep one fully charged (a lot easier to carry in luggage).
Charging things via battery packs and solar power etc. does kill your battery prematurely.
Would it not be easier to skip the inverter and get a DC matching converter to go from the solar batteries to the device? Almost nothing plugs directly into 110 anymore.
Almost everything non-apple is still a stand center positive DC power plug.
Mobile devices are USB, and there should be tons of choices there.I hear what you are saying, but having a regulator between the batteries and the laptop/device is still probably a good idea.
I used an iGo Juice for years until it finally died. Powered everything I needed from it. It could run on either AC or 12v DC.
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@Jason said:
@Dashrender said:
I hear what you are saying, but having a regulator between the batteries and the laptop/device is still probably a good idea.
An inverter and regulator are two different things. and inventer will waste a lot of engery but may include a regulator. you don't need one to have the other. You can get inventors without regulators. and regulators without inverters.
Yup, I know - that is why I said a regulator, not an inverter. Though your point on changing voltage is definitely one to consider as well.
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@Jason said:
An inverter and regulator are two different things. and inventer will waste a lot of engery but may include a regulator. you don't need one to have the other. You can get inventors without regulators. and regulators without inverters.
Exactly, and with the rise in solar, I am surprised that there are not products on the market.
I just checked and the iGo I had is no longer made and that companies new solutions are not as flexible.
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Heading out to find some lunch for the family.
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Solar and computers is a fun project and topic.
As a Amateur Radio operator, most of my radios and such run on 12v. I use an older laptop that is also 12v.. which aren't to many of these days.
Easier to power
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How hard should I troll a facebook scammer?
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Apparently, I've been picked with a lucky number, lol... anda he's waiting anxiously on the other tab for my bank account information.
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Step 1 - ask where/how to find bank account info
Step 2 - ask where to put lucky number on bank website to get the money
