Solar iPhone Charger

[Stonewall]

I haven't even attempted google just yet.  I figured there are enough gear queers here (yes, I'm one) that someone has already gotten and tested out the best options for this.

I've got some military field stuff coming up and won't have access to electricity.

[isuhawkeye]

Goal zero has a line of solar chargers.  I like mine.

[Eclipse]

Your best bet is spare batteries, I mean seriously, who would depend on a power-hungry device without the ability to swap the battery?...oh, yeah.

In all seriousness, I haven't found anything yet that can gen enough juice to charge these devices in any sort of reasonable time frame, yet is small
enough for field gear, and the iDevices are very finicky about voltage.

There's a couple of interesting bags that have built-in power storage in addition to the solar cells.

So if nothing else, I would recommend a charger that has storage as well.

[NIN]

Your best bet is spare batteries, I mean seriously, who would depend on a power-hungry device without the ability to swap the battery?...oh, yeah.

In all seriousness, I haven't found anything yet that can gen enough juice to charge these devices in any sort of reasonable time frame, yet is small
enough for field gear, and the iDevices are very finicky about voltage.

There's a couple of interesting bags that have built-in power storage in addition to the solar cells.

So if nothing else, I would recommend a charger that has storage as well.

I have a battery by New Trent that is pretty sweet. You get 2-3 charges out of it before you gotta recharge it from the wall/PC.

[Eclipse]

These popped up on Woot! today:

http://tech.woot.com/plus/unu-iphone-charging-accessories

http://tech.woot.com/plus/k3-portable-chargers-1

[Pylon]

These popped up on Woot! today:

http://tech.woot.com/plus/unu-iphone-charging-accessories

http://tech.woot.com/plus/k3-portable-chargers-1

Thanks for the tip.  Just bought one of their 11000mAh battery packs for my iPhone.  Going to give that a whirl for an upcoming 2-week field op.  Hopefully 6 charges, turning off push on non-essential apps, and airplane mode at night will be enough to keep me juiced in the woods aboard Lejeune.

[Ozzy]

I just bought a Goal Zero 7 Panel... I'll let you know how well it works in the field. I've been using a 10000 mAh pack for the past year whenever we went out and it's been working great, it only died after charging 6 people's phones for two days..

[Eclipse]

Died as in "doesn't work" or died as in "needs recharge"?

[Ozzy]

Died as in needed a recharge. If it was just me using it and I was using my Galaxy S4, I probably only would have used up maybe 25% of the charge

[BHartman007]

It's not a solar charger, but this more than doubles the life.
http://www.mophie.com/
My dad got one and seems to like it.

[Eclipse]

Of no use to people with Smartphones...

[BHartman007]

True enough. I keep hoping they'll come out with some Android models. The OP WAS asking for iPhone chargers, after all 

[JoeTomasone]

A little late for the good Colonel's purposes, but I have been testing the Gomadic Sunvolt and like it.

http://www.gomadic.com/sunvolt.html

It's a solar panel that can:

1. Charge a battery pack that can be used to charge the phone.  The battery pack can be removed from the panel and taken with you.

2. Charge the device directly (if/when the battery pack is dead).

3. Do both at the same time.


It folds up in a decently sturdy case for transportation.


Incidentally, I do NOT recommend those tiny solar panel solutions that are commonly found in stores.   They will take DAYS to charge the average smartphone.   Unfortunately for those on the go, you need a big panel (10W or more) to collect enough energy to charge a phone in a reasonable amount of time.

[Eclipse]

^ Yeah, I've pretty much come to the conclusion that solar is neither cheap, nor small, in any way which is meaningful to the average weekend warrior, where
the need for alternative fuel is more an affectation then a survival issue.

Stonewall's needs not withstanding, for the average CAP member, spare batteries are probably your best bet, and those are cheap and small.

[JoeTomasone]

Well, the Sunvolt is the closest thing I've found to perfect.  I think with a little Macguyverism, it could be lashed on to a backpack, though you'd look pretty ridiculous.    Solar can be reasonable cheap (I have a 10W monocrystalline panel that I got from eBay for $45), the portability is still mostly limited to "bring it with you" as opposed to "carry it on you".   I got a backpack the other day that has a solar panel installed (and a small battery pack, kinda like the Gomadic), but the panel is so small that it's not meaningful.   I'll use it for day trips to Disney and what-not to emergency-charge a phone if needed, but it's not even laughably close to a total power solution like the Sunvolt could be.

Now, if I were told that I had to power my iPhone off the grid for a week, while maintaining portability and not compromising the professional appearance of the uniform (i.e. not looking like Doofus the Dork), and if I knew I'd be back at base camp each day, I would:

1. Use a large panel (10W or larger) to charge a deep-cycle battery by day.
2. Use that battery to power a 12v cig-lighter charger to charge both the iPhone and a USB-chargeable portable battery pack to carry with me.

There are lots of variables here -- too many for a short, coherent post -- but with a reasonably-sized battery and panel and sufficient sunlight during the day, you could easily make this work.   

[Eclipse]

For a week's worth of phone charges, a fully charged car battery, without the solar cell would probably be plenty.

Even a motorcycle battery might be enough.

[JoeTomasone]

I was thinking of a smaller (and more portable) battery; say an 18ah gell cell.   However, a car/motorcycle battery would work well, I would just not want to lug it with me to some field camp somewhere.

For example: http://www.batteriesplus.com/product/32622-WKA12--18NB-12-Volt-18AH-Werker-Battery-with-Nut-and-Bolt-Terminal/100085-1/102629-SLA-Sealed-Lead-Acid-Batteries/102645-Werker/12V.aspx

[Eclipse]

Yeah, 12 some lbs is nothing to sneeze at if you have to carry it in.

[JoeTomasone]

Yup.  But once you start getting much under that, the capacity starts to fail to support a week's usage given the losses in regulating 12v down to 5.5v and the capacity of the iPhone's battery.

If you're Macguyver, you take a much lighter 6V battery and build a regulator circuit for 5.5v tied to a USB connector...   But if you want to buy-n-go, you don't quite have that luxury.

[EMT-83]

Not that it's portable, but when dry-camping I'll grab the APC UPS from the house. It lasts plenty long enough to charge the toys.