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Solar Powered Phone Charger

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by Zanrok, Oct 5, 2011.

  1. Zanrok

    Zanrok Casual Prius Lover

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    The First Solar-Powered Charger I'd Actually Use

    Pretty cool... I guess my main question.. when you charge your phone via the USB in the car does it take away enough juice from your battery to warrant getting something like this.
     
    #1 Zanrok, Oct 5, 2011
  2. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    It's not a new idea. I had a a solar battery on an old Motorola Microtac back in the mid 1990's. It half worked and probably did help a little on sunny days. Thing is, if you're in your car why not just use the car to charge the phone? If you're going camping then buy a second battery and charge it before you go - it'll be cheaper than this solar charger.
     
    #2 GrumpyCabbie, Oct 5, 2011
  3. Zanrok

    Zanrok Casual Prius Lover

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    Maybe.. maybe not apparently this thing is 40 bucks... Not sure how much batteries are off hand. Either way I would be curious as to how much juice is actually taken from your car to charge your phone. Or the amount so small it plays no effect?
     
    #3 Zanrok, Oct 5, 2011
  4. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    It will use a very small amount, esp compared to the headlights or radio. My cab has a taxi meter, two way radio, despatch computer and sat nav all running 10 hours a day with no issues (yet! :) )
     
    #4 GrumpyCabbie, Oct 5, 2011
  5. Corwyn

    Corwyn Energy Curmudgeon

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    If you are going to acquire solar panels, the energy required to make them, needs to accounted for. Using a solar charger for less than 10% of the time, means that you are never going to payback the energy required to make it. Either get a solar panel for your Prius and recharge your car battery (all the time), or get solar panels for your house, and recharge your Prius battery from house current.

    A phone battery recharge takes about 0.00014 gallons of gas (all energy in a cordless prius comes from gas)..
     
    #5 Corwyn, Oct 5, 2011
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