Here it is:
My Solar Power Set Up:
(Note to anyone who wants to argue about batteries with me – I won’t respond to such posts – I’m not arguing – been there, done that, too many times.)
I researched solar panels and chargers and rechargeable batteries for a month or more to put together something that would work for me and not have to take out a loan at the bank to pay for it. In my mind, I have the best solar panel and best rechargeable batteries to accomplish the task.
Rechargeable Batteries:
I know I have the best rechargeable batteries available. I wrote numerous articles on Survival Podcast about batteries, but you don’t have to read what I wrote as I went through that – it’s the final choice that is important. If you don’t think I have the best, I can direct you to those articles and you can read them, or just take my word about that and get these. I was pissed that Energizer and Duracell and others you would buy at Walmart, grocery store, drug stores, changed their D batteries and put the power of a AA in their D rechargeables. What an absolute rip off, especially when you need high powered Ds as they used to make. Well, I wrote articles about that to alert people to that problem. The D batteries are listed below.
Solar Panel:
There are so many you will get lost trying to find what you need. I wanted a solar panel with a good charger that attaches to the panel and charges all sizes of batteries in a reasonable amount of time and didn’t cost a fortune. I found the right one and you’d have to kill me to take it from me. You can also recharge a low or high end cell phone and a Kindle or an Ipad. You use the cigarette plug you have for your phone (to charge in a car) and it has that mini USB connector on the other end and attach your phone or Ipad or Kindle to that connector and plug the cigarette plug in the cigarette port on the solar panel. You will understand this when you read about the panel/charger.
The panel has a long cord and I’ll put the panel in the sun and run that cord under the roof over my deck so the charger itself can be in the shade. If you can’t find a place to put the charger in the shade, make shade over it with a table or whatever. I don’t want the charger directly out in the Texas sun. It is fast to recharge batteries (charge four AA in three hours). Here is the solar panel/charger:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007SFWTMW/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Here are the Sanyo eneloop batteries. You can get any size on this page (they don’t make a high capacity D):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004SB1TD4/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Here are high capacity low self-discharge Tenergy Centura Ds I need for my fans and two lanterns: “Provides ultra-long use time per charge with this super high 8000mAh capacity”. There is a 10,000 mAh and maybe one more higher, but the charger using solar power will not charge these to capacity so it’s a waste of money to buy higher than 8000. Note the color of these batteries – it is white. They have these 8000 in another color but that color is NOT the low self-discharge. These white ones are the NEW low self-discharge type. If you buy these elsewhere, make sure they are the white ones.
That was almost a light speed response! Thank you very much.
Why do you keep directing people to buy Sanyo Eneloop batteries that are two generations behind their modern versions?
I recommend Sanyo Eneloop rechargeables, but people need to buy the most current version of them, in the US, that is generation3 (gen 4 in Japan) which are improved from the older versions.
Thanks for the post. I enjoyed looking around, learned something.