Solar Panels
Contributors to this thread:Wisconsin
From: wihunter86
24-Aug-22
Going elk hunting in September and going to be renting it for 8 days. Looking for suggestions on solar panels to keep phones charged. Also probably a long shot but my brother has a cpap machine, anyway he’d be able to use that off of solar panels?
Thanks
From: wihunter86
24-Aug-22
Going elk hunting in September and going to be renting it for 8 days. Looking for suggestions on solar panels to keep phones charged. Also probably a long shot but my brother has a cpap machine, anyway he’d be able to use that off of solar panels?
Thanks
From: smokey
25-Aug-22
I am interested in solar panels too. If anyone has information please add it. As far as charging phones, I use USB power banks; inexpensive and hold a lot of power. They also make one with a solar panel but I do not know how well it works. Also, look into a Jackery. I know several photographers that have them in their campers to recharge a lot of things and they say the Jackery worked better than solar.
From: smokey
25-Aug-22
You are not clear about what you are renting. Cabin, tent, RV? If your vehicle is close by, just plug your phone into the power outlet to charge the phone.
From: Reggiezpop
25-Aug-22
Guessing he meant tenting it, Smokey
From: Timo
25-Aug-22
I have a Celestron Firecel. it's a great little phone charger, hand warmer & flashlight all in one. you'll be able to charge your phone multiple times. the make great gifts for your outdoorsman friends.
From: wihunter86
25-Aug-22
Yes tenting is what I meant
From: smokey
25-Aug-22
OK. Do you know that you can edit your posts? Change renting to tenting?
From: B2K
25-Aug-22
The solar charger I tried didn't work at all, but it was a cheapee. Go with a charging bank like Anker. Buy 2. Then you can charge your phone while on the move. Charge everything back up any time you happen to get back to the truck.
From: Christoff Nelly
25-Aug-22
I have a couple of the Jackery power supplies. they work awesome and you can get a solar panel to re-charge them off grid, or you can re-charge from your home or car. We run LED lights and USB fans for a small cabin. really works great.
From: Glunker
26-Aug-22
Consider a battery for a ice fishing flasher. You can charge with a 12 v car plug if you get an adapter. Lasts way longer than the hand held stick chargers.
From: smokey
26-Aug-22
To clarify, Power banks are not the same as stick chargers. My Anker power banks are 20000 mAH at 5v or 100 WH. Lighter than flasher batteries for about equal power and USB to firewire connect.
I don't know what the draw for a CPAP is but doubt of the PB would work with them. That is where something like the Jackery would work better.
From: RUGER1022
26-Aug-22
Powobest . Bought it a few years ago. Charger , flashlight , & compass . About 30 bucks . Used it for a 5 day Elk hunt . And several power outages. Very happy with it .
From: MjF
26-Aug-22
WIhunter86 this is what I use for my c-pap machine, there is a marine battery inside this box called Newport Vessels, there is a USB port for charging cell phones etc, your brother would have to order a cigarette type plug adapter that works with his c-pap, it wasn’t hard to find, just a little research. How long does the battery last? That all depends on the quality of the battery and most importantly if he uses a water reservoir (humidifier) in his c-pap he needs to temporarily turn it off to conserve on battery life. The longest I have gone without recharging the battery was 5 days and I bet I could have gone another 5. Good luck I hope some of this helped
From: MjF
26-Aug-22
Sorry bad picture, I’m camping right now and it’s a little dark in the tent, doesn’t help upside down either
From: Screwball
26-Aug-22
Much smaller cpaps and battery systems out there these days. Do some research on line. Also much smaller than home unit cpap systems. Here's a link to some ideas, this is what I am going to on my moose hunt.
https://cpapsupplies.com/blog/batteries-and-battery-back-up-for-your-cpap-machine#:~:text=Most%20CPAP%20machines%20can%20be%20powered%20from%20a,leak%20detection%2C%20also%20tend%20to%20require%20more%20power.
From: wihunter86
27-Aug-22
Thanks for the tips
From: Screwball
27-Aug-22
Wihunter86 when I went one elk hunt 10 hour horse ride in I took my regular cpap, convertor system and battery. Battery plus set me up totally with my system. Not sure how or what your hunt plan are. Our outfitter had no issue hauling in my system. The difference with my moose hunt it is a fly in and 70 pounds of gear I want to be as light as possible. So I am taking a new portable unit, small battery and solar charger system. All weighs around 4 lbs. The one issue I ran into was condensation in the tube during cold nights and the humidifier. Will be taking a insulation tube wrap with on the moose hunt.
From: MjF
27-Aug-22
Screwball, understandable about weight but if you use and don’t turn off your Tube Temp and Humidity level your going to burn up that battery life fast, hope the sun is shining for the Solar recharge. Will be interesting to see how well it works, I will look into it
From: smokey
27-Aug-22
Solar panels still work on cloudy days, just not as effective. Maybe 25%.
From: Tweed
27-Aug-22
I don't have any first hand experience but I have a friend that uses a harbor frieght set up that is mobile. Him and his wife love to glamp. His set up keeps his wife comfy all week.
From: toneyginder
05-Sep-23
I know my reply is a bit late, but I’d like to share my two cents. Look into solar generators with higher power outputs, and make sure to calculate the power consumption of the CPAP to match it up. When it comes to solar panels, there are a lot of options out there. While I haven't personally used them to charge my phone, I've seen some awesome deals from reliable companies. For instance, I stumbled upon a bunch of cool choices on the website www.acebattery.com . They've got a wide array of solutions and energy storage systems. Plus, their high-efficiency batteries seem like they could be really handy. Remember, it's all about picking what suits your needs best.
From: MjF
05-Sep-23
This spring I invested in a solar panel when camping for recharging the battery for my C-pap, best thing I ever did.
From: Screwball
05-Sep-23
MJF brands and details please?
From: MjF
05-Sep-23
SOLPERK Solar Panel Kit 20W 12V, Solar Battery Trickle Charger Maintainer. Amazon, Many to choose from but stay with the 10W or bigger, It’s about the size of a PC screen
From: MjF
05-Sep-23
Right side of picture the smaller of the two
From: BigEight
05-Sep-23
MjF, do you need a solar charger regulator or does this one do it on it's own? Also, how long is the cord?
From: MjF
05-Sep-23
It does it on its own, does not over charge, the cord is about 15ft but you can buy other lengths for it.
From: Sawatarman
18-Jan-24
Solar panels are a brilliant idea to keep those phones juiced up. You'd probably want some portable solar chargers, and there are tons of options out there to choose from. As for your brother's CPAP machine, it's not impossible to power it with solar panels, but it might be a bit tricky. CPAPs typically require a consistent power source. You'd need a solar setup with a battery to store power during the day for nighttime use. It's doable, but it might need some extra planning. Oh, and in case you want to explore solar setups deeper, check out solar panel installers Ireland.
From: BloodyMeat
23-Feb-24
For your phones, compact solar chargers with high efficiency are your best bet. They're lightweight, easy to pack, and can charge multiple devices if you pick one with enough capacity.
From: Screwball
23-Feb-24
Here is what I went with for my resmed. 50W Solar Panel for Medistrom Pilot 12/24 Lite CPAP Battery https://www.apriadirect.com/50w-solar-panel-for-medistrom-pilot-12-and-24-cpap-battery
From: Bloody RibCage
24-Feb-24
For keeping phones charged during your elk hunting trip, portable solar panels are a great option. They come in various sizes and capacities, so choosing one that can handle multiple devices is key. As for powering a CPAP machine, it's definitely possible with the right setup. You'll need a solar generator that's capable of providing enough power for the machine throughout the night. Look for a generator that offers high wattage output and can be charged during the day via solar panels to ensure it meets your needs.
For anyone planning similar outdoor adventures where power is a necessity, exploring options at https://solargenerators.to can be quite helpful. They offer insights into solar generators and panels that can meet a wide range of needs, from charging small devices to powering essential medical equipment like a CPAP machine.
From: MjF
24-Feb-24
Brian is that what you paid for it $245? And have you tried it out yet? What’s the battery life, will it last all night?
From: wihunter86
24-Feb-24
I ended up getting a Jackery generator and solar panels. Best purchase I’ve made
