Post by Philip on Aug 5, 2012 11:56:09 GMT -9
I took this solar panel/integrated battery setup on my recent 11-day, 250-mile Kodiak to Homer trip.
solarjoos.com/
It performed flawlessly. I kept the panel inside a Sealine iPad bag that never let a drop of water in (the Joos is supposedly waterproof all by itself anyway with potted electronics), and while pointed skyward on my rear hatch it kept me in electricity the whole trip. I listened to my iPod about 8 hours a day, used my 2 cameras often each day recording video and stills, and used my Petzl Core rechargeable headlamp sometimes (this is Alaska in the summer, after all). The panel has an integrated 5,400mAh battery built in to store the energy being generated.
My Panasonic Lumix ZS20 has an 895mAh internally-charged battery and when recording video it ran that battery down after about 2 days of use. My GoPro 2 has an 1100mAh battery in addition to the internal battery on the GoPro WiFi Bacpac and another in the WiFi remote. Those probably needed charging after 2-3 days of use as well. My Petzl Core battery is a 900mAh and I recharged that once. I charged up my iPod Nano about every other day.
I had plenty of sun at the start and end of the trip with about 5 days of overcast and some rain in the middle. On sunny or partly cloudy days it did very well and would totally top itself off while I was on the water. During the rainy stretch the Joos still kept up with my needs, but only barely. I stayed in a cabin for two nights in the forest on Shuyak and did not leave the Joos down on the beach to collect more light, otherwise it may have stayed ahead more effectively. The little status light showed that it was indeed charging on a rainy day with about 50% tree canopy coverage, but the trickle of electricity must have been paltry.
The USB plug the Joos employs (a Micro-AB style) is a little weird and finicky. It needs to be inserted into the panel straight and be left relatively undisturbed for contact to be maintained. The Joos ships with a selection of adapters that will meet pretty much any need, and that is saying something when you consider the USB plug salad that we face these days. I needed different plugs for my Petzl (Micro-B), Lumix (UC-E6: not really a true USB plug), GoPro and accessories (Mini-B), and of course the iPod (30-pin iPod). It was a little baggie full of cables and bits, but it all worked together well.
Anyway, I give this panel a big thumbs up so far. It charges well, stores enough energy for when you are in low light, and is reasonably small and light (for kayaking anyway at about 1 lb, 9 oz). It retails for $150.
solarjoos.com/
It performed flawlessly. I kept the panel inside a Sealine iPad bag that never let a drop of water in (the Joos is supposedly waterproof all by itself anyway with potted electronics), and while pointed skyward on my rear hatch it kept me in electricity the whole trip. I listened to my iPod about 8 hours a day, used my 2 cameras often each day recording video and stills, and used my Petzl Core rechargeable headlamp sometimes (this is Alaska in the summer, after all). The panel has an integrated 5,400mAh battery built in to store the energy being generated.
My Panasonic Lumix ZS20 has an 895mAh internally-charged battery and when recording video it ran that battery down after about 2 days of use. My GoPro 2 has an 1100mAh battery in addition to the internal battery on the GoPro WiFi Bacpac and another in the WiFi remote. Those probably needed charging after 2-3 days of use as well. My Petzl Core battery is a 900mAh and I recharged that once. I charged up my iPod Nano about every other day.
I had plenty of sun at the start and end of the trip with about 5 days of overcast and some rain in the middle. On sunny or partly cloudy days it did very well and would totally top itself off while I was on the water. During the rainy stretch the Joos still kept up with my needs, but only barely. I stayed in a cabin for two nights in the forest on Shuyak and did not leave the Joos down on the beach to collect more light, otherwise it may have stayed ahead more effectively. The little status light showed that it was indeed charging on a rainy day with about 50% tree canopy coverage, but the trickle of electricity must have been paltry.
The USB plug the Joos employs (a Micro-AB style) is a little weird and finicky. It needs to be inserted into the panel straight and be left relatively undisturbed for contact to be maintained. The Joos ships with a selection of adapters that will meet pretty much any need, and that is saying something when you consider the USB plug salad that we face these days. I needed different plugs for my Petzl (Micro-B), Lumix (UC-E6: not really a true USB plug), GoPro and accessories (Mini-B), and of course the iPod (30-pin iPod). It was a little baggie full of cables and bits, but it all worked together well.
Anyway, I give this panel a big thumbs up so far. It charges well, stores enough energy for when you are in low light, and is reasonably small and light (for kayaking anyway at about 1 lb, 9 oz). It retails for $150.