How frequent is electricity?

[chiefiepoo]

Just returned from a section hike and did encounter several people carrying solar chargers, including one similar to solarjooos as well as AA powered "hot shot" chargers. None of the owners were totally impressed with recharge capacity of any device. 50% charge seemed to be the best attainable, but 50% is better than dead battery. expectations / weight X battery duration = utility of device

[Graywolf]

Im testing a Solio Rocksta right now for my hike next week. So far, I am questioning it. We will see..

I may have to buy spare batteries for the camera and just recharge them in town at resupplies..

The Solio dosnt have connections for charging batteries, only MP3s and cell phone.. Dont want to get another solar charger, so we will see...

Graywolf

[jbwood5]

When I was at the Fontana shelter shower/restroom a couple weeks back, every outlet in the bathroom had a cell phone with charger plugged in. There is a strip above the sink on the right near the ceiling.

[mweinstone]

blackburn flee 5 watt solar usb charger. read em and weep. light, great, fast, cool.

[mweinstone]

charges any usb device. only works in direct sunlight . so no wasteing time slow chargeing. comes with usb mag charge peice for computer that allows magnetic contact chargeing of lights made for that. my bike lights in fact. this is a bike company folks. they have solved the cell charger delema. and they dont even know. its gaurenteed for life unconditionaly.40 bucks.

[mweinstone]

used it on beauty spot for the first time this past weekend. when charging, the samsung logo apears and fades over and over on the screen. and an icon appears that seems to be a solar charger of a type. the sun was out for only minutes but allowed me to make 2 calls on a dead batt. literally minutes. really dead. great find. changes my packweight and logistics totaly. only uses computer charge cable to connect. so i have that as my back up. and an extra batt.

[Brewerbob]

In most parts of North America electricity is every 0.016667 seconds.

You should really understand how electricity works if you want to make smartass comments. It's only every 0.016667 seconds that there is NO electricity with US AC power. The sine wave crosses the X axis 60 times a second. There's voltage there the rest of the time.

Blackburn flee 5 watt solar usb charger. read em and weep. light, great, fast, cool.

Where did you get the 5 watts number from? It's not much help without voltage or current but I couldn't even find that. Looked up the manufacturer and even called a local supplier.

[chief]

You should really understand how electricity works if you want to make smartass comments. It's only every 0.016667 seconds that there is NO electricity with US AC power. The sine wave crosses the X axis 60 times a second. There's voltage there the rest of the time.

You missed half the sine wave, at 60hz the sine wave crosses the x axis 120 times/second. Maybe you should read up on your AC theory instead of dissing a smartass!

[Stats 2012]

You missed half the sine wave, at 60hz the sine wave crosses the x axis 120 times/second. Maybe you should read up on your AC theory instead of dissing a smartass!

You beat me to it Chief! Also, in this country, all you need is the wattage since the voltage is known (110/120VAC). The relationship between power, current, voltage, and resistance is given by P = IV = RI^2 = (V^2)/R. Use the power and voltage to find the current and internal resistance. Hope I'm not coming off as a smartass.

[chief]

It's a forum! We're all smartasses to one degree or another. Some take a whole page for a smartass remark, others are more concise. In any case, this is off topic (as if anyone cared).

[John B]

I'm paranoid about the battery in my cell phone dying so I always carry my charger and extra battery. ...

What do you think is likely to happen if your cell battery dies and you're a day's hike away from an outlet? What would be the most probable worst-case scenario?

[Brewerbob]

You beat me to it Chief! Also, in this country, all you need is the wattage since the voltage is known (110/120VAC). The relationship between power, current, voltage, and resistance is given by P = IV = RI^2 = (V^2)/R. Use the power and voltage to find the current and internal resistance. Hope I'm not coming off as a smartass.

Touche to Chief. I totally forgot the negative half of the cycle and it recrossing. By the way, it's P=IE unless you are older than dirt. All the books were changed sometime in the mid '80s?

As for Power being the only thing needed, that isn't true. That Blackburn gizmo isn't putting out 110/120 volts AC. It's putting out a DC voltage. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say 5 volts. My cell battery is 3.7V so it could recharge that. My camera batteries are 7.3V tho. Give me 5W and I, E, or R and I can figure out the rest.

[Brewerbob]

What do you think is likely to happen if your cell battery dies and you're a day's hike away from an outlet? What would be the most probable worst-case scenario?

You're attacked by a bear and drug off the trail. Over the next 7 days, he feasts on your internals while you lay there in agony. He finally eats something vital and you die.

[chief]

Touche to Chief. I totally forgot the negative half of the cycle and it recrossing.

Bob, please don't touche me, I don't cross that line because I fear the negative half.

[John B]

You're attacked by a bear and drug off the trail. Over the next 7 days, he feasts on your internals while you lay there in agony. He finally eats something vital and you die.

I'm guessing his wife might get pissed if he didn't check in every day, and that might be worse than your bear attack scenario.

[Brewerbob]

Bob, please don't touche me, I don't cross that line because I fear the negative half.

Do not underestimate the power of the dark side.

That doesn't mean you can't enjoy it from time to time tho.

I'm guessing his wife might get pissed if he didn't check in every day, and that might be worse than your bear attack scenario.

Wait, I must be doing it wrong. The whole point in going is because the wife won't

Sorry, no signal on this side of the mountain.