Solar panels

Wed Feb 9 20:56:07 UTC 2011

Xavier

I don't use an iPad myself -- perhaps you're thinking of my blog post
(http://bit.ly/hfdEBb) which described and illustrated Anthony Jukes'
use of an iPad during his recent fieldwork in Indonesia.

I am waiting to have a look at the new Android tablets running
Honeycomb that are reported to be coming on the market soon, like the
Motorola Xoom -- they will have dual core processors and an open
architecture plus card slots and a proper file system so look
potentially more attractive than the walled garden Apple approach. It
would be interesting to test one in the field under "normal" work
conditions, perhaps with a wireless keyboard in use as well.

Peter

On 9 February 2011 10:24, Xavier Barker <meibitobure.gaunibwe at gmail.com> wrote:
> Agree with the battery-life issue.  With the wireless and bluetooth turned
> off, you might get close to six hours on a full charge with a macbook,
> slightly less (around 4) with the MBP.  Battery life seems to have been
> negatively effected by the update to 10.6.6 as well.  Either way, with
> careful management of your Apple battery, you still shouldn't expect much
> more than four hours.  On the PC side, i can confirm an INspiron mini and
> Aspire One 753 will both get me through most of the day without a charge.
>  THat means i put it through about eight hours of 'work' (most of what i do
> is through a browser or vnc client. Hardly fair to suggest i'm putting it
> through its paces).   The best bit about the netbook is that 19V models, as
> i've said, will run happily in a 12V DC environment without the need for
> inversion.
> At 12 hours battery life plus, can i not convince anyone of the likely
> benefit of an iPad over a PC/Mac?  if you're considering a netbook, you give
> away processing power for  size/weight/power consumption anyway, so the
> argument for facility/greater functionality is probably not going to hold
> up.  It works for some already - did i read Peter Austin is using it? I know
> I can perform most of my duties on an iPad just as well as my MBP or a
> netbook.
>
>
> On 09/02/2011, at 11:39 PM, Jeremy Hammond 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