Solar panels
Peter Austin
pa2 at soas.ac.uk
Wed Feb 9 20:18:35 UTC 2011
Like Jeremy I wonder why anyone would want a Macbook Pro in the field
with them given the alternatives of a PC laptop or netbook. I take a
Samsung netbook (running XP) on fieldwork and have worked it like a
dog and get 4-5 hours per charge.
Peter
On 9 February 2011 02:39, Jeremy Hammond <Jeremy.Hammond at mpi.nl> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Your looking for
> http://www.hypershop.com/HyperMac-External-Battery-for-MacBook-iPad-iPhone-
> USB-s/91.htm which includes external power solutions.
>
> If you just want to charge your MBP then this
> http://www.hypershop.com/HyperMac-Pure-DC-Car-Charger-for-MacBook-p/mbp-car
> .htm is what you want.
>
> They have just changed their line up but it seems as if a new version to
> charge the MBP from auto power is coming in March.
>
> Having said that, MBPs are not the most energy efficient beasts in the
> world. A PC is better suited to low-power situations.
>
>
> Jeremy
>
> -------------------------------
> Jeremy Hammond
> Syntax, Typology and Information Structure Group
> Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics
> P: +31-24-3521171
> E: Jeremy.Hammond at mpi.nl
> W: http://www.mpi.nl/people/hammond-jeremy
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 9/02/11 1:18 PM, "Post, Mark" <mark.post at jcu.edu.au> wrote:
>
>>Hi All -
>>
>>Just briefly, further to the issue of running MacBook Pros off of
>>external power sources, as far as I'm aware there are two options as far
>>as cables go: one, a magsafe car lighter adaptor, which you have to buy
>>from Apple so it's expensive, and the other a direct magsafe-to-battery
>>cable (if you're using a li-ion), which I believe is made by third
>>parties and is cheaper. As far as I'm aware, *neither* option will let
>>you *charge* the MacBook battery, it will just allow you to *run* it.
>>Obviously, this is not very good if you're trying to accumulate a backup
>>charge and can't afford many li-ions (or just wish that the MacBook's
>>internal battery, which is otherwise very good, was more than useless
>>weight in this situation!). I was told that the second type of cable
>>would somehow bypass this Apple design quirk, but I can't see evidence
>>that this is the case. If anyone knows any different, I would very much
>>appreciate hearing about it.
>>
>>Cheers from Pasighat,
>>
>>Mark
>>
>>Mark W. Post, PhD
>>Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Anthropological Linguistics
>>James Cook University
>>Cairns QLD 4878 Australia
>>
>>TEL (AU): +61-7-4042-1881
>>TEL (IN): +91-89746-64180
>>
>>http://jamescook.academia.edu/markwpost
>>
>>***I am on fieldwork in Arunachal Pradesh until late April 2011 and can
>>(hopefully) be reached on +91-897664180. Keep trying.***
>>________________________________________
>>From: r-n-l-d at unimelb.edu.au [r-n-l-d at unimelb.edu.au] On Behalf Of
>>Frances Kofod [fkofod at bigpond.net.au]
>>Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2011 7:43 AM
>>To: Margaret Carew
>>Cc: r-n-l-d
>>Subject: Re: Solar panels
>>
>>Hi Margaret,
>>I don't have solar due to the the cost but do have a Toyota Hilux and
>>a Belkin AC/DC inverter that runs from the cigarette lighter. It is
>>good for charging small things like the camera battery and my mobile
>>phone but not good enough to charge the computer. The computer will go
>>if the engine is running. This is good for a short time eg downloading
>>Flash cards if all are full but is a pain for any longer.
>>I hope to hear if you are successful and which solar panel you get.
>>Cheers
>>Frances
>>
>>On 09/02/2011, at 9:39 AM, Margaret Carew wrote:
>>
>>> Hi
>>>
>>> I'm currently preparing for a trip where I plan to be self-
>>> sufficient with power, running a WAECO fridge, macbook pro (or
>>> perhaps an alternative, depending on power usage) and lights. The
>>> one thing I'll have that isn't in the previous lists of requirements
>>> is a diesel engine (in my Toyota). I plan to have two batteries, one
>>> set up to trickle charge from a solar panel. I'll be driving pretty
>>> often, which will charge the batteries also. Will run the appliances
>>> from the back up battery and keep the other battery to start the car
>>> with.
>>>
>>> WOuld be interested in hearing from anyone who's successfully run a
>>> set up like this (solar boosted Toyota Hilux) - any traps or pitfalls?
>>>
>>> Cheers, Marg Carew
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: r-n-l-d at unimelb.edu.au on behalf of Frances Kofod
>>> Sent: Fri 28/01/2011 09:26
>>> To: Post, Mark
>>> Cc: Xavier Barker; Aidan Wilson; r-n-l-d
>>> Subject: Re: Solar panels
>>>
>>> Hi All,
>>> I investigated what I would need to use my MacBook Pro if I went
>>> camping in the bush. Someone directed me to
>>>www.multipoweredproducts.com.au
>>>
>>> They have lots of good things on the site including the Solar Gorilla
>>> and were very helpful when I spoke with them Unfortunately I cannot
>>> afford the recommended setup at present. I would still like to do it
>>> some time.
>>>
>>> I have pasted below the recommendations for the MacBook Pro.
>>>
>>> Good luck all
>>>
>>> Frances
>>>
>>>> From: "Multi-Powered Products" <sharon at multipoweredproducts.com.au>
>>>> Date: 12 July 2010 10:39:19 AM
>>>> To: <fkofod at bigpond.net.au>, "'John Devitt'"
>>>><info at multipoweredproducts.com.au
>>>>>
>>>> Subject: RE: Someone submitted the form from your 'Contact us' page
>>>>
>>>> Hi Frances
>>>>
>>>> Further to our conversation this morning, just trying to sum up.....
>>>>
>>>> Regarding the Gorilla Combo, the Power Gorilla would be great
>>>> however if you are relying on solar, it should be noted that the
>>>> Solar Gorilla only draws about 10w of power, so it would take quite
>>>> a long time to charge the Power Gorilla up. We would be happy to
>>>> provide a Magsafe connector for your Mac Book Pro free of charge
>>>> should you choose this option.
>>>>
>>>> The other option we spoke about was a combination of the Tekkeon
>>>> Battery and one of the large Global Solar panels. Typically laptops
>>>> use around 50 - 60w of power so it makes sense to use a more
>>>> powerful panel, we recommend a minimum of 30w.
>>>>
>>>> You would need the following:
>>>>
>>>> Tekkeon Battery $265
>>>> Global Solar P3 30w Panel $799 OR a Global Solar P3 62W Panel
>>>> $1450.00
>>>> Charge Controller $99
>>>> Mac Book adapter $14.95
>>>>
>>>> Please let us know if you still have questions after reading the
>>>> information above.
>>>>
>>>> Kind regards
>>>>
>>>> Sharon
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Multi-Powered Products
>>>> (A Division of John Devitt & Associates Pty Ltd)
>>>> P.O. Box 550
>>>> Balgowlah
>>>> Sydney, NSW 2093
>>>> Australia.
>>>> Tel: 1300 883335 (within Australia)
>>>> Tel: 61 (0)2 6495 9927
>>>> Fax: 61 (0)2 6495 9922
>>>> email: info at multipoweredproducts.com.au
>>>> website: www.multipoweredproducts.com.au
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 28/01/2011, at 12:01 AM, Post, Mark wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi All -
>>>>
>>>> I'll add two cents from the mountains, where I'm trying hard to be
>>>> minimalist: Solar Traveller (UK) has come out with some reasonably
>>>> good Li-ion batteries called "Power Gorillas" with lots of included
>>>> adaptors (but make sure you get the right one for your laptop) and
>>>> variable output 8v/9v/12v/19v/24v (would be nice to have a 5v, but
>>>> oh well). I power a Lenovo x61 8cell to about 80% with one full
>>>> charge, which gives me 5-8 hrs using Toolbox and MSWord on low-power
>>>> mode (about 4-5 if transcribing), and if I had the money to buy one
>>>> of the new solid-state Lenovos, I'd presumably have more. With two
>>>> Power Gorillas, I have enough additional power for 12v AA/AAA and
>>>> camcorder battery chargers via car lighter adaptors (included with
>>>> the Gorillas), and don't need AC at all (so no inverter). And the
>>>> Power Gorillas can take a 20v input, so I don't need a charge
>>>> regulator (unlike with a lead acid battery). Power Gorillas are
>>>> designed to work with 20w "Solar Gorilla" solar panels, which,
>>>> however, in the mountains (no more than 5 hrs peak sun) don't give
>>>> me enough charge even when daisy-chained. Also, I've found that they
>>>> don't work well by directly-inputting into some laptops, despite
>>>> that this is what they're designed for, especially when 19v laptops
>>>> are powered-on. However, I've found that a 60w flexible panel well-
>>>> placed charges one Solar Gorilla in about 3 hrs of peak sun, and
>>>> another 1-2 hrs gives the other a good run. So far, I haven't run
>>>> out of power yet, and I'm using everything pretty heavily.
>>>>
>>>> So the setup I'd recommend for people interested in avoiding lead
>>>> acid batteries and firm solar panels is:
>>>>
>>>> 1) 60w flexible panel
>>>> 2) 1 or 2 Power Gorillas, depending on peak sun hours at field site,
>>>> plus any add'l adaptors needed
>>>> 3) 12v chargers with car lighter adaptor cables for AA/AAA and
>>>> camcorder batteries, of which cheap copies (buy some backups!) are
>>>> available on Ebay etc.
>>>>
>>>> The whole setup weighs about 2-3kg not including whatever laptop you
>>>> have, but is a bit pricey at about AUD $1000-1400 depending on where
>>>> you buy everything. So it is really a reasonably well-funded
>>>> fieldworker's set up rather than a practical community-oriented
>>>> solution.
>>>>
>>>> One additional point is that this setup doesn't work very well for
>>>> Mac users, as Macs can only run off the Power Gorillas (via a car
>>>> lighter adaptor), and can't charge the internal battery. This seems
>>>> to be an Apple design quirk which probably won't go away.
>>>>
>>>> Cheers from Arunachal,
>>>>
>>>> Mark
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Mark W. Post, PhD
>>>> Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Anthropological Linguistics
>>>> James Cook University
>>>> Cairns QLD 4878 Australia
>>>>
>>>> TEL (AU): +61-7-4042-1881
>>>> TEL (IN): +91-89746-64180
>>>>
>>>> http://jamescook.academia.edu/markwpost
>>>>
>>>> ***I am on fieldwork in Arunachal Pradesh until late April 2011 and
>>>> can (hopefully) be reached on +91-897664180. Keep trying.***
>>>> ________________________________________
>>>> From: r-n-l-d at unimelb.edu.au [r-n-l-d at unimelb.edu.au] On Behalf Of
>>>> Xavier Barker [meibitobure.gaunibwe at gmail.com]
>>>> Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2011 5:44 AM
>>>> To: Aidan Wilson
>>>> Cc: r-n-l-d
>>>> Subject: Re: Solar panels
>>>>
>>>> Spot on! Check him out on http://www.servalproject.org/
>>>> <http://www.servalproject.org/>
>>>>
>>>> On 27/01/2011, at 10:56 AM, Aidan Wilson wrote:
>>>>
>>>> This (the stuff on the finemespot.com<http://finemespot.com>
>>>> website, not the lab-in-the-case stuff) seems reminiscent of an
>>>> invention I saw on the New Inventors (ABC Australia) about this
>>>> system, in which a portable mobile coverage tower is rolled out to
>>>> areas after disasters (Haiti was the most recent disaster at the
>>>> time and was the cited example) which would allow people to connect
>>>> to one another and call emergency numbers while the normal towers
>>>> are non-functional. The benefit of the system was that users
>>>> retained their regular numbers and could therefore call one another
>>>> in the effectively closed system. And calls inside the cell network
>>>> are free since it never goes to a telco.
>>>>
>>>> I'm going entirely off memory here, so I might be getting a couple
>>>> of details wrong, and can't remember what it's called. And I'm also
>>>> getting significantly off-topic...
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Aidan Wilson
>>>>
>>>> PhD Candidate
>>>> Dept of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
>>>> The University of Melbourne
>>>>
>>>> +61428 458 969
>>>> aidan.wilson at unimelb.edu.au<mailto:aidan.wilson at unimelb.edu.au>
>>>>
>>>> On Thu, 27 Jan 2011, Xavier Barker wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hi all,
>>>> As always, i can offer no practical fieldwork advice, but...
>>>> Our company provides small mobile internet connected computer labs
>>>> in a suitcase (or, rather, pelican case) to a number of schools
>>>> in off-grid parts of Uganda. We fit 11 netbooks with 9 cell
>>>> batteries and a single loom charger. Most netbooks are designed to
>>>> draw 19V, but we have no problem at all fitting the loom directly to
>>>> a 12V battery and providing DC power. With this
>>>> lab-in-a-case, we are able to provide fully internet-connected(3G/
>>>> gprs/edge/sat (with a SPOT
>>>> (http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=116)) to places that
>>>> have no power. The system is able to be used for about 5 hours
>>>> without a charge, but a whole day oif trickle charging from solar.
>>>> Whilst this solution works for getting everything charged at a
>>>> base station where solar panels can be permanently fixed, there are
>>>> also a number of really good portable options. Keeping in mind that
>>>> the netbooks will run fine on 12V DC (as will small desktop PCs like
>>>> the Eee Box which can be fitted with a DC
>>>> LCD monitor), it is possible to rig a 12V folding solar panel
>>>> directly to the charger of the netbook. Suntech make small folding
>>>> 60W 12V panels but they still weigh about 15kg - not great for
>>>> lugging around. ALternatively, and much better if weight is a
>>>> concern, is the 20W solar-charging laptop bag
>>>>
>>>>(http://www.multipoweredproducts.com.au/products/Voltaic-Generator-%252d
>>>>-Solar-Laptop-Charger-Bag.html
>>>> ). This bag has batteries
>>>> which will bring your netbook up to a full charge in a day, provided
>>>> you get about 5 hours of sunlight. It's probably not going to
>>>> be enough to charge a full-sized laptop though. It also has outputs
>>>> for you to connect 5V USB devices and car-plug options. This
>>>> means you can plug in a caravan/car/camping style lamp into the case
>>>> at night and give yourself plenty of power. Cheers,
>>>> Xavier
>>>> On 27/01/2011, at 4:06 AM, Jeremy Hammond wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hi All,
>>>>
>>>> I am pretty much in agreement with Tom and have being
>>>> successfully doing a
>>>> similar setup for the past 3 years in Vanuatu. I also buy lead
>>>> acid
>>>> battery in-situ but am considering getting a solar-specific one
>>>> this year
>>>> if I can find it in Port Vila. I'll just add 3 points.
>>>>
>>>> 1. Buy a universal battery charger. They are great and means you
>>>> can
>>>> really cut down on the amount of chargers you have to take (I.e.
>>>> phone/Camera/AA/video/AAA/USB are all doable with mine). Here is
>>>> one
>>>> http://www.solartechnology.co.uk/shop/camcaddy-cc1005.htm but
>>>> there are
>>>> different brands/models. You can buy them at most camera stores.
>>>> I just
>>>> have two of these for all my charging needs (plus my laptop
>>>> charger of
>>>> course).
>>>>
>>>> 2. Consider getting solid panels. If you have easy enough access
>>>> to your
>>>> fieldsite and have a long term relationship with them then it is
>>>> an easy
>>>> process to take it there and set it up on a roof etc. I usually
>>>> take a
>>>> solid 50W panel with me each time I go so that now I have around
>>>> 150W
>>>> which should be above 200W this coming year. They are super
>>>> strong, and
>>>> great long term value. Plus now I leave them there setup with
>>>> LEDs on the
>>>> battery so that people there can use the light at night, even
>>>> when I'm not
>>>> there.
>>>>
>>>> 3. While tom suggested the "workman's" light and they are good,
>>>> if you are
>>>> electrically handy then making your own LED setup is really
>>>> inexpensive
>>>> and easy. There are some great yellow ones that are good for
>>>> reading/working by as well. On that note as Tom said, test your
>>>> setup but
>>>> also understand how it works. Get a friend who knows something
>>>> about
>>>> electronics to explain it to you and when things go wrong, you
>>>> will be in
>>>> a much better position to fix it.
>>>>
>>>> Jeremy
>>>>
>>>> -------------------------------
>>>> Jeremy Hammond
>>>> Syntax, Typology and Information Structure Group
>>>> Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics
>>>> P: +31-24-3521171
>>>> E: Jeremy.Hammond at mpi.nl
>>>> W: http://www.mpi.nl/people/hammond-jeremy
>>>>
>>>> On 26/01/11 7:27 AM, "Tom Honeyman" <t.honeyman at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hi Jeff,
>>>>
>>>> Despite the negative "reality check" at the end of the
>>>> paper Pat
>>>>
>>>> mentions (thanks Pat!, also the paper supersedes the blog
>>>> posts, but
>>>>
>>>> thanks Peter!), I am now quite happily using solar power
>>>> for fieldwork
>>>>
>>>> in Papua New Guinea.
>>>>
>>>> My current setup (well actually I've dropped/genericised/
>>>> forgotten a
>>>>
>>>> few items to simplify!):
>>>>
>>>> 1 low power netbook (they're all almost exactly the same)
>>>>
>>>> 2x DC adapter for netbook, but also adapters to charge USB
>>>> devices,
>>>>
>>>> mobile phones etc also very good
>>>>
>>>> 2x Li-Ion battery pack chargers (for camera, video camera
>>>> etc... can
>>>>
>>>> be very handy)
>>>>
>>>> 1x DC-DC adapter with multiple plugs (very handy for
>>>> powering all
>>>>
>>>> sorts of things if you know what you're doing)
>>>>
>>>> DC plug adaptors (so I can plug in many things at once)
>>>>
>>>> 50W foldable solar panel
>>>>
>>>> charge regulator with load cut-off
>>>>
>>>> 10x AA NiMH AA batteries
>>>>
>>>> 8x AA NiMH AAA batteries
>>>>
>>>> 1x AA/AAA battery charger (charges 10 batteries at once,
>>>> each
>>>>
>>>> individually)
>>>>
>>>> 1x AA/AAA battery charger (charges 4 batteries in pairs -
>>>> this can be
>>>>
>>>> a pain if you have a device that uses 3 batteries!)
>>>>
>>>> Head torch and mag-lite - make sure they work with
>>>> rechargeables!
>>>>
>>>> Often they don't work well with them.
>>>>
>>>> 12v/DC workman's light, fluro or LED based, low power
>>>> consumption
>>>>
>>>> (these are really good for a lot of light!)
>>>>
>>>> All the regular equipment otherwise (recorders, speakers,
>>>> mike,
>>>>
>>>> cameras, etc), but make sure they work well with
>>>> rechargeables).
>>>>
>>>> And then I also pack the following for fixing stuff (but
>>>> only if you
>>>>
>>>> know what you're doing):
>>>>
>>>> fuses, glass and blade with several spares for each device
>>>> that has one
>>>>
>>>> pack of alligator clip wires
>>>>
>>>> Gaffer tape (often available in country)
>>>>
>>>> digital multi-meter
>>>>
>>>> pocket knife
>>>>
>>>> jeweller's screw driver set
>>>>
>>>> super glue (often available in country)
>>>>
>>>> I tend to buy a (preferably deep cycle) lead acid battery
>>>> in country.
>>>>
>>>> This let me work for a few hours a day on the laptop, use
>>>> torches/
>>>>
>>>> flashlights at night, and put on a "movie night" once a
>>>> week. Every
>>>>
>>>> now and then an activity might come along (like a big
>>>> recording
>>>>
>>>> session, or very rainy weather, or on one occasion my roof
>>>> blowing
>>>>
>>>> off!), which would drain the battery too much. Then I'd
>>>> have a day or
>>>>
>>>> two not using the laptop (far and away the most power
>>>> hungry).
>>>>
>>>> 4 things I'd recommend:
>>>>
>>>> (a) check _everything_ beforehand. There are many "single
>>>> points of
>>>>
>>>> failure" in a solar setup. That's why its good to have
>>>> backups, or
>>>>
>>>> multiple ways of achieving the same thing.
>>>>
>>>> (b) get a charge regulator with a load cut off. This
>>>> magical box will:
>>>>
>>>> - ensure that the battery is charged properly, dropping
>>>> the power as
>>>>
>>>> it approaches a full charge and cutting the power entirely
>>>> when the
>>>>
>>>> battery is full
>>>>
>>>> - stop power flowing back into the panel at night (this is
>>>> often
>>>>
>>>> redundant depending on the panel)
>>>>
>>>> - cut the power to your devices when the battery is too low
>>>>
>>>> Basically this will let you safely run your equipment, but
>>>> it'll
>>>>
>>>> ensure that the battery doesn't fail because you've
>>>> drained it too
>>>>
>>>> much... this is something that is _very_ easy to do. If
>>>> you know what
>>>>
>>>> you're doing then you can drop this, but you'll spend more
>>>> time
>>>>
>>>> managing your power setup and less doing work.
>>>>
>>>> (c) try to eliminate using AC power. This is costly. I
>>>> guarantee that
>>>>
>>>> you will not have enough power to do all the things that
>>>> you'd like to
>>>>
>>>> do. So this means do not use "wall adapter" plug
>>>> equipment, use "car
>>>>
>>>> adapters" for all of your equipment. The DC adapters for
>>>> charging a
>>>>
>>>> laptop can often power other equipment. The DC-DC adapter
>>>> is extremely
>>>>
>>>> useful for powering low power equipment. Having these
>>>> flexible, multi-
>>>>
>>>> plug adaptors can be very useful for unexpected scenarios
>>>> like
>>>>
>>>> powering a cassette recorder you've borrowed because your
>>>> audio
>>>>
>>>> equipment fell in the river. Or powering your recorder
>>>> directly
>>>>
>>>> because your batteries or battery chargers have failed for
>>>> some reason.
>>>>
>>>> (d) check that the AA/AAA powered equipment works, and
>>>> works well with
>>>>
>>>> rechargeable batteries. Rechargeables operate at a lower
>>>> voltage than
>>>>
>>>> Alkaline batteries. A lot of equipment is designed for use
>>>> with
>>>>
>>>> Alkaline batteries, and even though initially they may
>>>> work fine,
>>>>
>>>> later in the field you may discover that they have a
>>>> (seemingly) short
>>>>
>>>> life. Digital cameras often are designed to work with
>>>> rechargeables
>>>>
>>>> these days (sometimes they last longer with
>>>> rechargeables), but
>>>>
>>>> torches/flashlights for instance are often not.
>>>>
>>>> Hope this helps,
>>>>
>>>> Tom
>>>>
>>>> On 26/01/2011, at 3:48 PM, Patrick Hall wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> Honeyman also coauthored a paper with Laura Robinson
>>>> on this topic in
>>>>
>>>> LD&C which might be of use:
>>>>
>>>> Honeyman, Tom & Laura C. Robinson. 2007. Solar power
>>>> for the digital
>>>>
>>>> fieldworker. Language Documentation & Conservation
>>>> 1(1): 17-27.
>>>>
>>>> It's available online:
>>>>
>>>> http://hdl.handle.net/10125/1722
>>>>
>>>> cheers,
>>>>
>>>> Pat
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> Frances Kofod
>>> PO Box 1918
>>> Kununurra
>>> WA 6743
>>> 08 91692 852 ~ 0438 894957
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>Frances Kofod
>>PO Box 1918
>>Kununurra
>>WA 6743
>>08 91692 852 ~ 0438 894957
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
--
Prof Peter K. Austin
Marit Rausing Chair in Field Linguistics
Department of Linguistics, SOAS
Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square
London WC1H 0XG
United Kingdom
web: http://www.hrelp.org/aboutus/staff/index.php?cd=pa
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