Nerd help needed:
I need a means of charging a MacBook, with a silly magsafe power thingy, via a solar panel. It looks like Apple made a airplane charger thing for a while, but it's now discontinued.
The basics are as follows. Travelling by snow machine for 7 - 8 days, tenting it over night, and I need to charge the MacBook with its stupid power adapter.
Solutions, ideas, basically any help figuring this out would really be appreciated :)
When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity.
When many people suffer from a delusion, it is called religion.
I personally use a solar panel to charge truck batteries and then run a 12V to 110V inverter to charge my devices but that Amazon link looks exactly what you need.
Sled have an electric start with 12v battery?
plus
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Kn.
Hey tard climb back into your garbage can and munch on some of your discarded green pubes!
One should freaking assume, that if someone is asking a question on any forum that they've already googled the hell out of their question and have exhausted a few other options as well … cause really why would any intentionally open themselves up to shit like your bitly dumb ass google link??
Slider and Teddy, thanks those will totally help.
How old are you? What do you want to be when you grow up?
Kn.
When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity.
When many people suffer from a delusion, it is called religion.
How old are you? What do you want to be when you grow up?
Kn.
i'm 13 and i'm gonna be your step dad.
Part of the problem is that Apple's patents and licence agreements on the MagSafe power interface have removed much choice in the market. There are very few manufacturers making DC-DC converter power supplies rated to replace a 65W or 85W MagSafe AC-DC power supply. If you had a Thinkpad with standard 19V input via barrel connector this would be much easier.
Briefly, whatever size of small solar panel you are probably bringing with you will not have the amperage to directly charge a Macbook/Macbook Pro/Macbook Air. If you want to charge an Apple laptop from a small solar setup you will want:
a) solar panel
b) small solar charge controller, MPPT type if possible
c) DC disconnect switch, you can use a $12 DIN mount type DC circuit breaker for this. You could glue it to the side of the battery.
d) 12V 10Ah size AGM lead acid battery. buy from eBay.
e) small 12V to 120VAC 150W true sinewave inverter. Should be around $150.
The general idea is that the solar panel charges the battery / keeps the battery full, then you draw from the battery (sometimes at the same time the solar panel is charging it, sometimes not) to charge the laptop.
With a Thinkpad or other laptop that has a non proprietary power interface you can use a DC-DC converter between the 12V battery and the laptop, something tuned to output 19V or whatever your laptop needs, and lose the inverter.
"Bicycling is a healthy and manly pursuit with much to recommend it, and, unlike other foolish crazes, it has not died out."
- The Daily Telegraph (1877)
i'm 13 and i'm gonna be your step dad.
I'd be surprised if you're that old, given that you act like a spoiled 8 year old. My mother is 71 and yes, she is single …
Kn.
When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity.
When many people suffer from a delusion, it is called religion.
Part of the problem is that Apple's patents and licence agreements on the MagSafe power interface have removed much choice in the market. There are very few manufacturers making DC-DC converter power supplies rated to replace a 65W or 85W MagSafe AC-DC power supply. If you had a Thinkpad with standard 19V input via barrel connector this would be much easier.
Briefly, whatever size of small solar panel you are probably bringing with you will not have the amperage to directly charge a Macbook/Macbook Pro/Macbook Air. If you want to charge an Apple laptop from a small solar setup you will want:
a) solar panel
b) small solar charge controller, MPPT type if possible
c) DC disconnect switch, you can use a $12 DIN mount type DC circuit breaker for this. You could glue it to the side of the battery.
d) 12V 10Ah size AGM lead acid battery. buy from eBay.
e) small 12V to 120VAC 150W true sinewave inverter. Should be around $150.
The general idea is that the solar panel charges the battery / keeps the battery full, then you draw from the battery (sometimes at the same time the solar panel is charging it, sometimes not) to charge the laptop.
With a Thinkpad or other laptop that has a non proprietary power interface you can use a DC-DC converter between the 12V battery and the laptop, something tuned to output 19V or whatever your laptop needs, and lose the inverter.
Thanks that answers a bunch of questions. I think we're gonna go with these guys:
http://www.amazon.com/Goal-Zero-13002-Universal-Inverter/dp/B00452EO7E/ref=pd_sim_auto_2
http://www.amazon.com/Goal-Zero-12201-Nomad-Solar/dp/B003RZWEM2/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8[HTML_REMOVED]qid=1359579337[HTML_REMOVED]sr=8-6[HTML_REMOVED]keywords=Goal+Zero+Nomad
I love NBR for interactions like these.
Ride, don't slide.
Can you retrofit one of these to generate the charge you need? While not ideal, it'd be handy for making smoothies when not charging your Macbook.
I would not buy a $53 DC to AC inverter. At that cheap price it's not going to be true sinewave. Step wave or square wave will eventually damage AC to DC power supplies. Spend $120-150 on a small inverter.
That solar panel: It may be a folding design but it uses fragile monocrystalline cells. These are usually found encapsulated in glass in fixed mount solar panels. It will not tolerate rough handling (particularly in cold temperatures) as well as a thin film flexible type design. Take a look at the Powerfilm 20W and 60W products which are a thin film amorphous silicon design.
In -15C weather I bet I can crack the cells on that one you linked to just by rapping on it hard with my knuckles. The powerfilm product is much more damage resistant.
http://www.amazon.com/PowerFilm-F15-1200-Folding-Solar-Charger/dp/B002LCEQRI
"Bicycling is a healthy and manly pursuit with much to recommend it, and, unlike other foolish crazes, it has not died out."
- The Daily Telegraph (1877)
You shiuld be able to get dc power offthe handlebar or thumb warmer without to much trouble. I know guys rig up plugs for thier gps.
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