Small solar panel for electronics

Ah. OK. I have seen them, but never used them. I don`t know how well they work? they do sell the portable chargers. you charge them up initially and then when the phone gets low, you plug the phone into it. I think that may be the better way to go. Why not just use a 12V plug in charger, they don`t use that much and will not kill the battery.

Most of you are not getting what I'm asking. I'm not talking about charging it with my rv. I have a couple house gap attired and big Onan generator than can charge them as well. I'm talking about not using those devices or not having a large solar setup.

They make small panels for charging phones and the like. Wanted recommendations on those.

Thanks Fizz

We gave my step-son one for his birthday last year.

He loves it. Was on sale at Cabela's for about $120. He has a cabin that was his father's in the Adirondack's with no power. Uses it there. Uses it on his boat out of Fort Lauderdale. Does dry camping on islands in the northern keys.

Charges his phone, his iPad just fine. Don't remember the model number.

DW got me this for Christmas Poweradd which charges by solar, and has a battery to hold 23,000mAh.

During the ice storm last week, we dug it out and it powered the phones to recharge, and the MiFi.

I think it's a great item to have - for one because it can be used when away from the vehicle. Portability is a big plus and a lot of people need that.

Certainly wouldn't even attempt to use it or a similar solar device to power anything in the trailer / TV.

For that you need real solar power - and that's a completely different subject/ discussion.

wbwood wrote:
Been seeing the little solar panels made for charging cell phones and other electronic devices. This might be a good thing for charging the ipad, laptop or small DVD player while not on any hookups or at home during a power outage.

Anyone have any recommendations on them?

I'm thinking that your rig has one battery for starting the engine and another one or two batteries to run things in the camper. If there is a cigarette lighter in the dashboard it's possible that it is connected to the start engine battery, maybe. If it is I would think; but, I'm far from a expert; that the little bit of electricity it takes to charge a cell phone could be drawn from the start engine battery many times before you have to worry about running that battery down. I don't know though because I have a really simple phone some of these modern phones with bunches of stuff on them might be power hogs and require a lot of juice. My phone can go for 3 days before needing charging and then I just plug it into my cigarette lighter.

I would consider the money better spent buying an additional battery for the RV.

I do have a small weather alert radio that has a built in solar panel and a hand crank. It came with a large assortment of cables for charging phones and such from the radio. I've never used it in that manner.

http://www.amazon.com/Ambient-Weather-Emergency-Flashlight-Certified/dp/B0071BTJPI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1386939190&sr=8-2&keywords=ambient+weather+radio

I have a Gomatic.
It's great for everything except charging the iPad. I should have bought the larger one.
It works as advertised.
http://www.gomadic.com/sunvolt.html

I have a small solar charger, I think it is 2 watts? I use it to keep my battery topped off. The battery used to get very weak when sitting for a month, now it is ready all the time! I think it puts out a max of around 500Ma! Just enough to use it as a battery tender!

I have seen some of them for 9WATTS@12VDC output for a cheap cost... Thats not a whole lots of amps to use for much of anything... Thats around .7 AMPs and only when you are in direct sunlight... I think I have one of those panels around here somewhere...

I used to plug one into a cigarette lighter on my Jeep to trickle charge the Jeep battery but the it seems the newer vehicles like to switch off the 12V plug when the ignition key is turned off after a short time out.

Too me its is much better to just use my 600WATT PSW Inverter 120VAC power source that is always 'ON' connected to my trailer battery bank.

I have two locations in my OFF-ROAD Trailer where I have run an out-of-sight 120VAC extension cord with multiple 120VAC sockets from the two 120VAC connection on the Inverter.


I always re-charge my battery bank each morning at 8AM for three hours using my 2KW Generator (when allowed) connected to the trailer shore power cable when camping off the power grid... This is when I make up my good fresh ground bean coffee for the day...

Might save the day for something so is a good PLAN B thing I reckon. I wouldn't spend alot of money for one however...

Roy Ken

The energy requirement for a cell phone are a great deal less than for a laptop or iPad. The iPad chargers put out 10W to 12W watts and for lap tops they are typically 60W.
The measure of cost for solar panels is the dollar per watt and typically the small fold-able/portable is very high (you are paying for that easy portability). We have a 185W panel on our teardrop and I have a PMW regulated supply that will feed our chargers.